What an incredible week all around. My head’s full of ideas for my writing and Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde especially. I’m hoping to start series highlighting creative endeavors in and around the Great Lakes Bay region, both in the arts and in business. Nothing is set yet, but I have quite a few prospects. My reasoning behind the series is to show that there is still life here, both creatively and from a business standpoint. It is no secret that Michigan’s still not quite recovering from the recession of 2008-2009. Honestly, if you want the truth no one is willing to admit, Michigan never fully recovered after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Just as things started getting a bit brighter, something always seemed to come along to set Michigan back, but enough of that deeply depressing topic.
I’m hoping to soon have a regular blogging schedule here. I realize how scattered the content has been as of late. There are so many things I want to do here. If you have any suggestions or would like to guest post, please simply leave me a comment. I’m open to new ideas.
It all began this morning while making my usual Facebook rounds. I saw that a friend of my brother posted a YouTube video featuring a vintage travelogue of Michigan from the 1940s. I just had to share it. Michigan is home and has been for all branches of my family going back generations now. As much as it kills me to admit this, I am a Michigander to the core. I’ve lived in Michigan most of my life thus far, I graduated from Michigan State University, and the Great Lakes are in my blood. I even grudgingly admit that I have a Michigan, not Canadian or Minnesotan, accent. Yes my fellow Michiganders there is such a thing.
Once there was a time in my life when I desperately wanted to leave it all behind. Just like so many other people in my family, I wanted to live in Texas. My family’s off-again, on-again love affair with Texas is a separate issue that could easily fill another post. Oddly enough, it extends to both sides of my family. Why do I bring this up? I bring it up because it was through my experiences in Texas, and those of a cousin, that I realized Michiganders are unique.
Let me explain. I have an older cousin who lived in Texas herself for a year or two. I followed suit after graduating from college. I then noticed something when I came home. She and I had our own accents. It didn’t last long as we reverted back to our Michigan accents, but for a while, if one carefully listened to how we spoke, it became easy to identify the Texas influence in our speech. I loved it. We had our own version of Spanglish. Texigan?
The entire experience, which I may have mostly imagined, made me think long and hard about the impact of place on culture. It then occurred to me that, if it were geographically possible, the place that I’d feel most comfortable would be with one foot in Michigan and the other in Texas. Here’s the problem. I love Michigan. My entire family is here, I can’t imagine not living near so much fresh water, and the change of seasons is great, even when someone decides to cancel winter.
Where do I even begin with Texas? I love the independent spirit of Texas, and unfortunately, I find it seriously lacking in most Michiganders, much of my family excluded. There is a reason why Texans are fixin’ to do just about anything. Michiganders, not so much. Texans know how to recognize people with big hats and no cattle. Michigan would be so much better off if we could develop that sixth-sense!
Unfortunately I am much more politically aligned with Texans than I am with Michiganders. I despise most unions, I can’t stand political apathy, and I am all for limited government that recognizes the rights of the individual. I’ve watched my entire life as Michigan hedged all of her bets on a dying auto industry. Instead of trying to build new industry here, we shipped our best and brightest off to Texas, Arizona, and California. Especially Texas.
Texas continues to reinvent itself and roll with the punches, exactly what Michigan needed to do and needs to do now. Texans had the foresight to embrace technology in all forms instead of relying solely on oil and ranching. I think of Michigan and see nothing but lost opportunity. It deeply saddens me. I truly love Michigan and care about the state. I just hope the recent signs of life here are the start of something wonderful. Michigan does have a history of reinventing herself too; it is just that the entire process is hindered by misguided politicians and union influence. Maybe almost losing it all will finally wake up those eternally skeptical Michiganders.
Below are a few videos of interest:
The video above is the video I came across this morning that inspired this post. The video below is an inspiring version of “Michigan My Michigan” that honors those Michigan soldiers that fought for the union. I’m proud to say that I have a great-great grandfather who was among them.
Below is an attempt to explain the Michigan accent. It freaks me out because my recorded voice sounds so similar to hers. If you ever wondered what I sound like, this video will give you a pretty good idea.
Where do I even begin? This post conjures up so many emotions, most of them not pleasant. There are some very good reasons why I haven’t been following the 2012 election cycle just yet. First and foremost, I am tired of being attacked for simply not swallowing all that the mainstream media dishes out. I am tired of hearing anyone who disagrees with the mainstream media, progressive liberals to the core, being denigrated as stupid, a hick, intolerant, racist, or worse. Second, I am also tired of watching my own party, and more importantly the conservative moment, fail to select electable leaders. Period. Finally, I am tired of screaming and intolerance on both sides.
Let’s face it: I’m tired.
So why does Newt Gingrich so thoroughly have my attention at the moment? You see, even before his win in South Carolina, Newt Gingrich finally did what I’ve been waiting for a candidate to do. He got in the face of the mainstream media. He even received a standing ovation for his efforts, despite pure shock on the part of the media. The Anchoress has a wonderful discussion of the event on her blog. The post is included above. Still, I am not convinced.
Throughout all of the trials and tribulations of the Republican candidate selection process, there hasn’t been one single person I could truly support. While Romney might have the best chance to win in the general election, I personally do not like him. I like Newt, but I also see baggage galore. I can personally look beyond the baggage, but can others? I like his plan, but will he ever get the chance? Right now my biggest concern is the possibility of four more years of Obama. I just can’t afford it.
The thing is that back in January 2009, I wanted Obama to succeed. Despite my political affiliations and leanings, I wanted him to get our country back on track economically. He hasn’t. He hasn’t done much of anything, other than possibly put us on an even more precarious foreign policy footing. He’s also done nothing to ease growing racial and class tensions within this country. I digress because it all goes back to my primary concern this election cycle.
