For the past eight months, the 29 year old has been driving a 1930 Model A as his everyday car. His project, dubbed “365 Days of A,” has him parking his Ford Explorer and Honda Accord and, for one year – with no exceptions for weather or distance – driving the beautiful blue Model A instead.

“It’s something I wanted to do for a few years,” says Klinger, who owns a 1919 Model T and ‘a few other cars.’ “I wanted to show that an old car like this can be driven every day.”

Head over to 365 Days of A to follow Jonathan through the ins (learning to slow down) and outs (fixing what goes wrong) and saga of his Model A experiment from Day 1 (October 13, 2010) to Day 252 (and beyond). Be sure to check out the FAQs for the who, what and where.

The video below looks at how they got the A into shape, and you can see a lot more on their 365 Days of A playlist!

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Painting A Picture Of Optimism by DetroitDerek Photography

Later this week (April 27-29) the 3rd annual  Future Midwest Conference kicks off in Detroit. It's the largest digital business conference in the Midwest and  seeks to accelerate business and cultural transformation by uniting community passions with emerging technologies. In 2011, they've selected Eastern Market in Detroit as the conference venue. In this interview, conference co-founder Adrian Pittman explains that:

FutureMidwest is a digital business conference that focuses on the impact of technology in five areas:

• Integrated marketing: How to integrate digital platforms into a well-rounded marketing mix
• User experience: How to create an engaging experience across a variety of digital media
• Mobile: How it's impacting information exchange and user access and how to utilize it
• Business Intelligence/Analytics: How to define metrics that matter most and apply them
• Regional growth: How the Midwest is participating in the information age

The conference features 2 full days of presentations, panels and exhibitions about technology, social media and how all of this ties into creating a new future for the Midwest. The 2011 conference debuts  Funded by Night, one-day competition to fund tech startups where 25 companies will create to will compete to win a $100,000 convertible note from two local venture capital firms Detroit Venture Partners and Ludlow Ventures.

Any video with a space cow in it has to be good, and the 2010 conference video is no exception!

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Thanks Blogging for Michigan for the find!

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R.I.P. - James McMillan School (1894-2008)
by SNWEB.ORG Photography, LLC.

HB-4214 - the "local  government and school district fiscal accountability act" -  passed the Senate yesterday.  This is such a strange & sweeping bill that vests power in the executive branch to exercise extra-ordinary powers of finance, administration and even the very existence of municipalities and schools that we're still trying to come to grips with the implications. You can read stories from the right (Detroit News or any suggestions?) and left (Michigan Messenger or  AFL-CIO). The Messenger version says (in part):

According to the law, which has already been approved in the House, the governor will be able to declare “financial emergency” in towns or school districts and appoint someone to fire local elected officials, break contracts, seize and sell assets, and eliminate services.

Under the law whole cities or school districts could be eliminated without any public participation or oversight, and amendments designed to provide minimal safeguards and public involvement were voted down.

An amendment to require Emergency Managers to hold monthly public meetings to let people know how they are governing was rejected by Senate Republicans, along with proposals to cap Emergency Manager compensation and require that those appointed to run school districts have some background in education.

Hrum. Thoughts? If you're thinking that the above paragraph is hyperbole, I urge you to click to read the text of the bill. Page 34 for example. The fact that the proposed 2011 budget includes big cuts for already struggling school districts and municipalities pretty much guarantees that the Emergency Managers will see action.

FYI, Michigan law already allows for Emergency Managers, but their authority is nowhere near what it will be when these bills become law.

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Read on for a report on last night's Town Hall meeting but we definitely want to start off by featuring High Five for Film Incentives. Deep Blue Pictures takes a road trip to hear from some of the people and businesses who are benefitting from the incentive. When you hear numbers like 200 jobs at one company and 6,000 room nights at one hotel, you have to take note. Tip: Stick around for the closing song. Amazing work!

Not Your Average Point & Shoot
by photofrenzy2000

The Detroit Free Press has a report on last night's overflowing Michigan Film Town Hall Meeting:

More than a thousand strong, members of Michigan's movie industry came together Thursday evening in a dramatic show of unity, gearing up for a massive lobbying campaign in Lansing to save their livelihoods.

..."We spawned the growth of a new industry in Michigan that might be 1/20th or 1/10th of the 21st-Century economy," said Andy Meisner, treasurer of Oakland County, who helped create the tax breaks. "Can you put a price on bringing young people back to Michigan?"

(and from the other side of the argument)

Though the industry has generated $649 million in spending in Michigan since April 2008, John Nixon, Snyder's budget director, has said the incentives are too much of a drain for a state facing a $1.8-billion budget deficit. Since the program began in April 2008, Michigan has approved $304 million in tax credits for 202 productions, paying out $96 million so far.

The Detroit News has a report as well. On the video front, America Jr was on the scene and has some videos from including Jeff Daniels & Mitch Albom addressing the crowd and some interviews with attendees. There's lots more at absolutemichigan.com/Film!

What do you think? Post a comment, Tell Rick on Facebook or  head over to Rick's Wrong (About the Michigan Film Industry Tax Credit).

