What does YOUR New Michigan look like?

New Michigan Sweepstakes - an online contest, encourages public to take part in Michigan’s turnaround

DETROIT, Mich. Feb. 27, 2012 - Just weeks after announcing its New Michigan strategy as part of the 2012 Michigan Turnaround Plan (MTP), Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, is asking: What does the New Michigan look like to you?

In an online contest beginning today, BLM is offering $1,000 in total prizes to Michigan residents who upload a photo, film a short video, or enter a written submission (200 words or less) describing their vision for the New Michigan. 

“The New Michigan Sweepstakes is a fun way to encourage Michigan citizens to think about our state’s future and become educated about and involved in advancing the New Michigan strategy- a key component of the Michigan Turnaround Plan,” said Doug Rothwell, BLM President and CEO. 

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Michigan Metros Well Positioned For Next Economy: Federal And State Action Could Accelerate Growth

DETROIT, Mich., February 23, 2012 – Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, today released a strategy for accelerating the economic growth of Michigan’s cities and regions.  The report, Michigan’s Metropolitan and Urban Strategy, was prepared by Public Sector Consultants and the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program.

“This report reinforces the 2012 Michigan Turnaround Plan and the need to accelerate the growth of our cities and metro regions to become a Top Ten state for job, economic and personal income growth,” said Doug Rothwell, BLM President and CEO.  “Michigan’s metro regions benchmark competitively to national peers on economic performance and assets.  The report outlines steps the state and local communities can take to go from competitive to best in class in economic growth.”

Download the full press release

Download a copy of the report 

MEDIA ADVISORY: Business Leaders for Michigan Unveil Recommendations for Helping Michigan Cities and Metro Areas Achieve Their Economic Potential

What: At a meeting of the Detroit Economic Club, Business Leaders for Michigan, in conjunction with The Brookings Institution, will discuss a number of the key drivers of the next economy. They will focus on how Michigan's cities and metro areas stack up with their peers, and discuss what can be done to help strengthen our cities and metro areas and grow their economies.

When: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:30 p.m.

Where: MotorCity Casino Hotel, Grand Ballroom

(Ballroom is in the lower level of the MotorCity Casino Hotel Meeting space.  Media Registration will be near the lower level entrance to the Sound Board.)

Speakers:

Bruce Katz, Vice President at the Brookings Institution and founding Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program  

James B. Nicholson, President & CEO, PVS Chemicals, Inc. and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Business Leaders for Michigan.

Doug Rothwell, President & CEO, Business Leaders for Michigan

Step 1 of the Michigan Turnaround Plan: Getting our fiscal house in order

There is a lot of discussion in the world today about the debt being racked up by many nations.  In most cases, this debt was accumulated after years of not following sound fiscal and accounting practices.  America is a good example.  For years we’ve failed to balance our budget, based budgets on overly optimistic revenue forecasts and did not take into consideration the long-term costs of our policy actions.  Our growing debt obligations has led to a great deal of uncertainty about the future.  This has caused job providers to slow investment and consumers to cut back on spending.  Michigan experienced much the same situation during the past decade and this has contributed to our “one state, decade long” recession.

This is why Business Leaders for Michigan made the first step of the Michigan Turnaround Plan about responsibly managing finances.  The Plan is a holistic, fact-based strategy to make Michigan a Top Ten state for job, economic and personal income growth. 

Our original plan called for the state to manage its money the way a responsible household or business would – by balancing the budget without one-time gimmicks, projecting revenues using sound information and projecting spending needs over the long-term.  Fortunately, the state has implemented many of these suggestions during the past year and as a result has been able to start paying down debt and generating a small budget surplus.  As a result, business confidence is up and Michigan’s economy is turning around.

We must build on the solid foundation laid this past year by memorializing in policy or law the practices outlined above so we don’t slip back into bad habits after this Governor and legislature leave office.  We need to continue paying down the billions of debt we racked up the past decade and require that every piece of proposed legislation have a “price tag” attached to it so policy makers understand the consequences of their actions.  We also recommend the state adopt a long-term strategic plan that clearly identifies what we should expect from state government to guide annual budgets.   

Adopting sound accounting practices and fiscal policies don’t get much attention in the news.  But we’ve seen around the world what happens when we ignore these basics.

Business Leaders For Michigan Supports Increased University Funding Based On Performance And Accountability; Calls For Changes To Administration’s Plan

Urges state to shift from prison investment to university investment

LANSING, Mich., February 15, 2012 — Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, today in testimony before the Michigan Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Higher Education at the State Capitol building, urged state policymakers to end the more than decade long trend of disinvesting in the state’s public universities and renew the state’s investment in one of Michigan’s greatest assets for driving job, economic, and personal income growth.

Patrick Doyle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Domino’s Pizza, and a BLM Board member, described Michigan’s public universities as key drivers for talent production, innovation, and economic growth in the state, and deserving of a higher priority in the budget process. “While many factors influence where a business decides to locate or expand, the quality of a region’s university system is a significant consideration, because every company wants access to the best talent. This fiscal year, Michigan will spend 76% more general fund dollars on prisons than we will on universities. Our public universities are a major driver of Michigan’s economy yet we are spending more on prisons than we are to help a Michigan student go to college. This investment strategy is upside down if we want to attract business investment and good paying jobs.”

Download the full press release




Download a copy of the Senate committee testimony

Download a copy of Doug Rothwell's House committee testimony