The Spectacle Blog
The Wolverine State received the worst, but not unexpected, news from the Census data released earlier this week. From the New York Times:
While every other state in the nation gained population over the past decade, Michigan shrank. And yet, as word seeped across frozen towns like this one on Wednesday, almost no one seemed even mildly surprised. This was, many here said with resignation, just one last, official confirmation of Michigan’s long, grim and gloomy slide.
“We used to enjoy a bit of a strut,” said Jerry Becker, a welder, recalling an era when Michigan’s automotive powerhouses ruled the world and salaries here felt lavish. “But that’s long gone. We all know by now that everybody thinks of Michigan as a bad place to live - a place that doesn’t seem to have much of a future.”
If any state is ready to be done with the 2000s, it is this one.
And nearly the entire decade was presided over by departing Democrat Gov. Jennifer “Stay the Course” Granholm, who said in her final State of the State address:
Everything we do in these next 11 months should be linked to the economic plan we have followed these seven years: diversifying the economy; educating our people; and protecting citizens in a time of transition.
I’ll repeat below the appropriate analogy (fast-forward to about 2:28). Perhaps incoming Gov. Rick Snyder can respond to the wake-up alarm the following morning.
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More Blog Posts by Paul Chesser
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/12/23/michigans-missin-ya
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PattyMor| 12.23.10 @ 4:04PM
Detroit might as well be called DoneTroit. The DemonCrat policies killed a once beautiful city and a once thriving state. Well done, as in done for. You can't revive it with subsidized jobs and welfare queens.
Occam's Tool| 12.23.10 @ 4:12PM
My favorite member of the Weasel family, the Wolverine, is also endangered.
RJ| 12.23.10 @ 6:14PM
Coming from California, I am reluctant to comment on another struggling state, but I have never seen a city in the United States that has such a strong stench of economic death like Detroit. Much of California is going the same way. I keep praying that more people wake-up to the reality and stop pursuing tried and failed policies. We desperately need major reform in reducing government. Without such a reduction, government cannot be cleansed of its corruption and made more efficient.
Dixie Pixie| 12.23.10 @ 7:52PM
Good advice from Phil.
Never drive angry especially if you are a first time quadruped driver.
Nick| 12.24.10 @ 12:22AM
Jennie-pooh also promised the citizens of Michigan, in 2006, that they would "be blown away" in 5 years.
Granholm never mentioned that she meant it was our jobs that would be blown away!
Of course, conservative knew what she meant.
jomo2009| 12.24.10 @ 10:23AM
Granholm should go back to Canada and stay there!
Bob the Engineer| 12.24.10 @ 10:27AM
Jennifer "Warthog" Granholm's problem is what ails all libs she thinks she knows better than anybody else. She practiced state capitalism where she decided where money was to be invested. I was utterly disgusted every time she would announce that she spent $3,000,000 to bring 200 jobs to Michigan. If those tax dollars were left in the private sector many more jobs could have been created.