An effort by Gov. Rick Snyder and the Canadian government to build a $2 billion bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor may provide an answer to a burning question about infrastructure: Can a huge public works project still be built in an era of Tea Party politics, spending-adverse lawmakers and widespread disdain for government? It’s been […]
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.
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Across nation, big projects carry big bills, large concerns
The planned $2 billion New International Trade Crossing bridge linking Detroit and Windsor is the largest proposed infrastructure project in Michigan — and one of the 100 largest in North America. A list of the top 100 proposed infrastructure projects in North America, including Canada and Mexico, was recently released by CG/LA Infrastructure Inc., a […]
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Economic turmoil challenges Mich. seniors, too
Keep your ear to the ground, and you can almost hear a revolution coming. The New York Times outlines the very different economics of households at either end of the human lifespan in a piece headlined “Old vs. Young.” Esquire magazine declares “The War Against Youth.” The Washington Post flatly states “Young Americans Get the […]
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Adviser: Longer careers serve seniors, society
Like many people who visit the city, Randal Charlton fell in love with New Orleans, so much so that he thought the city’s mix of food and music would be a sure-fire hit in Sarasota, Fla., where he lived at the time. Café New Orleans was no such thing, however, and Charlton was left in […]
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What's the business case for second Detroit bridge?
Editor’s note: Gov. Rick Snyder joined Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper last Friday to announce a formal deal to start construction on a second bridge linking Detroit to Windsor, Ontario. Snyder announced his support for the span in his first weeks as governor in 2011. Michigan’s share of the construction costs — $550 million — […]
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Filmmakers still seeing stars after incentive cut
Once upon a time, Michael Jones had a career in Michigan. He was a location manager for print and TV advertising, finding, securing and running the spaces where commercial shoots set up temporary shop. Then things got very bad, when the auto industry collapsed, throwing its ancillary industries into chaos. But then, things got very, […]
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On tax tactics, Snyder picks 'all of the above'
During his campaign for governor in 2010, Gov. Rick Snyder said he would focus on tax cuts and end tax incentives in trying to attract jobs and business investment to Michigan. Snyder and the Republican-controlled Legislature delivered on the tax cuts, trimming business taxes by $1.7 billion. But although he ended former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s […]
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Broad tax cuts won't propel Michigan to prosperity, says economist
George Erickcek, a senior regional economist at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Kalamazoo, says Michigan might encourage more new investment by offering targeted tax credits on new manufacturing equipment rather than eliminating the personal property tax. Erickcek also says Michigan’s new 6 percent Corporate Income Tax might leave the state strapped for tax […]
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Michigan's venture capitalists step up to start-ups
If Michigan’s economy is to become more innovative and entrepreneurial, as Gov. Rick Snyder says it must, then it will need more start-up companies like 3D Biomatrix in Ann Arbor. The company, spun out of research at the University of Michigan, produces three-dimensional cell culture plates used in medical research. Its products could lead to […]
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Festivals haul in $700 million for Michigan
They celebrate fruit, cheese, beer, wine, music, the arts, holidays, seasons, cultures, industries, hobbies, geography, history and … well, pretty much all things Michigan. They go by all sorts of names — fairs, festivals, events — but the roughly 4,000-5,000 such gatherings annually share an important attribute: the generation of millions of dollars for the […]