Comments on: Business Leaders Offer Plan to Fix Michigan

By: MI Native

MI Native — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:44:23 +0000

Mort is just about correct. As usual, lower taxes will fix all. This is bull. Great arguments agaisnt this low road approach by Domios and other congolomerates can be found on the Good jobs First website. google Greg LeRoy and read his books. His analysis is dead on and progressive community rights is the tilt. I grew up in MI and it saddens me to see that the Engler crowd is alive and well and trying to pin this economic disaster tha ttheir mentality helped to create on workers and employers who pay good wages and benefits.

By: Mort (Westland)

Mort (Westland) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:16:50 +0000

This is more hogwash from the right. Conservatives have controlled all or part of the state’s government since the state senate recall campaigns in 1983. While Engler was governor (12 years) they had free reign, cut taxes, decimated state programs and made Michigan more “business-friendly” insisting that we’d be better off. Now, we have the lowest taxes in the Great Lakes region and are headed for (if we don’t already have) the lowest standard of living.

We need a progressive income tax, a GST to replace our sales tax and common sense adjustments to our business taxes, like those promoted by Alma Wheeler Smith. We need to bring our schools, roads, mental health care system and other state services back from the abyss conservatives have put them in or on the brink of.

By: Tom Crawford

Tom Crawford — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:46:50 +0000

Wholly one-sided. It’s as if you think business interests are the be-all and end-all to the economy, when in fact the business community has significant influence on both positive AND negative outcomes. Try the intellectual exercise of diametrically disputing the collective Chambers of Commerce dogmatic concepts, step outside the limited business mindset box, and look at quality of life concepts that will make people want to be here, instead of elsewhere…then, with people staying instead of moving away to anywhere, USA, maybe there will be an expanding base of people to bring their minds, talents and commitment to Michigan…in other words, let’s really reverse the trend. Otherwise, the business community remains hopelessly myopic. Maybe, if a profit motive is induced in this intellectual exercise, you’ll be able to justify the commitment of grey matter to this problem.

By: Andrew Halonen

Andrew Halonen — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:09:55 +0000

MI public university spending is out of control. Employees have premium benefits, with many weeks of vacation for new employees. Besides education, they are subsidized to offer housing, food service, clothing stores, etc. Instead of consolidating buildings, they build another one. Would there be significant cost reductions to the tax paying public & the students if universities offered only education & research? Private business could deliver the other services.

By: classroom 13

classroom 13 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:43:06 +0000

Great article and very thought provoking. My greatest concern is we don’t have the leadership in Lansing to turn Michigan around. Therefore, the need is now for the business community to step up and put their concern for political “correctness” behind and show some muscle to influence Lansing. What’s left of Michigan’s brain power isn’t in Lansing. Enough is enough!!!!!

By: gwoods

gwoods — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:40:58 +0000

Have you read “Who Moved The Cheese” ? Michigan is in the same place the mice in the story found themselves: The cheese (the revenue streams that fund public services) is disappearing from its usual location. What do we do? Some mice in the story, like the Business Leaders quoted in this article, would just make do by doing less and less. Others, hopefully, will take the challenge and find new ways to develop new sources of cheese-I mean, revenue- so our state can grow, its services rebound, and people again see Michigan as a wonderful place to live and work.

By: Tom White

Tom White — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:59:26 +0000

This is very encouraging to see. You have outlined a laudable, thoughtful vision with some details. I hope that you will next write about the “how” we get these effort going. As regular Dome reader I hope you continue to tell us what you are doing, and how we can all work together.