Governors can’t resist using their economic development agencies to try to pick business winners and losers in the economy, even when they say they are opposed to doing so. Gov. James Blanchard bankrolled efforts to grow biotechnology and advanced manufacturing industries in the state, with mixed results. His successor, Gov. John Engler, heavily invested in […]
Business Watch
Covering the intersection of business and policy, and informing Michigan employers and workers on the long road back from coronavirus. Our Michigan Economic Dashboard shows key metrics that show how the state is performing.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Snyder tries again on cut for business equipment tax
In the final weeks of the legislative year, the Snyder administration is pressing ahead with a plan to cut a tax on business equipment by attempting to appease two groups: local governments that count on that money to pay for services, and business groups that claim the levy is a job killer. With a set […]
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Michigan metros see income boost
Personal income rose in 2011 in all of the nation’s 366 metropolitan statistical areas for the first time since 2007, according to estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. When adjusted for inflation, however, 44 metros actually experienced income loss. Leading the pack were the Odessa and Midland metros, both in Texas, showing […]
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Manufacturing and metros are recipe for success, says guru on cities
Bruce Katz has pushed a consistent message for Michigan: M&M&E. That’s short for manufacturing, metros and exports. A vice president at the Brookings Institution, Katz has worked in recent years with Business Leaders for Michigan in developing ideas for improving Michigan’s economy. Bridge Magazine spoke with Katz by phone recently to get his sense of […]
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Michigan’s recovery dangles from ‘fiscal cliff’
By Mitch Bean While the action over the “fiscal cliff” tax and budget decisions will occur on Capitol Hill, the consequences of whatever course is chosen will ripple across the Great Lakes State. Bridge asked Mitch Bean, a longtime head of the House Fiscal Agency, to explain the details of the national situation and, most […]
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Formula for turning jobless into employed remains elusive
Five years after she entered Michigan’s No Worker Left Behind retraining program, Macomb County resident Lori Wingert is still grateful. She lost her job teaching preschool children of Ford Motor Co. employees when the automaker shut its child development center. She was among the first participants in 2007 in the program, which paid for Wingert’s […]
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Film Office starts new year with more dollars, higher hopes
With a new fiscal year ahead, the Michigan Film Office is emerging from a “rebuilding year” with more money to give away and a mission to support locally grown filmmakers. After seeing the movie industry turn from red-hot to cold with the end of an open-ended 42 percent subsidy, Michigan has a new pool of money […]
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Where do consumers fit in Blues overhaul?
Few public policy topics are as important — and as mind-numbingly complex — as health insurance regulation. But Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, its supporters and detractors have tried to keep things lively over the years. And they’re at it again. Gov. Rick Snyder surprised many in the State Capitol on Sept. 11 when […]
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Uncertainty surrounds future of Blues’ Medigap coverage
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan says Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed overhaul of how the insurer is regulated will lead to better, more affordable health care for Michigan residents. But one group that could eventually see much higher rates for coverage is senior citizens who buy Blue Cross Medicare supplement policies, known as Medigap coverage. […]
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Another income report is out, and the news is not so good for Michigan
Last time, I reported on the good news coming out of the latest Census Bureau report: median household income increased and poverty decreased for Michigan between 2010 and 2011. These data points were based on the results of the Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Income Supplement, conducted in March of each year. We […]
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