The 3.0 agenda: Detroit
I want to apply the Friedman and Mandelbaum standard I wrote about in my last post to Detroit. They insightfully assert that “the purpose of the exercise: It is not simply to reduce the deficit but to insure prosperity. Solvency is vital, but it is not enough.” Insuring prosperity, not balancing the budget should be […]
The 3.0 Agenda: Friedman and Mandelbaum
I highly recommend reading That Use to Be Us by Thomas Friedman and Michael Madelbaum. It is a really good overview of what it will take for us as individuals as well as a country to compete in a continuously flattening world driven by globalization and technology. They lay out in compelling – and often […]
Its the bailout!
Michigan’s better than the nation economy for the last year or so is primarily the result of the federal government’s huge bailout of the domestic auto industry. End of story! As I wrote previously it is big government in action and working. While the Republican presidential candidates argued in the state’s primary that Michigan, the […]
The reality of transfer payments
As we explored in a previous post, transfer payments are highest in America’s small towns, not its big metros. The same is true of government employment earnings. And the reverse is true for private sector employment earnings. Each contrary to conventional wisdom, which views small town America as the home of the self reliant, and […]
Attracting talent: Challenge Detroit
More evidence that the business community is way ahead of both the public and policymakers from both parties on the essential role a vibrant city of Detroit must play if the region and state are to be successful economically. The latest terrific private sector initiative is Challenge Detroit from the Collaborative Group. Understanding that attracting […]
Dan Gilbert on Detroit
It was my pleasure to participate in the second annual Detroit Revitalization and Business conference organized by MBA students at the University of Michigan’s Ross School. (For background see Matthew Neagle’s post on the first conference.) That a group of MBA students at UM are so interested in exploring Detroit as a place to live […]
The good and the bad on higher education
Mixed news to say the least on making higher education a priority in Michigan. In a world where increasingly the most prosperous individuals and communities are characterized by college attainment, how we view our community colleges and universities matters a lot to the future economic success of Michiganders and Michigan. As we have written frequently […]