(No caption)
Differences between these prominent Detroit journalists aren't as wide as the Straits of Mackinac, though they have glass-mostly-empty and glass-nearly-full views of the Mackinac Policy Conference starting Wednesday.
Jack Lessenberry, in a Michigan Radio commentary headlined "Mackinac vs Michigan," derides the Detroit Regional Chamber event as likely "irrelevant and probably irritating [to] the vast majority of Michiganders."
Nolan Finley, in a Detroit News column, says the gathering of about 1,600 politicians, executives, civic activists and marketers "helps build a cohesive leadership community in Detroit."
They'll both be at the event running until Friday, where editorial page editor Finley hosts a Bourbon Night with Detroit Free Press counterpart Stephen Henderson. Here are portions of their divergent previews Tuesday:
Jack Lessenberry: "A few national speakers worth hearing."
Lessenberry: 'Politicians trolling for support'
There will be a few national speakers worth hearing, including historian Michael Beschloss and journalist and author Walter Isaacson.
Gov. Rick Snyder and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will give keynote addresses, and there will be panels on politics and on things like “Michigan’s Digital Future.”
Mostly, there will be flocks of politicians trolling for support for various offices next year . . . from those who might contribute to their campaigns. . . . Some politicians who aren’t running for anything, like State Senators Jim Ananich, a Democrat, and Arlan Meekhof, a Republican, are holding major, $5,000 fundraisers on the island. . . .
My guess is that most of what goes on at Mackinac this year would be seen as irrelevant and probably irritating by the vast majority of Michiganders. . . .
I don’t think that most of the politicians I’ll see on Mackinac Island this week are doing much listening to those who can’t afford to hang out at the Grand Hotel. I’ll report back if it turns out I was wrong.
Nolan Finley: "Productive discussions."
Finley: 'Problems do get solved here'
It can be a big ol' party, for sure. . . But the week is a lot more than cocktails and sausages on toothpicks. Often there’s shrimp, too.
Actually, the MPC, among other things, helps build a cohesive leadership community in Detroit. Both in the formal sessions and more casual get-togethers, the people committed to making Metro Detroit a better place to live and work will be having productive discussions on how to come together to meet that goal.
Problems do get solved here. . . .
We won’t leave the island with all the answers. But hopefully everyone will come back home thinking about their individual role in finding them.
Related post today
Mackinac Notebook: More Women on Stage After 2016 Outcry; Also, 3 Amusing Tweets
