Leadership matters in governor’s race

by Larry Meyer
MRA Chairman and CEO

I’ve been talking in this column about the governor’s race for the past few months, and as the election approaches I want to address it one more time—that’s how strongly I feel about getting a real business leader in the governor’s office.

It’s as simple as this: If we want things to change for Michigan’s retail industry, we have to have a leader who cares about retail and has the experience to make change happen. It turns out that Jennifer Granholm hasn’t been that leader, and it seems likely to me that Dick DeVos would do better for Michigan’s business community.

I recognize that Granholm has her fans, but I’m speaking from the point of view of a businessman who has considerable experience working with state government. We—the business leaders, but also the citizens of Michigan—have given Granholm a chance to prove herself, and the economic numbers themselves show that she has not lived up to her previous campaign promises to turn the economy around.

A leader is judged by results. The steadily worsening economic news in this state—not just in the auto industry, but in retail and across the board—compel us to judge her leadership as ineffective.

Look at the Michigan Retail Index, which measures retail sales and retailers’ projections—reported on the facing page under the “How’s Business” heading.

I haven’t seen such a stretch of poor numbers since we began tracking sales performance more than a decade ago. July’s and August’s numbers show that even retailers, some of the most optimistic people I know, are becoming increasingly concerned at the continuing slump.

Let me also comment on the “China-bashing” ads. You know the ones—Granholm’s ads imply that under DeVos’s leadership, Alticor out-sourced Michigan jobs to China. DeVos’s ads answered the charges promptly, so I won’t repeat them here.

But looking at the larger issue, what bothers me about Granholm’s “China attack” is the implication, perhaps subtle but real, that trade with China in general is the problem—as if protectionism has ever worked in saving jobs here in Michigan or elsewhere. If Granholm wants to be a protectionist, fine, but don’t attack a business (Alticor) for expanding its markets.

Her attack on China is, in a sense, also an attack on all retailers who do business with China, including buying goods from China. But retailers buy merchandise from China because American consumers want lower prices.

It’s called the free market, and it’s what business leaders base decisions on. The business of Michigan is sliding into deeper trouble every year, and a business leader is our best solution.

Whatever your views, I encourage you to vote on November 7. Democracy, like a business, requires decisive action. Sitting and watching from the sidelines is not an option.