Metro Detroit-Windsor 2016 Predictions

[Jimaz]

For the record, I have not stated whether I felt Global Warming or Climate Change was real or not....

I gathered that from the selective language in your post #20 but the "screaming" and "BS" terms called for a contrasting calm, honest depiction of reality.

Just as short-term variation does not prove climate change, neither does it disprove climate change. What counts is the long-term change, which is what that graph shows.

[313WX]

I gathered that from the selective language in your post #20 but the "screaming" and "BS" terms called for a contrasting calm, honest depiction of reality.

My use of the words "BS" and "screaming" was toward implied firm connections that are made between extreme weather events and Global Warming or Climate Change [[such as a poster's implication that there is a firm connection between Detroit's warmest December on record and Global Warming or Climate Change), not towards the theory of Global Warming or Climate Change itself.

Just as short-term variation does not

prove climate change, neither does it disprove climate change.

Agreed. See my aforementioned comment.

[emu steve]

Global Thermometer Still Climbing

That's about as clear as it could get. I don't know what's left to argue about. <shrug>

We can quibble over how we discuss the subject including statements that some might make that the data does not 'prove' this point or that. [[that is always a convenient argument. Would someone deny that a similar trend, opposite direction, of Detroit's population is a trend? That is, the data for the last 50 years shows a decided trend in population loss for Detroit.).

However, that graph is compelling in that it has yearly averages for 1 1/4 centuries and has both the global temperatures and carbon dioxide levels both plotted [[the double Y axis graph).

As such one can see year-to-year variability yet the trend is undeniable.

From an explanatory point one can easily correlate the data to increases in world population, industrialization esp. in some countries [[e.g., China, etc.).

[JDKeepsmiling]

So many people have already mentioned many of the things that I would predict. Here are some that I have not seen mentioned much or at all.

1. Someone, probably backed with foreign money [[Hey Carlos Slim), announces a luxury hi-rise condo development Downtown. My guess is the block bounded by Randolph, Bates, Brush and Fort.

2. There is serious talk of a GM/FCA merger, but in the end, Sergio's attitude kills the deal.

3. Kmart is spun off of Sears and sold, at an incredibly low price, to a local Detroiter, who puts the HQ back downtown and start the slow renaissance of building that brand back up.

4. Shovels move on the Hudson block.

5. Detroit City Football Club moves into it's new home in Keyworth Stadium, and near the end of 2016, announces that it is moving into the North American Soccer League in 2017, bringing professional soccer back to Detroit.

6. A Fortune 500 company announces that it is moving it's HQ to Downtown Detroit.

7. Detroit's violent crime rate continues to fall, murders in 2016 end right around 270, or a 10% fall. More importantly to actual Detroiters, lesser crime such as break in's and assaults show an even higher rate of decline.

8. The DPS situation finally starts getting some real attention in 2016, although there is no actual movement on it yet.

9. Trump V. Clinton, with Clinton winning almost every state.

Or

10. Rubio V. Clinton, with Rubio squeaking out a victory.

11. This is the big one....and its timeline extends a little past 2016. As the insurance industry starts assessing buildings based on their potential exposure to rising seas and greater natural disasters, due to long term climate change, companies start looking at the location of their hard assets more closely. Due to its abundant water, relatively mild climate, and low cost of living, the Great Lakes region starts attracting massive investments in hard assets. Factories, data centers, and offices all start popping up all over Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Several high profile companies start to make noise about decamping their headquarters from Miami [[due to rising oceans and the inability to insure assets at a reasonable rate), DFW, Houston and Los Angeles [[heat and water access and insurance rates). The upper Midwest becomes the boom region of the mid 21st century.

[Canadian Visitor]

A few 2016 predictions, most with a Detroit-Windsor bent:

1. Tender will be awarded for Gordie Howe Bridge with a 2017 construction start planned. The tender will come in well above current budget; but will be awarded anyway.

2. Windsor will start construction on its new City Hall.

3. Canada's new federal government will move forward with marijuana legalization and similar liberalization on Assisted-suicide. This will have an impact on Michigan politics and may affect ballot initiatives this year or in 2018.

4. 2016 will be tough year economically more so in Canada than the U.S.; but Detroit and Windsor will out-perform national metrics.

