Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
michigan needs a industrialized jobs market. movie industry is bunk. low ball. the city needs much more revenue then movie making could generate. the auto industry needs to get some balls back and the folks in michigan need to stop voting for liberals. allow america to build the best cars on the planet and get the government out of our business. anyone who thinks hollywood is the answer is as retarded as shawn penn kissing hugo chavez on his bloated cheek.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrPrometheus
To my way of thinking, the main reason by far that Michigan has a not-so-glamorous imagine in the minds of many throughout the world is because Hollywood has done a pile-driver on the state for decades.
How many times have you seen one of those late shows where the two "stars" are talking and making it seem as if the only places that are cool are California and New York? I recall once watching one of these shows and they had someone on it say that he was from Michigan and one of the jerks made a disparaging remark to the guy, saying something to the effect that he wasn't cool because he was from Michigan, and no one batted an eye at his rudeness.
Michigan needs to get its act together and start producing HIGH-QUALITY shows in and about the state ... and the people that live there -- create a whole "Michigan Film Industry" from the ground up! Leave all the California people out of the productions ... and just take the bull by the horns and create a *positive image* so as to cause the rest of the world to say, "Wow! What a cool place! What cool people!"
And if one really wanted to return some of the dirt that many in California (and elsewhere) have been trashing people from Michigan with, then resort to inserting in said productions various types of crap that'll smear the image of those that have been doing the smearing for so long; e.g., show people now and then wearing t-shirts that say "California" on them and have THEM look hideous and sound stupid! (While the Michiganders look fabulous and sound like geniuses!)
The main thing is to never permit someone else from somewheres else to define for the rest of the world what you are via the incredible power of the television medium. Some rich person with a little vision could turn it all around for Michigan by running with this idea ... .
Yep...picture this....two buddies and their girls go into a cornfield to goof around, drink some beers and stuff. Little do they know this cornfield has no end. Next thing they know they are being stalked by someone or some thing. Of course a few will have to be killed off, but is there anything scarier then being in a cornfield at night? Number one movie of the summer and no goofy stars to deal with!
michigan needs a industrialized jobs market. movie industry is bunk. low ball. the city needs much more revenue then movie making could generate. the auto industry needs to get some balls back and the folks in michigan need to stop voting for liberals. allow america to build the best cars on the planet and get the government out of our business. anyone who thinks hollywood is the answer is as retarded as shawn penn kissing hugo chavez on his bloated cheek.
The auto industry, furniture industry, paper industry, etc.
Industry.
Michigan needs to make things.
Movies ain't gonna cut it.
I'm not sayin' that I don't enjoy seeing Michigan on the big screen, especially when moments come when we see certain areas that we're familiar with. Pointing out to my wife while watching Gran Torino (at the end), Lake St. Clair...."Hey, I've been there!"......was neat.
I would like to see movie production and tourism a part of Michigan's economy, but I'm very skeptical about the revenue coming in. It's worth a shot, but by no means a panacea for the economic challenges.
Traverse City cherries are great, but we can't rely on 'em.
I remember years and years ago there was a story about how Disney was looking to build a park near the Milford New Hudson exit of 96. It was shot down due to the people in the area not wanting something of that size and wanting to keep the area rural/farms etc. Can you imagine how much that area would have changed had Disney built a park there?
In regards to new industry jobs. Some area's are going to have to serious rethink their tax structure in order to get new businesses in their are. I used to work in Rochester Hills. That area boomed years ago with jobs and buildings etc. The company I worked for sold about 7 years ago now and the owner of the building STILL can't rent it out. There were so many vacant buildings when we sold that could not be filled. Owners HAVE to charge an arm and a leg because their taxes are through the roof. Until that changes that area's building are going to stay empty. Unless it's happening already out there.
I remember years and years ago there was a story about how Disney was looking to build a park near the Milford New Hudson exit of 96. It was shot down due to the people in the area not wanting something of that size and wanting to keep the area rural/farms etc. Can you imagine how much that area would have changed had Disney built a park there?
In regards to new industry jobs. Some area's are going to have to serious rethink their tax structure in order to get new businesses in their are. I used to work in Rochester Hills. That area boomed years ago with jobs and buildings etc. The company I worked for sold about 7 years ago now and the owner of the building STILL can't rent it out. There were so many vacant buildings when we sold that could not be filled. Owners HAVE to charge an arm and a leg because their taxes are through the roof. Until that changes that area's building are going to stay empty. Unless it's happening already out there.
My buddy and I would love to rent a building to grow our home based business, but could never afford the rent and would go down in flames with 2 years. If there were a way to get people who have a great business idea, and all these empty buildings together and make it affordable, it would be amazing! Not just here...everywhere. Its sickening to see unused buildings, in great locations just sitting and sitting.
I remember years and years ago there was a story about how Disney was looking to build a park near the Milford New Hudson exit of 96. It was shot down due to the people in the area not wanting something of that size and wanting to keep the area rural/farms etc. Can you imagine how much that area would have changed had Disney built a park there?
