2007 Press Room Archive

Detroit Free Press
October 10, 2007
Focus on building opportunity in state
For the last 20 years, Michigan's economic growth strategy and political wars have centered on tax policies. It's pretty easy to see what the state has to show for that. Businesses, investors and entrepreneurs look at far more than tax rates.
(full article)

Oakland Business Review
October 4, 2007
Technology talent pool paying dividends
It took some faith - and no small adrenaline rush - to trust that the speeding Mercedes S-Class sedan would stop behind the pace car slowing ahead of us on the Ford test track in Dearborn. The driver, a fellow news media member, asked our demonstrator in a near panic whether he should step on the brake pedal. (full article)

Oakland Business Reveiw
October 4, 2007
Guest Opinion: Talent rules new economy
Oakland County is losing Volkswagen's North American headquarters to Virginia. VW is leaving so it can attract a skilled, young work force, says Stefan Jacoby, the newly arrived CEO of VW North America. (full article)

Detroit Free Press
September 6, 2007
State's economic struggles have little to do with taxes; budget can't be balanced without revenue increases
For more than a quarter of a century, I have focused my research on understanding the effects of taxes. Do taxes matter? Of course they do.

But it's important to keep things in perspective as the governor and Legislature debate how to balance the state budget and avoid an estimated shortfall of $1.8 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Public discussion about taxes in Michigan has often been dominated by shrill and exaggerated rhetoric.(full article)

Crain's Detroit Business
August 12, 2007
Stores, transit, walkability: To attract millennials, appeal to their desires
First it was the baby boomers. Then Generation X. Now it's time for the millennials to take center stage.

For a struggling Michigan economy, finding out what this group needs is a top priority and should greatly affect housing planning, according to experts. (full article)

Detroit News
July 29, 2007
Michigan should mine geezer gold
I'm not one who thinks the Boomer generation will bring an end to old age. Time will catch us all eventually, despite our determination to stay forever young.active and, hopefully, longer and more comfortable. (full article)

American Society of Employers
June 2007
A New Agenda For A New Michigan: An Eagle Eye Interview With Lou Glazer of Michigan Future, Inc.
One reason it is so hard to think truly “outside the box” when we problem-solve is that we tend to start by buying into accepted theories about what caused the problem in the first place. When it comes to Michigan’s floundering economy and apparent youthful brain drain, we assume the problem is a combination of the woes of the Big Three, an outmoded and prohibitive business tax burden, and any number of additional factors starting with lousy weather and including bad roads and no public transportation. (full article)

MiBiz Network
June 25, 2007
Restore the Rohwer
Michigan’s culture could not be more wrong for the 21st century.

This state really invented the concept of low-skilled, high-wage jobs," Milt Rohwer told MiBiz. "Many of those jobs have been lost and are not ever going to come back." (full article)

Muskegon Chronicle
June 14, 2007
Speaker: State must attract highly skilled talent
Conventional wisdom places the blame for Michigan's economic woes on the downward spiral of the Big Three automakers.

Wrong, says Lou Glazer, lead author of "A New Agenda for a New Michigan," a comprehensive challenge that is being embraced by leaders throughout the state. (full article)

Crain's Detroit Business
June 4, 2007
Millennial draw
Metro Detroit's future may hinge on its ability to attract the millennial generation of under-30s.

An informal group that includes Michigan Future Inc., the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, the Michigan Municipal League and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, in May brought in a recognized expert to help deliver a message to area government, foundation and business leaders. (full article)

Crain's Detroit Business
June 4, 2007
What's a millennial?
There are 78 million millennials in the U.S.

Born between 1977 and 1996, they are the second-largest generation in America, behind the baby boomers. (full article)

Rick Haglund
May 23, 2007
Column: Michigan cities have to work on being cool
Two of Michigan's most serious economic problems -- and we've got plenty -- are these:

Many of our brightest and most educated young people are leaving. And our cities, where many young people want to live, are dying. (full article)

Lansing State Journal
May 9, 2007
Melot: Out from under dome
Glazer: Economic gain isn't product of state Capitol

In the American lexicon, "future" is a relentlessly positive word. Life always will be better in the future.

Lou Glazer is president of the group Michigan Future Inc. He has some thoughts on the state's and the region's future. They are not relentlessly upbeat. (full article)

Dowagiac Daily News
March 30, 2007
Talent Trumps Low Taxes
Talent - not low taxes - drives prosperity in the new global economy, Michigan Municipal
League Executive Director Dan Gilmartin said Thursday night to the 16th annual Cass County Intergovernmental Forum at the Edward Lowe Center for the Council on Aging. (full article)

Grand Rapids Press
March 14, 2007
Hillegonds takes jab at tax cuts
Republicans and business owners tend to view lower taxes as an 11th commandment, but
Tuesday a once-prominent Republican challenged doctrine at a chamber of commerce breakfast in this solidly GOP locale. (full article)

Detroit News
March 12, 2007
75% of education school grads can't get jobs in Michigan
Michigan universities continue to graduate large numbers of new teachers -- an estimated 7,000 will be certified this year -- but three-fourths won't land jobs here because there aren't enough teaching positions to go around. (full article)

Crain's Detroit Business
March 5, 2007
Funding pool can help all research
Michigan has 15 publicly funded state universities. But only three of them attract large numbers of federal research dollars — $1.3 billion a year by one recent tally.
(full article)

Grand Rapids Press
March 3, 2007
More talent -- not lower taxes -- will aid economy
We all want a Michigan that once again offers lots of good paying jobs. But many middle class jobs of the past are now gone forever. How to replace them in the new global economy is the key economic challenge facing the state. (full article)

Lansing State Journal
February 18, 2007
What's the model - Alabama or Minnesota?
The tax and spend decisions Lansing is making today will impact the state's ecomony for years. With stakes so high, the question we should answer first is:

"If our strategy works, what would the Michigan economy look like?" (full article)

metromode
January 18, 2007
The Real Big Three
The Big Three — Ford, General Motors and Chrysler — controlled the fate of this state for a century. When they struggled, Michigan struggled. But as the auto industry cuts jobs, closes plants and absorbs financial losses, the place of the domestic auto industry in the future is as just another player in a field of players. (full article)