A week from now, two dozen individuals from around the state will gather in Livonia to celebrate their coming of age in leadership, public policy and the principles of good governance. They are graduating fellows of the Michigan Political Leadership Program, a program operated under the auspices of Michigan State University that instructs an equal number of indivduals from each of the two major political parties each year to improve government.
One of those individuals will be Jane Drake, coordinator for the Community Coordinating Council of Muskegon County that comprises more than 45 member organizations, and a member of the Fremont City Council. Since its 1992 launch, nearly 500 people have completed the 10-weekend course in public policy, including State Rep. Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids) and State Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland). About a quarter of the fellows who graduated are serving or have served in public office.
Rapid Growth recently talked with Drake, 53, a candidate for the state House 100th District seat, about her experience with the MPLP. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and master's in labor and industrial relations from Michigan State University.
Q: Why did you apply for the MPLP?
A: I was considering entering the race for state representative in the 100th District and felt I needed to round out my understanding of state policy issues.
Q: What are some of the most useful things you learned from the MPLP for your state representative bid?
A: Probably the most useful thing was really the last session. (Richard McLellan) has been around Lansing politics for over 50 years. I had an opportunity to say to him, 'I'm going to do this, and I want to be the best and most effective legislator I can be. What would you recommend that I focus on for my first 90 days in Lansing?' His suggestion to me was don't wait until January. Immediately after the primary, get down to Lansing and start making a pest of yourself. That's how I do things anyway. I'm impatient.
Q: Did the MPLP Program give you a better understanding of your own strengths as a public servant and how those can serve Michigan residents?
A: The first thing that was laid out to me in brutal honesty was by someone who has been around Lansing politics. He basically said I was too old and too nice, and then we laughed about it and said, 'You know, that could be a positive, too.' ... I've always been a very analytical person -- someone who could synthesize a lot of information. I was effective at that -- even in a class of bright lights.
Q: What are the three major problems facing Michigan?
A: Clearly it's jobs. We don't have enough of them and the ones we have aren't paying enough. Second problem, I think, is education. Third, I wrestle between tax policy and infrastructure.
Q: How would you begin to solve them?
A: We need to streamline how new businesses, expanding businesses can get to bringing in the development they need to bring in jobs. Infrastructure ... roads, everybody sees the roads, everybody feels the roads. They don't see or feel the water and the sewers and they're crumbling underneath our feet. Those are fundamental to industrial processes, so we need to work on those. We talk about telecommuting and we don't have good internet or cell services uniformly throughout the state.
Those are all infrastructural issues that, if we could work on, businesses would have more flexibility and we could be more open to getting jobs anywhere in the state instead of just in the isolated pockets. Education ... we look at a system that people are not satisfied with -- it's too expensive and people are not getting the outcomes they want.
All the talk big in Lansing is about consolidation. Consolidation doesn't necessarily save money or make things simpler and easy.
Q: How does Michigan keep its young talent from moving out of the state?
A: They say young people are really attracted to vibrant, urban environments. If you can find something to attract their attention and keep them involved -- whether it's a festival or a concert, sports -- you have a better chance of holding onto them when they get ready to settle down with their families.
Obviously, though, the biggest thing is going to be jobs. What I hear from my son is he doesn't want to be in a desk with a cubicle. I think everybody has the Dilbert impression of work. They want to see (the kinds of jobs where) I can kick back and wear my jeans and put my boots on the desk and listen to my music. There are those types of jobs -- the more high-tech, design, creative side of working -- and we need to get more of that in Michigan.
Q: Did you learn more from younger, aspiring politicians in the MPLP about what concerns young people have in this state?
A: We all have the same concern. They apply it to what's going to happen with their children. I'm at a stage where my children are young adults, so I'm applying it to my potential grandchildren. We want a place where we're proud to live here. That we're proud to raise our children here. We're proud to work here. You don't want to live in a state where you're a joke and people think you're backward. We're not. We have a lot going on in this state, so we need to celebrate those things and work on those successes. We can do it. We can be better. We have so many resources and amenities here.
Former Michigan governors Jim Blanchard and John Engler will headline MPLP's 15th annual dinner on Thursday, Feb. 25 in Livonia and the 8th Annual West Michigan breakfast on Friday, Feb. 26 in Grand Rapids. Tickets and sponsorships are available by calling 517-353-0891. The events are open to the public.
Aaron Ogg talks to politicians, party store owners, himself, kids, leaders of big corporations and the unemployed and writes about them. His byline most often appears in The Grand Rapids Press.
Photos:
Jane Drake, coordinator for the Community Coordinating Council of Muskegon County, and a member of the Fremont City Council (4)
Photographs by Josh Tyron -All Rights Reserved
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