Connect with us

Michigan

Michigan voters pessimistic about tariffs, economy, new poll finds

Published

on

Michigan voters pessimistic about tariffs, economy, new poll finds


Most registered voters in Michigan said tariffs imposed by Republican President Donald Trump on products manufactured outside the United States will be bad for the state and have pessimistic views about the current economy, according to poll results released Tuesday by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

The survey was unveiled ahead of the business organization’s annual Mackinac Policy Conference and provided an in-depth look at how residents of an electoral battleground state see a central policy of Trump’s second term after three months in office.

Asked about the tariffs’ potential impact on Michigan, 54% of the 600 participants said the effect would be bad, while 35% said it would be good — a difference of 19 percentage points. Another 11% said there would be no impact or they declined to answer.

Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, said the results showed voters in Michigan clearly understood that tariffs are a tax and will increase the costs of goods.

Advertisement

“There’s a fairly clear understanding that tariffs are not good for Michigan,” Baruah said. “But at least a plurality of Republicans still support President Trump’s tariff policy.”

Overall, 600 registered voters in Michigan participated in the Detroit Regional Chamber’s poll that was conducted April 24-28 by the Lansing-based Glengariff Group, which also does polling for The Detroit News. The margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Most of the participants were contacted via cellphone. About 40% self-identified as Democrats, 39% said they were Republicans, 19% labeled themselves independent and 3% didn’t provide an answer on their party affiliation.

Among the participants, 62% said they believed the economy was weakening or in a recession, while 34% said it was growing.

Advertisement

How voters perceive Trump’s tariffs and their impact on the economy could sway the November 2026 midterm election, in which Michigan voters will select a new governor and a new U.S. senator and fill every seat in the state Legislature.

Trump has contended that the higher tariffs on cars, auto parts and other items will eventually spur companies to bring new factories and jobs to the United States. But many Democrats have argued that Trump’s increased tariffs will interrupt global trade and drive up prices Americans pay on everything from cars to furniture.

The tariffs could have an especially large impact on Michigan, which has an economy that relies heavily on the auto industry and whose neighbor is Canada. Trump levied a 25% tariff on goods manufactured in Canada and additional tariffs on Canadian-made steel and vehicles.

Asked whether they support increased tariffs on products imposed by Trump, 51% of participants said they opposed them, while 43% supported them. The rest didn’t offer an answer.

On whether tariffs had affected them directly yet, 77% said no, while 21% said yes.

Advertisement

Timing of the survey

Because the poll was conducted in late April, it came before Trump and China announced a deal on May 12 to lower their tariffs on each other and before the U.S. stock market rose in early May.

The survey also happened before economists from the University of Michigan predicted on May 16 that increased tariffs would reduce Michigan’s employment growth by 13,000 jobs over the next five years.

In a forecast for state lawmakers, Gabriel Ehrlich and Yinuo Zhang of UM’s Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics said Michigan’s economy will add jobs “at a moderate pace” in the coming years, but the growth will face a negative hit from higher tariffs imposed by Trump.

“We believe the economic momentum was solid coming into this quarter,” Zhang said. “However, we’ll likely see tariffs drag on the economy soon.”

Advertisement

The survey results were released on Tuesday, the first day of the chamber’s annual policy conference on Mackinac Island, where political and business leaders gather to talk about the state’s future.

The new tariffs will loom over the three-day event, which will feature speeches by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Republican former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, who serves as Trump’s ambassador to Canada.

The island gathering comes as Michigan’s unemployment rate has been trending upward for more than a year, a rise that started long before Trump became president in January. Michigan’s jobless rate was 5.5% in April. Among the 50 states, only Nevada at 5.6% had a higher percentage.

However, Nevada’s rate has improved in recent months, while Michigan’s has increased or held steady.

As of April, Michigan had about 162,000 jobs in vehicle or auto parts manufacturing, more than any other state, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Advertisement

During a speech in Macomb County in April, Trump announced he planned to offer “partial tariff rebates” to companies that assemble their cars in the U.S.

“We give them a little bit of time before we slaughter them if they don’t do this,” said Trump, referring to his hope that higher tariffs will lead to manufacturers shifting their operations to the U.S.

During the campaign for president last year, Trump said he believed Michigan would be the “biggest beneficiary” of his plan to place tariffs on goods imported into the United States.

But in February, Whitmer, Michigan’s governor, said Trump’s tariffs will “hurt American autoworkers and consumers, raise prices on cars, groceries and energy for working families and put countless jobs at risk.”

