SPECIAL REPORT: Guv candidates’ quality of life agendas

By Melissa Preddy

With less than three weeks to go before Michigan voters cast their ballots in the gubernatorial primaries, candidates are all about jobs, jobs, and more jobs.

It’s understandable that employment would take center stage in a state that’s lost nearly 1 million jobs over the past decade and suffered the worst unemployment rate in the nation for most of the past few years’ recession.

But just as the state is more than the sum of its vacant manufacturing plants, voter concerns are multi-faceted, too. Michigan citizens want to get back to work – but they’re also anxious to see the state’s new leader address quality of life issues such as protecting the environment, funding cultural resources and keeping the state’s downtowns vibrant and viable.

Participants in community conversations and town hall meetings from Escanaba to Detroit to Kalamazoo agreed that promoting tourism and revitalizing Michigan’s image are key to transforming the state, as reported in the Michigan’s Defining Moment: 10,000 Voices package released by the Center for Michigan in May.

Indeed, more than one in five respondents to one MDM survey said that if state spending were increased in only one area, it should target such quality of life matters ahead of education, public safety, social services and economic development.

Prioritizing quality of life issues clearly is a quandary for the candidates, who face inheriting a $2 billion budget deficit and an economy where nearly 1 million households are on food stamps, more than 400,000 workers will exhaust unemployment benefits in 2010 and crashing home values are eroding property tax revenue.

Most candidates say they “support” quality of life investment, but their platforms, with a couple of exceptions, are vague on specifics if they even mention issues like the state’s cultural institutions and mass transit.

Still, in a state with the highest outbound migration rate of any in the nation, according to annual moving-company statistics, politicians also understand that boosting Michigan’s image as a rich place to live, work and locate businesses is imperative.

“It’s the classic chicken-and-the-egg scenario,” said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, one of five Republican candidates in the race for governor. “Anyone looking to me as governor to hand out more money has not looked at the books. But it’s part of the governor’s job to sell Michigan. And you have to have something to offer people when they get here.”

Pure Promotion

Getting people to visit here is the aim of the Pure Michigan advertising strategy, ranked in 2009 by Forbes as one of the Top 10 travel campaigns of all time.

In 2009, Pure Michigan’s first nationally televised spots motivated 2 million visits to Michigan, including 680,000 new visits to the state from outside the Great Lakes region – a crucial target market — according to an independent study. Industry officials point out that for every dollar spent on the ads, about $3 is returned to state coffers in the form of taxes, let alone the other spending travelers do at businesses and attractions. And that’s revenue that doesn’t require new infrastructure or any up-front investment besides the advertising.
Yet appropriated funding for Pure Michigan has been precarious and actually decreased for 2010 from $30 million to $5.4 million, according to Travel Michigan – the 42nd-lowest funding rate in the nation.
Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates acknowledge that tourism is one of the state’s top industries and a big image-maker for Michigan; several said they “support” state funding for the tourism ads – but none revealed a specific plan to finance next year’s campaign or espoused previously floated tactics, like the $2.50-a-day rental car tax that passed the Michigan House last spring.

That frustrates tourism officials, who say the tax would have been a stop-gap to keep momentum rolling until other tactics – like tax-increment financing (TIF) could be established for Pure Michigan, along the lines of funding sources already used for local development authorities.

“It’s a common practice in other states,” said Brad Van Dommelen, head of Traverse City’s tourism office and president of the Michigan Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus. “This is an industry that is seriously under-marketed. Five million dollars does not allow for a national campaign of any size. I point to the ROI (return on investment) is – that $3 tax revenue per $1 spent will provide funding for other state departments – and the legislators tell me ‘we don’t look at the revenue side.’”

Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Cox’s tourism plan vows to continue Pure Michigan but doesn’t specify a funding source. He also proposes allowing Michigan residents free use of state parks on weekends and finding corporate partners to operate hotels and resorts within Michigan’s state parks.

House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford) would include tourism promotion in his economic development plan.

Rick Snyder’s policy pages say “the state must continue to prioritize funding towards Pure Michigan,” but the Ann Arbor businessman and Republican gubernatorial candidate doesn’t say where he thinks the money should come from.

Bouchard said that tourism has been a “stepchild” compared to the statewide angst over the manufacturing industry implosion. “Tourism is a huge component to state revenue and to the image people may have of the state,” he said. “Pure Michigan does a good job (and) it’s an important sector, but we can’t give money we don’t have.”

Arts & Culture: Nice, But …

Michigan ranks 48th out of 50 states in per capita arts and culture funding, says John Bracey, executive director of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. This year, the Detroit Institute of Arts received $20,000 from the state while overall arts appropriations average out to about 10 cents per resident.

And that’s not likely to change any time soon, if the candidates’ platforms are any indication.

“What troubles me the most and what would be really refreshing to see policy makers understand is: These aren’t just hobbies. These are real jobs, careers and businesses,” said Bracey.

A 2010 report notes that Michigan’s 20,737 arts-related businesses employ 77,946 people, said Mike Latvis, public policy director for Art Serve Michigan. Both non-profit and for-profit venues range from museums to performing arts studios to galleries, art schools and TV/radio enterprises. About 15 percent of tourism in the state is driven by history, arts and cultural attractions, according a Michigan Economic Development Corporation report.

Snyder’s policy papers give a nod to Michigan’s major pop culture contributions and to the jobs and amenities offered by Michigan’s arts and history scene. He notes that a strong cultural atmosphere is a key factor in attracting and retaining workers; no funding specifics are addressed.

