Posted on 04/16/2004 7:03:09 PM PDT by FourPeas
MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Jennifer Granholm has a question for college students: What makes a cool city?
The governor's Cool Cities Initiative is designed to make Michigan more attractive to young college graduates, many of whom are moving to the Sun Belt to start careers and families.
"We're all really most interested in hearing from you, the students, the ones who are making the decisions," Granholm said Thursday during a forum at Northern Michigan University.
"This is not a top-down movement to create cool. It's bottom-up."
The forum is among three Granholm has scheduled to solicit student opinions. One was held Wednesday at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids; the other will be Tuesday at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Nearly 43,000 young, single, college-educated people left Michigan from 1995 to 2000, the governor said.
"The creative class is on the move," she said. "How do we keep you all here?"
The Northern Michigan students completed a short survey with questions about what type of place they'd want to live in and how "cool" Marquette already is.
Then Granholm worked the room, seeking more detailed responses.
Some students admitted they wouldn't stick around after graduation. Reasons included lack of jobs in their chosen fields and the cold climate.
Others complained about a lack of late-night dining and recreational opportunities.
But many planned to stay in Marquette, saying they enjoyed the abundant snowfall and considered it a family-oriented community.
Granholm met briefly with members of the local Cool Cities committee. The governor said Marquette is headed in the right direction.
"She said we are far ahead of other cities," said Reatha Tweedie, the city's arts and culture director.
While I don't agree with her on many things and I certainly wouldn't vote for her, this is a good question to ask.
Nothing could be cooler than John Kerry doing jumping-jacks.
No,I love having him here,I am just saying he is super-cool.
John Kerry Rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, now I see the trophies.
That probably represents $2m a year loss in economic activity to Anne Arbor.
Oh, well. Sorry.
There is one particular firm up there I used to work for - I had a long discussion with the powers-that-be, about how they were not paying me enough.
They disagreed.
I moved to a new company, where I make about four times as much.
Then I hired their entire staff.
I wonder if they regret that?
To tell you the truth, I wanted out of MI anyway. The combination of the soviet socialist government and the cigarrette taxes were driving me nuts.
But, hey, VA appreciates all the new revenue.
Drive on, MI. Keep doing what you are doing.
I need another 47 employees.
1. It's COLD and SNOWY. Disadvantage to a lot of people. Marquette is the epidomy of this problem.
2. There never was, nor is a strong "Bohemian" type of leftist(most leftsts are more populist here instead) factor here outside of Ann Arbor, and to a lesser extent, SE Oakland County, part of Grand Rapids, and East Lansing. Going only for that segement will be a disaster.
3. JOBS - Losing the manufacturing base and capitalist class 'isn't cool' either. The tax system is better than it was under Blanchard, but it still really sucks. Marquette lost a Military Base thanks to Carl Lenin. There's jobs.
4. Schools - people aren't going to raise families in cities with poor public schools. Detroit schools....nuff said. When some of these 'creative class' have kids, they move out of the city when their kids are school age.
5. CRIME. Number one factor why Detroit's shrinking.
The crime, jobs, and school issues are in every single community and need to be addressed there. The other question for each core city - "What does it sell?"
In the case of Marquette
Advantages - Northern Michigan Univeristy(good hockey program), Lake Superior, wilderness and water nearby for outdoorsmen.
Disadvantages - Jobs, weather, unions, location(about as far as from here to DC). - Which is a reason why many that move up that way are retirees.
I think the Dallas area is "Michigan Southwest" and Tampa/Orlando/Lakeland/St Pete is "Michigan SE".
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