Statement on the passing of Kathleen M. Wilbur
Michigan Future, Inc. (MFI), released the following statement from Lou Glazer on behalf of the board of directors and MFI staff following the passing of board chair, Kathleen M. Wilbur: “We’re devastated at the passing of our friend and colleague Kathy Wilbur. Her decades of being an advocate for higher education and making Michigan a better place for all have…
Michigan’s Prosperity Will Be Generation Z Driven
Adapted from Michigan Future, Inc. President Lou Glazer's Growing Michigan Together Council presentation on November 2, 2023. Michigan was a 20th Century high-prosperity state. Now we are a 21st Century low-prosperity state. Ranking 39th in per capita income, 13 percent below the national average in 2022. This is the lowest Michigan has been compared to the nation ever. This is…
Michigan’s Path to Prosperity
Editor’s Note: This article appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of the Michigan Planner. The Michigan Planner magazine is delivered six times per year to members of the Michigan Association of Planning, the Michigan Chapter of the American Planning Association. The Michigan Association of Planning exists to promote quality community planning through education, information and advocacy, statewide. More information available…
We’ve been measuring the wrong things – and workers are fed up
“Workers Strike” is becoming an increasingly common headline as the casino workers in Detroit join the UAW, health care workers and more across our state. How can this be when unemployment is again near record lows, workforce participation is up, and inflation is coming down? These glowing measures, that are touted by politicians, businesses, and economists, are clear indications of…
Mapping and addressing the “benefit cliff” in Michigan
This post summarizes a short report we wrote on the benefit cliff in Michigan, which can be found here: Mapping and Addressing Benefit Cliffs in Michigan In early 2023, Senator Kristen McDonald-Rivet established a working group to explore the so-called “benefit cliff,” and its impact on Michigan families. Most public benefits (SNAP benefits, housing assistance, cash assistance) are “means tested,”…