Advertisement

“Because companies pass tariff costs on to the consumers, Trump’s middle-class tax hike will mean Michigan families pay more to heat their homes as they face below freezing temperatures, fill their gas tanks and get affordable housing at a time when inflation is already high,” Whitmer added. “It will harm our auto industry, driving up the cost of cars and slowing production lines.”

A partisan break

The new Detroit Regional Chamber poll showed Michigan voters hold nuanced and sharply divided feelings about tariffs.

Asked about the impact of tariffs on prices, 79% — a clear majority of participants — said the policies imposed by Trump will increase the costs they pay for goods. Only 6% said tariffs would decrease the prices they pay.

However, 48% — a plurality of the participants — said the tariffs would bring more manufacturing jobs to Michigan, 28% said there would be fewer jobs and 15% said there would be no impact. The other 9% said they didn’t know or declined to answer.

The Glengariff Group found that 33% of the poll participants — one out of every three — said tariffs will result in them paying higher costs for goods but also said they supported the tariffs.

Advertisement

There was a significant partisan division on tariffs as well.

Among those registered voters who identified as “strong Republican,” 92% supported Trump’s increased tariffs. Among those who identified as “strong Democratic,” 96% opposed the tariffs.

The poll results showed a much tighter breakdown among independents, with 49% in support and 51% in opposition.

Similarly, on whether the economy is growing or weakening, 64% of the strong Republicans said it was growing, but 17% of the strong Democrats said it was growing.

Richard Czuba, founder of the Glengariff Group, said over the last decade, political affiliation has increasingly dictated how people view the economy and what positions they take in surveys.

Advertisement

“There used to be common things that voters agreed on, and that’s becoming less and less so,” Czuba said. “Because voters are simply not agreeing to the same set of facts or statistics.”

However, the feelings of independents are key to watch, he said.

“What they view of the economy has a big say in which way Michigan goes,” Czuba said.

On where the economy will be in one year, 47% of participants said it will grow. However, 38% said it would be in recession, 3% said about the same place it is now, and 12% said they didn’t know.

The recession response rate represented an increase of 11 percentage points from January, when it was 27%, Czuba noted.

Advertisement

The expectation of a recession had increased from January among Democrats and independents, Czuba said. But there was virtually no expectation of a recession among Republicans.

Similarly, on whether the U.S. should aggressively compete to be a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing, 58% said it should, and 36% said it shouldn’t.

Among the strong Democrats, 70% said the U.S. should aggressively compete in the EV market. But among strong Republicans, 49% — a plurality — said the U.S. should not aggressively compete. About 44% of the strong Republican participants said the U.S. should aggressively compete in the EV market.

cmauger@detroitnews.com



Source link

Advertisement

Michigan

Birmingham police say massive pool party should have been shut down sooner

Published

on

Birmingham police say massive pool party should have been shut down sooner


Police in Birmingham, Michigan, say officers should have shut down a massive pool party in a residential neighborhood sooner last weekend. 

More than 100 people showed up for a party in the 300 block of Westchester Way on June 13, when city officials say a private residential pool was rented out to a third party, violating zoning regulations.

“While officers shut the party down and issued multiple citations, the department acknowledges the party should have been shut down earlier,” said Birmingham police Chief Scott Grewe in a social media post. “Protecting public safety and preserving the quality of life in Birmingham neighborhoods remain top priorities. Should an event require intervention in the future, there will be police supervision to ensure the orderly and safe dispersal of attendees.

Homeowners on Westchester Way told CBS News Detroit that the street was filled with cars and some intoxicated partygoers.

Advertisement

“Women, I don’t even know if they were wearing anything, thong bikinis on top of vehicles, twerking,” said homeowner Brian Homer.

Birmingham police confirmed the individual who rented the backyard over the weekend was a promoter. Police say the homeowner and the person who rented the pool were among those who received citations. 

Residents told CBS News Detroit that the house has been hosting parties for years and that its pool is listed on Swimply for rent.

“This isn’t the first time; this has been ongoing. This is just the first time he got caught,” said a resident who shares a fence with the homeowner who is renting their pool.

During a Birmingham City Commission meeting Monday night, Birmingham Mayor Clinton Baller said that the city had failed in this case. 

Advertisement

Homeowners who spoke with CBS News Detroit said they are concerned about their safety, given that the neighborhood is filled with children.

