Jason, you call opinion here a complaint. Sounds to me like, because you chose to leave this area, you are the one complaining even though you say you aren't.
I grew up not far from Mio, Mich., and I chose to get out of the bad Michigan weather, economy and politics. I remember many days and nights in the -30 temperature ranges in that area. I still love to go back and visit frequently as most of my family still lives in that area, including my dad. My family has always done well in that area, having been there for five generations now.
I love the Kosciusko County area where we have raised our children. I would never leave this area for the simple reason of the stability of the economy here. I applaud you for wanting to move north to teach, but that was your decision. Do not compare that area to the Warsaw/Kosciusko County area. There is no comparison at all.
Given the fact that we do have an economy here, we should be concerned that prices here are higher than in surrounding communities. This is what some of the discussions you see in the Times-Union are about. I consider these more watchdog than complaint. These are necessary discussions and this why Warsaw is one of the best places to live in the U.S. Here, the major orthopedic companies alone employ directly or indirectly more people than are in all of Oscoda County.
If you want things to be cheaper you need to live where there is a larger population situated on major roads and rails as is Warsaw. Maybe these figures will help you see why there is no comparison between this area and Mio/Oscoda County, Mich. These figures are from the 2002 Rand McNally road atlas.
