  Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 56 Registered: 09-2007 |
One need not be a Rocket Scientist to understand that Michigan has to push tourism harder; the old-school auto industry will soon be gone for good. Might I suggest that Michigan get behind a fleet of Lake Liners (similar to Ocean Liners, on a somewhat smaller scale). Folks seem to love such things....why not bring 'em to the Great Lakes? Talk about old-school: what about a fleet of helium dirigibles that would cruise high above the lake shores? While we're at the Lakes....let's start expanding our glass making capabilities - undercut the competition (no pun intended). Lord knows, Michigan has poop-loads of sand. I also have some great (really cool) ideas for some amazing Detroit River development....but I sure as hell ain't giving them away for free. | ||
Jfried Member Username: Jfried Post Number: 1070 Registered: 11-2003 |
Well, make it happen. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 57 Registered: 09-2007 |
While I am spinning ideas (giving up coffee is the best thing I ever did)....someone please tell me that Detroit Edison (or whatever its called now) is harnessing the limitless and powerful Detroit River current to generate electricity. Please tell me they are. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 577 Registered: 08-2007 |
One problem is the low lake levels. Hapag-Lloyd is pulling its larger ship, the Christopher Columbus, because it can no longer easily access the ports. When we went in 2001, they were dealing with low lake levels forcing them to anchor offshore and transport passengers by tender in most ports. http://www.cleveland.com/livin g/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/ living-0/1187945253199240.xml& coll=2 One group thinks it has the answer to the low lake levels in the dredging of Lake St. Clair: http://www.tinycottager.org/en vironment/Ellis-BairdRpt.pdf | ||
Soomka1 Member Username: Soomka1 Post Number: 41 Registered: 02-2007 |
There was an article about Marathon expanding their refinery. I was thinking that the city should aggressively look to package some large tracts of land and try to bring in more refineries. The US is always at risk of supply interruptions because it is almost impossible to get new refineries built. There is so much regulation in most states, maybe Michigan and Detroit can loosen things up and make this their new industry. | ||
321brian Member Username: 321brian Post Number: 448 Registered: 02-2006 |
Make it a right to work state. Give companies everything they want to relocate here. ANYTHING! Lower property taxes and balance the state budget. I won't be mad if a lot gets cut and th sales and income taxes are raised. | ||
Renfirst Member Username: Renfirst Post Number: 52 Registered: 12-2006 |
soomka, How could a refinery help revitalize Michigan? There's a reason the U.S. hasn't had a new refinery in the last 30 years. No one wants to have one in their background. That'd to the opposite of revitalize. They've found evidence of increased cases of cancer and other illnesses in communities near refineries... And anyways, we don't need one. Toledo has two 160,000 bpd refineries, there's no need for more. | ||
Lefty2 Member Username: Lefty2 Post Number: 208 Registered: 07-2007 |
kwame kenyatta should make every employer hire all exclusively detroiter's, that will help detroit. | ||
Texorama Member Username: Texorama Post Number: 61 Registered: 12-2006 |
Make it easy for people to finance a college education. We're actually somewhat below average in our college graduation rates. New England went through the deindustrialization before we did, and worse, but they bounced back with diversified high-tech industry because they have a well-educated workforce. | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 577 Registered: 09-2005 |
Chuck, your idea to push tourism is a good one. Detroit has a world-class art museum and orchestra, along with a great theatre district. With the casinos and sports teams, these are a great basis for pursuing more tourism. Increased efforts should be made to moderately increase the number of films being made in Detroit. 4 to 6 more films per year could $15 to $25 million more into the city economy. Detroit once had a world-class recording studio here. There may not be any more singers like the old Motowners left, but perhaps a studio could thrive producing records that sold 50,000 to 300,00 copies each, relatively low levels. | ||
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 486 Registered: 02-2006 |
Focus on Detroit! Lure tourism. Build mass transit. Lobby in D.C. for more money. You know NYC's budget is larger than the top ten cities in North America combined! That's right NYC operating Budget is a staggering $53 billion. Compare that to Detroit- $3 billion Chicago $6 billion Toronto $7 billion my point it is NYC fills their budget with federal money if there is a gap. Back in the 60's Detroit recieved more money than any other city, during cavannagh's administration. Detroit needs federal money too. Detroit's budget is still larger than Houston, Dallas, San Diego and Philly's. Don't ask why. Those cities have larger population. <313> | ||
Soomka1 Member Username: Soomka1 Post Number: 42 Registered: 02-2007 |
Renfirst, you are exactly right. No one wants them, but we do need them. Toledo could have ten refineries and the US would still be under capacity. Detroit is losing population faster than just about anyplace, so you might have a convergence of circumstances that works out for everyone. The city and state disrupted many more lives for Poletown than would be necessary to set up a huge refinery complex. New technology also makes a refinery a much cleaner neighbor than some of the factories that we used to have. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2809 Registered: 06-2004 |
