http://threethings.michiganradio.org/2010/04/26/susan-odgers/ How would you fix Michigan? Sat, 27 Aug 2011 01:07:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://threethings.michiganradio.org/2010/04/26/susan-odgers/comment-page-1/#comment-196 Reed Mon, 24 May 2010 15:33:37 +0000 http://threethings.michiganradio.org/?p=183#comment-196 This Three Things Series and the largely insipid suggestions coming out of it has always bothered me, and Ms. Odgers comments have finally put me over the edge. It's largely all a bunch of politically correct drivel, when what we need to do is challenge all the sacred cows, and perhaps most importantly challenge our own assumptions. The "right way of doing things" caused Michigan to flourish until the 1950s (when, for example, Detroit was the wealthiest city in the world), and it's been a steady downhill since then, particularly when we compare ourselves with the states that have built industries and economies that are at the least diversified and at most are absolutely critical to the needs of the future. That's the truth. We need to deal with it. Thus this Series lacks both a practical usefulness and particularly a lack of the dramatic solutions to match the challenges we face. For example, surprise, surprise that Ms. Odgers, who writes on disability issues, makes as a first (and I would assume thus she thinks most important) suggestion that we need to improve on opportunities for the disabled. Ignoring her foolish at the most and immaterial at the least statement that such will attract disabled people to this state and create jobs (with, I would suggest, the creation of jobs being the politically correct paint that goes on everything), does she really think that making front doors and curbs more accessible is the first thing we need to focus on in Michigan right now? Me thinks that what Michigan needs first is for people to realize that what they are working on and think is most important might not really be so, particularly when it comes to what we work on first, and given how deep our problems run. Ms. Odgers second suggestion had to do with starting an internal publicity campaign to support Michigan graduating students' self-esteem (note another politically correct feel good issue) so that they stay here and raise their families. Since jobs come from entrepreneurs, what we need isn't the people happy to work for someone else. Let them emigrate. What we need to do is retain the people who are going to make things happen. We need to retain the brilliant inventors, the ones dissatisfied with how the world works, the ones willing to take a chance, and so forth, even if they aren't so polite, don't look like the majority of us, etc. It's the kids that have nothing to lose. And, quite frankly, we need the adults who were responsible for putting Michigan in the soup it's presently in to get out of these young people's way, retire, or as a last resort even die if they won't loosen the death spiral grip they've got on things. Finally, Ms. Odgers touts her relationship with the Green Party. I'm no fan of most of the leaders of today's politics, but at least they aren't the largely self-absorbed, politically correct, feel good and perfection to the detriment of the possible seeking, unrealistic, ignorant, and in many cases anti-capitalists that I find in the enviro movement. For example, given the advantages of the competition (more sun, closer to markets, a silicon based economy), Michigan is fundamentally NOT a good place for a solar panels industry. And, as another example, the touted Save the Great Lakes efforts has put the kabosh on what could be Michigan's greatest source of export derived hard currency -- our liquid gold, called fresh water. Don't tell me that the fish need every gallon of the water that a flushed into the Atlantic, because it's just not true. Arghh! This Three Things Series and the largely insipid suggestions coming out of it has always bothered me, and Ms. Odgers comments have finally put me over the edge. It's largely all a bunch of politically correct drivel, when what we need to do is challenge all the sacred cows, and perhaps most importantly challenge our own assumptions. The “right way of doing things” caused Michigan to flourish until the 1950s (when, for example, Detroit was the wealthiest city in the world), and it's been a steady downhill since then, particularly when we compare ourselves with the states that have built industries and economies that are at the least diversified and at most are absolutely critical to the needs of the future. That's the truth. We need to deal with it. Thus this Series lacks both a practical usefulness and particularly a lack of the dramatic solutions to match the challenges we face. For example, surprise, surprise that Ms. Odgers, who writes on disability issues, makes as a first (and I would assume thus she thinks most important) suggestion that we need to improve on opportunities for the disabled. Ignoring her foolish at the most and immaterial at the least statement that such will attract disabled people to this state and create jobs (with, I would suggest, the creation of jobs being the politically correct paint that goes on everything), does she really think that making front doors and curbs more accessible is the first thing we need to focus on in Michigan right now? Me thinks that what Michigan needs first is for people to realize that what they are working on and think is most important might not really be so, particularly when it comes to what we work on first, and given how deep our problems run. Ms. Odgers second suggestion had to do with starting an internal publicity campaign to support Michigan graduating students' self-esteem (note another politically correct feel good issue) so that they stay here and raise their families. Since jobs come from entrepreneurs, what we need isn't the people happy to work for someone else. Let them emigrate. What we need to do is retain the people who are going to make things happen. We need to retain the brilliant inventors, the ones dissatisfied with how the world works, the ones willing to take a chance, and so forth, even if they aren't so polite, don't look like the majority of us, etc. It's the kids that have nothing to lose. And, quite frankly, we need the adults who were responsible for putting Michigan in the soup it's presently in to get out of these young people's way, retire, or as a last resort even die if they won't loosen the death spiral grip they've got on things. Finally, Ms. Odgers touts her relationship with the Green Party. I'm no fan of most of the leaders of today's politics, but at least they aren't the largely self-absorbed, politically correct, feel good and perfection to the detriment of the possible seeking, unrealistic, ignorant, and in many cases anti-capitalists that I find in the enviro movement. For example, given the advantages of the competition (more sun, closer to markets, a silicon based economy), Michigan is fundamentally NOT a good place for a solar panels industry. And, as another example, the touted Save the Great Lakes efforts has put the kabosh on what could be Michigan's greatest source of export derived hard currency — our liquid gold, called fresh water. Don't tell me that the fish need every gallon of the water that a flushed into the Atlantic, because it's just not true. Arghh!

]]> http://threethings.michiganradio.org/2010/04/26/susan-odgers/comment-page-1/#comment-195 Reed M Benet Sun, 23 May 2010 00:13:43 +0000 http://threethings.michiganradio.org/?p=183#comment-195 What happened to the comment I posted here on the day of the interview? What happened to the comment I posted here on the day of the interview?

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