Griffin forum discusses policy change in Michigan

While panelists at Tuesday’s Griffin Policy Forum agreed changes in state policy are needed, they provided a variety of perspectives.

The forum “Michigan’s Economic Future; Is There a Light at the End of the Assembly Line?” also discussed how to make Michigan a more welcoming job environment.

It was facilitated by Craig Ruff, senior policy fellow from Public Sector Consultants and former Griffin Endowed Chair, and planned by Maxine Berman, Griffin Endowed chair and director of special projects for Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

“Businesses create jobs. That’s the challenge we’ve all been talking about,” said Cindy Douglas, vice president of business development and attraction for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “If there aren’t business to create jobs to employee you and me, we don’t have a tax base.”

Stanley Pruss, director of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, felt the key upcoming jobs would be in energy, life sciences and homeland security.

However, the panelists did not agree new jobs would be the only thing the state needs to improve its economic state.

“There are a small, but growing, number of employers that would say we are suffering from self-inflicted wounds,” said Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

Tax problems

Studley said one of the self-inflicted wounds is the Michigan Business Tax, another is spending more on corrections than higher education.

“There’s only four states… spending more on corrections than higher education,” said Michael Boulus, executive director of the President’s Council of State Universities of Michigan. “We lead the country in disinvesting in higher education.”

Several panelists said the movement of people out of Michigan because of a lack of jobs is creating a crunch in tax dollar investment.

“I like what (Boulus) said about how we cannot have both a low tax and high investment in higher education,” said Niles junior Grace Volrath.

Pruss said Michigan residents are going to be forced to make difficult decisions on the state’s future economy.

“What do you ultimately value? There is no easy solution here,” Pruss said.