Comments on: Apple http://www.michiganfuture.org/01/2010/apple/ Creating a Prosperous Michigan Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:14:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lou Glazer http://www.michiganfuture.org/01/2010/apple/comment-page-1/#comment-235 Lou Glazer Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:06:58 +0000 http://www.michiganfuture.org/?p=721#comment-235 Dan Gilmartin – who runs the Michigan Municipal League – describes what they are all about as creating communities for the next fifty years, rather than the last fifty. That is exactly what we need. Just as its true for our economy, its true for our communities: what made us prosperous in the past, won't in the future. You are exactly right our communities are going to have to transform themselves to align with new realities or continue to decline. Dan Gilmartin – who runs the Michigan Municipal League – describes what they are all about as creating communities for the next fifty years, rather than the last fifty. That is exactly what we need. Just as its true for our economy, its true for our communities: what made us prosperous in the past, won’t in the future. You are exactly right our communities are going to have to transform themselves to align with new realities or continue to decline.

]]> By: David Cherry http://www.michiganfuture.org/01/2010/apple/comment-page-1/#comment-217 David Cherry Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:14:04 +0000 http://www.michiganfuture.org/?p=721#comment-217 Thanks, Lou. I love that line, "We will have a monopoly in nothing." So many individuals and communities in Michigan seem to forget that they can't survive without a niche, a strategy, or a unique market position. I've been asking folks in Wayne County a simple question lately - Why does your community exist? A local city council member told me that her community was a great bedroom community, before listing a lot of Not In My Backyard businesses that are located in the same town. Seems like a weak approach to being a good bedroom community. It was nice to see that the state told River Rouge and Ecorse to work together or lose self rule. Most importantly, though, I think these communities need to come up with a joint strategy, which defines what they are and why they exist. River Rouge was a great bedroom community when Rouge Steel needed lots of workers, but why does it exist today? Same for Ecorse. Why would anyone want to live or work or recreate in River Rouge-Ecorse? That's not a backhanded question, its a legitimate one that these communities and others like them should be asking. If only would could get the state to push for more of it. Thanks, Lou. I love that line, “We will have a monopoly in nothing.” So many individuals and communities in Michigan seem to forget that they can’t survive without a niche, a strategy, or a unique market position.

I’ve been asking folks in Wayne County a simple question lately – Why does your community exist? A local city council member told me that her community was a great bedroom community, before listing a lot of Not In My Backyard businesses that are located in the same town. Seems like a weak approach to being a good bedroom community.

It was nice to see that the state told River Rouge and Ecorse to work together or lose self rule. Most importantly, though, I think these communities need to come up with a joint strategy, which defines what they are and why they exist. River Rouge was a great bedroom community when Rouge Steel needed lots of workers, but why does it exist today? Same for Ecorse. Why would anyone want to live or work or recreate in River Rouge-Ecorse? That’s not a backhanded question, its a legitimate one that these communities and others like them should be asking.

If only would could get the state to push for more of it.

]]> By: Lou Glazer http://www.michiganfuture.org/01/2010/apple/comment-page-1/#comment-215 Lou Glazer Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:40:44 +0000 http://www.michiganfuture.org/?p=721#comment-215 David, Good questions. First, we will ultimately have a monopoly in nothing. The rest of the planet is going to compete with us in all industries at all skill levels. So the only sustainable competitive edge is innovation: creating what's next. If Apple stops with the iPod and iPhone they will not be the economic story of the next decade. But if they keep creating great new products the value they add will be in pre and post production, not in the making of their next great products. High wage manufacturing is not coming back at any scale. Making things, by and large, across the planet will increasingly be done by machines or low wage workers. Its not good news, but it is the new reality. David,

Good questions. First, we will ultimately have a monopoly in nothing. The rest of the planet is going to compete with us in all industries at all skill levels. So the only sustainable competitive edge is innovation: creating what’s next. If Apple stops with the iPod and iPhone they will not be the economic story of the next decade. But if they keep creating great new products the value they add will be in pre and post production, not in the making of their next great products. High wage manufacturing is not coming back at any scale. Making things, by and large, across the planet will increasingly be done by machines or low wage workers. Its not good news, but it is the new reality.

]]> By: Rick Haglund http://www.michiganfuture.org/01/2010/apple/comment-page-1/#comment-214 Rick Haglund Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:36:46 +0000 http://www.michiganfuture.org/?p=721#comment-214 Apple has a culture of relentless innovation that's nearly unequaled. And it pays off. The company announced today it just wrapped up its most profitable quarter in its history. Apple has a culture of relentless innovation that’s nearly unequaled. And it pays off. The company announced today it just wrapped up its most profitable quarter in its history.

]]> By: David Cherry http://www.michiganfuture.org/01/2010/apple/comment-page-1/#comment-213 David Cherry Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:08:51 +0000 http://www.michiganfuture.org/?p=721#comment-213 Hi Lou, Isn't the proposition that we add value through our brain power contingent on agreement from other nations that they don't? What if China decided that its best route to success was to copy our lead and add value without making things? Clearly, someone would always have the upper hand in such a dual, but who would be left to make things? Are high wage manufacturing jobs impossible to create or do they rely on the value of the product? d Hi Lou,

Isn’t the proposition that we add value through our brain power contingent on agreement from other nations that they don’t? What if China decided that its best route to success was to copy our lead and add value without making things? Clearly, someone would always have the upper hand in such a dual, but who would be left to make things? Are high wage manufacturing jobs impossible to create or do they rely on the value of the product?

d

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