Which Elected Officials Are Really in Love With Michigan?

It's no secret that I'm in love with the state of Michigan. Between the majesty of the Great Lakes, the sugar sand beaches, the forests, and the hundreds and hundreds of inland lakes, rivers and streams, the "wild" of Michigan is beyond compare. Add in the red sandstone of the Keewenaw Peninsula, Tahquamenon Falls, the wine country of Leelanau, and the amazing sense of place found in each community, from north to south, east to west ... I'm more than smitten.

It's always nice when someone else falls in love with Michigan and then lets the world know about it. A few years ago it was Mario Batali, who was profiled in a wonderful NY Times article entitled, "For Mario Batali, It's Molto Michigan."    

Batali spends his summers with his wife and kids surrounded by the beauty of the Leelenau Peninsula, " ... an area known more for its white beaches, sand dunes and islands than its local food, though cherries and whitefish are particular regional delicacies."

More recently, in the May 23 NY Times Style Magazine, author Ann Patchett wrote an article entitled, "As American as Cherry Pie: Living the Sweet Life on Lake Michigan."

Patchett's piece tells the story of discovering Petoskey on a book tour and coming back...again and again and again. As Patchett departed from the Traverse City airport on the eve of her first visit, she "....cursed the world that would come between me and the place I loved. " Another one bites the dust.

It's one thing to love this incredible state; it's another thing to actively work to protect it. I bet all our elected officials in Lansing would tell you how much they love Michigan. They'd tell you of their most special places, from Gunn Lake to Saugatuck, from Mackinac Island to Sleeping Bear Dunes.

But the question is: Are they really working to protect it? Why is Michigan now 47th in the nation in terms of investment our natural resources? Why are many of our state parks on the brink of closure? Why are so many of our beaches closed during the summer months due to E. coli contamination? Why can't we eat the fish we catch? I encourage everyone who loves this great place to check out the 2009-2010 Environmental Scorecard and see how your elected officials are behaving in Lansing. You'll quickly discover who's in love and who's just faking it.  

--- Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director, Michigan League of Conservation Voters.