Jan. 20—ACME — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer looked to some Depression-era initiatives to help frame her agenda for moving Michigan forward in 2024 to several hundred northern Michigan business and community leaders on Friday at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
Whitmer, in her presentation to the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance Policy Conference, talked about the efforts of thousands of Michigan residents in the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal period of the 1930s. They planted more than 480 million trees around the state — most in the nation — to repair the environmental impact of the extensive lumbering and mining operations of the day.
“We get to enjoy the trees they planted and live in this beautiful place that they helped make,” Whitmer said. “And it’s that spirit of working hard, so your children and grandchildren can live better, healthier and richer lives, is what I know drives so much of the work in the people in this room.”
Whitmer said she wants to continue those efforts of “planting for the future” by expanding on the state’s efforts over the past year in areas of business support, talent development, housing expansion and other initiatives to grow the state’s economy.
“Uplifting businesses requires us all to come together — Republicans, Democrats, independents alike,” she said. “I know that one size does not fit all and that’s why we’ve pursued targeted, regional solutions too.”
Whitmer touted the efforts of the Office of Rural Prosperity created almost two years ago to support economic development and growth in rural areas, a bipartisan effort to improve the shipping of Michigan agricultural products around the country and internationally, and a tax cut for Michigan distillers and brewers among other business tax reforms.
“We’ve shown time and time again that we can work across the aisle to lower costs, and help business create jobs and reinvest in communities,” Whitmer said. “Our work is paying off.”
The state wants to continue helping Michigan’s workforce in areas including dealing with the acute shortage of child care. Whitmer said her “Caring for My Future Plan” created up to 1,000 new or expanded child care programs, which drew applause from the nearly 500-member audience. She also talked about Michigan’s talent attraction efforts, including expansion of the Michigan Reconnect program to give more residents access to associate degrees and skilled trade training, and other college assistance programs.
Whitmer also pivoted to the state’s community development efforts to help make it more attractive to potential workers. The state took significant steps to expand tax increment financing and brownfield development financial incentives to boost the housing sector — efforts that have spurred several new housing projects in northern Michigan.
“Last year we made record bipartisan investments to build thousands of affordable housing units across this region,” she said, and funded efforts to refurbish main street districts and improve blighted properties. “This is critical I know — in this part of our state especially.”
Whitmer said she plans on expanding on her priorities in her State of the State address next week in Lansing, and her new budget proposal coming up in a few weeks. She said she wants to keep northern Michigan competitive by supporting expanded research and development efforts, more manufacturing jobs and the region’s efforts in the area of freshwater research and continued broadband expansion in underserved areas.
“We’re helping people plant roots that can last the test of time,” she said. “After all, that’s who we are and what we do — who else could have planted almost 500 million trees?”
Other highlights of the Alliance Policy Conference included brief presentations from Michigan Speaker of the House Rep. Joseph Tate, D-Detroit, and new Michigan State Housing Development Authority Executive Director Amy Hovey, who discussed the state’s new housing development incentives in more detail. Sarah Lucas, the former community development director for Traverse City-based Networks Northwest, also reviewed the work of the Office of Rural Prosperity that she was appointed to lead in April 2022. The office funded some $1.8 million in programming last year for almost 40 projects related to housing, health access, child care and non-motorized infrastructure development.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson also spoke on election law changes and previewed some of the new voting rules that will go into effect in the 2024 election. Benson addressed the conference via a Zoom call as weather conditions downstate prevented her from attending in person.
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