By Phil Power and John Bebow

Michigan is at a hinge in our history. The decisions we will over the next few years will go a long way to determine the kind of state we’ll have in the next half century.

This year and in the watershed election of 2010, Michigan voters will overhaul our political leadership. Michiganders say over and over they're hoping for much more bipartisan collaboration in Lansing. So these elections offer a real opportunity for candidates to face the big issues confronting us all, find common ground, and not get diverted into merely scoring partisan political points.

The Michigan's Defining Moment campaign has so far brought together nearly 2,000 Michigan citizens in 180 small community conversations to develop a shared vision for Michigan's best future and to work out strategies and tactics to achieve that vision. It can be both good policy and smart politics for candidates to take advantage of the MDM campaign and its 6,000 hours of thoughtful citizen deliberation about Michigan's future.

To get a handle on how candidates react to this agenda, consider using the questions below:

1) What is your vision of what Michigan should be and what strategies and tactics do you propose to get there?

2)What far-reaching strategies ideas have you developed to reform and improve our state? How will you partner with your fellow legislators and business and community leaders to achieve real urgency and focused political will to address our greatest challenges?

3) Recent polls show voters want bipartisan cooperation among lawmakers. How, exactly, will you work toward that?

4) Through in-depth community dialogue, MDM participants established three main priorities: 1) Assuring a talented, globally competitive workforce; 2) Diversifying the state economy and enhancing Michigan’s quality of life; and 3) Greatly improving the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of government. What will you do as a legislator to advance these priorities?

5) Legislators’ most fundamental task is setting the state budget – a task that has proven extremely difficult in recent years. What, specifically, is your state budget strategy?

6) MDM participants developed more than two dozen action steps to a better state. Here's a representative sample. Please provide some insight on how you will address these needs:

__ Dramatically improved school and college completion rates

__ Reigning in excessive state prison spending

__ Balance the protection of Michigan’s distinctive natural resources with sustainable economic development.

__ Ending or lengthening term limits for legislators to combat inexperience in Lansing.

__ Growing an entrepreneurial, job-growing culture and instituting a fair and simple state business tax.

__ Manage large and growing public sector employee pension and health care costs.

The sooner candidates for state offices get beyond partisan dogma and thoughtfully address questions like these, the sooner Michigan can get past our current crisis and on the road to recovery.

When candidates knock on your door or shake your hand at the county fair, consider posing these questions. If you are met with blank stares, consider whether that candidate deserves your vote. If you receive thoughtful, solid answers, you just might be onto somebody you can support.