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In addition to repealing "the job-killing Michigan Business Tax" and replacing it with a 6% corporate income tax, other highlights of the speech included $25 million for Pure Michigan, more attention to our state's agricultural industry, a new Office of Urban Initiatives to address issues in Detroit, Grand Rapids, the Flint-Saginaw corridor and other cities and support of the proposed publicly owned Detroit River International Crossing bridge over the St Clair River in Detroit. Something that we at Absolute Michigan found particularly heartening was Snyder's support for Michigan's natural resources and the Great Lakes when he stated:

I urge the prompt passage of a capital outlay bill that implements the recommendations of the Natural Resources Trust Fund. From the greatness of the land and the resourcefulness of the citizens of the Upper Peninsula to the unquestioned beauty and economic engine of the Great Lakes, natural resources and recreation have always been among our strongest areas. The Fund's board of trustees has recommended 117 recreation and land acquisition projects totaling $100 million.

These projects will positively impact every corner of our state, from Iron County in the Upper Peninsula, to Traverse City , to Luna Pier in Monroe County . Also included is a significant expansion of the William G. Milliken Park on the Detroit riverfront.

He unveiled the Michigan Dashboard, a series of measurements that chart progress in meeting objectives that impact economic growth, education, public health and safety, value for taxpayer dollars in government, and overall quality of life.

"The State of the State will from now on be a report card of where we are as a state," Snyder said. "It will be a realistic assessment of where we are improving, where we are not improving and what we need to do to move forward."

You can read the complete transcript in the Freep and until we have the YouTube of the address, here's a WOOD-TV report on the highlights.

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The Wall Street Journal says that this week's General Motors (GM) Initial Public Offering could be the largest in history, but is complicated by the $40 billion the automaker owes the US Government, which will be seeking to sell its stock as well:

Earlier Tuesday, GM confirmed it would raise the expected price for shares sold in its IPO to a range of $32 to $33 from the previous $26 to $29. GM also plans to sell up to $4.6 billion of preferred stock, up from $3 billion previously planned. The IPO will be priced Wednesday after the U.S. stock markets close and the shares will start trading Thursday.

...At the new level, the U.S. government would raise around $13 billion, including the overallotment, at the midpoint of the higher price range. That's up from $8.3 billion at the lower price and share number.

You can Read on to make sense of the issues surrounding the IPO. One thing that will doubtless fuel the IPO is the fact that yesterday Motor Trend named the Chevy Volt 2011 Car of the Year. The award is the biggest in the auto industry, and Motor Trend says that the Volt has some of the most advanced engineering ever seen in an American car and writes:

In the 61-year history of the Car of the Year award, there have been few contenders as hyped -- or as controversial -- as the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt started life an Old GM project, then arrived fully formed as a symbol of New GM, carrying all the emotional and political baggage of that profound and painful transition. As a result, a lot of the sound and fury that has surrounded the Volt's launch has tended to obscure a simple truth: This automobile is a game-changer.

You can read much more about their decision and watch this video summarizing the selection:

Photo Credit: 2011 Chevrolet Volt in Production by ibmphoto24

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.seek balance by *ojoyous1*

Michigan has been staring down the barrel of an estimated $800 million deficit in the state's general fund for the 2011 fiscal year. The Detroit News reports that a budget deal without tax increases was reached by Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, House Speaker Andy Dillon and state budget director Bob Emerson. The deal is expected to be signed today and reportedly includes:

• A 3 percent cut in budgets of all state departments.
• A tax amnesty program.
• An early retirement program for state workers.
• Reforms of the state's liquor laws.
• Changes to the state's unclaimed property law, allowing the state to take possession of property earlier than in previous practice.
• Refinancing of some state bonds to take advantage of favorable interest rates.

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vroom. by artsy_T

A Chicago Tribune article last month (now gone) took a look at Michigan's senior tax breaks, calling them "the most generous in the nation." Some highlights:

• Michigan exempts all Social Security and public pension benefits from income taxes, as well as up to $45,120 a year for a single return and $90,240 on a joint return in private retirement and pension benefits, a cap that increases annually with inflation.
• Taxpayers aged 65 or older also get to deduct up to $10,058 on a single return or $20,115 on a joint return in interest, dividends and capital gains. The deduction is reduced by any deduction for retirement and pension benefits.
• Those 65 and over get double the $2,300 annual tax exemption other taxpayers get.
• Seniors can claim a larger proportion of their property taxes in figuring their homestead property tax credit on their income taxes. The average credit for seniors is more than 1.5 larger than the average credit for other filers.
• The home-heating credit allows low-income seniors to claim extra exemptions which increases the available credit.

You can get all the details on Michigan's tax benefits for seniors from the State of Michigan.

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hold on, I'm thinkin' by buckshot.jones

Lansing's inability to execute compromises deprives many other agencies of the ability to plan properly as well.

So write the editors of the Detroit Free Press, who say that this week is a crucial week for Michigan lawmakers as they address next year's budget without any kind of agreement as to the cuts. Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry digs into the herculean challenge they face of filling an ever-widening budgetary sinkhole and says that:

We've all been used to getting services from the state that come so automatically we don't think about them.

