Lou Glazer

We need vibrant, densely populated cities to attract young talent and more students completing four-year degrees to build our economy. Low-wage jobs won’t get us there. If we can attract talented people, capital will follow.

So what if Kentucky and Tennessee are getting some auto and battery plants? That’s not the path to state prosperity.

For decades, we’ve hoped luring businesses to Michigan would lead to increasing our skilled workforce. It’s time to flip that script and use our state dollars for workforce improvement.

Yes, unemployment is low. But so is income. Michigan has become a low-prosperity state.

Metro Minneapolis is one of the most liveable regions in the country. It didn’t happen overnight.

The most successful U.S. states are not characterized by low taxes, but by high levels of college graduates in the knowledge economy.

The state needs more revenue to make investments necessary to attract good-paying jobs and train workforce.

State should invest in education skills that acknowledge workers will switch jobs throughout their 40-year careers.

There is no way back to the prosperous Michigan economy of the 20th Century. We must face this reality and get to work on ideas that will produce a broad middle class, where household income grows for all Michiganders.

The state will best begin its climb back to prosperity by acknowledging some hard facts about its past – and future. Education and talent are more important than manufacturing.

No matter what you hear, the reality is Millennials with a four-year degree are doing substantially better than their peers without a four-year degree. End of story.