State Senator Tom George, (R-Kalamazoo) didn’t directly mention arts and culture in his position papers but notes that as a history enthusiast, he’s served as president of the Historical Society of Michigan.

Other candidates omitted cultural issues from their platforms and in interviews – while sympathetic to the industry — suggested that other sectors were likely to take priority.

“All boats rise with a sound economy,” said Bouchard. “There are tough decisions to be made (because) there is less money available on every level.”

Vision for Vibrant downtowns

From Detroit’s skyscape to boutique-filled quaint 19th-century streetscapes in suburbs and once-rural market towns, citizens are anxious to keep their downtowns economically viable. A vibrant, full-service commerce district is a key factor in attracting businesses and the people who work for them.

But dwindling revenue-sharing and declining property values have hit many Michigan cities with a double-whammy.

Most of the candidates acknowledged the plight of downtowns in their position papers; a few have specific fixes on the table.
George points to a series of bills he’s supporting that would provide new tools for cities, including a combined “fast track” redevelopment authority for Detroit and Wayne County that could cut through red tape and help assemble land parcels for developers. He says land banks elsewhere could be used more efficiently to streamline business development.

“Michigan’s image needs a face lift,” said George. “To the outside world we’re falling apart, and we know that is not true.”

Snyder suggests a number of initiatives for Michigan’s cities, including business mentorship programs, public safety, “walkable” urban areas and high-speed Internet availability.

Cox espouses a “grey to green” initiative that would streamline the consolidation of abandoned parcels, increasing population density in core cities while aggregating unused land for green space, urban agriculture and other revitalization.

Mass Transit Low on the List

Public transit is another back-burner issue for most candidates, those who do address transportation issues focus on road maintenance and improvement, including capturing more federal road dollars for Michigan.
It’s clear that most candidates feel more public transport investment is something out-of-work Michigan can’t afford right now.

“Mass transit isn’t a lure to business,” said Bouchard. “What really drives it is low taxes and competitive regulation.”

George points to his track record supporting light rail along Woodward Avenue through a private/public funding structure, and adds that when funding permits, he’d like to see all of the state’s rails-to-trails routes interconnected as part of a physical fitness initiative.

Cox wants to ensure that no road dollars from gasoline taxes are diverted to other uses. He advocates finding public/private sources of road dollars and eliminating overlap and inefficiencies in jurisdictions that oversee road repairs.

Protecting the Environment and Natural Resources

It’s not surprising, given Michigan’s topography and rich wilderness heritage, that most aspiring governors have developed some approach to protecting the state’s most vital natural assets – which they acknowledge are closely entwined with tourism, agriculture, recreation and Michigan’s image as a great place to live.

Most candidates are conversant with the hot-button Asian Carp topic — the species recently has been found at the edge of Lake Michigan — and have outlined some sort of strategy to deal with the carp and other invasive species that threaten the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Balancing the needs of commerce and energy production with preservation is another common theme among the campaigns; as with other quality of life issues, the candidates are strong on support but vague on how they’ll finance reforms and initiatives.

Lansing Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Virg Bernero is a proponent of clean energy as a jobs driver, but also has a track record of espousing clean sources such as wind energy. In 2007, Bernero signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, committing the City of Lansing to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 7 percent by 2012.

Bernero has championed Go Green! efforts at the city and school district level and has adopted a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that requires that 20 percent of the city’s energy use be from renewable sources by 2020. He also signed on Lansing to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Challenge, a call to action to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial industrial buildings by 10 percent or more.

Bouchard extols the Great Lakes and promises to protect them from water diversion and particularly invasive species; he says he would ban the sale and purchase of live Asian carp for pets or for food. Bouchard also says he’s a hunter and supports farmers’ rights.
Cox also supports defense against invasive species and water diversion. His platform also espouses water quality testing along state beaches and investment in clean coal and nuclear energy. Cox also said he would support a change to the new-car sales tax and fee structure, to make more-expensive hybrid and alternative energy vehicles more competitive with car shoppers.

Dillon is a proponent of renewable energy and “green” industries. His environmental plan includes a continued ban on imported waste and stronger protection of the Great Lakes.

George suggests revitalizing Michigan’s mining and timber industries through modern harvesting techniques. “The next governor must allow reasonable access to our natural resources,” he said.

U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Holland) this year has sponsored two bills related to the environment. One, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act, would designate more than 32,000 acres of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System but would preserve beach access as well as hunting, fishing and motorized vehicle privileges for visitors.

A second bill would enlist federal help in repelling Asian carp; it authorizes the Secretary of the Army to use its discretion employing tactics like electric and air barriers, applying fish killing chemicals, improving locks and other strategies. Hoekstra’s congressional Web site also includes support for cleanup of toxic hot spots in the Great Lakes and for protections against water diversion.

Snyder endorses public-private partnerships for environment and conservation initiatives, and strongly warns about the potential loss of millions of dollars in federal matching funds if Michigan fails to raise money for environmental protection. The candidate also suggests enlisting the state’s colleges and universities in conservation efforts, and in developing rapid-response strategies for addressing ecological problems.

While their plans vary in degree and specificity, all of the men vying to be Michigan’s next governor appear to understand citizens’ economic and emotional ties to the state’s unique assets.

But the candidates also are swift to temper their proposals with a dose of reality. “Our ability to fund any of these things will not be remedied until we fix systemic problems,” said George. “There is no new money.”