Celebrate 25 years with us! Page 12 The Magazine of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013 detroit and public education Thirkell Elementary Defies Odds Page 10 an unlikely alliance MCPP And ACLU On Government Transparency Page 7 Experience the Mackinac Center ANYTIME, ANYWHERE iPhone, Android and More Getting analysis and stories from the Center has never been simpler or more elegant. Download our apps today (or simply surf to mackinac.org on your mobile device). like us on facebook follow us on twitter Scan this code to download our app! Despite the turning of the seasons, NOTABLES & QUOTABLES the Mackinac Center’s surroundings in downtown Midland retain their beauty. Seats are filling up! Grab yours while you can! mackinac.org/25th FROM OUR A New Look at School WEB Blog and Responsibility Keep up to date on the latest policy stories from Mackinac Center analysts. No matter if school is just around the corner Michigan Press Association and others, mackinac.org/blog or many years past, the first autumnal gusts teamed up and hosted town hall meetings tend to bring to mind freshly sharpened across the state to highlight the Freedom of MichiganVotes pencils and lined-paper booklets. Education Information and Open Meetings acts. These Want to know what your legislator is a hugely important part of everyone’s lives, informational events educated regular (and others) have been voting for? as well as a cornerstone of the Mackinac citizens on how to increase transparency and MichiganVotes.org helps keep Michigan Center’s research. accountability, regardless of government size. politicians accountable to their constituents. Fitting then that our feature this issue The Center is also planning on a study that MichiganVotes.org focuses on Thirkell Elementary (Page 10), an will comprehensively investigate the state admirable example of what can be done to of these laws and offer recommendations to CapCon improve the education of children when they the Legislature regarding improved access of Our flagship news source for the are kept the focus. information for citizens. state of Michigan. Breaking news like The Mackinac Center’s recent elementary Covering all our bases, the Mackinac never before. and middle school report card was released Center is also developing an app with our MichCapCon.org in early summer, and it held a surprising note MichiganVotes initiative that will allow you for many people: the top-ranked school was and other Michiganders to interact with in the Detroit Public Schools system, and over your legislators in a new way regarding their 75 percent of students at Thirkell Elementary individual votes (Back Cover). Stay tuned for What folks are saying are from underprivileged families. news bulletins on that one! about the MAckinac Center When newly named Director of Education In the thick of so many important battles, Policy Audrey Spalding went to meet with the such as right-to-work and everyone’s right “The Mackinac Center principal, parents and faculty, she realized to government transparency, a theme has not only altered the that resonates and repeats is “principle.” that a key component to Thirkell’s success in way in which officials, improving its students’ educational outcomes Regardless of who you’re standing with, if a was a culture of respect. policy broadens and increases freedom, the journalists and civic Mackinac Center believes that will be better leaders think about Principles make a big difference, no matter for everybody. what the policy. government; the Mackinac We’ve been standing by that principle for 25 Center’s work product This was made abundantly clear by the years, and will for many, many more years has changed government Mackinac Center’s unlikely alliance with to come. the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) here in Michigan, and of Michigan over government transparency All best, decidedly for the better.” (Page 7). We, along with the ACLU, the Lindsey Dodge, editor — Attorney General Bill Schuette Audrey Spalding, director of education policy, REcommENDS “The Red Chapel” “Noting that ‘Comedy is the soft spot of all dictatorships,’ three Danish comedians make a can’t-quite-believe-it trip to North Korea by convincing officials that their visit is to honor Kim Jong Il. In fact, the comedians make the trip to expose the country’s dictatorship with an absurdist documentary. Their performances are bizarre and revealing, even with North Korean censorship.” The Red Chapel is available to watch instantly on Netflix. iMPACT 3 September/October 2013 mackinac.org LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Board of Directors Hon. Clifford W. Taylor, R. Douglas Kinnan Chairman Senior Vice President Retired Chief Justice, and CFO, The Detroit Narrative