My political concerns can be summed up pretty neatly in one word: Jobs. My theory is that our country will begin to start heading in the right direction if we could just get people back to work. Unfortunately, more government intervention won’t cut it. Government needs to get out of the way and let us get back to work. Please. I beg you. We need to encourage entrepreneurs, not punish them with more regulations. When will we finally have had enough?
If there is one thing I can’t stand, it is being told what to think. Even worse, I get testy when someone implies that I, or others, am not on the same page intellectually simply due to growing up in a rural area, daring to live in “fly over” country. In short, I cannot stand elitism in any form. That is why I love this fairly recent post by the Anchoress. She appears to get to the bottom of what I see as a fundamental flaw in our government at the moment. The supposedly “elite” politicos mistakenly believe that they know what is best for all of us peons out there.
My personal belief is that government that governs best governs least. As one can imagine, I am not fond of the current political landscape at all. I just wonder when everyone will wake up. More importantly, I wonder if they’ll wake up before we had too far down this path.
Every day I see empty businesses, more houses for sale, people paying for fuel with change, and yet no one wants to admit just how bad the economy is. I feel imminently lied to by what passes for “leadership” in all levels of government (and in all major parties), as well as the educational establishment. I grew up hearing that all it takes to succeed in the United States is an education and a willingness to work hard. I have both, and yet I feel so limited at the moment, I have a hard time believing that it is still true. I hope that I am wrong.
Not many blog entries to leave me with goosebumps; this one certainly did. I could not more fully agree with this assessment of what continues to plague Detroit. Here’s the thing: It isn’t just Detroit, it is our entire society. As long as people continue to live in denial, none of the major problems we are facing as a nation will ever be resolved.
It amazes me to think of the role Detroit played in World War II. What would happen today if we faced such a global crisis? That question keeps me up at night.
The Anchoress gets it right once again. As a supply chain management professional, I’ve often wondered about this very issue. There is a need to take crises preparation into consideration when building a supply chain program.
However, there is a larger issue at stake. We simply need to get back to manufacturing in the United States. There is so much talent in this sector currently unemployed or underemployed it makes me sick. This is especially true in Michigan. I will never understand why those with the time and money to invest fail year after year to reinvest in this sector. It would certainly help take care of some of the supply interruption issues. I could go on and on… When will we wake up? I just hope that it isn’t too late.
Northern Michigan certainly isn’t aging gracefully. I just wonder if there is hope for Michigan to grow again. It all comes down to opportunity. Why is that so hard to understand?
If you do nothing to persuade ambitious young people to stay, or leave, get an education, and then come back to their community, you aren’t going to grow. It just seems as though no one cares or is willing to make a concerted effort to rebuild communities that once thrived. I am definitely an exception, coming back to Michigan despite it not being in my best interest. Then again, what is so wrong with people putting relationships before a career?
Under New Deal policies, FDR experimented with nationalizing utilities using the Tennessee Valley Authority. In 2009, the Obama administration in essence nationalized the car companies by buying stakes in both General Motors and Chrysler using bailout funds. Different methods, same effect of partial nationalization. In both cases, the administrations targeted industries vitally important to the economy.
In 1933, FDR signed into law the Agricultural Adjustment Act. The act, passed in an attempt to raise farm prices, took several thousand acres of productive farm land out of production . In effect, it raised food prices at a time when many were already having a difficult time purchasing food. In 2009, Obama signed into law the cash for clunkers program attempting to bolster demand in the failing auto industry. As part of the program, the federal government forced dealers to destroy vehicles turned in as part of the program thereby driving up prices on used vehicles. The program also distorted demand for new vehicles. As a result, good quality used vehicles became less affordable for those who need them most.
In 1935, FDR signed the Social Security Act into law. In 2009, President Barak Obama signed the Universal Healthcare Bill into law. Both require participation of everyone involved in the U.S. economy. While the social goals of both are enviable, the longterm funding issues of both are clear in the current debate surrounding social security.
One of the strongest parallels I find between both administrations is their reliance on “intellectual” elites. FDR had his famed brain trust, and today, the Obama administration consists almost entirely of academics and lifelong politicians. In fact, according to many sources (this is but one), the Obama administration has the least amount of public sector experience of any administration in recent memory.
In fact, I believe this is the most dangerous similarity of all. If one is continually listening to people used to dealing with theories but whom aren’t accustomed to actually thinking about real life consequences in the private sector, one will see no issue with endless experimentation. As result, the uncertainty created by such actions stunt business growth and job creation, keeping the economy broken for many people.
I’ve often heard the expression that the Great Depression wasn’t so bad, as long as you had a job. Obviously I can’t verify that claim, but as a woman who has been both employed and unemployed during this great recession, it rings true. Unfortunately, it is all about the economy.
If you are looking for a summary of Amity Shlaes’ book, look no further than the article above. It is quite simple from a business perspective, government needs to get out-of-the-way. At the very least, government needs to provide a stable framework in which business can operate. There are so many unknowns due to the drastic actions taken by the Obama Administration (and in all fairness, the stimulus did start under the Bush Administration with a Democratic Congress) that business is unable to make the long-term decisions necessary to grow.
As far back as 2004, uncertainty in the political climate caused a slow-down in business investment. At the time, I was preparing for graduation from Michigan State University, and despite several interviews, something seemed off. Trying to be pro-active, I decided to visit a mentor of mine who happened to be the director of the business school career center. Our conversation centered almost solely on current political uncertainty causing businesses not to invest and hire. It was a prophetic conversation that I remember to this day.
What we need in this country in this country now is strong leadership and clear direction. Thus far, the Obama administration fails to provide either. Something has to give. Look for my post comparing the policies of the Obama administration to those under FDR tomorrow.