Except now we have to. We need our elected leaders to level with us, and offer us competing and honest visions for the future. There's less money than there used to be.

There also ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Do we want what we are used to having?

If so, we are going to have to raise taxes.

Unfortunately, with no agreement and (worse) no will on either site of the aisle to make difficult choices, it looks as if we may be in for another long summer as everyone waits for the legislature to make the tough choices.

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Morels ! by cedarkayak

The latest issue of Midwest Living feature on the Best Midwest Food Towns served up a platefull of restaurants in our region that might entice the culinary tourist. Their editors selected Traverse City as the #2 town and Ann Arbor #3. Also featured were a collection of recipes from Traverse City including Morel Mushroom Cream Sauce With Pasta and a Creme Fraiche from Shetler's Dairy.

The Detroit City Council's proposal to demolish Michigan Central Station as a means to bring in Federal stimulus dollars seemed to many to have all the brilliance of a plan to get rich quick by selling both your kidneys. Now the Detroit News reports that developer Manuel (Matty) Moroun is proposing to lease Michigan Central Station to the United States government for redevelopment. The Department of Homeland Security offices for Customs and Border Protection are seeking to lease almost 50,000 square feet of space in the Detroit area to house personnel.

Of surprise to nobody - outside of State government at least - the Detroit News is reporting that Michigan's agricultural industry is bucking the trend of decline:

The state's overall agricultural industry -- which includes not only farming but also food processing and biofuels, wineries and beer-making -- grew 12 percent to $71.3 billion in revenue in 2007, following several years of single-digit growth; 2008 figures are not yet available.

...Some 100 agri-food businesses have started in Michigan during the past five years, according to the MDA.

Imagine what we could do if we really invested in building and promoted our agricultural bounty.

Edward Vielmetti has a tasty post that includes Michigan's morel festivals and the book How to Find Morels by Milan Pelouch. Even more about morels at Absolute Michigan keyword morel!

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Fifties Mickey D's by BarGal

The Detroit Free Press reports that Michigan's 2009 deficit is likely to clock in at over $1 billion, nearly a quarter of a billion more than previously estimated (and with only 5 months left in FY 2009 to make cuts).

Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said there's no agreement on the size of the deficit or spending cuts from private meetings.

He said the $1 billion-plus deficit estimate is “entirely possible.” He added that that tax revenues for April have not yet been counted, although they appear weaker than expected.

Jelinek said if the deficit was erased solely by spending cuts, much of state government would shut down because half of their 2008-09 budgets have already been consumed.

Jelinek said layoffs of some state employees are likely, but added, “Nobody knows who or where or how many. None of that is agreed to.”

If you're wondering how big Michigan's budget is, the answer is $42.8 billion. There is $1 billion in federal stimulus money that can be used to stave off a crisis in the same way that Lansing took the easy path of cashing in on tobacco money rather than deal with the root issue two years ago. As the Center for Michigan relates, if they opt for the comfy way out again, we're facing a nightmare scenario of having to remove 1/4 or more of our public spending over the next 10 years:

The state budget deficit for the year ending this October is more than $1 billion and growing by hundreds of millions of dollars each month. Projections put the long-term structural deficit at $10 billion by 2017 and those projections, now a year old, very well may have been too hopeful.

Double-digit drops in property values are quickly eroding local government budgets.

Reinvention is at hand. Like it or not.

With Lansing firmly on top of the issue and in agreement on what to do, reinvention would probably have a little less desperate ring to it...

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Face Plant by by Rudy Malmquist

We try to be as positive as possible, but I do hope that everyone (and yes, I'm looking at you elected officials) is preparing to need to do extraordinary things to keep our state and the people in it afloat.

1. Jack Lessenberry spoke with Ismael Ahmed, director of the Michigan Department of Human Services, who worries that Michigan is nearing the cliff, staring down:

...an explosion in poverty, in need, in families slipping below the water line, just at a time when he knows he is going to have to do much, much more with less money...

(Ahmed says) "We've seen a dramatic increase in poverty in the state. More than one-fourth of children are living in poverty. "More than 2 million people are living below the poverty line, and that's still increasing. And when you count people who are working but who just don't make enough to live, that increases to about a third of the state."

2. When we look at our massive deficit, it's instructive to look at what's behind it. Peter Luke at mLive points out that tax cuts have left Michigan unable to invest in itself:

The Headlee amendment to the Michigan Constitution is simple. The state can collect up to 9.49 percent of personal income in taxes and fees approved by the Legislature. Anything over that has to be returned to taxpayers. The aim was to cap the growth of government.

...in funding essential services, state government in 2010 will collect a little more than half -- $14 billion-- of what the father of the modern conservative movement in Michigan thought appropriate.

For all the hand-wringing over how to return to prosperity, Michigan is unable to make long-term investments in its future.

Luke gets bashed in the comments on his article, but the case he makes that we have cut ourselves into a corner is worth a little thought.

