The Detroit Chamber of Commerce just completed its annual regional conference at Mackinac Island. One of its sessions was titled "A Tale of Two Cities".
The private sector of Detroit, its business community is focused on creating a cool new Detroit, where people live, work and play. From offering incentives for employees to live near work, satellite storefronts, foot traffic and soon light rail through the heart of downtown on Woodward Avenue. New Detroit reflects the type of conveniences that once made up the culture of Old historic Detroit.
Unlike its counterpart, the government sector is not united or striving toward partnering its agenda to create a new sense of servicing its populace.
Focused on survival of the status quo, rather than the direction of salvaging what government can provide its citizenry during economic decay and criminal entrenchment.
It seems impossible for the players in the State of Michigan/City of Detroit Consent Agreement chess game to identify their roles and compromise toward stablizing the speeding bullet of decline.
Although government has not learned to process progress with speed and certainty as its' private business community. The Corporate community is speeding its' way to its goals like a passenger on a light rail track, whereas government is galloping its way on horse and buggy using a 1890 street map.
Alas, government can use warp speed when it wants to pursue a common goal. For example, multiple county governments and even Michigan State government is banding together to ban K2 or Spice from the hands of youth. A worthwhile endeavor. A necessary endeavor.
This same example can be used to improve quality of life issues for its' citizenry. Take a page from the business playbook as a guide to successful working: "get 'er done". There is too much debate, too little research, too little financial management and too much living life from the sidelines. Business is making decisions using high speed internet while watching results with a 48 inch plasma screen television and business is making decisions with a 1980 typewriter, watching itself with a black and white broadcast television technology.
Let's have some faith in our government. It can move forward with speed and insight like its work with banning K2. It is not a slow moving boxcar but it is a shared train track. Working together, compromise and vision are necessary.
The tale of two cities can be joined as one with shared responsibility and vision. Let's go!