Wow. If they had built a park on the same scale as Disney World or Disneyland it would have dramatically impacted the region. Do you have any links for further reading about that?
Wow. If they had built a park on the same scale as Disney World or Disneyland it would have dramatically impacted the region. Do you have any links for further reading about that?
It was so long ago I would not even know where to find a story on it. This had to have been 15 years ago give or take a few.
The auto industry, furniture industry, paper industry, etc.
Michigan needs to make things.
I would like to see movie production and tourism a part of Michigan's economy, but I'm very skeptical about the revenue coming in. It's worth a shot, but by no means a panacea for the economic challenges.
Traverse City cherries are great, but we can't rely on 'em.
We can certainly agree Michigan needs to make things, and Michigan does make things...lots of things...though the sea-change in the auto and auto-related industry could lead one to think that manufacturing has dried up and blown away. Not true.
Michigan is paying the price for an overreliance on manufacturing as an economic driver...the national average is 13%, and in 2006 Michigan's was 21%. Seems counterintuitive, but we're getting down to a national normal, though it hurts a LOT.
I'm certainly praying hard for the Michigan based auto companies to bounch back in a big way, but lets face it: their business is never, ever going to be the way it was. Those days are over, gone, and the high paying/low education level factory jobs are gone with them. POOF!
But the skills and organization of people that put the world on wheels can adapt and change, and I think it's doing so. Far more slowly than I'd like, but there is change.
Movie and media production is a small part of the whole picture, but it can be part of a successful economy and culture. This is so new that I think the jury is still out, but it looks promising.
Tourism is a huge business in MI, and your seeming slight to that business I can only attribute to a confusing sentence. Did you mean movie-based tourism? That's not going to be a big factor in tourism, just a sidelight, at best.
But tourism as a whole? A huge business for the Mitten. Over 15 BILLION dollars spent in 2009 and estimated to grow 3 to 4 % this year, after two declining years due mostly to the economic crash, a lovely parting gift from Dubya. When you apply various multipliers to calculate economic impact of tourism (dollars being passed hand to hand around the state) it's clear tourism is worth tens of billions to Michigan.
If, by "Traverse City cherries", you mean the larger business of agriculture, agriculture is the second largest business sector in this state and is "growing" rapidly.
Up in my area (Leelanau) the grape and wine business is already having an impact on not only agricultural development but also a huge impact on tourism. Best of both worlds there, and also promising to ripen and ferment in large and rapid ways. If we could only bottle it...oh, wait...we can!
2010 looks like a super-vintage year, by the way.
From the MDA
Agriculturally Speaking... Michigan's Agri-business Sector on the Grow
[SIZE=-1]By Don Koivisto, director, Michigan Department of Agriculture
As we take time to reflect on the past year, I want to acknowledge and applaud the job growth and retention in the agri-food industry and celebrate its nearly $64 billion annual impact on the state’s economy. From business expansion, which created or retained thousands of jobs, to making agriculture a sought after career path, Michigan’s agri-business industry continues to thrive and grow despite the current economic climate.
As Michigan’s second largest economic driver, our agri-food sector is a multi-billion dollar a year business and produces more than 200 commodities, ranking second only to California in agricultural diversity. Not only does Michigan lead the nation in production of 20 agri-food commodities, but is also 1st and 4th in the nation for floriculture and Christmas tree production, respectively.
MDA - Agriculturally Speaking... Michigan's Agri-business Sector on the Grow (http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1572_28248-206699--,00.html - broken link)
You're correct...there is no panacea. But hopefully Michigan and Michiganders are learning that the only real constant is change, and won't be so content to sit on our fat wazoos as the world changes and leaves us behind again. All those "car guys" weren't so smart after all. They were arrogant fools, as were the folks who decided they didn't really need education, they could always get a good job at GM.
It was so long ago I would not even know where to find a story on it. This had to have been 15 years ago give or take a few.
Disney in Michigan was/is a Michigan urban legend/fantasy. Right up there with the guy who invented a car that could get 100 mpg and and sold the patents to the oil companies, who buried it. (I"m not allowed to say more about that...)
Bigfoot, anyone?
I agree with ya Tec, it's just that we can't rely on just one industry anymore. Google.... Arizona construction jobs......LOL.
Difference between MI & AZ with these two major economic enterprises is that AZ's demise was much quicker. MI's auto industry has seen a steady decline since the late 70's.
The comparison was for brevity, BTW.
What I mean about TC's cherries, while a great thing, is not gonna cure everything. and I love TC cherries, wine, etc.
Michigan, like other states, needs to find that nice balance. And in no way am I trashing MI's tourism industry. I vacation there myself.
Like to see MI try to reduce out of state hunting and fishing license fees. That is a form of tourism, and the state could get a boost. A small one maybe, but still a boost.
Biotech, engineering & research, and MAKING things is gonna turn Michigan around.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
rapidly.
, as were the folks who decided they didn't really need education, they could always get a good job at GM.
