Blog
Resolving to Make Michigan’s 2010 Better than its 2009
Visit your downtown or main street more oftern in 2010!
Well we're a week in to 2010 and by this point you've probably already broken down and eaten at a fast food place, skipped a workout, watched Celebrity Rehab 8 or whatever your new year's resolution may have been. And that's fine. That is what happens this time of year for most people.
Now that the typical resolution for self-improvement has gone by the wayside, how about doing something that goes beyond yourself and actually benefits your community? And not only benefits your community but helps make it a more desirable place that will attract other talented individuals and hopefully help turn around Michigan's fortunes?
The Let's Save Michigan campaign is calling on individuals to pledge to do a handful of certain actions in 2010 to help us improve our cities.
If we've learned anything from the past 15 months it's that we can't sit back and wait for a bailout from DC or a new factory to spring up in our backyard. With small commitments from each of us, we can make a positive difference. Never has the need for community action and shared responsibility been stronger than it is now.
Just once try taking a bus or bike to work or school or just for fun.
We've developed a few ways for you to support your local community and push for the political change our state needs.
• Support the arts in person by attending three (3) festivals, cultural events, or exhibitions you might not normally attend. Why? Because the state's funding for Arts and Culture has been cut by 90% just since 2002 and many of the key institutions and events that bring life to our cities and contribute to our quality life are struggling to stay afloat.
• Replacing one car trip a week by walking, biking or using public transportation. The successful cities that young professionals are attracted to tend to offer walkable neighborhoods and effective transit systems. We'll never have these things here Michigan unless we foster them with our own personal actions.
• Spend money at a locally owned businesses on your closest main street or downtown once a week rather than a national box store or restaurant. Nationally owned stores and restaurants are an inevitable part of our daily lives and certainly brings jobs to our communities but by making a conscious effort to shop on a more regular basis at the locally owned businesses in our downtowns or on our main streets we can support the proprietors that keep more money in our local economy and make our cities more distinct and attractive.
• Be involved in the crucial 2010 election by learning about the candidates, encouraging others to participate, become informed, and vote. We hear this every two years that this is going to be the most important election ever, "this is going to be the most important election ever." Well, honestly, it may very well be the case this year with the Governor, State Senate and State House all facing major turnovers due to term limits. Whoever we elect in 2010 will be facing major shocking structural deficits and, maybe more importantly, serious decisions as to how state government will look for the decade to come and beyond, directly impacting each of our cities and lives. So be knowledgeable in 2010 and make an effort to find out where candidates actually stand on the issues important to you and your community.
• Contact your representatives in Lansing about an issue important to your community and you. If you value police, fire, parks or arts and culture in your community then you need to tell your elected officials because on a nearly daily basis they make decisions that affect the things that make our cities the places we love. It's not as hard as it sounds and it actually makes a difference.
Will these actions reopen all the factories or mean a place "up north" for everyone or bring Michigan football back to repectability? Well, of course not. But if we all make a conscious effort to do little things like these in 2010 we will have some small sense of personal satisfaction in knowing that when Michigan was down we didn't just sit by and bitch. We actually made an effort to do something to support our community and neighbors and to build a more resilient and livable Michigan, so hopefully others won't have to suffer through another 2009.
Or help spruce up your neighborhood
blog comments powered by Disqus
