Detroit still shows wishful thinking
A commentary for The New Republic reports that a gathering of 140 economists, researchers and others from Michigan and Ohio shows that Detroit still clings unrealistically to the auto industry as a financial savior.
"Despite all the gloom and doom, there was still a bit of wishful thinking in the air. ... Half the brain is still rooting for another comeback, hitting the end of the bungee cord and industry freefall. The other half of the brain is realizing that, finally, maybe the years of talk of 'diversification,' embracing new sectors and riding new economic ponies, is not only necessary, it may have already arrived as a fait accompli."
The author is John Austin, a researcher for the Brookings Institution and the vice chairman of the Michigan State Board of Education.
The lesson that Austin takes from this session with Michigan and Ohio government, business and nonprofit leaders is that it is awfully hard to encourage education and lifelong learning in communities that got used to good incomes with a high school education.
