Dear Gentle Reader:
I have made it back to the US and to my home East Lansing, Michigan. I will be finishing my posts about Israel next week. I am jumping into my job feet first by attending a policy conference on Mackinac Island for the Detroit Chamber of Commerce. I was asked to blog about my experience for Crain's Detroit Business. Here is my first post.
My last Mackinac Conference was in 2007. I was finishing my time at the Michigan Nonprofit Association and my term as mayor of East Lansing. A few months later, I left the country for seventeen months as I traveled to forty plus countries and all seven continents. Having just come back to the country over the weekend, I was wondering if I would feel out of touch. The answer is no. This all seems feel vaguely familiar.
I am wondering if we are really in 2009 or did I not really leave and it is still 2007. I mean has anything changed? The state budget is still in a mess. Regional squabbles are still course of the day. Policy makers all wish there was more revenue but are afraid to use the "T' word. We are still debating a smoking ban. People are still trying to find a comprehensive transportation strategy. Everyone wants to talk about the new economy but are unwilling to make the tough changes to make it happen. I mean even the Lions are still helpless and the Red Wings are skating well in the playoffs. The longer I was gone the more things stayed the same.
I am hoping the urgency of our current situation in the State will result in a more open and honest dialog. That the seeds for real fixes and long term strategies for rebuilding the economy are planted at the conference. We can no longer ignore the structural deficits and regional isolationism. It is time for political and business leaders to make the tough and unpopular decisions. Let's let them know they can no longer keep fiddling while the Michigan burns.
Comments