3. On the bright side, the Michigan Policy Network says that our corner is nowhere near as dark as California's:

The projected FY2009 budget gap is 672 million dollars. This number is significant, and additional cuts or tax increases are needed to stabilize Michigan's economy. However, this budget deficit is only 2.9% of the size of the total projected budget, a comparatively small margin. While the situation seems significant, consider California. The nation's biggest state has an astounding projected deficit of 35.9 billion dollars. That's 35.5% of the total projected 2009 budget.

4. The Freep takes a look at a few measures designed to spark our sputtering economy.

5. Finally, I'd like to direct you over to Michigan in Pictures where you can see this photo from the pentax hammer bigger and hopefully take a little hope into your day from these words:

In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~ Albert Camus

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They're coming, and they're liking what they're seeing and we have a chance to seed a new industry in the state of Michigan.
~Mitch Albom

Scott Allman has produced a great interview with Mitch Albom about the Michigan Film Incentive. Check it out below!

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MSU College of Human Medicine by Eridony

Going up

The New York Times reports that in the midst of the darkest economic times Michigan has seen in decades, the University of Michigan is spending billions to grow with nearly three million square feet new buildings for science, medicine, health, art, business, sports, food service and student housing under construction and five others   in the design stage.

wizardkitten at Blogging for Michigan packed a lot of positive economic stories for Michigan into a post about how Obama's "Green New Deal" can create jobs, ease global warming and lessen our dependence on foreign oil all at the same time. She links to a nice article about Michigan-based Hemlock Semiconductor and also to related stories in the Freep and LA Times and notes that when added to our burgeoning movie industry, those folks out on the west coast might start to think that we are OK after all. Especially if - as she reports elsewhere - Gov. Granholm is tapped for the post of Queen of England.

Fallen by jnhkrawczyk

Going down

Unfortunately, it's not all (or even mostly) good news. Comerica Bank's preliminary November Michigan Business Activity Index (28k PDF) fell 4 points to 79 - the lowest level in 16 years. The November reading was down 13 points from November 2007 and 27% from its October 2003 peak of 108. That decline rivals the largest previous peak- to-trough decline of 33% between September 1978 and June 1980.

Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry notes that while Washington doesn't have to live within its means and can borrow and borrow and borrow - hello $11,000,000,000,000 national debt - state governments are not so lucky (also check out his interview with Chris Christoff, the Freep's Lansing Bureau chief). Jack notes that every few months, Michigan has a "revenue estimating conference" wherein budget controllers assess expected revenues as compared to budgeted expenditures. When revenues fall short, it's time for cuts. A round of cuts is expected this month, and it likely won't be the last. He says that our elected officials can go to their usual strategy of blaming each other (and solving nothing) or steal a page from the past:

Back in the 1970s, Governor Milliken used to convene regular weekly meetings of what he called the “quadrant,” the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate. They would get together and discuss how best to solve state problems.

Governor Jennifer Granholm should try that. She is in a position to serve as an honest broker. She can't run again. These are desperate times, and saving the state needs to take top priority.

In a move that seems oddly desperate, General Motors is selling about 200 vehicles from its collection of 1000 vintage GM cars & trucks. They will be sold at Barrett-Jackson's 2009 Scottsdale Auction and could raise as little as $5 million.

And speaking of roller coasters...

Reports suggest that the Tigers are no closer to filling the roll of closer. Rollercoaster Jones, where are you?

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The North Pole by luna.nik

Dear Santa,

I realize that we in Michigan seem to be asking for a lot of stuff lately: auto bailouts, people to listen to Tim Allen and come visit us, a football team that can win a game, etc.

However, I thought it might be worth writing a little list out in case you were wondering what to get us.

• A little patience to go with that auto bailout. We understand that the Big Three have been anything but proactive in turning their companies around but it does look that with cars like the GM Volt and the Ford Fusion hybrid, they are headed down the right path.
• Some discussion about just what's wrong with providing health care for people. The car companies are being bashed for providing health care and benefits to their employees. At one time, this was the highest expression of the American dream, but somewhere along the line it became something stupid or outright evil. Why is this? ...and why isn't it wrong when the providee is a US Representative or Senator?
• An owner who cares enough to hire a GM who gets it. Granted, this isn't a weighty concern in the broader scheme of things, so think of it as a stocking stuffer. If it's not too much trouble, could you bring Mr. Ford just a glimmer of judgment that would allow him to hire a GM of the caliber of Dumars or Dombrowski?
• The wisdom and courage to protect our water. The Great Lakes and Michigan's water are facing an army of threats: pollution, sulfide mining, diversion and invasive species. It will be tempting to sell our water out to buy our way out of our current problems. When we have sold and ruined it, however, we will have less than nothing.
• A little realization for all of us on what we do have here in Michigan. I think we all have a tendency to get so down about what's going wrong for us here in Michigan that we forget the amazing bounty we have been blessed with. If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you - these are not empty words, and even in these dark times, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Please add anything you're hoping for below and we at Absolute Michigan hope that you and yours receive a bounty of blessings this holiday season.

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Built in America by radiospike photography

Pretty much everyone (Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, mLive, NY Times and Wall Street Journal) is reporting that President Bush has approved a $17.4 billion bailout. Assessments vary, but as the WSJ writes:

...it likely will achieve what officials recognized as a more important -- and perhaps conflicting -- goal: preventing a collapse of one of the country's most important industries, at a time of broad economic weakness. The administration was particularly worried about what it termed a "disorderly" collapse of the industry.