quote: Degree holders generally aren't happy flipping burgers. There are a lot of underemployed educated folks around here. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 553 Registered: 04-2006 |
LEGALIZE GAY MARRIAGE for state residents. (only legal in what, hawaii and vermont?) be a progressive leader, and we will attract progressive educated residents... an influx of gays to ferndale and detroit alone would have a substantial impact the metro's economy... we need to stop being followers and be leaders... | ||
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 487 Registered: 02-2006 |
Detroit is at the perfect time right now. Paris had to knock down buildings, crappy buildings to build all those beautiful apartments they have today. Detroit lacks vision and leadership that can see farther than tomorrow. Archer had vision, and he would have created a destination riverfront despite the C.C. disapproval. Even Colman young lacked vision. If Detroit changed it's masterplan (if it has one) to mimic Paris, because it CAN due to the vast urban prarie, in 50 years it could be a slumless city again. <313> | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 554 Registered: 04-2006 |
casino's on the riverfront was the WORST idea of the archer administration... the riverfront would be MUCH better served as a renovated warehouse to residential/mixed use district with an extended riverwalk along the water... | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3705 Registered: 02-2005 |
Revitalize Michigan? You can only do that by focusing on Detroit, enabling its redevelopment with all feasible tools, giving it and the metro area comprehensive transit, and making it a place to live and visit. Other than that: make the state right-to-work, provide incentives for new employers, provide disincentives for suburban sprawl, maintain education funding, and stop unneccesary road projects. | ||
Ffdfd Member Username: Ffdfd Post Number: 192 Registered: 09-2006 |
I agree. The key to revitalizing Michigan is to focus on Detroit and create a world-class urban centerpiece a la New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis or Denver. One of the "magic bullets" would be making this a right-to-work state. Obviously, that has been a major catalyst for those aforementioned cities. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 555 Registered: 04-2006 |
i'm not arguing FOR or AGAINST "right to work" i don't know enough about it... but thanks to wikipedia.org, here are the states that have it... Alabama Arizona - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute) Arkansas - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute) Florida - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute) Georgia Idaho Iowa Kansas Louisiana Mississippi Nebraska Nevada North Carolina North Dakota Oklahoma - (established by state's Constitution, not by statute) South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Wyoming of note, NONE of the "powerhouse" cool states have it... (unless you count florida and texas as cool) Washington, New York, California, Illinois, Oregon... none of them have right to work... | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3706 Registered: 02-2005 |
I would say that there is very little correlation between the success of the powerhouse east coast cities and mandatory union membership. You're right, none of those states are the urban destinations Detroit will be competing against, but they do have something we don't have: jobs. Michigan's scenario is a strange one, as so many people want to keep manufacturing jobs around. The only way to keep the quantity of jobs supplied here by major corporations to keep from going down is to break the unions and their demands. Utah and North Carolina have the statewide jobs market that Michigan is looking for, and while Detroit's plight and future success don't really run parallel to theirs, it is mostly because those states on that list don't have a Detroit. Becoming right-to-work allows the statewide economy to grow; meanwhile, we can continue to capitalize on our strength which is a large, old city with tons of culture and perks for urban life. Michigan will be a place where, naturally, some of the characteristics of the heartland and some of the east coast meld. We will turn things around by saving/creating jobs and keeping residents through right to work legislation, while rebuilding an urban space that has almost all the same strengths as those out east. We need cool cities and a competitive economy in a statewide context. How much easier will it be fore Detroit to rebuild if the regional economy and population was growing instead of shrinking. We're turning things around as it is, but imagine if we had an inflow to capitalize on. If places like Minneapolis or Columbus or Raleigh can be growing, surely a unique place like Detroit could, given the same economic enablers (from weak unions to excellent tax schemes) that those places have across their states. | ||
Udmphikapbob Member Username: Udmphikapbob Post Number: 466 Registered: 07-2004 |
tax free zones for industries building green technologies - wind turbines, solar panels, etc. we've got a lot of good people here who are good at making stuff. | ||
Vas Member Username: Vas Post Number: 800 Registered: 01-2004 |
