The Michigan Model

Bailouts: It may no longer be the case that "as GM goes, so goes the nation." But it's certainly true for Michigan. That's not very good news for Michiganders, who are leaving the state in droves.

Today, Michigan's 12% unemployment rate is the highest in the nation, and likely to go higher. Meanwhile, a Detroit News series notes that 109,000 more people left Michigan last year than moved in, four times the level of 2001. Another family leaves the state every 12 minutes, and half the graduates from Michigan's fine university and college system leave each year.

They're leaving because the economy is imploding. As Michigan's Mackinac Center think tank notes, the state ranked 16th highest in per capita GDP in 1999. Today, it's 41st. From 2002 to 2007, it was the only state to have a negative growth rate, and its personal income growth today is just over half the U.S. average.

How did it get so bad? Certainly the automakers' demise plays a huge role. So does the United Auto Workers union, which due to years of gold-plated labor deals has made it impossible for the domestic industry to make cars profitably in Michigan.

That's a big reason why Michigan's economy has been decimated, and why U.S. taxpayers ultimately could spend more than $100 billion to bail out GM and Chrysler — and possibly Ford, too.

Take a look at the old train station in detroit. Then and now.

http://onlyndetroit.com/

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YIKES!!! Detroid is WORSE than anyone can believe!! it is a modern day GHOST TOWN!!!

Detroit is already no longer a legally defined city, and I had no idea it was THIS HORRIBLE!!!

What the heck are those elected officials doing!!!!
They see this nightmare every day!

I lived 12 years in the northern Detroit suburbs. It became quickly obvious what the Michigan problems were. The state is blessed with enormous potential but the union mentality, the Liberals, and the Detroit racist/welfare syndrome were the creeping cancers which eventually ate the rest of the state and have turned it into what Obama's vision for America is.

Nevertheless, Michigan thrived in the Engler Years (GOP Administration in the 90s), despite the drag of the unions on the industries. It was Boomtown USA for a while - until the Democrats regained control. Engler drastically cut taxes and curbed many onerous regulations and the state thrived - except for Soulman Young's Detroit, of course. That was no way that racist enclave ever could.

No, Detroit could never thrive. It was (and is) a bastion of crony corruption, racism, Democrat politics, welfare junkies, drugs, criminals, complete lack of vision, purposeful envy, entitlement mentality and just plain nastiness at all levels. In other words, Detroit is a typical racist, corrupt, greedy, socialist paradise (but, I repeat myself) that reminds one less of America than third world shitholes like Lagos and Monrovia. Just drive down almost any street there and observe - if you dare.

My numerous experiences in Detroit city itself were not happy ones, with a very few exceptions. Disgusting and dangerous far outweigh happy in this city. It is a magnet for what is worst in America and for the life of me I don't know how the small percentage of decent people left there survive.

As soon as I could, I left Michigan for good. It has only gotten much worse since Granholm took over. It will continue to get worse as long as the Liberals are in charge.

Somebody mentioned the large numbers of dumb, self-destructive voters in this state. It is true. I have known a lot of them. They are their own worst enemy. They will vote union and Democrat until they die, which, given the burgeoning Muslim population, may be sooner than they think.

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