[mich2fla]

Originally Posted by RedWingsFan

Update -

We took the chance and came here, it's been over 3 weeks now. Wow... this place is dismal. The papers have nothing for my husband to apply to. Last Saturday I looked at the Free Press job section. There were a TOTAL of 18 jobs listed - for a major metropolitan city in the country. That's awful.

All the driving jobs did turn out to be over the road and/or very low pay - much lower than he's used to making.

He sent his resume to places he's interested in working for anyway, even though they weren't asking for them. He's gotten no calls. We drove past some of the places and they have signs on the door saying they are not accepting applications or resumes.

It's a sad state and although family lives here and it's originally where we are from we cannot stay here with a job market like this. We are planning to move after Thanksgiving unless something drastically changes before then, which I doubt. Michigan is in shambles economically, and yet they just voted to keep the same people in power - which blows my mind. You would think with the state dong so poorly they would want change.

I'm out of here in a couple of weeks....

People do want change...when you have DeVos running, you'd better elect Granholm which we did. During the past 6-8 years, the republicans controlled both the state house and state senate. During this election, the senate is republican controlled by a few seats and the state house is democrat controlled by a wider margin.

The western michigan area is booming compared to the Detroit area. Check out the GR Press online at http://www.mlive.com/grpress/

Did you open up your job search statewide or just the Detroit area?

My mechanical engineering position will be outsoourced to China within the year...that's why we have started to look out of state.

Good luck on your search for a better place!

[neelie1]

Don't feel bad, at least you were only here three weeks. People (including my husand) that have been here all their lives and had good jobs are leaving. My husband works for Ford and makes good money, but with everything they are doing, people working there are leaving like rats off a sinking ship. They are revising the old saying about Michigan..............."The last one to leave Michigan, please turn off the lights"..........sad but true.

[RedWingsFan]

I wouldn't look in any other place in Michigan to live other than the Detroit Metro area because that's where all my family is. If I can't live here the way I want to because of the economic decision then I'd rather leave the state.

The republicans controlling the house and senate have nothing to do with people voting someone from Canada to run the state of Michigan. From what I can tell Michigan has become Canada's dump and it's tanking quickly. Get out while you can!

[politikally]

I couldn't believe it either... (about the election). The only thing I can figure is that everyone who cared about the economy already left. So there was no one to vote out the Governor.

Anyway good luck to you Redwingfan!! I've had friend after friend leave Michigan for better areas of the country! The sooner you leave the better in my opinion.

Michigan is fast becoming a rotting cesspool of nothingness.

[mariatherese]

There are still many great things about Michigan. Sure, times are tough but its ridiculous to be so negative... "a rotting cesspool of nothingness." I don't think so. There are areas that are doing better than Detroit Metro. I understand that Redwingsfan is not willing to locate to another area in MI- but besides that, I'm just tired of all this negativity. Lighten up. Plenty of people do love it here.

[politikally]

Originally Posted by mariatherese

There are still many great things about Michigan. Sure, times are tough but its ridiculous to be so negative... "a rotting cesspool of nothingness." I don't think so. There are areas that are doing better than Detroit Metro. I understand that Redwingsfan is not willing to locate to another area in MI- but besides that, I'm just tired of all this negativity. Lighten up. Plenty of people do love it here.

Well I have to disagree. I lived in Michigan for 9 years. I just left recently (May). When I arrived in Michigan it wasn't doing too bad (middle of the 90s). However about 3 years after I arrived the whole state really started to slide.

I may sound negative, and I will admit there are a VERY FEW areas where the economy is at least tolerable (i.e. Grand Rapids) - but even in GR it's pretty bad.

I will say this - I like Michigan in terms of the people and the scenary - it's a nice state. However the government and the economy are a terribly different story. I saw the crime, the abandoned and burned out buildings, the lack of jobs -- all of it with my own eyes. It was all over the state - Lansing, Jackson, Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, even some of the northern cities are just impossible to find a job in - and they reek of decay. I rode the bus every day for a year in Lansing, where I sat next to the busy security guard throwing the crackheads, homeless, and jobless off the buses. Things are bad in Michigan. I've found those who defend Michigan really haven't been outside of it much to see how much better things are elsewhere.