Ship building, whatever happened to it? Globalization has brought about a huge demand for sea fairing cargo. With all of our industrialization, why can we produce ships? I think South Korea dominates teh market, but I can't imagine their labor costs are that much better at this point. Anyone have more info on this? Our shipbuilding ended in the 70's? I know a successful businessman in GP who has altered his automotive parts manufacturing to include items for house building. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 101 Registered: 08-2007 |
Detroit is a city of history, some of it good and a lot of it pretty bad. I say, it's time to make money off our history. I have noticed that historical re-enactments are big business. Folks dress-up like Civil War soldiers and shoot blanks at one another. There are Revolutionary War re-enactors, WWII re-enactors and the afore mentioned Civil War re-enactors. Here is D-town, I suggest we have Riot Re-enactors. We can devote some part of the city to Rioting and charge entrance fees for tourists who will flock to Detroit to watch and participate. It could be like a little Disney D with various violent acts happening on cue just like the Jaws Shark at the Universal Studio Tour. Think of trams that look like little People Movers, bringing a bunch of Japanese tourists, through a staged riot. Fires erupt on cue, snipers could "shoot out" the tram windows,meanwhile other paying tourists could particapate in various looting activities. There would be two levels of riot participants: professionals and paying tourists. 1, the pros, which would be simular to actorsn docents or tour guides and actually be paid; 2; tourists who pay to participate in the civil unrest and would be "guided" by the "pros"; 3, the same "pro" and "tourist" could be applied to the cops and National Guard. On one day a tourist could be a "rioter" and the next they could be "National Guard". Of course, there would be your standard paying "Innocent By-Standers" which could drive thru in those People-Mover Trams, or they could be on foot. The primary idea is to have a "staged" riot re-enacted throughout the year. Now, you may think I'm not serious, but go to Tombstone,Arizona and you'll see them stage the OK Corral once every hour. Shotgun blasts, six shooters going off, folks falling from buildings, etc. Go to Disneyland and check out Frontierland, heck, just go to Fort Mackinaw and watch as they re-enact the Indians taking over the Fort twice a day. This idea could: - provide employment to the professional Riot Re-enactors - encourage tourists to visit the Riot Zone, increase hotel guests, airport revenue, resturant and cafe's - turn a fallow part of city into an revenue zone Now, this idea will never happen because we pretend Detroit doesn't have a history of lighting buildings on fire. Sorry, but we have the firebug gene. I think its time we faced our city's history, and celebrated the good and the bad. Moreover, I think we should make some money off of it. If the people of Ausvitsz can make money off of that historical hell-hole, we should do the same. Face it, we keep re-living the Riot, we keep re-hashing its meaning and it causes; I just think it's time to make a little money off of it. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 3345 Registered: 10-2003 |
Judging by the posts on this thread, it seems like the future of Detroit is more tourist trap or desperate gimmick than functional city. Way to give up, folks. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 1695 Registered: 04-2006 |
If the people of Ausvitsz can make money off of that historical hell-hole, we should do the same. Did you truly think you were correctly spelling Auschwitz, or was that done to purposely highlight the silliness of your post? | ||
Cybersanford Member Username: Cybersanford Post Number: 31 Registered: 06-2007 |
Get rid of that wart faced Jenny in Lansing would be a good start! | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 102 Registered: 08-2007 |
Speelling isn't my strong siut. Silly? Maybe. Is the Ok Corral silly? yes. Do the folks in old tucson make a ton of dough off of a stupid feud between gangsters?yep. Could Detroit? maybe. Yeah, its silly. And all around America folks go to Haunted Houses for the thrill of being scared. We certainly have a lot to scare people with around here. | ||
Soomka1 Member Username: Soomka1 Post Number: 44 Registered: 02-2007 |
I liked Udmphikapbob's idea about alternative energy product development and manufacturing. If you combine this with my mega refinery district, and bio-diesel and ethanol production, Detroit could carve out a nice niche. It looks like the Federal Government is going to mandate more and more alternative energy use, which creates a demand that can be taken advantage of. | ||
Umcs Member Username: Umcs Post Number: 42 Registered: 06-2007 |
Allow the dollar to continue its depreciation. Voila, manufacturing returns to the U.S. because it's cheaper to manufacture here than it is in Mexico, Canada, China, India, etc. Oh right. We can't have that. It would mean China and Japan would actually have to float their currency according to reality and stop buying up ours to finance their own export-driven economies. It also means we'd have higher interest rates which no one on Wall Street wants to hear about. Ah well. | ||
Texorama Member Username: Texorama Post Number: 62 Registered: 12-2006 |
Also interesting that not one single poster has taken issue with the premise that the auto industry will soon be gone for good. Really tells you something. I don't know . . . I drive a Toyota, but I'm not totally happy about it, and if the Big Three built a better hybrid than the Japanese could produce, I'd come back in a heartbeat, and so would a hell of a lot of other people. Innovation is not the Japanese strong suit--we ought to be able to do this. |
