Center for Michigan Unveils Agenda for Michigan's Transformation
The Center for Michigan, based in Ann Arbor, today will release what it calls a "common ground agenda for Michigan's future prosperity" – in the form of a report it will unveil at a celebration Lansing.
The agenda, which was developed out of a series of more than 175 community meetings across the state, sets out nine strategies the center believes will lead to a revitalized Michigan economy. For each of the strategies, the report offers a series of recommended “action steps” intended to turn the objectives into reality.
The meetings, and the report that came out of them, are part of the center’s “Michigan’s Defining Moment” (MDM) public engagement campaign, which involved civic leaders and ordinary citizens from across the state.
“This report is an authentic voice of Michigan’s people about where they want our state to be and the steps to get there,” said Center for Michigan President Phil Power.
John Bebow, the center's executive director, said the objective of MDM is to transform the state into a place fully prepared to take on the economy of the 21st century.
“The goal is a new and improved Michigan,” Bebow said. “So far, 1,800 statewide leaders and engaged citizens have created a common ground agenda for Michigan’s transition to a new era of prosperity. There are key things here – like better high school and college completion, policies that can help diversify the economy, and ways to make Michigan government more accountable and efficient – that can be owned by Democrats and Republicans alike.”
The nine strategies outlined in the report are:
Dramatically improving pre-K-16 learning and completion rates.
Creating affordable access to lifelong learning.
Economic development and diversification.
Intensified entrepreneurialism.
Rejuvenating the quality of life of Michigan communities.
Re-branding Michigan as the “North Coast.”
Increasing political accountability and bipartisan leadership.
The creation of clear taxing and spending priorities.
Intensified government collaboration and service sharing.
Action items include a variety of suggestions, such as rewarding school districts for using best practices; treating arts and culture as economic development assets; simplifying the state’s business tax; and creating clear, widely available information about state budget choices.
The report also includes a "Michigan Scorecard," which measures the state's progress based on three dozen criteria related to workforce and talent; economy and quality of life; and government efficiency and accountability. For each measure on the scorecard, the state is given grades of "thumbs up," "thumbs down" or "so-so." The scorecard criteria were developed by researchers and edited by Michigan State University economist Charles Ballard.
The Michigan’s Defining Moment campaign has received more than $2.5 million in funding for public engagement activities through 2010. The money was provided by more than two dozen individuals, corporations and foundations.
“The ongoing work of the hundreds of people involved in this effort is especially important as Michigan moves toward 2010," Bebow said. "By the end of that year, the governor, senate majority leader, house speaker, attorney general, secretary of state, 30 of 38 state senators, and almost three-quarters of the current state house will be replaced by term limits. MDM is not so interested in which party wins all those open seats. Instead, we’re seeking debate, discussion, and coalition among candidates of both parties around the common ground agenda in this report."
Long-term, he said, the quality of Michigan's leadership is what will matter. And the center plans to make leadership development a priority.
“Over the next several years," Bebow said, "our job is to identify and support leaders willing to implement this agenda and spread citizen dialogue about Michigan’s future through many more community gatherings. To do so, we’ve just doubled the size of our staff with the help of funding from nearly two dozen Michigan corporations and foundations that have invested in this work.”
The event today will be held from 5-8 p.m. aboard the Michigan Princess Riverboat at Grand River Park in Lansing. In addition to unveiling its report, the center will award $30,000 in scholarships and vacation prizes to winners of its EnvisionMichigan online story contest.
For more about the Michigan’s Defining Moment campaign, click here.
To read the Center for Michigan’s report online, (40 pages, PDF format) click here.
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The Center for Michigan, based in Ann Arbor, today will release what it calls a "common ground agenda for Michigan's future prosperity" – in the form of a report it will unveil at a celebration Lansing. 
