By John Bebow - September 28, 2007
Beyond the partisan confines of the State Capitol, there were excellent examples this month of government working well, for the people and by people. In Genesee County, a land bank program that has cleared 800 abandoned properties, built new homes and started to rebuild downtown Flint won national recognition as one of the innovative initiatives in the country. In Troy, Republicans and Democrats put aside petty party politics and instead focused on the clear future needs of their city. The result: a shared, nonpartisan slate of candidates in this fall's city elections. In Macomb County, officials ceased a 10-year-old perk of cash bonuses to county retirees. The short-sighted and economically dubious program cost taxpayers more than $5 million since 1997. Overall, the county now finds itself about $7 million in the red. The county's finance director said he knew of no other pension system that issued such bonus checks.
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