Lansing State Journal. July 7.
Local food movement benefits Michigan
It’s a simple idea, really: Eating foods grown close to home is healthier.
Fresh produce eaten shortly after harvest has more nutrients, which is healthier for the eater. And it requires less transportation, which is healthier for the environment.
Not only that, eating locally produced food keeps more money circulating through local hands, generating jobs that keep Michiganders working — it’s healthier for the economy.
Yet somehow, Michigan has not quite seized this opportunity to help itself.
The state that put the world on wheels is justifiably proud of its manufacturing heritage. But it should be equally proud of its rich agricultural heritage.
Agriculture is booming business, a vital sector of the state’s economy. A March report from Michigan State University says the state’s food and agriculture industries placed the economic impact at $91 billion.
Michigan is second only to California in the diversity of its agricultural operations; in 2010, it was the nation’s top producer of cucumbers for pickles, squash, blueberries and tart cherries; it’s among the top producers of carrots, asparagus, apples and sweet cherries.
Yet, most Michiganders don’t savor enough locally grown foods on their own tables. And not enough Michiganders speak proudly of this bounty, certainly not the way Californians celebrate their harvest as elevating their quality of life and as a tourism draw.
Fortunately, bright minds are working on how to change that, and their game plan, the Michigan Good Food Charter, is worth reading. It highlights the urgency, particularly as the state’s farmers age, putting future production question. And it offers strategies for strengthening local food systems and supporting increased demand for local food by nurturing new ag-related businesses.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, who chairs the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, notes that if every household spent just $10 on locally grown food, that would put $40 million back into the state’s economy. Stabenow is a key leader on creating better farm policies, and the farm bill under consideration in Congress right now includes a number of efforts that will help Michigan, including increased support for local food hubs, farmers markets and community gardens.
Enjoying Michigan’s fresh harvest will help boost the state’s economy and its health — a delicious reward for all.
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Midland Daily News. July 6.
The governor shows an independent streak
Gov. Rick Snyder is proving to have an independent streak, and that’s a good thing.
Snyder this week vetoed bills sponsored by the Republican Party that would have unnecessarily toughened up Michigan’s election rules.
The bills would have required voters to show a photo ID before obtaining an absentee ballot, mandatory extra training for groups registering voters and reaffirmation of U.S. citizenship before voters could receive a ballot.
Snyder, also a Republican, said the new rules “could create voter confusion among absentee voters,” and a Snyder spokesperson said the governor felt verification of a person’s citizenship should be done only once, when the person is first registered to vote.
The legislation was opposed by Democrats, who said the bills would suppress voter turnout particularly among minorities. Throughout the nation, calls for tighter voter ID laws to help prevent election fraud have been partisan, with Republicans supporting the crackdown and Democrats opposing the bills.
Snyder showed a willingness to forget the politics and the partisanship and do what was right. For that, he deserves commendation.
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The Detroit News. July 5.
Michigan House Republicans can’t keep delaying state health care revisions
Some House Republicans are tempted to continue delaying approval of a Michigan-based version of the health insurance exchange required under the 2010 federal health care act, in spite of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the law. That would be a disservice. It’s now time to put aside wounded feelings and approve the minimalist, market-based plan developed by Gov. Rick Snyder and passed by the Senate in November.
House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall, indicated to The Detroit News that in the wake of the 5-4 Supreme Court decision, he intends for his caucus to end its eight-month holdout and reluctantly forge ahead with voting on the Senate legislation. That’s not only a proper statesman-like reaction to the ruling, but it recognizes that the odds against overturning the so-called “Obamacare” act have now become longer.
At the same time, Bolger’s spokesman said there’s no official Republican caucus position on when the House votes will be taken. Rep. Gail Haines, R-Lake Angelus, muddied the waters by claiming the House GOP may yet decide to do nothing until after the November election, in hopes Mitt Romney and Republicans might seize control of the federal government and kill the health care act.
