Gov.-elect Rick Snyder and a new class of lawmakers take office on New Year's Day, certainly with optimism and good intentions.
But Michigan faces countless challenges that will take courage and commitment to overcome. To help the state's new leaders, some resolutions for 2011:
• Let go of partisanship and focus on statesmanship. Snyder has signaled his plan to do so; but he'll need to wrestle an often uncooperative Legislature whose members have sometimes proven themselves far more committed to their individual fortunes than the state's future. From the governor's office to every legislator's office, putting the state's interests ahead of special interests must be the rule, not the exception.
• Make Snyder's two-year budget proposal a reality this year. And pass that budget by July 1. Why leave August and September to tempt themselves into bad behavior? Commit now to a new way.
• Begin real tax reform. Snyder is pushing for major revisions of the state's business tax, but so far has not revealed where he will make up the money lost to the changes. The issue reaches beyond business taxes. There must be a renewed discussion about applying sales taxes to services. There must be renewed discussion about a graduated income tax. The state's leaders must commit to a reasoned discussion of taxes that ends with structural changes that are long overdue.
• Raise the profile of K-12 and higher education. Michigan must keep working on its cultural shift away from seeing a high school education as sufficient. This is not simply a matter of money. Indeed, because the state's resources are so limited, it must carefully craft policies that have the best potential for results.
• Transportation infrastructure must become a priority. The state's roads have been neglected as funding has fallen off. Matching money to get full federal funding has been in question. Local roads are also in poor condition. Just as the tax structure needs to reflect the times, so does the system of funding road maintenance.
• Pass the Detroit International River Crossing project. This bridge will create construction jobs in the short term and significantly improve international trade.
• Be bold. Michigan too often has opted to keep doing what it's always done instead of taking the risks needed to change paths. It's time to embrace change, not resist it.
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20101231/OPINION01/12310307/1086/OPINION01