INTRO: Put new industries in old places, not old industries in new places. That’s how to grow the economy according to a group of land use advocates. Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus has the story.
TRX1: People and Land is funded by the Kellogg Foundation. So you know, Michigan Now is partially funded by the Kellogg Foundation too. People and Land gets legislators to host discussions on state government issues. Last week it was representative Robert Jones of Kalamazoo.
AX1: “What are the forces that come together that spur growth. And how can we revitalize and change to the economy of the future with the young, the mobile and also the retired and senior?”
TRX2: A few other legislators showed up to hear Jones and People and Land’s co director Bill Rustem. He’s also President of Public Sector Consultants in Lansing.
AX2: “Place matters. What your community looks like matters. Whether or not you’re gonna be able to attract those entrepreneurs and those young people will be defined by the kind of places we create in Michigan.”
TRX3: Throughout Governor Granholm’s six years, Rustem’s been saying:
AX3: “If you take a short term view of chasing factories, we’re gonna lose. Michigan’s gonna lose the long term economic argument.”
TRX4: Out of state or out of the country employers could come and hire workers to manufacture things here. But Rustem says the jobs won’t multiply into more jobs. And after a couple years, the company might ship those jobs overseas, Then leave the new factory built on a cornfield to just sit there and be another headache for local government.
AX4: “People say, I can bring a plant here. We’re gonna put the money in a park?”
TRX5: Are you kidding? No. Soji Adelaja is not. He’s the other People and Land co-director. His researchers at the MSU land Policy Institute are explaining how economic growth happens.
AX5: “A category of developed amenities the one that surprised us the most was green infrastructure. A one point increase in the index of parks and trails and picnic areas and golf courses translates into 2,322 more jobs.”
TRX6: This is from data gathered on counties across the country. Whole industries are being created through the internet. They and other service industries now make up 70% of the U.S. economy. So forget tax incentives to lure companies. Instead, spend money on cities, parks and farmland preservation. That will bring the knowledge workers and THEY’ll create new industries.
AX6: “People follow amenities and quality of life. In the past, we try to find those places that are already well entrenched in manufacturing culture because that’s where the jobs were. The world has really changed..”
TRX7: Adelaja is telling state government leaders to create new industries in old places. That’s just the opposite of what Michigan has done since the 1950′s, which is build up old industries, the car industry mainly, in new places like townships. Michigan Townships Association lobbyist Bill Anderson listened to the talk. He says don’t blame townships for offering tax incentives to businesses. And Townships should be able to attract residents too.
AX6: “The most important message that we take from it is the idea of place. The message that everyone has something unique to offer, that helps bring people into the state of Michigan.”
TRX8: New economy advocates say there’s nothing unique about another Home Depot, Walmart and AppleBees clustered on the land. The guys who create a lot of jobs want crowded, historic cities to work in and unspoiled woods and waters to play in.
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