"How to Save the Industrial Heartland"

Interesting story on Forbes here about how to save the industrial heartland, in specific: Michigan.

"So instead of believing in reincarnation or finding some miraculous cure, Kitchens believes places must rely on exploiting their historic advantages. In the case of Michigan, those are assets like a powerful engineering tradition and a hard-working and skilled workforce that can be harnessed in fields outside the auto industry."



This article makes a lot of salient points, especially about tapping into the rich engineering talent in Michigan. In the face of panic and despair, quick fixes such as a "cool cities" initiative may seem like an apropos solution, but this is not a recipe for long term success.

Michigan needs to invest in businesses that use the talent of the people that are both displaced by the auto industry collapse and that come out of the many great universities in Michigan.

We will see whether or not a green energy initiative is a smart bet (the author thinks not), but at least it's a bet.