A while back Gov. Whitmer took aim squarely at one of the biggest issues Michigan has: a declining population. There was a lot of fanfare and hoopla, initiatives were launched, and reports were issued.
And then…fffft. Crickets.
So, what happened with all that fanfare, and all those initiatives? Let’s take a look.
Here are Five Fast Facts on the stagnating efforts to combat Michigan’s population stagnation:
- 📉 Recap The Sitch - About eight months ago, Gov. Whitmer put together a commission to study how Michigan could become a faster-growing and more prosperous state. Currently, Michigan is 49th in terms of population growth, it’s been declining for half a century, and educational outcomes lag behind many other states.
- 📝 Reporting For Duty - The commission studied all the things and talked to all the people and delivered a report with dozens of recommendations based on three key areas: creating a lifelong education system, setting up a “transformative” economic growth strategy, and encouraging communities that attract young talent. Wouldn’t a few more Starbucks accomplish that?
- 💲 Legally Stuck - A bunch of bills totaling $600 million to address these recommendations have been kicked off, but most of them have gotten stuck in the legislative process. It is unclear, but our money is on the likelihood that they’re simply arguing over who gets the most pork out of the deal.
- 👋 Class Dismissed - Gov. Whitmer dismissed the commission last month, saying their job was “complete.” There have been a few things passed by the legislature to follow their recommendations, but less than half of the money has been allocated.
- 👀 Projecting Forward - Maybe the state’s reps aren’t highly motivated to fix the population problem because the state’s voters don’t seem to be highly motivated. It’s been around 10 million people for years, so maybe it’s more about becoming prosperous than growing. The problem, though, is that the population is aging - only 41% of residents will be under age 35 by 2045, down from 60% in 1980. Unless most jobs involve greeting at Walmart, that math isn’t going to go well for us overall.
🔥Bottom line: It’s a complex issue, for sure. Not only does it impact your Paychecks (i.e. taxes taken out of them), but it also impacts the future prospects for the state, not only for us but also for our kids and grandkids. It’s something we should discuss and pay attention to.
What do you think about Michigan’s population?
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