Land of Oz

Labour Day

From a Time story:

This Labor Day finds workers in worse shape than they've been in years, according to a scorecard released Monday by Rutgers University. ...more than 10 percent of Americans are unemployed, ... "But there are some bright spots long term," Kruse said, including improvements in workplace safety, a small but growing percentage of employers offering support for childcare and employee wellness programs...

Well, so far, so good for me. It is a Labour Day to celebrate. I have a good job, a good wife, and a good home. Too bad, everyone can't say the same. In my neck of the woods, Saginaw, Michigan and its environs, all the bad stuff of life is high and climbing. Jobs, housing, and crime all pretty much suck.

I now live in a little pocket of Americana, that is still hanging in there. It's a small community with nice neighbors, low crime and easy access to shopping and restaurants. Mind you, it's a pretty small assortment of shopping and eating, but it's within walking distance. This weekend, I got up Saturday, worked around the house, walked to get a haircut, then walked over to a nice local bar - no gunfire or drunks, and then on the way home, stopped to pickup some stuff at the hardware and dollar store. All within a 30 minute round-trip walk.

Not too many miles south of here is an array of closed and abandoned homes, factories and businesses. GM bailed and nothing really replaced it. An article in today's paper showed a closed auto plant that not too long ago that was one of GM's empire that employed 30,000 local folks at good wages. Now there's WalMart and Wendys for $7 an hour. There's a little hope. There's some new high-tech manufacturing moving in. We've got a silicon refiner, and there's talk of a wind power manufacturer moving in. Dow is talking about some expansion and the medical community is going great guns.

If any companies are reading this (never can tell...), you should really pay some attention to this area. Mid-Michigan. Land is cheap, there's a low cost of living and a pretty good bunch of prospective employees waiting for a job. There's a commercial airport nearby, and access to the Great Lakes for shipping. The weather is great - not really too hot or too cold. No earthquakes and a pretty reliable source of water nearby. OK, yeah, we have the occasional tornado, but nothing's perfect. Come on down and bring your jobs with you.

Labels: michigan