Higher education: reality and policy disconnect
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released data on unemployment and average wage by education attainment for 2012. As their education pays chart (below) demonstrates the evidence is overwhelming that those with a four year degree or more work and earn more than anyone else. End of story! And yet its not end of […]
Health care jobs
Catherine Rampell in a New York Times Economix blog entitled Health Care Aside, Fewer Jobs Than in 2000 makes the case that other than health care the American economy has not added jobs for more than a decade. Pretty amazing and worrisome. Almost certainly unsustainable. The basic facts: “In 2000, the economy had about 121 […]
More wrong track on education policy
Two important editorials highlight how far off track too many state policy makers are when it comes to education policy. And that the consequence of bad policy is harmful not just to Michigan kids (what matters most) but also to employers and the economy. Both are must reads! The Detroit News in an editorial entitled Michigan […]
Downtown Detroit and Grand Rapids
Good news. Both Detroit and Grand Rapids are on Forbes list of 15 emerging downtowns across the country. Obviously good news for Michigan’s two largest cites. But, more important, its good news for their region’s and the state’s economy. Why? Because as Forbes writes –– and we have noted repeatedly –– “One of the main […]
My Detroit News op ed
The Detroit News published today an op ed I wrote about what is needed to recreate vibrant central cities in Michigan –– particularly Detroit. The op ed can be found here. Its basic theme: “The purpose of the exercise: It is not simply to reduce the deficit, but to ensure prosperity. Solvency is vital, but […]
The path to vibrant Michigan cities
In a recent Detroit Free Press op ed John Austin writes about a Michigan Future report he and I worked on entitled Revitalizing Michigan’s Central Cites: A Vision and Framework for Action. The report was published in 2003. As John writes: We said a grand political bargain needed to be made … The basic deal was […]
Brooklyn
A year ago I read about someone who suggested that for those working on city revitalization, Brooklyn was a far more realistic model than Manhattan. The notion being that the assets and scale of Manhattan are not replicable. It seemed like good advice then and even more so now. At the time I read that […]
Do as the rich do
When it comes to education the Harlem Children’s Zone’s Geoffrey Canada has it right when he says he wants for Harlem’s kids what his rich donors want for their kids. Its a lesson worth remembering as business and education leaders meet for the Economic Summit. Seems like the most important question for the attendees should […]
Michigan is a low wage state
Michigan was the birthplace of the 20th Century American mass middle class. Largely built on a foundation of high paid blue collar –– mainly unionized factory –– jobs. It is the main reason Michigan was one of the most prosperous places on the planet for nearly a century. But that economy is over. A victim […]
Growing Detroit
The Detroit Regional Chamber’s second annual Detroit Policy Conference was terrific. Worth attending in future years. 800 folks turned out to focus on how to accelerate the revitalization of the city. As we have written frequently a vibrant Detroit is essential to Michigan’s future prosperity. Because in an increasingly talent driven economy, central cities are […]