As America confronts the reality of structural racism, it is clear that we must fundamentally reform policing now. It also is clear that redesigning policing is not enough. We need to put on the table topics that have been off…
This post was first published in July 2017. As America confronts the reality of structural racism, it is clear we need to put on the table topics that have been off the table for far too long. One of those…
The struggles way too many Michiganders are going through to get safety net benefits make clear that we need to go to no red tape cash benefits. The main reason for how difficult it is to get much needed benefits…
As we have explored in our lessons from a pandemic-driven economy posts (here and here) what the multitude of low-wage workers need most is cash. Everyday in every Michigan community we see the vast number of low-wage workers––some still working,…
We are all told that we need to have savings of 3-6 months to deal with emergencies. One of the lessons we are learning from our pandemic-driven economy is that a lot of workers don't earn enough to have savings.…
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made clear in recent Congressional testimony that a strong safety net is the not the cause of the decline in labor force participation. In a terrific article about Powell's testimony, the Washington Post writes: U.S.…
The call to action we co-authored with economic and community development leaders from across the state was released just prior to the pandemic slamming Michigan. It calls on our state, regional and community leaders to make rising household income for…
The Detroit News recently published an op ed I co-authored with Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, and David Meador, vice chairman and chief administrative officer of DTE Energy. All three of us are also co-authors…
For the past year, Michigan Future has collaborated with a group of economic and community development leaders from around the state. Together, this collaborative released a “Rising Income for All” call to action on March 8, 2020, accompanied by the…
Let's start the new year with the big picture. An overview of the structural economic challenges Michigan faces if we are to have an economy that as it grows benefits all. Redefining economic success. First is understanding that even though…