In April, three men were arrested and later charged in connection with a shooting at a short-term rental in the 1400 block of East Lincoln Street. According to police, a party was advertised at the rental home, and three 18-year-old men drove up to the property, where other teens were gathering, when an argument ultimately led to a shooting. 

Advertisement



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Michigan

Skateboarding legend conquers California, revisits Michigan roots

Published

on

Skateboarding legend conquers California, revisits Michigan roots


play

Warren — Skateboarders flew through the air at Macomb County’s Eckstein Skatepark, launching off concrete ramps as spectators looked on from the surrounding rows of vendor tents.

Punk rock music from a band on the Creative Grind Fest stage echoed across the park as veteran skateboarders — and a legend in the sport — stood alongside the youngest, offering help and encouragement. Among them was 4-year-old Nikky Bukobich, who said the first thing he learned on a skateboard was “to fall.”

Advertisement

Bill Danforth, a Grosse Pointe South High School graduate, surveyed the scene. With buzzed silver hair, limited edition Danforth Vans sneakers and a white T-shirt, the 60-year-old skateboarding trailblazer talked with fans and signed boards.

“Young skateboarders are the future of the sport, and will be able to carry it on long after we are not,” Danforth told The Detroit News. “You’re never done with skateboarding. But after we slow down, they got to keep that tradition going.”

Danforth returned to Metro Detroit last weekend as one of the newest inductees into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, making appearances at Royal Oak’s Modern Skate & Surf — which Danforth credits with keeping skateboarding alive in Michigan — and Warren’s Creative Grind Fest. As the skateboarding industry continues to grow, Danforth’s induction offers a look back at the figures who helped shape the sport’s early years.

Advertisement

Grosse Pointe meets California

Danforth was drawn to skateboarding as a Grosse Pointe youth when he realized it allowed him to express his creativity like no other sport did.  

“I played organized sports when I was a kid. I played hockey, I played baseball, I played golf,” he said. “Skateboarding was unique, and it had no rules. We created our own groove.” 

Danforth started skating wherever he could: “Most of it was at schoolyards or loading docks. This is before we were even building ramps.”

Then, in 1978, Detroit’s Endless Summer Skatepark opened in Roseville and Danforth began competing through the Great Lakes Skateboarding Association. These competitions drew attention to Danforth and other Midwest skaters from some of the largest industry groups on the West Coast, earning Danforth a sponsorship from Madrid Skateboards. 

Advertisement

“We started getting recognized by California,” Danforth said. “All of a sudden we were sponsored by California companies — we’re getting free skateboards, we’re getting free wheels and we’re getting free components.” 

‘Style is faster, more charged’

Art director and brand manager for Madrid Skateboards, Eagle Barber, said that Danforth stood out from others in the way he skated.  

“His style is faster, it’s more charged. He was never an apprehensive, laid-back skater,” Barber said. “He was always going faster and bigger, and he had a very certain air of intimidation about him.”  

Michigan professional skateboarder Garold Vallie, a close friend, added that Danforth was known for skating anything and everything.

“He could skate big halfpipes, but he could skate street,” Vallie said. “He could skate anything. He had his own style, and people gravitated towards that.”

Advertisement

Jerry Shirts, a skater and artist selling his spraypainted road signs at the festival, had often been inspired by Danforth’s tricks on the board, he said: “He was a big influence on me when I first started skating. I had seen him in the mags and such, and then realized he was from Michigan, so he was my favorite local skater. I copied all his tricks.”

Danforth was also unique simply for being a Michiganian. Todd Huber, founder and CEO of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, said Danforth emerged from a region rarely associated with professional skateboarding. 

“He wasn’t from California, and California kind of got the spotlight. He was from Detroit, no spotlight was on him,” Huber said. “He was cut from a different cloth, and he did things differently.” 

Growing up in Michigan forced skaters like Danforth to be resourceful: “We had to fight a lot of issues just to be a skateboarder in Michigan. Nothing was given to us; we earned it out of our own blood, sweat and tears. We were skateboarders without attitudes in the Midwest. California was a bunch of attitudes with skateboards.” 

‘The American Nomad’

The same determination that helped Danforth break into the sport also took him far beyond Michigan. Danforth flew, drove and hitchhiked across the world, skating any terrain he could find and earning him the nickname “The American Nomad.”

Advertisement

His journeys included a trip to Tahiti in the 1980s. Intended as a skateboarding clinic and demonstration tour, the trip turned into what Danforth called an unexpected adventure when political unrest erupted on the island. Danforth evacuated before continuing his travels through New Zealand and Australia.