"We lost 533,000 jobs last month," Mr. Bush said in an appearance Thursday. "What would another million jobs lost do to the economy? What would that do to the psychology in markets? What would that do -- how would that affect the working people? And so as you can tell, we're all in, in this administration. And if need be, we'll be in for more."

Watch Bush's conference via The YouTube. After listening to his speech - I have to wonder What took so long??? Actually, I'm also wondering: will it be in time or are we already over the cliff, Thelma?

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A2 City Reflections by Behind
My Blue Eyes ~~ Stevie Exxxx

Before we go into some positive economic stories from Michigan, here's The Big Fat Auto Bailout Collapse from The Daily Beast and Mitch Albom saying Hey, you senators: Thanks for nothing:

There ought to be a law — against the hypocrisy our government has demonstrated. The speed with which wheelbarrows of money were dumped on Wall Street versus the slow noose hung on the auto companies' necks is reprehensible. Some of those same banks we bailed out are now saying they won't extend credit to auto dealers. Wasn't that why we gave them the money? To loosen credit?

Where's your tight grip on those funds, senators? Where's your micromanaging of the wages in banking? Or do you just enjoy having your hands around blue-collared throats?

The carmakers did get a modicum of hope on Saturday, and the Wall Street Journal looks at considerations facing the White House in what appears to the likely granting of funds to the carmakers from the financial bailout package. You can also check out Gov. Granholm, former governor Mitt Romney, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Wal-Mart president Lee Scott and Google CEO Eric Schmidt discussing the auto bailout and the wider economy on Meet the Press (if you want to skip the Rod Blagojevich-fest that leads off, scroll to 20:30).

One of the items lost in the general shroud of gloom hanging over Michigan last week was the news that MSU was awarded $550-million nuclear physics project by US Energy Department. Michigan State University will be the site for a new $550-million research Facility for Rare Isotope Beams that will employ at least 300 people. The equipment:

...would be at least 1,000 times more powerful than the machines now running at MSU's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. In some cases, 100,000 times more. It will be used to provide intense beams of rare isotopes for researchers which will lay the groundwork for study in a number of fields, including treating cancer and providing technology for border security.

Last week also saw the launch of the Keep Michigan Working program, a partnership of state, local and community officials designed to assist workers and businesses with challenges posed by the economic downturn. Head over to mLive to read more about the program that will focus on attracting businesses through financial incentives and developing a workforce to support emerging industries like alternative energy, life sciences and information technology. Be sure to also check out the info on the Keeping Michigan Working site including a list of high-demand jobs & job facilitators in your area of Michigan.

I had hopes yesterday that I'd be able to include the Lions triumphantly fighting off NFL history in this feature. I think we all could have guessed how that turned out. However, even though they moved to 0-15 and a heartbeat from "worst team ever", Lions kicker Jason Hanson set an NFL record for most career field goals over 50 yards. Congratulations to a real class act! Here's Jason Hanson's Wikipedia page and also his player bio from the Detroit Lions.

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Star Trek - TOS Bridge Set by tkksummers

The Detroit Free Press reports that:

"Star Trek: The Exhibition" is to make its first Midwest stop at the Detroit Science Center beginning Feb. 14, the museum is to announce today. Tickets are to go on sale Friday, in time for people to buy as Christmas gifts for their favorite Trekkies.

"We are thrilled to be the first Midwest venue for the exhibit," said Todd Slisher, vice president of science programs at the museum. "I think it's one of the major blockbuster exhibitions traveling around the country."

You can learn more about the exhibition (with photos) from TrekMovie.com and though the Detroit Science Center web page on the Star Trek exhibit.

While you're checking out the strange and unusual, be sure to take a trip to the salt mines beneath Detroit via Michigan in Pictures!

Distant frontiers appear to have gotten closer in Washington as well, with the Detroit News reporting yesterday that Democrats in Congress and the White House have reached an agreement in principle on a bailout package. It's clear that the auto industry will have nothing like the free reign of the finance markets, however:

The changes to the plan hammered out Tuesday leave little wiggle room for the automakers, which will have to radically cut costs, restructure debt and negotiate new concessions with the United Auto Workers in a few short months to hold on to the loan money. Shareholders and others are also likely to have to make concessions.

OK, here's a little (low quality) video tour of the exhibition:

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Big Bright Light Show Rochester 2006 by eric.whalen81

In Detroit Rarely Misses a Chance to Miss a Chance in Wired, they list 5   ways the Big 3 have missed the boat ... their ride ... whatever. My favorite:

2. Electric vehicles - All of the automakers — including Honda (the EV+) and Toyota (the RAV4 EV) — are guilty of pulling the plug on EVs prematurely in the late 1990s, arguing the technology was too expensive, the batteries unproven and the demand for such cars nonexistent. But GM lost the most with the EV1 debacle. You can argue the car was entirely too expensive and way too advanced for its time — "The EV1 was a work of art," one EV advocate told us. "And that was the problem." — but the fact remains GM held the future in its hands and threw it away.

