Evil Thought...

If Michigan's economy continues to slide into the abyss...and people continue to leave the state to find work elsewhere...will that mean fewer people on trout streams, or in grouse thickets? Not that I'm rooting for greater economic pain and uncertainty, but there could be a silver lining to it. At least for those of us lucky enough to still have work. I doubt I'd entertain these ideas if I thought my own job was in jeopardy.

There hasn't been much news about the atrocious theme park planned for the Grayling area of late. When the state was last holding hearings on the issue last summer, the developers still hadn't been able to secure financing. If they hadn't got it by then, there's little chance they'll find it now. What's been bad for Wall Street has been bad for Main Street, but good for the jackpine flats of Crawford County.

Have I become one of those environmentalists who favors trees and trout over people? I think my humanitarian credentials are still pretty decent, based on where I direct my charitable efforts and dollars, and on the values that drive my professional life. But like all humans I do have a selfish side, and I think it comes out most strongly in relation to outdoor pursuits. I want as much time for them as I can get, and I when I get on the water I want it to myself, or for me and my buddies on the rare occasions I fish with others. I covet trout and open space; others covet homes beyond their means or high returns on dubious investment products. Whose wants have taken more from America's workers, homeowners, businessmen, and retirees?