Michigan 2019: the state of the state
Terrific assessment of Michigan 2019 by Chad Livengood for Crain’s Detroit Business. (I did a podcast with Chad that accompanies the article.) He writes: There are potholes in Michigan — and not just in the roads. Potholes in household income. Potholes in the percentage of working adults. Potholes in student achievement and funding for K-12 […]
What we mean by career rock climbers
Governor Whitmer’s first State of the State address marks a major turning point in the state’s approach to improving the well being of Michiganders. One now public investment driven. After nearly three decades of disinvesting in education and infrastructure in favor of lower taxes, Governor Whitmer made the case that Michiganders have paid a high […]
Michigan is a low-prosperity state detailed
For the first time ever Michigan is a low-prosperity state with a strong domestic auto industry. The recovery from the Great Recession has produced lots of jobs. Which is good news indeed. But in terms of the economic well-being of Michigan households the news is not as good. From 1929––the year the federal government started […]
Foxconn, General Motors and business tax breaks
First came news about Foxconn not building a 13,000 employee manufacturing plant in Wisconsin. Then the next day came stories that they were going to continue with plans to build the manufacturing facility. Who know what will finally happen. What is clear is that if they build a plant it will not be the one […]
The growing BA household income premium
We continue to be constantly barraged with messages that for many not pursuing a four-year degree is the best course of action. Some version of if you don’t get a BA in a STEM field you are at high risk of being crushed by student loans and unable to realize the American Dream. It’s nonsense! […]
Marco Rubio and restoring the American Dream
In a previous post we quoted Republican United States Senator Marco Rubio on the need for an American economy that provides more middle class jobs. In an article for the Atlantic Rubio entitled America Needs to Restore Dignity of Work, Rubio writes: There was once a path to a stable and prosperous life in America […]
Cosmetology schools and crushing student loans
I’m sure some of you are asking yourself “what does cosmetology schools have to do with crushing student loans?”. The preeminent story––which we are told over and over again by the media and way too many of our business and political leaders––about student loans is that it is students who get four-year degrees in non […]
Warren Evans on attacking poverty
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans’ column for The PuLSE Institute entitled Michigan needs long-term poverty policy is worth reading. Both in its call for making attacking poverty a priority and for taking on the conventional wisdom about the causes of poverty. Evans writes: Misconceptions about poverty and the poor continue to nurture flawed policies. The […]
A strong economy not benefiting far too many Michigan households
Despite warning signs at the end of the year, 2018 was a very good year for the Michigan and the nation’s economy. But the strong economy––characterized by low unemployment and strong growth––was accompanied by 40 percent of Michigan households not able to pay for basic necessities. A majority of whom have a working adult. This […]
What Michigan needs to learn from Amazon HQ2
As we all now know Amazon picked New York City and the northern Virginia inner ring suburbs of Washington D.C. for their HQ2. Both characterized by high concentrations of those with four-year degrees or more and extensive transit systems. As we have written before No talent, no transit, no Amazon. There are three key lessons that […]