Comments on: The Good News for Lansing http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/ Home of Noel Heikkinen's thoughts, audio, photos, video, etc. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:59:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Maisey http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179567 Maisey Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:02:39 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179567 Being a GM Family, I hate it. They have cut our insurance so bad and everything. In a way I just wish they would go belly up so we can move on with our lives and stop waiting, waiting and waitng to see what happens. Lets get over this and move on already. Being a GM Family, I hate it. They have cut our insurance so bad and everything. In a way I just wish they would go belly up so we can move on with our lives and stop waiting, waiting and waitng to see what happens. Lets get over this and move on already.

]]> By: Noel http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179566 Noel Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:15:49 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179566 Good stuff, everyone. Your thoughts are going to help with my post. Keep 'em coming. Good stuff, everyone. Your thoughts are going to help with my post.

Keep ‘em coming.

]]> By: John http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179565 John Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:07:46 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179565 I think that there are alot of great small companies with tons of people that are working hard, and doin their part to stay in business, and keep the lights on, and food on the table at home. The problem around lansing is just like mentioned above that people see things as being so down, so negative and so depressing that they can easily overlook the fact that this cracked out community is awesome in some ways. CNBC.com said that Lansing/East lansing was one of the most affordable 'metro areas' to live in the country! Go Lansing! We have giant staples (which are much less prone to crumble under a recession than most) like this little thing called MSU, or how about the sparrow hospital network. People always need to learn, and people always get sick. With GM being lansing's left lung though, people see nothing other than the fact that the town is running and wheezing with a hole in it. If we can get away from our so called 'dependency' on GM suddenly I think that everyone that isn't a former GM worker stuck scrambling for a new career will realize they are still working, and then we can start to put new developments over the old, and gradually reshape the city, bringing new revenue, and new hope to the people of the city, which will then hopefully build some momentum in a positive direction for once. I think that there are alot of great small companies with tons of people that are working hard, and doin their part to stay in business, and keep the lights on, and food on the table at home. The problem around lansing is just like mentioned above that people see things as being so down, so negative and so depressing that they can easily overlook the fact that this cracked out community is awesome in some ways. CNBC.com said that Lansing/East lansing was one of the most affordable ‘metro areas’ to live in the country! Go Lansing! We have giant staples (which are much less prone to crumble under a recession than most) like this little thing called MSU, or how about the sparrow hospital network. People always need to learn, and people always get sick.

With GM being lansing’s left lung though, people see nothing other than the fact that the town is running and wheezing with a hole in it. If we can get away from our so called ‘dependency’ on GM suddenly I think that everyone that isn’t a former GM worker stuck scrambling for a new career will realize they are still working, and then we can start to put new developments over the old, and gradually reshape the city, bringing new revenue, and new hope to the people of the city, which will then hopefully build some momentum in a positive direction for once.

]]> By: Brad http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179564 Brad Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:25:58 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179564 My friend Jeremy is pursing a Ph.D. at Harvard in urban sociology, and his most recent work focuses on Detroit. Not exactly Lansing, but maybe he could provide some insights. You can contact him here: http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/gs/Levine_Jeremy/. My friend Jeremy is pursing a Ph.D. at Harvard in urban sociology, and his most recent work focuses on Detroit. Not exactly Lansing, but maybe he could provide some insights. You can contact him here: http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/gs/Levine_Jeremy/.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179563 Sarah Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:28:00 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179563 I have noticed that in these tough times people don't see how much they need the Good News! They see what THEY have done to overcome and get by during this time instead of seeing what God has done for them through them. It makes me sad to see people praying for help and when God comes through they don't see His hand in it at all. The need I see is to help those around us to see God's hand in all the good, bad and ugly and how He has a plan no matter what. I have noticed that in these tough times people don’t see how much they need the Good News! They see what THEY have done to overcome and get by during this time instead of seeing what God has done for them through them.
It makes me sad to see people praying for help and when God comes through they don’t see His hand in it at all.
The need I see is to help those around us to see God’s hand in all the good, bad and ugly and how He has a plan no matter what.

]]> By: Kris http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179562 Kris Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:45:27 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179562 Lansing is in a place of desperation and this causes people to act differently. I see Lansing at higher risk of crimes due to this situation. The community must pull together in these tough times and not turn against one another. Lansing is in a place of desperation and this causes people to act differently. I see Lansing at higher risk of crimes due to this situation. The community must pull together in these tough times and not turn against one another.

]]> By: Sean http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179558 Sean Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:07:45 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179558 1) We have to resist the idea of going back the way things were. Michigan shouldn't look to manufacturing as the only hope. 2) At the risk of sounding like Albert Markovski from I 3> Huckabees: "Save the Open Spaces!". There has to be some way to make it financially viable for developers (residential, commercial, whatever) to go into old run down areas (Detroit, for example) and RE-develop those areas. Tear down old buildings and build new ones, revamp them, do whatever. Instead of constantly spreading outward and abandoning areas to decay. Detroit reminds me, in a couple of ways, of CS Lewis' description of Hell in the Great Divorce. - sean 1) We have to resist the idea of going back the way things were. Michigan shouldn’t look to manufacturing as the only hope.

2) At the risk of sounding like Albert Markovski from I 3> Huckabees: “Save the Open Spaces!”. There has to be some way to make it financially viable for developers (residential, commercial, whatever) to go into old run down areas (Detroit, for example) and RE-develop those areas. Tear down old buildings and build new ones, revamp them, do whatever. Instead of constantly spreading outward and abandoning areas to decay.

Detroit reminds me, in a couple of ways, of CS Lewis’ description of Hell in the Great Divorce.

- sean

]]> By: Lisa http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/comment-page-1/#comment-179556 Lisa Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:20:24 +0000 http://www.noelheikkinen.com/2009/04/15/the-good-news-for-lansing/#comment-179556 The big things that come to mind are the lack of jobs and, relatedly, the outmigration of college grads. These factors, among others, lead to a general resignation and a lack of hope here, like the state's future is slowly but surely being destroyed. The big things that come to mind are the lack of jobs and, relatedly, the outmigration of college grads. These factors, among others, lead to a general resignation and a lack of hope here, like the state’s future is slowly but surely being destroyed.

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