Indiana by the numbers
Theme: Low business costs states don’t win Now that state policy makers have stated that Indiana is the model for what they want Michigan’s economy to be like we need to learn what is in store for Michiganders if that vision is realized. As you will see below in the economic outcomes that matter to […]
North Carolina and Massachusetts by the numbers
Theme: Low cost states don’t win Conventional wisdom is that so-called business friendly places have the best economies. That the way to grow a state’s or region’s economy is to lower business costs with lower taxes, less regulation and weaker unions. Don’t believe it. On just about every measure that matters to people––whether you have […]
Welcoming: another big picture theme
When I read my post laying out the themes that we believe matter most to recreating a Michigan with a broad middle class I realized I left out an important ingredient to economic success: A core characteristic of successful places in a flattening world is they are welcoming to all. The places with the greatest concentration […]
Higher education is economic development
Theme: Quality education matters most Michigan––any many other states––have been slashing higher education funding for the last decade. It has been viewed as something we can’t afford in hard economic times. A luxury that you invest in when times are good, rather than an essential ingredient to making the economy grow again. Not smart! As […]
Investment: It should be more than just roads
Everyone seems to be ready to embrace the need for a substantial boost in state funding for transportation, even as they try to find the least politically objectionable way to do it. The conventional wisdom seems to be that due to more fuel efficient vehicles, Michigan drivers are spending less on gasoline, therefore less on […]
Competing like the Tigers
Theme: The places with the greatest concentration of talent win Among all the disappointing actions taken by Michigan policy makers the past two years––particularly in December––the most disturbing is explicitly positioning Michigan to compete with Indiana. As we and many others have pointed out incessantly Indiana is one of the poorest states in the country and […]
Reading recommendations
Lots to recommend on the economy and education. The two areas we work on. On the future of manufacturing, two terrific Atlantic articles. The bottom line from both is that manufacturing is going to continue to be an important part of the American economy. We have competitive advantages both in traditional mass production and in […]
Job growth by education attainment
There seems to be an ever louder chorus of politicians and the press questioning the value of a four year degree. The basic case is that the supply of college graduates exceeds the demand for college graduates. The American economy is not creating enough jobs. So there isn’t enough demand from employers for workers at […]
Big picture themes
As we start the new year I thought it would be helpful to take a step back from the specifics I normally write about to delineate the themes that these posts are about. For the past several years––no matter who was in office in Lansing or Washington––I have written about 100 posts per year. Each […]
What about cost of living?
Every time I write or talk about how states or regions rank the question I get most often is “what about the cost of living?”. Aren’t most of the high prosperity states and big metros in the country – where the knowledge economy is increasingly centered – places with very high cost of living? It […]