Roads top priority to come of of 2014 West Michigan Policy Forum
Mlive, September 29, 2014
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The mandate out of the 2014 West Michigan Policy Forum was clear: Fix the state’s pot-holed roads, and make other needed investment in the state’s infrastructure.
Not only was it the top priority with 37 percent of the votes, but nearly all the attendees - 97 percent of those who voted - agreed Michigan business leaders should begin to hold state legislators accountable for their lack of investment in the state’s infrastructure and transportation.
It was one of four priorities to come out of the day-and-a-half conference that wrapped up on Monday, Sept. 29, at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Before the voting, the more than 400 attendees listened to national experts and Michigan business leaders give presentations on the issues.
Fixing Michigan’s roads is also a priority for Gov. Rick Snyder, who gave a keynote address at the conference.
“I want to get this wrapped up before the end of the year,” Snyder told MLive, adding that the long-term funding solution will be a combination of gas tax and registration fees. “We’ve had two or three variations of it. Now, we just need to get all the legislators together to figure out one answer and do it.”
Doug DeVos, Amway president and immediate past chairman of the group behind the conference, said the priorities are about quality-of-life issues. All three issues have been discussed at the group’s three previous biennial conferences but were never voted a priority until this year.
“We have a track record,” DeVos said. “We’ve made progress in the last couple of years.”
The group’s previous priorities of replacing the Michigan Business Tax, making Michigan a right-to-work state and streamlining the state permit process have been accomplished.
The forum was created in 2008 to create a voice for the business community to weigh in on issues that are important to them.
The other two Ts of the conference — term limits and talent development - were nearly a tie for second place with 22 and 21 percent of the votes. Coming in fourth was a call for an expansion of college credits for work experience, a proposal that received 20 percent of votes.
Term limits need to be modified, according to 71 percent of voters, while 27 percent want them eliminated altogether. Only 2 percent want them left untouched.
Snyder sidestepped the term limit issue, saying: “I think it’s a good issue for the legislators to discuss. I’m staying focused on job creation.”
On the issue of talent development, 99 percent of voters agreed the state should explore allowing regions that are aligned with business more flexibility in spending talent development dollars.
Nearly as many, 97 percent, supported the idea of the state exploring policies to give more flexibility in K-16 curriculum so that learning is more connected to career paths. There was less enthusiasm for the idea of expanding policies to give more college credits for work experience, with just 84 percent of voters supporting that plan.
Snyder called the need for more skilled workers the top priority for him.
“We have over 80,000 open but good jobs out there,” Snyder said. “And there’s a clear disconnect in terms of people looking at them as not viable careers or not having the right training or being in the right place. We could do much better there, and it would put thousands of Michiganders in well-paying jobs.”
Shandra Martinez covers business for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Email her or follow her on Twitter @shandramartinez.
