A list you want to be on
Fascinating article on Yahoo Finance on the states with the highest proportion of households with incomes of $200,000 or more. There are now 4.5 million households in the country who earn more than $200,000, 3.8% of the population. The top 15 states with the highest percent of households with income above $200,000 in order: DC, Connecticut, […]
Two Steps in the Right Direction
Governor Granholm and the lame duck legislature in December enacted an important change in Michigan transportation policy. They are to be commended. The new policy, which goes by the name complete streets, finally takes away the long standing policy that the preeminent mode of transportation is driving. Now transportation officials must consider pedestrians, bicyclists and […]
Not Texas
The state we are probably lectured about the most as a model for how Michigan state government should work like is Texas. The story goes they are a low tax/low spending/weak union state and therefore has a strong economy. Think again! Turns out they have one of the largest state budget deficits in the country. […]
Shopping for schools
At its core Michigan Future Schools and the broader Excellent Schools Detroit are designed to use the market place to reform schooling for Detroit children. State policy makes markets a viable reform strategy because, by and large, school funding follows the student. Whichever school a student enrolls in receives the state foundation grant plus in […]
Engines of Prosperity?
Quite predictably the release of the 2010 Census was accompanied by a chorus of Michigan needs to be like the South admonitions. It happens with nearly every new release of economic and demographic statistics or rankings. But once again the data doesn’t square with the argument that the South is winning. Obviously it all depends […]
Politics vs. Economics II
My big picture take on the recent elections: Those doing well in the transition to a knowledge-based economy and minorities voted D. Those doing poorly in the transition and owners and top management of companies voted R. An over simplification obviously. But look at the election results maps and you find a strong pattern that central […]
Teaching Economic Development
I had the privilege this past semester for the first time to teach a college class. Economic Development Planning in the Masters of Urban Planning program in the Taubman College at the University of Michigan. Where I got my degree. It was a great experience. As always I was most impressed with the quality of the […]
2011 Predictions
The folks at MiBiz.com were kind enough to ask me again to be one of their guest columnists on what we see happening in 2011. They got quite a distinguished group of Michiganians to write columns. Worth checking out. Below is the column I wrote. It’s central theme – the choice we make between Michigan […]
State Tax Realities
Jeff Guilfoyle, the terrific President of the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, recently did a presentation to our Leadership Council on Michigan’s state and local tax system. I highly recommend taking a look at in detail. The presentation lays out today’s realities and the options for raising revenue. We asked Jeff for the later. CRC […]
Talent Matters Most Again
Important and unexpected article from Crain’s Detroit Business on Michigan’s shortage of automotive engineers. That’s right, shortage! Conventional wisdom is that we have a big competitive advantage in engineers. The story is we have a surplus, the country has a shortage. Apparently not. Or at least not in engineers with skills in electric vehicles engineering. Supposedly […]