Susan J. Demas: Has Michigan bounced back?

Detroit rapper Big Sean performs during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, Mich. on April 25, 2024. (Yes, the headline was a reference).| Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance

There’s something happening in Michigan right now and it feels kind of like … optimism?

You could see the energy pulsing through the Motor City as the Detroit Lions stole everyone’s hearts in this year’s playoffs (and then broke them, but we don’t talk about that). And since Thursday, there’s been a sea of Honolulu Blue in the streets for the NFL draft, with the city shattering the all-time attendance record.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (who had once aspired to be a sports reporter) appeared to be having the time of her life, talking up Michigan to the media, posting earnest and slightly goofy videos and even donning buffs.

It’s a made-for-TV comeback story for a city that went through the largest municipal bankruptcy a little more than a decade ago. And as we all know, as Detroit goes, so goes Michigan.

But I don’t think it’s just hype — or the fact that everyone loves football (except Donald Trump, as the Biden campaign claims in a snarky ad coinciding with the draft in a key swing state).

When I moved to Michigan 20 years ago in the middle of the decade-long recession (because my timing is impeccable), I got the usual racist warnings not to go to Detroit. There was no sugarcoating that the entire state was hurting — we were bleeding auto industry jobs and beloved institutions like the Belle Isle Aquarium in Detroit were shuttered.

In one of my first columns, I compared the dismal state of public transit there to that of my hometown of Chicago — which has its own shortcomings, to be sure. But I recall an editor asking me to cut some of my copy lauding the Windy City because Michiganders would be “jealous.”

Over the years, I’ve also seen a lot of knee-jerk boosterism of Detroit, like a parade of economic development projects and the 2006 Super Bowl that were supposed to save the city … until they didn’t.

It goes without saying that things aren’t perfect today. The Renaissance Center faces an uncertain future with GM set to move out, residents want more attention focused on rebuilding neighborhoods and little progress has been made to link transit in Southeast Michigan. Detroit is still losing population and Michigan is treading water (hence Whitmer appointing a commission last year to tackle the issue).

But the bottom line is that a lot more people want to be in Detroit now. The city has always had world-class museums, like the Detroit Institute of Arts and the best bookstore in America, John K. King Books, where you can easily spend an entire day wandering about (and you definitely should). But there’s a new crop of local businesses, restaurants and venues that draw in people even when the NFL draft isn’t in town.

And it’s not just our largest city. Michigan’s economy is thriving, like the nation’s, having defied all expectations since it was ravaged by sky-high unemployment at the start of the COVID pandemic. The state unemployment rate is below 4% and economists say we’re on track for continued economic growth without a recession.

Gone are the days of big budget deficits, followed by rounds of cuts to schools, state parks and local governments. When Michigan’s surplus hit an unheard-of $9.2 billion last year, I tried to explain to some newer reporters how jaw-dropping that was after covering two partial government shutdowns in 2007 and 2009. (I probably just sounded like their great-grandma spinning a yarn about the Great Depression).

Much has been made about the “vibecession,” where it just “feels” like the economy is doing far worse than it is. And I’m sure that for Republicans, it feels pretty depressing to have Democrats in charge of every branch of state government.

Indeed, under former Chair Kristina Karamo, the Michigan Republican Party website used to greet visitors with this cheery message: “On this current path, Michigan will become the global headquarters for communist influence and power, and drive Michigan into a deeper depression.”

But facts, as they say, don’t care about your feelings. And it sure is interesting that Michigan’s economy is doing better with Whitmer than it did under her predecessor, Republican Rick Snyder, a former CEO who dubbed himself “One Tough Nerd” and was supposed to turn the state around.

But it is an election year and Republicans are itching to take back the Michigan House so they can have some veto power over Whitmer’s agenda (the state Senate and executive offices aren’t on the ballot until 2026). Most of the GOP messaging has just been mirroring Trump’s diatribes on immigration, but a couple weeks ago, leaders did release an economic plan.

So what was in it? Republicans want to bring back Right to Work, roll back regulations and slightly cut the income tax. In other words, it’s just a return to Snyder-era policies which were meh at best.

Look, unless you’re the type of person who convulses with rage every time a leather-jacket-clad Whitmer posts on Tiktok, it’s hard to deny that Michigan feels a little bit brighter and lighter these days. Why would we want to go backward?

The Spirit of Detroit is adorned with a jersey for the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, Mich. on April 25, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)

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