Mackinaw Policy Conference

[bailey]

A few years ago I thought there may be some value in getting politicians together with Business in a casual setting. You know, sitting on the porch chewing the fat at night just like deals get done on the golf course. It's a chance to get your ideas across and hope for some give and take. But now it seems every year it gets bigger and is just a media show for everyone to spew their own agenda.

Which is exactly why we'll never get a media inquiry into how much it costs local municipalities to send it's leaders to this. Pension board to Hawaii ? SCANDAL! spending the same on a boondoggle in Michigan that generates content for local media during a dead news time AND is a nice place to spend a few days? crickets.

[michimoby]

I've attended the conference before [[on my own dime, btw) -- yes, you have the opportunity to rub elbows with Michigan's "Who's Who", and I got a nice healthy stack of business cards as a souvenir as well as the chance to chat with a handful of other young professionals.

But I also went with an agenda, which was to connect with civic leaders to find a job. I get the sense that 70 percent of the attendees are just there to say hello to old friends.