From what we hear about Michigan our here in the west, it seems the whole state should be bulldozed and turned back to nature. The government could own it as a national park and sell fishing, hiking, camping and hunting permits to raise money to maintain the roads.

Michigan actually has some things going for it. An established public university system. Some decent bones for infrastructure (albeit not well-maintained). Miles upon miles of beautiful freshwater coastline.

Maybe it's just nostalgia - being a MI expatriate, and one from a uni town, to boot - but there is much to recommend raising a family there. If one can find a job (ah, there's the rub: Granholm, get your Canadian ass in gear!). In my heart I hope the artist movement in Detroit, spurred by the low cost of living, has legs. Detroit really is a wonderful, historic, decaying, beautiful city.

Americafirst: that would be a nice balance, actually, because what we hear about the West out here in the East is that "y'all" are busy bulldozing as much nature as you can to build more shitholes like Denver, Billings, and Houston.

Americafirst,

Are you really that ignorant? Have you ever been to Michigan? Cities like Flint, Detroit, Pontiac and Saginaw make up a small portion of the state. The media loves a story about the recession and these cities give them one. The Upper Peninsula is one of the most undeveloped places in the U.S. How would you bulldoze that?

Americafirst:

From what we hear about Michigan our here in the west, it seems the whole state should be bulldozed and turned back to nature. The government could own it as a national park and sell fishing, hiking, camping and hunting permits to raise money to maintain the roads.

If you want something to return to nature, you just stop maintaining it.

Bulldozing would be a waste of money. You only bulldoze if you are knocking down the old stuff to build some new stuff.

Anybody wants to slam on Michigan should at least bother to come here before they spout off their ignorance. As if the entire state is a manufacturing wasteland. Try the fact that Michigan has more registered lakes than the 'Land of 10,000 Lakes.' That we have more shoreline than any other state in the country. That we're surrounded by the largest inland freshwater in the world, second to some big ass lake in Russia I think.

Nah, we mush all be a burned out, rusted manufacturing hulk like Flint.

And before anyone bothers ragging on our reliance on the domestic car industry, you can thanks us for all those foreign car plants in the west and south. Because without the stupidity of the UAW their plants would have went here.

I have no illusions about the state of the state of Michigan and how we got here, or what it'll take to get out of here.

And before you hear what they say about us out west, you should hear what they say about you here in the midwest. It ain't pretty.

misterben:

Americafirst: that would be a nice balance, actually, because what we hear about the West out here in the East is that "y'all" are busy bulldozing as much nature as you can to build more shitholes like Denver, Billings, and Houston.

Billings is not a shithole. And Texas isn't the West. Texas is Texas. Denver is a push.

Front page auto industry laments aside, the biggest industry and employer in MI is agriculture, an often ignored fact. We are 2nd only to CA in the size and diversity of crops grown here. The author should look in Bay City for affordable housing without the crime in Flint. Lots of historic housing in all sizes, many built in the early 1900's when the lumber industry in the triangle of Muskegon, Bay City and Saginaw produced around 90% of the country's GDP.

It's sad when Americans from different regions are reduced to hating each other, for no good reason.

I wish people could keep their anger focused on the Wall Street/government complex that is screwing us all, regardless of region. The big boys love it when the spotlight goes off them.

I think it is just friendly joshin'. Can't we all agree that what we really hate are those guys in Iran that won't re-do the election. Talk about yer Axis of Evil!

To begin with, Texas isn't the west and neither is Denver. They are midwest. We in the west are bulldozing everthing in our path to build more ticky tacky boxes and that sucks, but if Illinoians and Michiganders would stay where they are, we wouldn't need all those houses. There are more Illlinoians in Arizona now than Arizonans. I have been to Michigan. Did a great project there called Wabeek back in the 70's. Actually met someone here last year who lives at Wabeek. Have been there in the winter too. Fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anything past the Mississippi River is the West. How do we know? Because the radio stations all start with K over there. Anyway, the Midwest starts in Ohio and goes to Iowa. The designations were in place when you guys were still a part of Mexico.

This is all friendly banter, of course, but I must protest. Colorado and Texas are NOT Midwest any more than Cincinnati is East Coast. The Midwest is a very special place of farmland and surprisingly cultured cities full of friendly, if slightly overweight, people. A place most appreciated by people who grew up here and almost always misunderstood and undervalued by people living in other parts of the U.S. -- aka East or West Coast.

Once, I was on the sidewalk in downtown Columbus, Ohio and I sneezed. Someone in a truck at an intersection said "bless you." I can't see that happening in Boston or L.A.