Jalopnik has the complete draft text of the bill plus discussion that is better - though a bit more rambunctious - than the bill. Seems ambitious enough:

LONG-TERM RESTRUCTURING PLAN ENSURING VIABILITY, INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS, AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.—Not later than March 31, 2009, each eligible automobile manufacturer (1) shall submit to the President's designee (2) a long-term restructuring plan to achieve and sustain the long-term viability and international competitiveness of the domestic automobile industry (3)...

From a quick scan of the bill and an even quicker read of this and this, it seems that the bailout will likely have lots and lots of strings and put the auto industry at center stage for at least a little while.

Good.

It seems to me that after years of practicing our one state recession that we should have an opportunity to perform it on the national stage.

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We'll feature up another holiday gift idea later. Until then, here's a look at one holiday shopping destination, the converted Russell Industrial Center bazaar in Detroit...

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Pillars of the Community by Autumm

Crains Detroit notes that our passion for our community can influence economic growth. They link to a new study by Gallup and the Knight Foundation (that included Detroit) that explores the link between economic growth and residents' loyalty to and passion towards where they live.

According to the "Soul of the Community" study, the qualities that make people love where they live include social offerings (such as entertainment venues and places to meet), openness (how welcoming a place is) and community aesthetics (such as physical beauty and green spaces).

...The study measured residents' emotional connection to where they live and compared that to the communities' GDP growth over the past five years. The findings show a significant correlation. Over three years, the researchers will analyze the trends to prove whether emotional connection drives economic growth, or the other way around.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that while demand for charitable assistance is on the rise, giving is down. They cite Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) statistics that show 71% of 300 participating organizations said demand for core services has increased over the past 12 months, while just 65% met the demands. Organizations also reported decline in financial supports.

"The state of the economy has affected nonprofits in at least two ways: It has been a reason behind increased demand, and it has played a role in decreased financial and in-kind support," said Lisa Sommer, spokeswoman for the nonprofit association.

The MNA has a blog and on it they have a great guide that discusses how to give wisely to nonprofits this holiday season.

Simpler Times by Brian Merwin

Later today, we're going to roll our our Michigan Holiday Gift Guide. While we do think it's a great thing to give meaningful gifts to the ones we love, we also think that this is a great time to pause and think about the whole holiday process. A nice place to start is this thoughtful article by Kristin Bull in the Freep:

When Julie Whitmore of Royal Oak peeks inside her children's closets, overflowing with games and toys and stuff, she takes a deep breath.

She gently closes the doors.

The Whitmore children -- Brandon, 10, Jacob, 8, and 4-year-old Alyssa -- have plenty. No doubt, they will ask for more.

But this year, their parents realize the importance of shifting the heart of the holiday season from asking and getting to giving.

What do you think? Are you changing your holiday gift giving this season? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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“We put all our chips on a poker hand called durable goods manufacturing, particularly the autos,” said Charles L. Ballard, a professor of economics at Michigan State University. “In the middle of the 20th century, every time we turned over the hand it was four aces, a straight flush. If you have an undiversified economy based on a sector that's booming, great.”
~ New Fears Arise in Michigan in Sunday's New York Times (the old fears weren't bad enough?)

The innards of the abandoned Packard Plant in
Detroit by Derek Farr ( DetroitDerek )

You can read more about Michigan's feelings of freefall at that link or (courtesy Blogging for Michigan) pursue the more practical question of why we would bail out Citibank over the auto industry (which seems to be the case) with former Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Reich:

Viewed from Wall Street, Citi is too big and important to be allowed to fail while GM is simply a big, clunky old manufacturing company that can go into chapter 11 and reorganize itself. The newly conventional wisdom on the Street is that the failure of the Treasury and the Fed to save Lehman Brothers was a grave mistake because Lehman's demise caused creditors and investors to panic, which turned the sub-prime loan mess into a financial catastrophe -- a mistake that must not occur again. So, by this view, the government must do everything and anything to keep Citi alive. But GM? GM is just ... jobs and communities.

The Street's view of the world is fundamentally flawed. Banks are important to the economy because they're financial "intermediaries." They connect savers with investors and borrowers. This is a vital function, but there's nothing magical about it. At any given time the world contains a vast pool of money that can be put to all sorts of uses. Financial intermediaries simply link the pool to the uses.

March of the Compacts by E.Peoples

I don't think there are too many people who dispute that the looming Carpocalypse is driven in large measure by startlingly inappropriate vehicles that have been advanced by The Big Three over the last few decades. And while foreign automakers are in better shape right now because they don't have the same health care or pension load, shots of port authorities turned parking lot and diminished sales worldwide say that they may be next off the cliff.

Former Secretary of Transportation and Michigan Senator Spencer Abraham says that For Detroit, Chapter 11 would be the Final Chapter:

Just as financial institutions depend on the confidence of those with whom they do business (as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers discovered), automakers depend on the confidence of car buyers. To purchase a car is to make a multiyear commitment: the buyer must have confidence that the manufacturer will survive to provide parts and service under warranty. With a declaration of bankruptcy, that confidence evaporates. Eighty percent of consumers would not even consider buying a car or truck from a bankrupt manufacturer, one recent survey indicates.

