He calls it a “think-and-do tank,” and says it is dedicated to getting the citizens of this state to come together around a common-sense agenda aimed at improving the quality of life in this state.
Not only for ourselves, but for our children and our children’s children, so that they won’t have to leave Michigan. He thinks there is something more important than figuring out how to cut spending.
More important, even, than balancing this difficult budget. And that is, figuring out what we want state government to do for us, and even more important than that, what we want this state to be.
For the last couple years, his shop has been attempting to get people in this state to think about their future by hosting a series of community conversations. Power called this the “Michigan’s Defining Moment” campaign. I attended a couple of these, and the earnestness and energy I saw was refreshing.
Eventually, with the help of moderators, consensus built around a common vision for Michigan’s future. “What they came up with was three pretty straightforward points,” Power said:
They wanted a state that had 1) a talented and globally competitive workforce, 2) a vibrant equality and a great quality of life, and 3) Effective, efficient and accountable government.
What’s especially good is that we already have all the tools in place to make those things happen. That is, if our elected leaders don’t manage to shoot us all in the foot.
Here’s what Power is suggesting now: The governor invite the legislature’s leaders to her office for a private discussion.
This would include the Speaker of the House and the Republican Minority Leader, and the Senate Majority and Minority leaders. They should talk about a shared vision for Michigan’s future.
My guess is that they ought to be able to sign on to something like the Michigan’s Defining Moment goals. But what the shared agenda is doesn’t matter as much as that there is one.
Once they do, they can make that the guidepost for trying to figure out where to cut and where to add, where to spend and where to save on the budget. That doesn’t mean they can’t argue over the ways and means of getting there.
But if we can all sign on to a shared vision, we may be able to avoid another train wreck. And we are running out of chances to embarrass ourselves. The Michigan-based auto industry appears to be dying. We have the nation’s highest unemployment rate, and it is still rising. If we are going to get out of this, we need to work together.
By the way, the idea of the legislative leaders meeting with the governor is neither new nor radical. Governor Bill Milliken used to do that every week, back in the 1970s.
It couldn’t hurt to give it another try.
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