Phil Power is founder and chairman of the Center for Michigan. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: The biggest barrier to a prosperous American economy is the U.S. Congress. Cynical, no doubt. But true in important ways not seen for generations. The Economist, an internationally respected news magazine, recently ran a […]
As special interests drag down government, private entities move to public’s aid
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
A tiny trickle turns into a torrent of conservation issues for Michigan
WEST BY NORTHWEST: The Grand River is shown in Lansing near the Brenke Fish ladder, part of its 252-mile length. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) Spring is here and, for me, that means heading down to Liberty, near Jackson, to visit the headwaters of the Grand River. I feel lucky to know the spot […]
Posted inBrunch with Bridge
Nervously watching Michigan’s beach expansions
CONVERSION: Sand is replacing water as beaches grow along the shores of Lake Huron, a consequence of declining water levels. (courtesy photo/used under Creative Commons license) The joke among the people who share the Lake Huron cove on which our summer home sits is that the township may soon try to tax us on the […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Tax shift adds to fiscal woes at city hall
After years of political wrangling over the issue, business advocates hail the phase-out of Michigan’s tax on industrial machinery and business equipment as a welcome tonic for job growth. Public officials in places like River Rouge and Warren are not so sanguine. BILLIONS MORE LOST, BUT PROPERTY VALUE DROP SLOWING “This is not going to […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Who’s no. 1? County-by-county rankings on property values
No corner of Michigan has escaped unscathed from the “Big Flush,” the loss of billions upon billions of dollars in property values. In five years, total Michigan property values plunged by more than $260 billion, according to an analysis of state records by Bridge Magazine. But while the decline continued over the last year, it […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
In Michigan suburbs, once-pricey bedrooms worth less
Some 15 miles southeast of Ann Arbor, the cozy bedroom community of Milan belies stereotypical views of Michigan’s economic decline. Largely white, nestled around a quaint downtown and dotted with upscale, newer homes, it projects the very image of suburban prosperity. Analysis of property values in 2011 and 2012 tells another story. In a city […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Property value drops exceed 30 percent in parts of SE Michigan
It might be only a slight exaggeration to say that as Southeast Michigan goes, so goes the state. The region, with roughly 50 percent of the state population and the driver of half its economic activity, suffered the steepest drop in the state in total property value over the past five years. And though there […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
*Michigan’s primary air hub – Detroit – is a great place for travelers to visit, at least based on the specific state and local taxes levied against visitors. Stateline has Detroit as no. 47 (out of 50 locations) in such taxes. Detroit’s single-day travel taxes of $22.37 is only about half of what hits visitors […]
Posted inGuest Commentary
Guest column: Top challenge to business is cost of health care
By David Baker/Baker Strategy Group Businesses play an essential role in Michigan’s economy. Business is the economic engine that pays people for their time and contribution and converts their work into products and services that customers need. According to the 2010 Census, there are close to 175,000 businesses in Michigan (excluding the estimated 680,000 non-employee […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Billions more lost, but property value drop slowing
In five years, total Michigan property values plunged by more than $260 billion, according to an analysis of state records by Bridge Magazine. But while the decline continued over the last year, it slowed considerably. Values dropped from $725.5 billion in 2011 to $698.6 billion in 2012. Adjusted for inflation, that amounts to a drop […]
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