Those familiar with my writings know that I think the debate about reviving Michigan centers too much on cutting taxes and shrinking state government, and not enough on quality-of-life issues.
My view is that people aren't deciding whether to live in Michigan so much on the personal income tax rate and the number of workers on the state payroll. Yes, they want jobs, but they're also making location decisions based on vibrancy of the state's cities, the quality of the schools, and cultural and recreational opportunities.
The Detroit Tigers' entire hopes of getting to the World Series this year could come down to whether or not the team can convince the wife of former New York Yankees slugger Johnny Damon that Detroit is a cool place to live.
The Tigers are in a bidding war for the much-sought-after Damon and appear to be in a good position to sign him. But there is one major stumbling block: his wife Michelle reportedly"would prefer him to play in a more cosmopolitan city than Detroit."
She is said to favor Chicago as the place she would like her husband to collect his massive paycheck. Not coincidentally, Chicago also is a major draw for college graduates leaving Michigan.
The Damons' situation isn't an isolated case. We've likely all heard stories about companies losing employee prospects because of Michigan's poor image (and reality). Even the families of some of Michigan's top CEOs, including General Motors Co.'s Ed Whitacre and Ford Motor Co.'s Alan Mulally, don't live here.
Once-booming states like Florida, which is now losing population for the first time since the end of World War II, are working on improving their sense of place. Columnist Froma Harrop offers an interesting take on efforts by some Florida communities to become more attractive.
Traverse City is one place in Michigan that gets it. Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore and community leaders in this historically conservative region are in an unlikely alliance to make it hip. I wrote about it this week in a column that appears in the Grand Rapids Press, Kalamazoo Gazette and Muskegon Chronicle.
Michigan's gubernatorial election this year offers a great opportunity to explore ideas on how Michigan can attract talent and improve its sense of place. But Lou Glazer, president of Michigan Future Inc. says the moment is being squandered. Says Glazer:
"My guess is if candidates talked with their kids about where they want to live after college they will find that what they are talking about on the campaign trial is of little relevance to their kids decision on where to live after school. Items like what to do with taxes and how to save or restore factory jobs don’t matter very much to future knowledge workers."But place does matter. Just ask Michelle Damon and the Detroit Tigers.
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