Attorney General Bill Schuette, letting his political stripes outshine his role as the state’s top legal adviser, is urging Republicans to continue stalling. He, of course, is state campaign co-chairman to Romney, who has vowed he’d do his best to repeal the health law if elected president.
Schuette is offering bad advice on several counts. First, Snyder’s proposed Travelocity-style website, where consumers could shop for health insurance to meet their needs and budgets, would be good for Michigan irrespective of the federal law. Michiganians who lack insurance, whether individuals or smaller businesses, may want to avail themselves of the service and should be given that opportunity.
Second, there’s no guarantee Obamacare will be repealed even if Romney wins. Republicans would also have to retain control of the U.S. House and not just wrest the U.S. Senate away from Democratic control, but win a super-majority capable of overcoming the inevitable filibuster. But if Obamacare is dealt with via the reconciliation process, only a simple majority would be needed.
Finally, time is running out on Michigan’s ability to chart its own course. If the state fails to have its version of an insurance exchange up and running by only about a week past the Nov. 6 election, the federal government is required to step in with what’s almost certain to be a costlier and more bureaucratic setup. There’s already some doubt Michigan will be able to get all the necessary pieces in place by then.
Michigan is also in danger of losing a $9.8 million federal planning grant that would cover the cost of developing the web-based exchange Snyder envisions. Lawmakers have blocked the Snyder administration from accepting the grant, which expires Sept. 29. The Legislature, in summer recess now, has just 10 session days scheduled between now and Nov. 6.
Out of frustration, Snyder and his advisers have started considering a partnership with the federal government to run an exchange here. The state would handle some responsibilities, such as customer service, but the feds might have a bigger role.
It shouldn’t come to that. Snyder and the Senate have mapped out a strategy for satisfying federal requirements while bolstering competition and consumer choice in the private health insurance marketplace. The House should waste no more time passing and sending the legislation to the governor for his signature.
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Traverse City Record-Eagle. July 5.
Hiking fee is fair, but doubling up is too much
For now, they’re still “peddlers.” As of September the name, and the cost of doing business, will change. That’s when Traverse City’s street vendors will become “transient merchants” (if the commission OKs the name change) and the daily fee they pay to the city will double to $100 a day between May 16 and Sept. 14. Off-season rates will increase to $100 per week, up from $50 per week.
The Downtown Development Authority recommended changing the peddler rules in part because of a steady increase in the number of temporary downtown operations ranging from food carts to sunglass stands and palm reading booths.
Peddler fees haven’t increased for several years and were a point of contention within the DDA; some members thought of peddlers as unfair competition because the temporary vendors don’t pay rent, property taxes or other infrastructure costs that building-based businesses do.
Even at $50 a day, it wasn’t as if peddlers were operating for free. There are few, if any, downtown merchants who pay $18,000 or thereabouts per year in property taxes, etc., the equivalent of a $50-a-day fee. But transient merchants don’t operate every day and don’t pay nearly that much.
So merchants have a point. They pay taxes or rent while peddlers come and go; when times are slow, peddlers can head to greener pastures.
The jump to $100 a day, however, is a lot to swallow. It would have been fairer to transients to have raised the fee bit by bit, $10 every other year for instance, until it got to a number the city considered a fair amount. Everyone knew there was a disparity that eventually needed to be addressed, so putting it off until now has created an unnecessary hardship. Even hiking the fee $25 this year and another $25 in 2014 or 2015 would have been fairer.
The next step will be harder still. The DDA is already thinking about how the city should deal with other transient operations such as food trucks, which are growing in popularity around Michigan and the U.S. That should be something city planners are thinking about as well.
A DDA study committee is looking at rules for accommodating other transient operations such as food trucks. DDA executive director Bryan Crough said new rules for Clinch Park could help meet demand, but other rules will be needed.
There are nearly 50 restaurants in just the downtown, and the city has a growing reputation as being a foodie haven. Crafting rules to allow the vitality of food trucks while protecting established businesses will take imagination and a light touch.
