Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010 - (Page 11)

June 7, 2010 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page M11 2010 Mackinac Policy Conference A time for action Center for Michigan, Business Leaders: ‘We just want to get something done’ BY AMY LANE CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT We understand that one size does not ﬁt all. We know this much is true: small clients become big clients and big clients still have small needs. So we approach every opportunity - large or small - as if our reputation is on the line. Because it is. Contact Jones Lang LaSalle today. We’re the one company that ﬁts all your real estate needs. For real estate services: James C. Becker Market Director + 1 313 967 4100 Ronald J. Gantner, CPA Executive Vice President + 1 313 967 4105 LANSING — The Center for Michigan can count nearly 600 community meetings throughout the state involving about 10,000 people. At Business Leaders for Michigan, there have been 16 regional forums reaching some 3,000 business, community and civic leaders. Both entities have websites that are avenues for inCenter for formation, enMichigan: Plans gagement and for post-election phase, Page 13 input, and One D: Expands both are primits scorecard, ing political Page 14 candidates with priorities to move Michigan forward and rallying business and citizen support. The calls to action from the Ann Arbor-based center and Business Leaders have been sounding around the state and are growing, as the groups press agendas of change toward this November’s elections and beyond. The big picture: holistic reforms, and action. “At the end of the day, both of us want to answer this question the same way, (and that) is that we just want to get something done,” said Doug Rothwell, president and CEO of Business Leaders, the statewide CEO group formed last September. Rothwell is also on the board of directors and steering committee for the Center for Michigan. The nonpartisan center, after three years of holding meetings around the state and gathering resident input, is putting forth a 10point action plan that it will spread across the state. The “citizens’ agenda” keys on several areas that are also Business Leaders’ priorities, such as changing Michigan’s tax system, creating a more business-friendly environment, promoting greater K-12 performance, more government consolidation and collaboration, and budget reforms that include reducing corrections spending and state workers’ compensation. The agenda also strikes out in a more pointed political direction, calling for actions to hold politicians and residents more accountable and seeking the repeal or lengthening of Michigan’s legislative term limits. Lawmakers currently can serve three two-year terms in the House and two fouryear terms in the Senate, under term limits approved by voters in 1992. The next steps for the agenda: What people can do about it. “Ultimately what we are hoping to do is have three or four main points for reform, so clearly set out that they crystallize public opinion and that we end up with political and social consensus about the main matters” that newly elected GROWING Michigan political leaders will tion to and support for its state-imneed to address, said center Presi- provement plan; and has held the dent Phil Power in a May inter- first of what it hopes will be a seview with Crain’s. ries of summits on the challenges “We’re trying to set the table for facing Michigan. these people to come in so that it The first summit, in May, will be harder for them to duck the brought together fiscal and publictough choices.” policy experts and members of The center’s citizen-action list Michigan’s business, community, includes a “pass-it-on” campaign education and policy communities. on the center’s webThe organization site in which resihopes to have sevdents will be able to eral more summits share the agenda next year, includwith Faceing another fiscalbook themed meeting friends, with possibly a remake printport card on outs or orprogress from this der print year’s gathering, copies. Rothwell said. Center of“We think that ficials said we can play a conBirmingvening role ham-based around some of Brogan & Partners these major issues Convergence Marketthat the state is Doug Rothwell, ing consulted with Business Leaders for Michigan going through,” them on the camhe said. paign and also helped build three But Biz Leaders’ approach also new online reform petitions for reaches down to personal levels; people to sign. for example, in the gubernatorial One petition supports overhaul race, it has interviewed candidates of the state’s tax and budget sys- and set up a “buddy” system that tem; another calls for Michigan — pairs CEOs with each of the Reone of four states that spends more publicans and Democrats running on corrections than on higher edu- for governor. It’s a move that encation — to reverse those spending ables Business Leaders to discuss priorities; and a third petition sup- its agenda but also to have a relaports the repeal of or the lengthen- tionship “so that no matter who ing of term limits. gets elected, we’re not starting The center also is launching a from scratch,” Rothwell said. “truth squad” project for campaign Michigan CEOs, Rothwell said, ads and is urging residents to send “have been criticized in the past the center campaign fliers and for not stepping up. But they are e-mails about ads. The center will today.” pay “bounties” of T-shirts and other Kelly Rossman-McKinney, CEO prizes for the worst ads and will call of Lansing public relations firm The out and correct campaign claims, as Rossman Group and a co-author of a well as praise good ads, said Execu- separate bipartisan project to outtive Director John Bebow. line issues facing Michigan’s next Another step on the to-do list for governor and generate public disresidents: Urging them to hold course, said the actions by the cenviewing parties for a series of ter and Business Leaders are “both more than 50 debates involving significant and really different in legislative and gubernatorial terms of the level and breadth and races, airing on state public televi- depth of commitment.” sion channels and online. The Rossman is a participant in the “Great Debates” series is hosted Michigan’s Next Governor Project, by the center and 19 other busi- a 21-page document-turned-blog ness, education, labor and non- discussing issues affecting Michiprofit organizations. gan and its residents and designed The center is also promoting a to generate public conversation on weekly e-newsletter it publishes challenges for the state and its that reaches more than 10,000 on- next chief executive. line readers, a tactic that Business Nearly 11,000 people have visited Leaders for Michigan also uses to the project’s website, with some reach people with its messages. leaving comments about their ideas At Business Leaders, engage- and thoughts on a wide variety of isment is an operating mode. sues including transportation, In its eight months as a health care and state spending. statewide group of 75 CEOs from Rossman said that as she travels some of Michigan’s largest corpo- throughout the state, she senses a rations, Business Leaders has held building desire for change that is regional forums to talk about its “driven by anger, frustration, and “Michigan Turnaround Plan” to what has been, helplessness.” improve Michigan’s economy and The efforts of the center and reform government; has launched Business Leaders, she said, give a website that is also a vehicle to people “not just an opportunity to contact legislators, news media engage, but a reason to engage.” and others; has run a 30-day TV Amy Lane: (517) 371-5355, and radio campaign to draw atten- alane@crain.com think “ Wewe can that play a convening role around some of these major issues. www.us.joneslanglasalle.com/detroit © 2010 Jones Lang LaSalle IP, Inc. All rights reserved. ” Dennis B. Schultz, now In Your Corner. Varnum is pleased to welcome Dennis B. Schultz to the firm. dbschultz@varnumlaw.com 866-4VARNUM I www.varnumlaw.com I Novi (Metro Detroit) I Grand Rapids Kalamazoo I Grand Haven I Lansing http://www.us.joneslanglasalle.com http://www.us.joneslanglasalle.com/detroit http://www.varnumlaw.com http://www.varnumlaw.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010

Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010
In this Issue
Economic Makeover
Lesson Plan for Education Reform
Teaming Up for Action
Time for a Cultural Revolution
Defense Mechanism
Slowing the State's Brain Drain
Intern, Employers of the Year

Crain's Detroit Business - Mackinac Section - June 7, 2010