5. The University of Windsor, facing falling domestic enrollment will continue a push for more international [[including U.S. based students). This will include a suite of programs aimed at joint-degrees with bordering U.S. institutions producing people credentialed in both the U.S. and Canada.

6. Windsor will pursue multiple road diets [[shrinking travel lanes of cars in favour of bike lanes and wider sidewalks)

7. Canada will newly invest in VIA rail on both the operating and Capital side; and Amtrak will get some net new investment. Serious planning will begin for enhancing cross-border rail travel in future years, including some Detroit-Toronto rail service, and likely some Chicago -Toronto service via either Detroit or Pt. Huron/Sarnia

8. The Lake-Erie North shore wine region near Windsor will continue to grow with some ambitious plans announced.

9. Detroit and Windsor will work on at least one new joint bid for an international sporting event [[possible World Junior Hockey Championship, World Cup of Hockey, World Fig. skating championship, among others). This will be a marketed as a move towards a much bigger bid in the future such as World Cup of Soccer or an Olympics though either of those are more than a decade out.

10. New contracts btw the BIG 3 and UAW and Unifor [[former CAW); will result some wage growth for the first time in years. New investments will be secured on both sides of the border, though it remains to be seen which communities will actually get the new/expanded plants.

11. Farmers in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario will all face new regulation and/or enforcement activities related to nutrient/fertilizer use in order to reduce algae blooms in Lake Erie.

12. Ongoing extreme weather events including drought and climate extremes will push material new investment in Great Lakes agriculture.

13. The only 'tropical' fruit native to the Great Lakes area 'paw paw fruit' will become the next big foodie thing, and commercial production will ramp up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba

14. Your 2016 NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors

[[on the upside for Detroit, the Red Wings will make the playoffs, sadly the Leafs will not)

[313WX]

Wishful thinking on the Snyder investigation of the Flint watergate situation [[blocked all my spam from Clear Water Action seeing as they don't seem to address that one specifically), 313WX. Than again, saying an "investigation is underway" is the biggest thumb-their-nose way the government is in saying "F.U." to the public.

Well...

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic...m#.VoxvHvkrLIU

[313WX]

Love it!!!

As far as Snyder, don't be surprised if the federal government launches a criminal investigation against him. That's why all of the rats are suddenly jumping ship and "apologizing."

I also fully expect DPS to file for bankruptcy. The teachers will then be fired and either outsourced to Teach For America or replaced completely by Teach For America instructors.

1 for 2 so far.

http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-joins-flin...125309032.html

[MSUguy]

It's that time of year of again. I didn't get much right how'd everyone else do?

[mtburb]

Going back to my original thread starter...

1. Ground is finally broken for the Little Caesar's Headquarters in December.
2. The new arena continues taking shape.
3. Eastland closes.
4. Tigers barely miss out on the playoffs.
5. Pistons barely make it into the playoffs, but crash and burn in the first round.
6. An announcement is made on a mixed-use development on the Monroe Block.
7. Meijer breaks ground on a store on East Jefferson.
8. Construction activity takes place on the Hudson's Block.
9. The street light project is completed.
10. The Lincoln Park Sears announces a closure.

...here's if they actually happened or not this year.

1. Construction is now in progress and has been since August-several months early.
2. In a significant way, even the parking garages are now in place.
3. Never happened, not even a hint of an announcement.
4. I was correct on this one, they finished second in their division behind the eventual AL champions Cleveland Indians, who would later go on to lose the World Series to the Cubs.
5. I was right on this one too, they were swept by the eventual NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers.
6. Another one I got right, this plan even incorporates the first skyscraper in Detroit since the Greektown Hotel Tower.
7. Another one that never happened and never even had an announcement.
8. Again, nothing this year.
9. Incidentally, this just occurred a couple days ago.
10. Once more, didn't happen this year.

Look for the 2017 predictions thread on or just before New Year's Eve.

[313WX]

11. A criminal investigation will be launched against the Snyder administration for the Flint water crisis.

12. DPS will file for bankruptcy.

13. The EAA will be dissolved and returned to DPS.

Well, 1.5 out of 3 isn't as bad as it could be...