News & Editorial from Amy Clickner and Lake Superior Community Partnership, sharing the U.P. Perspective:

It started with the 2018 New York Times article, “Can Rural America Be Saved?”, but read more like, “should rural America be saved?”, which was responded to by Professor Jean Hardy, University of Michigan Research Assistant whose work on rural economic and social development is well recognized, in “How Rural America is Saving Itself” published by CityLab.

Speaking of rural, did you know that of the 83 counties in Michigan, 59 of them are considered rural? Did you know that there are 2 million Michiganders that reside in rural communities? Even the counties that are considered “metro” agree that they have rural areas within that space. In total, rural makes up 20% of the state’s population. Well, that’s a fact.

Taking all of this into consideration, the conversation began with folks that had like-minded concerns. The Lake Superior Community Partnership, Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance and InvestUP quickly realized this is an opportunity that cannot be overlooked. We searched out Professor Hardy. We shared our thoughts with our board and other organizations. We started paying more attention to stories in the media:

“Michigan’s Southeastern Half Got Most of the 16,690 State Funded Jobs in 2017”, MLive, April 2018

“Limited Internet in Rural Michigan Limits Student, Business Opportunity”, Bridge Magazine, January 2018

“Where Have All the Babies Gone?”, Bridge Magazine, March 2019

“Rural Hospitals in Michigan Face Dilemma”, Bridge Magazine, September 2019

“High Housing Costs in Traverse City Now Hurting More Industries in Region”, Bridge Magazine, January 2020

“Suicides, Often Linked to Opioids, Spike in Rural Michigan”, Bridge Magazine, March 2019

“$18 Billion Debt Coming Due and It’s Haunting Small Town Michigan”, Bridge Magazine, February 2019

“See Which Roads in Your Area Gov. Whitmer’s Borrowing Plan Will Fix”, MLive, January 2020

... and that all led to the crafting of a white paper and plan for a solution.

After all, if you want to affect change… make a bold move, right?

And that is exactly what we are doing in order to make the most of Michigan! Let me introduce you to the proposed Rural Affairs and Development (RAAD) Department for the State of Michigan and the RAAD Coalition that kicked this off in Lansing last week in a State of Rural Michigan press briefing.

Despite the state’s emergence from the recession, many rural areas have been slower to recover, and nearly all are losing population especially in key workforce age demographics. We don’t dispute that fact. If not addressed, depopulation and economic stagnation can lead to a number of economic and social challenges like lack of workforce, shortage of local tax revenues, hospitals closing or cutting back, school closures and a lack of high wage job growth opportunities.

We need to make the most of what Michigan has to offer... that means urban, suburban and rural. The Rural Affairs and Development (RAAD) Department will do just that. The director would be at a peer level with other department leaders and help guide internal and external state policy on rural affairs. The ability to focus and coordinate rural policy efforts that deal with rural affairs, funding and service delivery would break down silos, use current resources more effectively and leverage additional public and private resources. Michigan would be a national leader in targeting rural economic growth and stability in this manner.

At the Lansing press event we highlighted issues in rural healthcare, demographics, energy, economic development, housing, childcare and talent. You can read more highlights on this event on our website marquette.org. This was just a broad overview to support the premise that RAAD is much needed. We also made it clear that this is not growing government, but rather coordinating government in order to focus on and elevate rural challenges.

How do you play a role in “Making the Most Out of Michigan”? We know that complex issues don’t move without champions. Become one of the many champions of the initiative and stay up to date on action steps and where you can engage through the LSCP website marquette.org/ruralaffairsanddevelopment/.

Keep in mind this is not a Northern Michigan issue or an Upper Peninsula issue, for that matter. This is a statewide issue, supported by the 80+ business, education, government and non-profit champions that have already committed to this movement. We believe this will allow Michigan’s rural areas to be better poised for positive change and growth that will change the national trend. Join us!

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Beyond Amy's editorial, here are more details regarding that recent session in Lansing.

RURAL AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT (RAAD) COALITION KICK OFF PUSH FOR CABINET LEADER TO PRIORITIZE RURAL MICHIGAN COMMUNITY NEEDS    

• Marty Fittante, CEO, InvestUP
• Warren Call, President/CEO, Traverse Connect
• Justin Horvath, President, Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership
• Amy Clickner, CEO, Lake Superior Community Partnership of Marquette 
• Kira Carter-Robertson, Senior Vice President Affiliate Operations, Sparrow Health System
• Craig Borr, President/CEO, Michigan Electric Cooperative Association
• Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance

 At 1:00 PM, Thursday, January 30, 2020 , this group held a media roundtable to announce initiative to promote economic needs for sustaining rural Michigan to cabinet level prominence. They did so at Michigan Health and Hospital Association Board Room Capital Tower – 110 W. Michigan Ave, Suite 1200 (12th floor), Downtown Lansing. 

 As Michigan’s economic recovery continues, the state’s rural communities and families – representing more than 20 percent of state population – remain left behind, according to research conducted by Jean Hardy, a researcher and doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan. Evidence of rural decline spans nearly every issue, including healthcare delivery, opioid and drug abuse, infrastructure, education, employment, school funding, property values, municipal debt, cyber access, and more.

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About the Rural Affairs & Development Coalition
The RAAD Coalition is a growing coalition of diverse interests, institutions, associations, organizations, companies, and individuals from throughout Michigan who support the establishment of a new Rural Affairs and Development (RAAD) department or cabinet position to make Michigan a national leader in policies that sustain the economic and social needs of rural communities. The coalition is advocating the Whitmer Administration’s creation of the RAAD be among the first gubernatorial administration in the US to prioritize rural community needs to the cabinet level.