5 ideas liberals and conservatives could agree on – Detroit Free Press
Michael J. Reitz, Guest Writer 11:15 p.m. ET Feb. 25, 2017
The Michigan State Capitol building on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Lansing.(Photo: Elaine Cromie/Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo
Donald Trumps election unsettled many people. Hundreds of thousands of people are protesting his presidency, appointees and policies. And here in Michigan, Republicans control the governors office and both chambers of the Michigan Legislature. If you find yourself in the political minority, take heart.
There are a number of proposals lawmakers may tackle that all voters could support ideas that would especially benefit Michigans neediest residents.
Here are five ideas to consider:
Eliminate barriers to jobs:The best anti-poverty program, by far, is a good job. Work provides resources, yes, but it also gives a person a greater sense of worth, dignity and purpose. Do you remember your first job? Chances are it was tough, low-paying and something you wouldnt want to do again. But I bet you are grateful for it and can recite many lessons you learned in the role. Giving people a clear path to a job is a noble and life-affirming task.
The State of Michigan requires a license for more than 200 occupations, which affects more than 20% of workers. (Compare that to the minimum wage, which applies to only 1% of workers.) Installing wood floors, laying concrete, painting a wall, siding a house these all require permission from a government agency. The states licenses are usually accompanied by high fees and costly training. The result? We prevent people from obtaining meaningful work.
Improve the states school-ranking system:In January, the Michigan School Reform Office announced that 38 academically struggling schools could face closure after three straight years of low achievement. This announcement understandably ignited concerns.
While accountability is critically important, the manner of evaluating schools could be improved. The states Top-to-Bottom ranking merely assesses schools based on average student test scores.It fails to take student poverty into account. As a result, schools that are demonstrating growth in spite of socioeconomic hurdles can be unfairly penalized.
Promote criminal justice reform:An effective criminal justice system achieves public safety while maximizing resources. Michigan incarcerates more than 43,000 people and spends $2 billion each year on corrections. Prison sentences and prison stays here, which exceed national averages in length, consume ever more money. The state could improve how it collects and manages data to help researchers and policymakers better understand rehabilitation, prisoner re-entry and recidivism; bills in the Senate will do this.
Michigan has 3,100 criminal statutes on the books. The Legislature could reduce the likelihood that you unwittingly commit a crime by repealing outdated or duplicative laws.
If you are suspected of a crime, the police can confiscate your cash and property without an arrest or conviction. Lawmakers should protect individual property rights by banning forfeiture without the conviction of a crime.
Give citizens a tax cut:Lawmakers should reconsider a bill that would roll back the personal income tax. This would let taxpayers keep their own money and do more to boost the economy than the states costly corporate-welfare giveaways. Families can make better decisions about how to spend their money than lawmakers and bureaucrats who try to lure companies through subsidies, credits and targeted tax cuts.
Shine the light on government actions:One of the lessons from the Flint water crisis is that open government is good government. Michigan is the only state with a law that specifically exempts the governor from its Freedom of Information Act. The Legislature is also exempt from FOIA. As a result, documents and communication within those branches of government are not available to the public.
Its time to extend FOIAs requirements to the governor and the Legislature. As the law explains: The people shall be informed so that they may fully participate in the democratic process.
Casting a vote in a presidential election is a great privilege and right, but one need not wait until 2020 to practice civic engagement. There are real opportunities in 2017 to promote and advance ideas to help the people of Michigan.
Michael Reitz is the executive vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland.