One thing is clear: at a time that requires decisiveness, there's precious little to be found.

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Tom's Vision by G0Da

From the Pistons changing point guards and changing Tayshaun Prince to "point forward" to a Presidential campaign in which change was the overwhelming theme, "change" has been very much in the air of late.

One part of Michigan that is certain to see change is the auto industry. The Globe & Mail notes that it was no accident that Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was positioned to appear in photos at President-elect Obama's first press conference (links are ours):

Granholm was there to send a message, the message being that Obama knows he owes Michigan and the payoff is coming. Fast. Just in case anyone missed the visuals on Friday, Obama and the Democrats went to work on the weekend, too.

Obama's incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, called the Detroit auto companies “essential” to the U.S. economy in interviews Sunday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Democrats, of course) sent a letter Saturday to President Bush, calling on him to release some of U.S. Government's $700 billion in aid paid to help the auto companies, too.

I Said Don't You Want to go for a Drive by chinkon

While it sounds as if Obama is going to create an "auto czar" and there is definitely a strong case for bailout, there are those who wonder if an auto industry bailout is a wise move. Tom "The World is Flat but my book sales are rising" Friedman spends most of his editorial How to Fix a Flat burying Michigan's politicians and auto industry leaders before tepidly endorsing some form of government takeover of the industry coupled with forced innovation. Other voices are calling for unplugging the car companies and letting them fail - something that will be pretty hard to do in the wake of the financial bailout and as GM mobilizes a half million current and former employees. What do you think? Post it below!

While it's unclear exactly what the right road to take with the car companies, the Associated Press reports that a new study by the Alliance for the Great Lakes finds that the only way to keep invasive species like the eat-everything-in-its-path Asian carp (now within 50 miles of Lake Michigan) out of the Great Lakes is to eliminate the engineered connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watersheds.

...now if we could just get the Lions to change.

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While the Tigers and everyone in baseball has gone fishing, Sam over at Roar of the Tigers is bringing the awesome with her Roar of the Tigers comic. The latest edition Introduces a new hero and wins the "best quote ever" award for "Smells like Ohio". Seriously, if you are a moneybags-toting comic book publisher, please sign her to a contract now! She's also a touch nervous about trade rumors flying over the curly locks of Magglio Ordonez.

As Phil Power points out in his latest column, it's going to take much more than a few bags of money to fix what ails Michigan. He advocates a number of very sensible things that we can do including electing Dave Bing mayor of Detroit, focusing on entrepreneurs and the services they need (venture capital, skilled management, high tech research, educated workers) and investing in education:

Michigan has been leading the nation in slashing state support for universities, while Michigan's families are struggling to pay the tuition increases imposed to make up the difference. This is a foolish, strange and tragic disconnect between what we need - more and better college grads - and what we don't want - bigger and more expensive prisons.

Right now, by not investing in our schools, we are making it very likely that we will end up with even more prisoners.

autumn vines by zakzorah

Sandra Silfven says It's October madness at Michigan wineries and encourages folks to get out and check out the action at wineries across the state. Though most white wines grapes have been picked, many reds are left hanging into early November. She lets you know what you'll see at wineries in vineyard, cellar and tasting room and you'll want to check out the great photos from the harvest!

A couple of new links that caught our eye are The Fair Food Festival (Nov 8-16 in Kalamazoo), the Cedar Street Cafe & Coffeehouse in Manistique and eco-Wheelz electric bikes and scooters in Plymouth.

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Bat by reddeviltj

In Michigan bats - featuring the Iron Mountain Bat Mine, Edward Vielmetti introduces us to the Millie Mine, a critical hibernating and breeding location for up to 50,000 bats - one of the largest known concentrations of bats in the Midwest. He writes that the little brown bat is especially abundant throughout Michigan and is the most seen species. Bats are of course very beneficial due to their propensity for bug eating, but we can't blame folks for being a little wary. Click through to Edward's blog for more about bats and learn much more about bats including how to build a bat house from The Bat Zone at the Cranbrook Institute of Science.

On the last Wednesday of every month, Absolute Michigan has a "Weird Wednesday" - a celebration of the scary and the strange in Michigan. The woman who inspired us and who provides most of the content is Linda S. Godfrey, author of one of the best Michigan books ever: Weird Michigan. She's joined with Michigander Linda Shiel for a new book Strange Michigan: More Wolverine Weirdness - click that link for info on the book and upcoming signings!

High Ground by Ross Sandelius

Probably the scariest thing we have for you today is news that investor Kirk Kerkorian is starting to sell his $1 billion stake in Ford Motor Company. David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor observes "It's reaching a point where we'll have to decide if we're willing to let the U.S. auto industry fail. It depends on the urgency that the government feels to save these companies." With a total employment of 200,000, a web of many more businesses that they feed and retirment committments to over a million Americans, you have to wonder how the government could not come to their rescue. Still, there are limits to what the US will be able to spend on our economic woes.