Michigan Supreme Court Amerisure Insurance Joseph G. Lehman, President Edward C. Levy Jr. Mackinac Center for President, Edw. C. Levy Will Shape the Nation Public Policy Co. Joseph J. Fitzsimmons Rodney M. Lockwood Jr. One might say the Mackinac Center’s the 20th century failures of Keynesian Retired President, President, Lockwood University Microfilms Construction Company, biggest failure is Detroit. I’m hard pressed economics. They inflated a bubble, poked at Inc. Dulce M. Fuller to name an issue on which we’ve spilled it, and were shocked by its burst. Owner, Woodward and Joseph P. Maguire Maple President, more ink and had less actual Wolverine Development Richard G. Haworth Corporation The free-market narrative didn’t Chairman Emeritus, impact. But Detroit’s collapse JOSEPH G. Haworth, Inc. Richard D. McLellan prevail and we’re stuck with the Attorney, McLellan Law positions us to have greater LEHMAN Kent B. Herrick Offices policies the winning narrative President and CEO, influence on cities nationwide Thermogy D. Joseph Olson Retired Senior Vice begat. What does this mean for Detroit? J.C. Huizenga than we ever had in Motown. President and General President, Westwater Counsel, Amerisure It means our top priority now is to make sure Group Companies That’s because Detroit’s bankruptcy, Phil F. Jenkins the correct narrative takes hold. Detroit Chairman, Sweepster Inc. America’s biggest-ever municipal bankruptcy, is bankrupt for many interwoven reasons will not proceed in isolation from the urban Board of Scholars including local policies that drove away policies in every state and the nation. No one Dr. Donald Alexander Charles Meiser Western Michigan Lake Superior wants other cities to follow Detroit over the taxpayers, overly optimistic investment University State University (ret.) cliff. Policy changes intended to prevent that assumptions, plain old mismanagement, and Dr. William Allen Glenn Moots Michigan State University Northwood University outcome will be greatly shaped by whatever even some factors outside the city’s control. Dr. Thomas Bertonneau Dr. George Nastas III SUNY - Oswego Marketing Consultants narrative emerges from Detroit now. That Too little government is not a cause and more Dr. Brad Birzer Dr. John Pafford narrative will answer the questions, What government is not the solution. Hillsdale College Northwood University Dr. Peter Boettke Dr. Mark Perry happened, why did it happen and where do we George Mason University University of Michigan As the bankruptcy unfolds over the next - Flint go from here? Dr. Theodore Bolema year or more, we won’t be shouting “we Mercatus Center Lawrence W. Reed Foundation for Dr. Stephen Colarelli Economic Education I’m not just speculating. I’m recalling recent told you so” even though Detroit could Central Michigan University Gregory Rehmke history. In 2008 the economy came close to have avoided this day had they taken my Economic Thinking/ Andrew Coulson E Pluribus Unum Films collapse. The narrative that emerged then Cato Institute colleague Mike LaFaive’s recommendations Dr. Steve Safranek Robert Crowner was that the biggest banks nearly failed and Private Sector starting 18 years ago. We’ll be talking more Eastern Michigan General Counsel University (ret.) took the economy down with them because about the future than the past. And the Dr. Howard Schwartz Dr. Richard Cutler Oakland University of corporate greed, insufficient government University of Michigan brightest future for Detroit, and every other (ret.) Dr. Martha Seger oversight and the shortcomings of capitalism Federal Reserve Board mismanaged city that hopes the federal Dr. Jefferson Edgens (ret.) East Georgia College - in general. Statesboro James Sheehan government will bail them out, is in the Deutsche Bank Securities Dr. David Felbeck This narrative produced several harmful direction of freedom and free enterprise. University of Michigan Rev. Robert Sirico (ret.) Acton Institute for the policies. Congress quasi-nationalized banks Study of Religion and We’ll articulate that narrative and work Dr. Burton Folsom Liberty Hillsdale College and auto makers while forcing taxpayers Dr. Bradley Smith for policies that flow from it. For just one John Grether Capital University Law to bail out private firms. The Obama Northwood University example, if Detroit’s troubles lead to a new School administration twisted bankruptcy rules to Dr. Michael Heberling Dr. John Taylor way of looking at public pensions, it could Baker College Wayne State University benefit labor unions. Congress strait-jacketed Dr. Ormand Hook Dr. Richard K. Vedder prevent hundreds of billions of dollar’s worth Mecosta-Osceola Ohio University financial institutions with harsh, new Intermediate of unfunded obligations from accruing in School