'Changing the narrative about Michigan'

Around here, you hear a lot of talk about "changing the narrative about Michigan."

At a time when the headlines are all about the state's 12% unemployment rate and the demise of the once-great domestic automakers, there IS some good news. For example, this also is a state with three top-notch research universities and a growing technology sector.

So, people keep asking: "How do we get the word out? When they hear 'Michigan,' how do we get people to think something other than 'laid-off auto worker' or 'rust belt?'" There has been a lot of hand-wringing about that.

Well, here's my shot at it. Here is what I am doing about "changing the narrative about Michigan."

www.michiganpositive.com

By posting this here, I am outing myself here at DU. My anonymity is compromised. I don't care.

As a lifelong Michigan resident and Michigan lover this is what we have to communicate. It is not so hard over here on the west side of the state, we are not Detroit, we did have car part manufacturers but we have other things as well. For instance we have the most beautiful sunsets that will take your breath away, we have a gorgeous lake to play in and share, we have the fruit belt with miles and miles of mature orchards and grapes, we have great wineries and sleepy tourist towns along with top notch entertainments and casinos. I never leave in the summer because although in my younger days I have been to all but 9 states, I have never found any place more beautiful than Michigan. (Denver a close 2nd IMHO) Again thank you for changing the dialog! I'm with ya.

Post about that stuff!

Too often these positive stories go unreported or are lost in the shadow of bad news. Thank you for shining some light at the end of the tunnel.

I'd like to have some DUers posting there.

I sent the link to my family who still live in Michigan.Thanks!

Our trade policy is destroying middle America. Anything that distracts us from this does us a disservice, imo.

Changing the narrative about Michigan means not allowing the consequences of our idiotic trade policy to tarnish the reputation of a state. If we show that Michigan is NOT filled with "losers" who "deserve what they are getting," then maybe we'll ALSO show that there must be some other cause for the problems being faced here.

If we just sit back and allow the right to convince everyone that Michiganians are all just "union slugs" who don't know how to innovate, then we help them feed their memes.

Detroit is the poorest big city in America. That is enough to tarnish our reputation on its own. Unfortunately the massive unemployment has also somewhat tarnished our otherwise sterling reputation.

At any rate, Chrysler was forced into bankruptcy by the Obama administration (not "the right") and GM will be forced into bankruptcy some time in the coming weeks by the same administration. All of this is roughly contemporaneous with AIG alone receiving $180 billion in taxpayer subsidies with no strings attached whatever. In fact, President Obama went on TV to argue that AIG must be allowed to pay its executives bonuses from taxpayer monies under the rubric of "sanctity of contract". He later went on TV demanding UAW workers accept modifications to their contracts (Labor contracts are not so sacred, apparently.)

In other words, the PR war has long been lost.

Nonetheless, good luck convincing everyone that we aren't all "union slugs" (whatever that means!) I don't intend to piss on your thread or your site. But it surely sounds like a diversion to me! :hi:

The system in which Michigan exists is the problem.

In any event: Please feel free to join the online community.

An aside: If you think GM or Chrysler would have avoided bankruptcy, save for the "interference" of Obama, you are mistaken. It would have been worse. It would have been Chapter 7 for Chrysler and a hard, long Chapter 11 for GM, followed by the sale of the company piece by piece.

as someone who grew up in Michigan (left about 30 years ago) and stills has family there I appreciate your work. I find myself homeless (working on the road) but have invested in a few acres and a farmhouse just south of Lansing. I might end up there eventually if I can get a small business going...