REGION IS UNITING IN HARD TIMES

BYLINE: TOM WALSH

If the Detroit region is ever to emerge from its economic funk, our business, labor and government leaders must bury past differences and act together on critical issues.

At the risk of jinxing hope of this ever happening, I hereby offer evidence that the region's brain trust may be getting its act together:

On Valentine's Day, a delegation of economic development officials from southeast Michigan met with the state's congressional delegation and the Commerce Department in Washington, D.C. - not to air gripes or ask for favors, but to push for one specific request, about $30 million for so-called economic accelerators. These are groups such as Automation Alley, NextEnergy and Ann Arbor SPARK, organizations that aim to attract or incubate new businesses in key industries. "What the region needs now is more companies," said Doug Rothwell, president of the Detroit Renaissance Group of southeast Michigan CEOs.

Detroit's auto companies, the UAW and the Detroit Regional Chamber might take a unified approach on fuel economy to Congress this month. Lawmakers are starting to push for a big boost in Corporate Average Fuel Economy mandates that could hurt General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler Group. Dick Blouse, president of the Detroit Regional Chamber, said he hopes to enlist chambers in towns across the country that have Big Three plants to join an effort on CAFE and other issues of importance to automakers.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger agreed to address the chamber's annual policy conference on Mackinac Island, said Dan Loepp, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and chairman of this year's event. Teamsters President James Hoffa might speak there, too. The gathering will be May 30 to June 2. For Detroit to shed its rust belt image, management and labor both must pledge loudly and publicly that the survival and prosperity of our key industries is Job One.

For the first time, Detroit Renaissance and the Detroit Regional Chamber are working closely on forging a common economic development strategy for the region.

"There's a spirit around this One D thing that's creating some optimism," Blouse said Monday, referring to the initiative "One D: Transforming Regional Detroit," in which the chamber, Detroit Renaissance and four other major civic groups pledged to work together on transit, race relations, economic growth and other key issues.

Loepp told me Monday he remains optimistic about the region's future, in part because of progress in downtown Detroit development.

"But I'm also a realist," he said, noting that the auto industry's recent travails have hit suburban areas hard. "Will we see a boom in the next 12 to 18 months? No, that would be overselling."

Blouse and Loepp agreed, however, that tough times are forging a healthy new spirit. "In good times maybe we tended to get complacent," Blouse said. "In tough times now we're gearing up and finding ways to collaborate."

Better late than never.

Contact TOM WALSH at 313-223-4430 or twalsh@freepress.com.

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