The reasons I cited above, plus a skilled and educated work force. One thing Michigan has droves of is talented engineers, machinists, designers. Trust me. They're still here or have roots here. The union is the bulkhead that stands between more manufacturing investment here by global companies wanting a non-union operation.
I agree wholeheartedly with your list below. I'm in rochester hills - let me know if you want to grab a drink sometime and collectively bitch about things.
One word - talent. Our college system, including the private schools, is 2nd to none. The university of Michigan is one of the best schools in the country. Half of Kettering's graduates go on to be executives or business owners. We keep MSU around just to place on various drunkin-college-party lists. edit: Oakland county is the 2nd wealthiest county per capita in the nation. Detroit has less then 1 million people in the city limits - there are over 7 in the counties outside it...
The current Detroit "hip-hop gangster" Mayor is a joker. The State Governor is not doing a whole lot better. Incompetent management seems to be synonymous with Michigan.
I have a 37 year old brother who went to michigan. all his friends live on the east coast or West coast. I have a brother in law who has a masters in engineering, an mba from wharton - experience with saving ford serious money by eliminating costs, he speaks well and is fairly good looking. Ford was not paying him well and he got recruited away. most of his friends left the company too. I wonder if the talent left in detroit, is the talent that got them to where they are.
Snake Pliskin was going to do a sequel - "Escape from Detroit", but Detroit isn't as pleasant and livable as the New York depicted in the original movie. Focus groups also found it "not creditable" that anyone could remain alive in Detroit, much less "escape" from Detroit.