Job growth in Michigan is non-existant. We need to relook at the Free Trade agreements and place higher tarrifs on imported goods and automobiles so that the American manufacturers can compete on an even playing field.

Ah, the old "the government should enact all sorts of distorting legislation” problem solver.

I think MI should instead look in the mirror and ponder why it elected a complete nimrod as their current governor - TWICE!

There’s your problem, jackass…

Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee see the problem and it is going to spill into other sectors of the economy while oil and metals and favorite tech is soaring in the market. Real Estate and other sectors are not doing good. Michigan is not diverse. When auto manufacturing gets pounded the State suffers. The governor's high taxes may not be helping attract new business, but it is not the root of the problem. The root is, there is no FREE TRADE with Communist countries using slave labor and manipulating currency. A good example would be, Can we send our oil companies out to buy reserves in Iran or from chavez. No they are state run. While it is spreading freedom and better to trade cars or t.v's ect.. Than to be at war with these countries. You can't keep cutting workers jobs and wages here. George Bush mailing out that $300 tax refund check was a great start. Then came the War. But Bush allowed tariffs on cheap steel that the Russian and Japs were dumping off, and on Brazilian Ethanol so to say tariffs are to protectionist and there is no place for them is true ??? Making sure your fellow countrymen have job is much more important spreading capitalism to the third world countries.

GDP growth in the 3rd quarter was 3.9 percent, 50 consecutive months of job and employment growth, an historical record, 4.7 percent unemployment rate, record tax revenue, low taxes, cheaper prescription drugs for seniors, home ownership for minorities at an all time high, crime at a 30 year low, over 6 years without another attack, 50 million freed with hope for all future generations, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan allies with the United States. God bless you President George W. Bush, the greatest president in american history.

artelb, or.... you could lower taxes, change labor laws, and build better cars.

But the low dollar will help. Or at least it should. Problem is the Japanese have built plants in other states that are better than yours and use American labor.

Kahn,

You live in the U.S.A. If u outsource everything to the Chicoms. They have won the Economic war whose side are you on?

Kahn I argue with my self trying to find a real answer and not just empty rhetoric. Didn't mean to take a stab at you. What your saying is true. Georgetown kentucky toyota plant almost as American made as Ford, Gm. You know how the Fed Chairman Ben Bernake steers the market with rate cuts or raises. Tariffs and protectionist measures used occasionally would be similar. Excessive use would make the market feel heavily manipulated. I think the DCX taking some of their key officers may help. Jim Press (CEO). Seeing China embrace capitalism is great but they are still under Communist rule and pose a threat like recently hacking into computers, or that tech company recently. You have to look at how many jobs are lost or wages drasticly cut here. When these classic blue chip companies have their workforce spread across the world, What if they all picked up and left the u.s market seeking cheaper labor what makes you think that they won't do a Halliburton and leave the country and headquarter in countries with no taxes or lower taxes. The Blue Chip Companies need incentives to stay here. And Like the Fed chairman helps steer the market. Military pork or tariffs would help the workers with families that need to get feed until the Companies can over come a superior product and kick back at toyota

Free trade isn't meant to create jobs, it's meant to create wealth. The wealth of a country comes from how much it consumes, not how high it's production cost are. Free trade creates a more effecient market, which reduces the need for labor. This is a good thing. Don't be a Luddite.

A job making 100+k a year isn't an entitlement, you need to remain vigilant in your education and watching your job prospects. Why do people think they deserve a domestic monopoly at the expense of everyone else?

James

You are absolutely right about the growth. Had the country been able to let people invest their own social security money in the market. Many would have been able to brag of gains that would have blow pension funds away. IRA and 401k might be prefered to pensions. Look at AAPL, GOOG, RIMM just over the last year. Huge profits.!! I think where Bush's plan got shot down was the funds could only be used in several funds. Which would mean special Interest would be taken to ensure those funds do well. If he would have sold the plan different.And let people really be in control and put it in their own IRA and 401k people would become more interested in the market. I lost lots of money on pinksheets, small caps, options, REIT's recently. You learn thru trial and error. Money does grow on trees if you plant it in the right places and Bush gets credit for a outstanding market.

I know a company needs to constantly trim costs. The State employees set their pensions and benifits at what the Big 3 were paying. And as the big three started trimming the state and teachers Union refused too. What is happening up here in Michigan is that taxes keep getting increased to pay for State workers pensions and benefits but wages keep going down and jobs keep leaving. I might have to move to a real state soon and just take a loss on the house. It seems like a race to the bottom. You never know just like the stock market that can turn around on a dime. The Auto industry may ramp up production of the electric car and take off roaring again. But maybe not. Then Unemployment will grow crime will rise and people will want the Democrats in because they offer welfare programs, lots of police. Road construction work. The Republican Party has to have that Compassionate Conservative element that really does care about people here in America. Or you will be outsourcing votes as well as jobs.

When Toyota, BMW, Honda, and Mercedes decided to build plants in the US why did they not choose Michigan? Its simple, two reasons, unions and taxes, in that order.

Unions once served a purpose. They are responsible for many workplace reforms. However they have ceased to be beneficial to their members. By extroting unreasonable settlements from manufacturers, they have successfully made plants and companies non-competative. They have been the primary reason why companies have relocated to the south and west, and in some cases out of the country.

The average guy is not going to pay a 25% premium just becasue it has a union label.

Labor leaders saw this coming along time ago, so they switched their focus from manufacturing, which can be moved to civil service workers and teachers. Thats why the AFSCME, the NEA, and the AFT are three of the largest and strongest unions. They know their jobs can't be exported. Its also why we can't get school vouchers or education reform. The NEA and the AFT are collectively responsible for the dumbing down of America, the product of which is on daily display here in the form of posts from leftists dim bulbs.

My goal is that Michigan will be painted red with the blood of the DNC donkey in the 2008 elections. I'm just looking for discussion points to promote the GOP other than taxes. It is a far fetched goal. I know, However, Everything I have worked for, the gun collection, my range. Worthless if some freedom hating lib ready to turn gunowners into criminals like in the Clinton years gets into power. With the Hillary only rigged Michigan ballot. (the corporate candidate) I see the GOP with Rudy the other (corporate candidate) and I'm already losing hope of a real and fair election. Clinton will pull out some scandalous material on Rudy at the last minute and win.