I gave the state the benefit of the doubt - searching for a job after my graduation from post grad for months, as did a number of my friends. None of us found jobs. We've all left since then, and all quickly found jobs elsewhere.

All in all I hope Michigan gets better, but I will not give people a false impression of Michigan just because people want to be positive about the state instead of negative.

Thus, I'll standby my nothingness comment even if it is negative. I'll also stand by my opinion, that there's two types of people in Michigan right now. Those leaving and those thinking about leaving.

[JenM]

There are still many great things about Michigan. Sure, times are tough but its ridiculous to be so negative... "a rotting cesspool of nothingness." I don't think so. There are areas that are doing better than Detroit Metro. I understand that Redwingsfan is not willing to locate to another area in MI- but besides that, I'm just tired of all this negativity. Lighten up. Plenty of people do love it here.

I don't know, I tend to agree with everyone else. Michigan's economy is really bad. It took DH 2 years to find a job here and now I've already sent out 52 resumes and filled out 26 applications and have gotten not a single call back. At this point I'd take ANY job!

there's two types of people in Michigan right now. Those leaving and those thinking about leaving.

I completely agree, most of my friends are either leaving or are planning on it. One of my friends is a bartender by trade and she can't find anything. I mean really, a bartending job!!! THose should be a dime a dozen, but not here!

Anyone hiring???

[mariatherese]

I agree that things are bad. I, too, am going to leave. I'm staying in MI for a few more years before I'm headed off on another adventure. I've moved around a lot and believe me, I know there is a lot better opportunity out there. I also don't think anyone should sugarcoat it. I've read many, many negative statements like yours on these MI threads without responding.

I didn't mean to harp on anyone. I just think that Michigan has a lot to offer as far as being a beautiful place to live, with nice people. And no one is mentioning this, or any other positive aspects about the state. All everyone can focus on is the auto industry.

I'm from northern Michigan, and I hate lower Michigan, yet everyone seems to equate the lower cities with Michigan: Detroit, Lansing. Yes, those places leave much to be desired. But those places do not mean "Michigan" to me. There are a lot of people who choose to live in the northern areas because they love the area, regardless of money. In my experience, moving to another place for the prospect of money doesn't always work out to your advantage. I've found that even though other cities/states may offer a better economy, I hated living there, so it wasn't worth it.

All I'm trying to say is that yes, if you are thinking of moving to Michigan, you better make sure you have a job first! BUT, its not a rotten cesspool of nothingness. Its a beautiful, unique area with wonderful people and many people are very happy here... and those people usually reside in the north.

[RedWingsFan]

Michigan's economy is horrible. I see people all around losing their jobs, homes and hope. It's sad. I was born and rasied in this state, I didn't leave and move to Vegas until I was 25 years old. It was not as bad then. Now, over 9 years later, it's in sorry shape.

And I must say --- I've been in SO many states around this country and Michigan (the formerly known automotive capital of the world) has THE worst roads I've ever seen. They look all patched up with bubble gum. Pot holes everywhere. They are awful.

And what's with using Michigan as Canada's dump? There are 350 TRUCKS each day that bring garbage from Canada to be dumped in Michigan. How sick is? Sad....

But it's true that there are some people that love it here and in it for the long haul. I have three sisters. One just left for Florida this week. The other two love it here and will likely never leave.

[Blue Grass Fever]

Originally Posted by politikally

I saw the crime, the abandoned and burned out buildings, the lack of jobs -- all of it with my own eyes. It was all over the state - Lansing, Jackson, Detroit, Flint, Saginaw, even some of the northern cities are just impossible to find a job in - and they reek of decay.

Just wondering what northern cities reek of decay?