Fleeing Michigan

By Doug Powers

It’s about time my state got some recognition! Once again, we’re number one… on the list of states that people are fleeing:

Michigan saw the nation’s most outbound migration in 2008, with 67.1 percent of interstate moves heading out, according to a migration study released Wednesday.

It marked the third straight year that Michigan, hard hit by the economy and layoffs in the auto industry, has seen the highest percentage of outbound migration.

United Van Lines has been tracking this data since 1977, and it would appear that before too long, Michigan’s largest employer will be United Van Lines — so it’s not all bad news.

Is it any wonder that Michigan's Governor Granholm, who is one of the architects of an economy so bad that Detroit’s honorary economic sister-city of Bangladesh has disowned them, is on Obama’s Economic Advisory Board?

Granholm is also reportedly under consideration for a position as Commerce Secretary (that makes the most sense until they create a “Secretary of What Not to Do”).

In a political atmosphere where where the problem of government over-spending is being “solved” by increasing government spending, nothing is surprising anymore. On the plus side, if Granholm has Obama’s ear for the next few years, Michigan won’t be number one in outbound move rate, but instead tied with 49 other states who will be equally as lousy.

Once the genius behind Michigan’s economy is taken national, there will be nowhere more desirable to flee to, so nobody will move. At that point, United Van Lines will request and receive a huge bailout.