Rebuild from the inside


hoffmanmike

The past few years have been a trying period for the United States economy but, according to President Barack Obama, the country is slowly emerging from its slumber.

I’m not buying it.

Living in Michigan has given me a different perspective of how bad things are now. And although the results of a recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey state that 19 percent of Americans now believe the economy is on the upswing, I have yet to see this happen in our state.

For the past several years, Michigan has lurked at or near the bottom of the economic food chain, struggling with double-digit unemployment and a declining auto industry. Unemployment rose from 6 percent in 2002 to 14.1 percent in March 2010, according to the Michigan Labor Market Label Information at milmi.org.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has yet to have the desired impact on the Wolverine State.

But there is one thing all of us can do to help bring Michigan’s economy out of the red.

Buy local.

Aside from automobile manufacturing, much of Michigan’s economy is agricultural, and the state is one of the top producers of several different kinds of fruit such as blueberries, cherries and peaches.

These products and others are almost always available at local grocery stores, and we should make a conscious effort to support local farmers by buying their food as opposed to imported foods from out of state if possible.

Supporting local farmers is a crucial step in helping Michigan join the economic upturn, and though these products might be slightly more expensive, that money goes into the pockets of fellow Michiganders who will most likely spend that money at home.

Local farmers are not the only group of business owners struggling in Michigan. All across the state — and nation — “mom and pop” shops are closing left and right and, during these tough times, we have a responsibility to support local businesses.

Small businesses are crucial to the state and local economy because not only do they put money back into the local economy, they also have employees who will do the same.

Bailouts and stimulus packages alone cannot fix the problem. As residents, we must take it upon ourselves to re-establish Michigan as not only a state with steady, stable economy, but a place that our own college graduates will be able to stay and work.

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