Stories like these helped make him one of skateboarding’s most recognizable figures during the 1980s. 

“He had the number one-selling board in the United Kingdom. He had one of the number one-selling boards in America,” said George Leichtweis, founder of Royal Oak’s Modern Skate & Surf. “And he would go anywhere with anybody in skating, and that’s a level of respect to the core of skateboarding.” 

Memorabilia, renewed demand

Today, one of Danforth’s signature boards is part of the Smithsonian’s collection, alongside a copy of “Street Survival,” an instructional VHS video starring Danforth that helped teach a generation of skateboarders. 

“He was definitely a really influential skater of the ’80s,” said Jane Rogers, a curator with the Smithsonian. “His board had a lot of cool elements — the graphic and the way the board was shaped. The circle of skulls definitely represents that time.”  

Advertisement

Madrid Skateboards recently reissued several of his signature boards as part of a limited-edition collection. Only 200 of each design were produced, and the company said Danforth’s boards were the strongest sellers in its Gold Reissue Series.

Danforth has his own board company, American Nomad, where boards cost upwards of $95. Reissues or originals of Danforth’s signature boards can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars, according to industry experts.

Such demand was visible during Creative Grind Fest. There, the Modern Skate & Surf tent reported strong interest in Danforth’s Hall of Fame commemorative deck, selling for $119, and his Madrid Misfit reissue boards, priced at $84.

“A big percentage of people are buying these things for the collectability aspect of it,” Barber said. 

For many collectors, the boards represent more than a piece of equipment, skateboarding industry expert Iain Borden said: To some extent, people are buying back the youth that they had.

Advertisement

“A lot of people in their 40s, 50s, 60s who can’t skate anymore, they’ve got injuries, they’re too heavy, they’re out of practice, but they still have this relationship to skateboarding that’s been a central part of their life. Board collecting is a way of keeping up that relationship.”

‘People can relate to Bill’

Danforth’s influence isn’t measured solely by the value of his memorabilia. Those who know him often point to his impact off the board as his most lasting contribution.

Danforth has spent decades mentoring younger skaters and supporting Native American skateboarding programs and Michigan skateparks, saying it is important to “share our knowledge with everybody”.

“People love Bill because people can relate to Bill,” said Creative Grind Fest organizer Bridget Harrington Renteria. “He’s great with kids, and he’ll talk to anybody. He’s got time for everybody.”

Among those eager to meet Danforth was 9-year-old Junior Wilie, whose admiration for the skateboarding pioneer was evident. With a photo of Danforth hanging on his bedroom wall, Wilie was excited to get his skateboard signed by him and other Michigan professionals. Wilie toted his skateboard around the park, darting in and out of vendor tents with his parents to find the perfect items.

Advertisement

Wilie wasn’t the only one eager to attend. Miguel Lynn rode his skateboard down into the concrete bowl before accelerating back up and over the rim. Lynn, who has been skateboarding for more than 20 years, said he was excited to learn Danforth would be attending the festival.

“He’s awesome. I look up to that guy,” Lynn said. “He’s been skating for so long, being that old, being able to skate, it’s amazing.”

Vallie was among the skateboarders mentored by Danforth. What began with drawing pictures of Danforth in class as a child eventually led to years of skateboarding and traveling alongside him.

“I think the term legend gets thrown around too much,” Vallie said. “But I do think he embodies every part of what that word encompasses — not only from his skateboarding accomplishments, but bringing skateboarding back to Michigan and helping kids.” 

atisch@detroitnews.com

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Michigan

Detroit Bar Misses James Beard Award, Leaving MI Without Any Winners

Published

on

Detroit Bar Misses James Beard Award, Leaving MI Without Any Winners


Chartreuse Kitchen and Cocktails is best known for its farm-to-table American cuisine. It has earned numerous accolades, including Yelp’s No. 1 Detroit restaurant in 2017 and 2018.

Freya, known for its prix fixe tasting menus typically served with wine, has also earned high praise, including a spot in the New York Times’ most exciting restaurants list.

The 20 chefs will headline events in their hometowns as part of the foundation’s Taste America culinary tour, which begins Sept. 16 in New Orleans and continues in cities across the country through March 2027.

The foundation said the chefs were selected not only for culinary talent but also for their work beyond the kitchen, including efforts such as supporting sustainable agriculture, investing in restaurant teams, elevating quality ingredients and advocating for a stronger food system.

Advertisement

Chefs in Houston, New York, Detroit, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles and New Orleans are among the 20 to watch.





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending