June 4, 2009

By Tom Watkins

Tom Watkins of Northville says addressing this economic and budgetary crisis requires bold, decisive leadership that employs the new three R's: reform, restructuring and reinvention for all aspects of government -- such as through privatization or consolidation of governments or school districts. We cannot simply cut or tax our way out of this mess. Among other organizations, he mentions the work of Detroit Renaissance:

"The Detroit Renaissance is the state's premier business leadership organization, led by Doug Rothwell and Sabrina Keeley. Detroit Renaissance is benchmarking how Michigan stacks up on economic competitiveness with other states and advocating for fundamental state structural reforms. The organization has identified nearly $1 billion in major state tax, spending and business reforms to reduce Michigan's structural budget deficit. Like the other recommendations made by the Center for Michigan and the Citizens Research Council, Detroit Renaissance's work has not been acted upon by the state's elected leadership. Each of these three organizations have offered the tools to help our state elected leaders reform, restructure and reinvent itself. To date, the governor and Legislature have refused the tools offered to them."

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