That's a tough note to end on, so instead, how about we remind you of our massive Michigan Haunted Houses, Mazes & Attractions page that features all kinds of haunted houses, corn mazes and scary attractions from all across Michigan.

Have something spooky to share? Post it in the comments!

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The summit is sponsored by The Utopia Foundation, the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and Northwestern Michigan College. It's designed to provide for-profit and non-profit business leaders, managers and social entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn practical methods of turning good ideas and intentions into solutions that support corporate values and address global economic, social and environmental challenges in our communities and around the world.

CLASS will lead off with Chris Laszlo, Ph.D, whose topic is "Sustainable Value: How the World's Leading Companies Are Doing Well by Doing Good!" Other presenters include author James C. Hunter, Chandran Nair, CEO of Global Institute for Tomorrow, Matthew Neagle (the Community Affairs Lead at Google) and Evan Thomas, NASA Aerospace Engineer and founder of the Engineers Without Borders - Johnson Space Center chapter.

Utopia Foundation Chairman Paul Sutherland says "We believe the first annual Utopia Foundation CLASS will set the stage for decades of profitable and humanitarian collaboration, investment ideas, opportunities and charitable activities. This seminar will be profitable for corporate and social leaders who want to ensure that they have their fingers on the pulse of opportunities that yield both profit and humanitarian good."

About our Sponsor Callouts

The work we do on Absolute Michigan is supported by our sponsors, and we like to highlight what they are doing when we can. We hope you'll check out what they have to offer and patronize them when you can. If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, please email absolutemichigan@gmail.com!

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Rain or Shine (since 1922) by paulh192

Welcome to a special Monday evening edition of The Week on Absolute Michigan.

While the stock market falls, folks on Mackinac Island are getting ready for the Festival of the Falling Leaves Moon (Sep 18-20) which celebrates the time of year when the trees were told to stay awake for seven days and seven nights and only the cedar, pine and spruce obeyed. You can probably guess the punishment.

Perhaps in celebration of a certain Maize & Blue team's loss to a certain golden-helmeted gang, Kalamazoo holds the 2008 Irish Fest (Sep 20).

Other events on tap for the weekend include Oktoberfest in Frankenmuth (Sep 18-21), Old Town Blues Fest in Lansing (Sep 19-20), the Grand Haven Salmon Festival (Sep 19-21), the Harvest Stompede Vineyard Run & Walk in Leelanau (Sep 20-21), Autumn Harvest Festival in Negaunee, and the Copper Country Color Bike Tour in Houghton (Sep 20). the Southwest Michigan Community Harvest Fest in Scotts (Sep 21), Michigan's Center For The Photographic Arts Fall Focus Festival at Grass Lake (Sep 20-21) and the Helluva Rodeo in Hell.

Feeling the burn? The State of Michigan gets into Eventapalooza Harvest Festival at Leelanau State Park (Sep 20) and an Evening at an 1896 Logging Camp at Hartwick Pines near Grayling (Sep 20) and Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne kicks off the Halloween season with History, Mystery & Haunting.

Got something to say? Post it below. Going to start a new event? Maybe think about another weekend!

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The Promise Starts Here by Ed Roth

Quite simply, The Kalamazoo Promise is a scholarship offered to every Kalamazoo Public School student. Depending on the time in the district and income level of the family, students may earn up to 100% tuition at any public State of Michigan university or community college.

You can get an update on how the Kalamazoo Promise is working you can check out 'Promise' helping hurting Michigan economy from USA Today. They also have another article about how the Kalamazoo Promise has spawned other free college programs across the country. One of these programs is located in the village of Northport, Michigan: The Northport Promise.

If you want to really geek out on how the program is impacting Kalamazoo, click over to The Upjohn Institute's Kalamazoo Promise page with research and articles that explore the impact of the Promise. You can get a great historical picture of the program from the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Below you can watch an episode from Katie Couric's The American Spirit on the Kalamazoo Promise. The episode (from February 2007) refers to a plan to create a "Michigan Promise". State Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) discusses Michigan Promise legislation currently being considered in this editorial.

What can (and should) we in Michigan do to help students prepare for the challenges of the 21st century in this era of spiraling education costs? Let us know in the comments!

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Blue and Green Checkerboard by Tim Stone

I think that we're all well aware that the Economy Is Not Good and that Gas Prices Are Really, Really High. While the constant drumbeat of bad news may well make us afraid to go anywhere or do much of anything, but is that really how life should be lived?

Food prices are skyrocketing, but have you checked out your local farmers market and local food section at the grocery store? As fuel prices rise, that Michigan strawberry becomes a better deal than the one that hitchhiked in from California, and while this may not be the year for that cross-country drive you've been planning, there's a hundred things to do within a hundred miles from your back door.

Studies show that spending a dollar at a locally owned business returns 80 cents to the community, that in-state travel by Michiganders is a potent economic driver, and that local food can be every bit as good for the environment as organic. I don't know if there are studies about vacations and health, but I do know that your vacation won't take itself!

So stay tuned all month (and all summer) as we try and shake things up a little with articles, video and other features designed to help you get local!

Some Get Local! Features...

• Michigan Farmer's Market Map

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