Metro
Powering Change
At Michigan's Helm
Phil Power hopes to ignite a citizens' movement to reform state government.
Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News
p
resident-elect Barack Obama
has nothing on Michigan's Phil
Power. Obama ran and was
elected on a general platform of "change
in America:' but Power, 70, of Ann Arbor, a
state political leader and former newspa-
per publisher, wants to really do a change
job on the state of Michigan.
"Michigan is in a terrible jam; our
political system is broken; both parties
in the state Legislature are at fault, and
all they're doing is re-arranging the deck
chairs on the Titanic — and blaming each
other for the iceberg:' Power told an infor-
mal meeting of Jewish community lead-
ers sponsored by the Jewish Community
Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit
at the Max M. Fisher Federation building
in Bloomfield Township last week.
Power's talk was titled "After the
Election: Prospects for Real Reform:' and
that's just putting it mildly. He was in
attack mode.
"I'm dedicated to our wonderful state
and I want to preserve it, but we need to
attack the Legislature's policies and ignite
a citizens' movement to provide input
to us and to take action and pressure
state officials to put through reforms:' he
declared, rallying the Jewish leaders to
his cause.
"We need to establish a 'beachhead' in
Lansing and get an accountable legisla-
ture."
Power is founder of the Center for
Michigan, a "think-and-do" tank aimed at
improving Michigan's policy and political
environment through a series of far-reach-
ing, broadly acceptable reforms in taxing,
spending and the priorities of state gov-
ernment.
The center has developed a "pub-
lic engagement" campaign he calls
"Michigan's Defining Moment:' seeking
to engage thousands of Michigan leaders
and citizens in community conversations,
launching a movement for change.
Power explained the center is funded by
about $3 million in grants from founda-
tions, plus private donations.
"We've had 175 meetings like this so
far, and we want to hold about 500 more
by 2010 to get citizen input for reform;' he
said.
"It's like community organizing:' he
pointed out, alluding to one of Obama's
early jobs in the Chicago area.
"This engagement program is neces-
sary for change. It serves as architecture
for reform. Surveys show that 85 percent
of Michigan residents say Michigan gov-
ernment is too partisan; many say they're
lied to by political candidates. We must
put an end to the partisan political play-
book."
With a "watershed election" ahead for
Michigan in 2010, Power feels now is the
time to make changes.
Michigan's governor, Senate majority
leader, speaker of the House, attorney
general and secretary of state will be
replaced because of term limits. Thirty of
38 current state senators and more than
70 percent of house representatives will be
gone by 2011.
"It's vital that Michigan's next gen-
eration of leaders cross the aisle, work
together and put the
CC
state's interests above
We
party politics:' Power
said.
"I hope our corn-
munity conversations
across the state result
in new candidates run-
ning for political office.
We're at a 'hinge' in
Michigan's history. The
upcoming decisions
will help decide the
state's fate for the next
75 years."
Commissioner
Jeffrey Jenks, citing
a highly expensive
six-month illness
experienced by his
wife, said, "We need
catastrophic health
care coverage on a
Federal level."
Discussing the
auto industry's
current plight,
Power stressed that
"Michigan's future
must not rely just on
one industry."
"One of the
problems with our
Michigan culture
is that we rely too
much on big compa- Phil Power: founder of the Center for Michigan.
nies like GM. We're
risk-adverse to new
firms. We hope our efforts will help create
"new blood is definitely needed" in state
more entrepreneurs and more start-ups of government, and called on Power to be a
small businesses in general."
candidate in 2010, but he declined.
Among "glaring reforms" required is the
Power served as a University of
Michigan regent from 1987-1998, and ran
state's prison system, Power added. "The
$2 billion expenditure once unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate.
on prisons is much
From 1983-1990, he chaired the Michigan
too much:' he said.
Job Training Coordinating Council. In
"We need sentencing
2000, Gov. John Engler appointed him to
the executive committee of the Michigan
reform right along
with that."
Economic Development Corporation,
Detroit Jewish News
and he currently is vice chairman of
Publisher Arthur
the MEDC and chairman of the Finance
Subcommittee.
Horwitz, who intro-
For nearly 40 years, Power helmed
duced Power, made a
plea for more involve- Home Town Communications, a group of
ment by the Jewish
62 community newspapers.
- Phil Power
community in Power's
"We're facing a newspaper crisis in
citizen engagement
America;' he intoned. "The Internet is
program. Others at the dominating, and we soon may not have
enough reporters to cover the news; and
meeting agreed that
we must continue to be accurate. The
synagogues and other Jewish organiza-
tions would be ideal places to hold these
problem with the Internet is there's insuf-
ficient editing for accuracy; almost any-
programs.
"These community conversations are
thing that's written can go out there."
designed to cover all ethnicities," Power
pointed out.
For more information on the Center for
Barbara Kratchman of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan's initiative, call (734) 769-4625 or
former CEO of ArtServce Michigan, said
visit thecenterformichigan.net.
need to estab-
lish a Cleachhead'
in Lansing and get
an accountable
legislature."
Engaging Citizens
The meeting with the Jewish community
leaders covered a wide range of subjects,
with health care getting much of the atten-
tion. Power said he supported Obama
mainly because "he's serious about health
care reform; we need a simple, clear-cut
health care plan." Huntington Woods City
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biN
November 27 • 2008
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