The percentage is astonishing, yet we all knew it: manufacturing jobs
down by 20.5% in Flint Michigan from August, 2007 to August, 2008.
Michael Moore, a hero of mine, lived there. "Roger and me" 1989 showed how G.M. gave up on its steady workers from Flint, and made it a "ghost town."
He has now become world-famous and in his efforts to show how Flint fared in the last 19 years, showed us that not only Flint had suffered, but that everyone suffered under George W. Bush. See "Fahrenheit 911" if you can.
In July, 2008, unemployment in Flint was at 24.8%.
That's right, pretty much 25% unemployment.
This number is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which I am imagining is not
full of Bush-loving Republicans. At least they seem to publish just
the straight Statistics.
http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.mi_flint_msa.htm#eag_mi_flint_msa.f.P
I am on my way back to the D.C. area tomorrow to start back with classes and my Online mid-term. I just presented at Ann Arbor, Michigan. The type of people who are at similar hotels here in the Washington, D.C. area, to the one I stayed in, in Ann Arbor, are frequently not born in the U.S., don't have excellent English,
and have not one clue about autism. But in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Sheraton was staffed with well-educated people who spoke beautiful English and were directly on point with the needs of persons who have autism. I have a feeling that the unemployment in Michigan allowed the manager of the Sheraton to have persons of the highest quality. I did not ask, but I'd bet some were from U. Michigan and some from Ypsilanti, from Eastern Michigan University. Even in educated Ann Arbor, the July, 2008, unemployment rate was 13.0%. It was anticipated that it would go down a bit for September, to 11.8%, perhaps because University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University would be back in session.
My own home town, Arlington, VA, has a an unemployment rate of 4.3%. That's low. But it is not as low as it was in April 2008: 3.8%.
Michigan! Obama's coming. I believe he will bring back jobs to the U.S. instead of having them sent offshore to China or India or other Asian nations.
Michael Moore: Thank you for all your wake-up calls.
Two weeks ago, John McCain pulled his campaign out of Michigan.
This says something pointed and important.
If I may quote a Motown song, that Obama could say, though perhaps not sing, "Hold On! I'm Comin' !" by Sam and Dave, which also
has a line that says, "Lean on Me When Times are Bad." And the
Michiganders can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN4DHY_9gOs
Gallup Poll of October 21st: Obama 52% v. McCain 42%
among "expanded" likely voters.
http://www.gallup.com/Home.aspx
http://www.gallup.com/poll/election2008.aspx
So, Hold On, Michigan! He's Comin' !! On November 4th.
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