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The other side of the good-for-business equation
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There’s been a lot of talk lately about creating a good business climate in Michigan. Let’s not forget that investing in human capital has to be part of that equation. The League’s new public policy agenda, A Road Map to Opportunity & Prosperity (pdf), looks at what investments are needed going forward to position workers for the return of better times. |
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Note from Gilda Z. Jacobs
Lessons from the front lines
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Gilda Z. Jacobs
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These past few months in Michigan have been ones of reflection and learning for the administration, Legislature, Michigan League for Human Services, and our coalition partners. It was a time of priority setting, politics, and policy. What seemed like an impossible task turned out to be achievable.
We saved the “spirit “of the state Earned Income Tax Credit at a time when no one thought any tax credits would be part of the budget. In the end, this meant that $108 million would still be divided
among some 800,000 filers and would be inserted back into the local economy. It’s 6 percent of the federal credit, down from 20 percent. Not all that we had hoped for, but an important victory nonetheless.
It is a remarkable story, one that needs to be told. Through a coalition of partners in the child advocacy, faith, labor, senior, education, and human services communities, we joined together to speak in one voice. We pointed to the governor’s dashboard, one that addressed reducing the number of children in poverty. We explained how elimination of the EITC would plunge 14,000 more children into poverty at a time when families were already hurting. We spoke of a moral imperative, but mostly about the significant economic impact of the EITC.
But most importantly, we came up with a workable plan that accepted the target dollars and would help more families than originally planned. And we found champions like Sen. Mark Jansen and Rep. Jud Gilbert and an open mind and open door with the administration to explain our plan and its benefits. Kudos to Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who helped to champion the changes before a Senate committee. And today, the EITC is alive and well in Michigan.
I hope that you will take the time to thank our champions and the administration for working with our coalition in preserving this important lifeline for so many families in our state. And thank you to the hundreds of people who took time out of their busy lives to contact their legislators and the governor’s office. We could not have done this without all of you.
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June 16: Moving Up, Not Out
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There is still time to secure your spot at the June 16 policy forum on the future of Michigan’s young adults. The registration fee will be waived for students, but students still need to register!
The forum, Moving Up, Not Out: Investing in Our Young Adults in Michigan, will be held from 1-3:30 p.m. June 16 at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing It will feature the release of a new paper by New York City-based Demos: Building Michigan’s Future Middle Class: Addressing the Challenges Facing Young Adults.
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Presenting will be Demos Vice President Tamara Draut, Michigan State University Economist Charles Ballard, Michigan Future, Inc. President Lou Glazer and New Economy Initiative Senior Consultant Sam Singh.
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Free webinar on BEST report
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| Detroit Free Press photo |
Join the Michigan Association of United Ways and the Michigan League for Human Services for a 10 a.m. June 14 webinar on the Basic Economic Security Tables for Michigan report by Wider Opportunities for Women in partnership with the League. Matt Unrath of WOW will present. Please RSVP here. (If you can’t join the live webinar, a link to a recorded session will be posted later.)
The report details what wages are needed by different households. For single, childless workers, an hourly wage of $12.24 is needed – nearly $5 an hour above Michigan’s minimum wage.
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League welcomes Melissa Smith
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 Melissa Smith joined the League June 6 as a senior policy analyst. Her work will focus on budget, tax and policy analysis on issues related to poverty and safety net programs.
Prior to joining the League, Melissa was the Work Supports Policy Analyst at Community Action Partnership of Utah. She also served as an Equal Justice Works/Americorps Attorney in Minnesota where she worked to increase the availability of legal services to low-income individuals.
Melissa received her law degree in 2001 from the University of Minnesota Law School and her master’s in criminology and criminal justice from Florida State University in 2008.
Welcome, Melissa!
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EPI: NAFTA drained Mich. jobs
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As of 2010, U.S. trade deficits with Mexico totaling $97.2 billion had displaced 682,900 U.S. jobs. Of those jobs, 116,400 are likely economy-wide job losses because they were displaced between 2007 and 2010, when the U.S. labor market was severely depressed.
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