Reasons that Michigan is Not Sustainable

State of the art education at EMU

The papers are full of articles about the inability of the state to reach a balanced budget. They say the $800 million shortfall will mean whacking about $8 million per day until the new fiscal year begins (September) in order to find that balance. The legislator's — the 2nd highest paid in the nation — ineptitude and the sad results are deplorable. Michigan bonds have been downgraded (costs more to borrow), and threats made to many state employees who have been given 30-day layoff notices, K-12 schools who could be cut one more time. What else will be cut? Can EMU stand any more cuts? Are we open to getting some recent successes cut? Stay tuned.

So, as I am writing this they say they have come up with a budget. And what is getting cut? Guess what? The universities. Let me see: no jobs, low rated education, brain drain = cut university spending.

A key initial piece of the agreement, outlining delayed payments and spending cuts for universities among other cost-cutting moves, passed the House by a 69-37 vote and the Senate by a 26-10 vote Friday night.

I have no idea yet what exactly they have cut, but I know that it has been a disaster at EMU already. We don't need any more of the legislators using us as their scapegoat.

Of course, there are plenty of other reasons that the state is in this poor shape and has not emerged into the black. The automobile industry MUST get over its hubris---Unions, poor auto construction, low fuel mileage, SUVs, but there is also, the sprawled out way Americans live in our cities, and of course, overpaid legislators who receive absurd lifetime benefits after they have "served" while everyone else is being cut (there is a proposed bill that would end this).

We might attract more of the Creative class if we were more creative. We might have people MOVING here rather than leaving in droves.

The key to economic growth lies not just in the ability to attract the creative class, but to translate that underlying advantage into creative economic outcomes in the form of new ideas, new high-tech businesses and regional growth.

And getting back to the whole idea of this blog, why not be creative with renewable energy and our own sustainability?

Michigan can be part of the renewable energy job creation, and become far more sustainable if it would just get a grip on the reality of today and stop living in the past.

Nearly 43,000 firms throughout the United States operate in industries related to the manufacturing of components that go into renewable energy systems. If the 185,000 MW of renewable energy assumed in this model were to be developed, these companies have the potential to fill the demand for new components that would be generated. This national development would represent nearly $160 billion dollars of manufacturing investment, and would result in more than 850,000 new jobs. Michigan is particularly well positioned to benefit from such a national development. As shown in the tables below, Michigan stands to receive nearly 34,777 new jobs and $5.53 billion dollars of investment in manufacturing components to supply this national development of renewables. Michigan is ranked ninth among states in terms of job gain, and seventh for potential investment. http://www.crest.org/Domestic_Manufac_State_Mich.htm

And as long as we play political games and hold the residents hostage, as long as we continue to decimate the education system, as long as we close our eyes to what is happening right here, right now - we will be getting nowhere.