In the long run, Michigan policy makers should (and probably will) be judged by the state's citizenry not according to flashy photo-ops, fiery rhetoric, and smoke-and-mirror politics. They will be judged by what they actually accomplished for the long-run good of Michigan. This fact suggests that lawmakers ought to put aside parochial concerns, avoid the pork barrel, eschew the temptation to plan and control the lives and businesses of people, keep government in its proper place, and solve problems in ways that leave citizens freer, better off materially, and facing a future full of new opportunities for people to take charge of their lives and move ahead. These principles have guided each of the recommendations offered in this report.
With confidence in the integrity and intentions of Michigan's governor and elected lawmakers of the 90th Legislature, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy is pleased to offer the foregoing recommendations for consideration and stands ready to supply additional details should the need arise.