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5 ideas liberals and conservatives could agree on - Detroit Free Press
- Texas Politics Keeps Moving Rightward. Meet Ten Liberals Who Fled the State. - Texas Monthly - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Facebook Fact Checks Were Never Going to Save Us. They Just Made Liberals Feel Better. - The Intercept - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Liberals win support of NDP, independents by promising enhanced review of Churchill Falls MOU - Yahoo News UK - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Rebuilding the Liberals after Trudeau - The Globe and Mail - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Opinion: To avoid decimation, the Liberals likely need a leader from Quebec - The Globe and Mail - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Several top Liberals say they're eyeing leadership but they're waiting to see the rules first - Yahoo News Canada - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- The Liberals could be crushed in the next election. Why would anyone want to lead them? - CBC News - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Local Liberals applaud Trudeau and his decision to leave while Conservatives lament his legacy - Calgary Herald - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Liberals Are Facing a Global Meltdown - AMAC Official Website - Join and Explore the Benefits - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
- Canada's Trudeau resigns after nine years in power as Liberals force him out - The Japan Times - January 9th, 2025 [January 9th, 2025]
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- Harvard: Liberals Struggle More with Mental Health - Patheos - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Liberals in a better place with Canadians on carbon tax, says Guilbeault - iPolitics.ca - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- With Justin Trudeau's Resignation Coming, What's Next For Canada And The Liberals? - Times Now - January 6th, 2025 [January 6th, 2025]
- Why Liberals Struggle to Cope With Epochal Change - The Atlantic - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
- Austrian liberals quit coalition talks, throwing process into turmoil - Reuters - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
- The Federal Liberals New Years Eve Nightmare: Party vote intent sinks to 16%, Trudeau approval at all-time low - Angus Reid Institute - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
- Braid: Extinction in Parliament is now a real threat to Liberals under Justin Trudeau - Calgary Herald - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
- Joe Oliver: Where do Trudeau and the Liberals go from here? - Financial Post - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
- GUNTER: Liberals heading into election a desperate party - Toronto Sun - January 3rd, 2025 [January 3rd, 2025]
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- Breakenridge: UCP at a loss when not battling Trudeau's Liberals - Calgary Herald - December 25th, 2024 [December 25th, 2024]
- Why Liberals Will Give Two Cheers for Trump - Foreign Policy In Focus - December 25th, 2024 [December 25th, 2024]
- Kelly McParland: The Liberals have only one choice an election - National Post - December 25th, 2024 [December 25th, 2024]
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- LILLEY: Infighting shows Liberals can't run their party or country - Toronto Sun - December 25th, 2024 [December 25th, 2024]
- Whats next for Trudeau and the Liberals after a chaotic 2024 - The Globe and Mail - December 25th, 2024 [December 25th, 2024]
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- David Harsanyi: Don't trash the Constitution to dunk on the liberals - The Union Leader - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- Democrats and College Liberals: Severely Out of Touch - The Colgate Maroon-News - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- Liberals Are Already Fighting Each Other On Bluesky - Outkick - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- An ad supporting Jenifer Branning finds imaginary liberals on the Mississippi Supreme Court - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- Dont Trash the Constitution To Dunk on the Liberals - The New York Sun - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- Want To Exchange Ideas With Annoying Liberals Like Yourself? Here's How To Delete Your X Account and Join Bluesky. - Washington Free Beacon - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
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- Jewish liberals should follow Morning Joe and drop the resistance - JNS.org - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- The Week in Polling: Liberals and NDP tied for first time since 2015, Canadians twice as likely to feel worse off financially than better, and most... - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- Chris Selley: Hoping Trump will help them isn't looking good for the Liberals - National Post - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- How Bluesky is coping with influx of liberals rushing to quit X - The Times - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
- The winners and losers of the Liberals holiday tax break and cash giveaway - Toronto Star - November 23rd, 2024 [November 23rd, 2024]
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- Behind Trumps victory lies a cold reality: liberals have no answers for a modern age in crisis - The Guardian - November 19th, 2024 [November 19th, 2024]
- Dont trash the Constitution to dunk on the liberals - Washington Examiner - November 19th, 2024 [November 19th, 2024]
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- Liberals Cant Stop Gushing Over Trumps Foreign Policy Team - The Nation - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
- Liberals cant afford to cut Trump supporters out of their lives - Washington Examiner - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
- The New Election Conspiracy Theory Thats Coming From Liberals - Slate - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
- Liberals pressure Senate Democrats to confirm more Biden judges while they can - The Associated Press - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
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- Bill Maher eviscerates 'privileged' and 'stupid' liberals who make voters 'want to punch them in the face' - Daily Mail - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
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- Ezra Klein to Liberals Blaming FOX News, Saying The Economy Is Actually Good: "Shut The F*ck Up With That" - RealClearPolitics - November 17th, 2024 [November 17th, 2024]
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- 'Canada will be absolutely fine': Liberals try to reassure Canadians they are ready for Trump 2.0 - National Post - November 8th, 2024 [November 8th, 2024]
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- Perspective: Liberals and conservatives dont have to be at war - Deseret News - November 8th, 2024 [November 8th, 2024]