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Dave Thompson - Wednesday, November 25, 2009   I have alot of ideas.. one make me a community planner Rate this idea:   Current Rating: 3.0 (204 votes cast) I know this may sound off the wall to alot of people. But, my solution to alot of the problems michigan has would require a whole lot of small projects done simultaneously at the county level. I have a corporation for profit aleady that i can use to tie in all the non profits here. I can act as fiduciary and coordinator to put together some action plans that wouldn't cost the government much if anything to pull off. Mostly funded by community development block grants, local charities, and business leaders. It would be a simple plan to start. I'd like to convert the empty military housing in my backyard over to a trainning academy for a group that i used to voulenteer for. The american red cross disaster action team. I know i can put it together as a profit business. Just i need funding to get it going. Actually i just need support staff to do the writing and secretarial work so that i can submitt grants to various foundations for support. I am hoping i get a postition as coach for this one foundation that is giving out grants. But that's still not ready yet. I would need some temporary office help until i can get that grant. And my idea is simple like i said. To convert this base housing for the base that they are tearing down anyways. Convert it over and bring in the New haven trade academy and my habitat for humanity group i founded into the colaboration for the non-profits. I have thousands of voulenteers already thru my groups i'm involved with. I just need the support from the govenor. Even if it's just a letter supporting my idea. Anyways.. that's one of my suggestions. Appoint a community planner for each county. Or if smaller counties.. just for a region. Mine i'd like the first appointment to be me. For a period of two years so i can get it all accomplished

Joe - Tuesday, November 24, 2009   Resident Reduced Toll Roads Rate this idea:   Current Rating: 3.0 (196 votes cast) Make I75 and I94 (and possibly I69 & US127) all toll roads. State residents would pay a reduced rate. The point is to make some money from the thousands of vehicles that use these roads, notably around holiday weekends and hunting season. The funds recouped by using tolls would supplement that maintenance of the roads and allow extra funding to be used elsewhere. I cite the Ohio turnpike system as an example. There is a noticeable shift in road quality when crossing the state line.

Quinn - Tuesday, November 24, 2009   Eliminate Block Permits Rate this idea:   Current Rating: 3.0 (169 votes cast) With Michigan's deer herd dwindling more every year I would like to see block permits eliminated. Farmers have lots of deer around when their crops are up but when those crops come down the deer go elsewhere. The deer do not ‘live’ on that farmer's land, they are simply there at that time because that habitat provides more carrying capacity than surrounding areas. As a landowner who tries to compete with farmland to get deer onto my 13 acre piece of property I am left with few options. Recent laws state that I can no longer run feeders or use any kind of bait. I have invested nearly $1000 into food plots that get ignored by the deer because I cannot compete with the vast acres of corn and soybeans around me. Many farmers in my area do not utilize the meat from the deer they shoot. They simply shoot the deer in the gut so that the deer will run ‘out’ of the field and die in the woods. These farmers will not let other hunters onto their land to hunt these 'problem deer'. I hunt in Gratiot, Midland, Montcalm, and Mackinac counties. Published numbers do not reflect the reality of what hunters find in the woods...10 years ago deer were plentiful but now they are a very limited resource. I spend at a minimum 40 days a year specifically TRYING to find deer. Moving from woods to woods and county to county, there were only 5 days this archery seson that I did not hunt. I hunted a week in Ohio this year and found that I was not alone. Our group saw probably 20+ vehicles from Michigan there...all hunters who were looking for deer that they cannot find in Michigan. The local economy in Coshocton, OH seemed to be doing great from the influx of hunters from MI, VT, DE, NY, GA, PA...Michigan does not have that draw from other states. In fact people from other states joke about Michigan’s deer because the deer are not managed well. I agree that they are not managed well and I think eliminating block permits is just one fair and balanced step in the right direction.

Dave Nash - Tuesday, November 24, 2009   Establish A Michigan Virtual Academy Rate this idea:   Current Rating: 3.0 (172 votes cast) Establish a Michigan Virtual Academy that provides common lesson plans to Grades 6-12 students via the web (e.g., History, Math, Social Studies, Language Arts, and so on). Kids would receive Virtual Lesson plans remotely at their home on say Mondays and Fridays, while attending their brick-and-mortar school on Tuesdays through Thursdays. If a child does not have an available parent or guardian at their residence on those days, then the student would be bused to that school district's designated "latch-key" facility or facilities (depending on need, or at any parent's option, which must be stated up-front and apply for the entire school year for planning purposes). This approach will improve education via the implementation of best practices lesson plans, while reducing school districts' operating expenses (busing, utilities, maintenance, staff support, etc.). Initial savings would be used to fund student laptops and internet access (with at least a three-company, open-bid process for project elements and/or services, based on area of expertise ... DELL, Compuware, etc.). The system would include two-way video/audio and a virtual library (final design via taskforce input). Teachers benefit as Virtual Lesson Plans would reduce their time spent on classroom prep and grading certain assignments, and protect pay levels by reducing non-teacher expenses. On Tuesdays through Thursdays, kids benefit from hands-on instruction and socialization with other students at their local school. Virtual Academies are growing. Michigan needs to be a leader. By creating or purchasing a single-system, we can get the best - at the lowest cost - and deploy it to all. With the prospect of property taxes (residential and commercial) not improving any time soon, we need to take decisive action and embrace quantum change, now. The Michigan Virtual Academy also could include adult learning and job training or re-training, adding further benefit and stability to residents and business.

DENNIS - Tuesday, November 24, 2009   LOWER MICHIGAN OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER Rate this idea:   Current Rating: 3.1 (205 votes cast) OUR STATE IS HOME TO AN ARRAY ATHLETIC AND HEALTH CONCIOUS INDIVDUALS. AN IDEAL PLACE TO PUT A ATHLETIC TRAINING CENTER FOR ALL AGES WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SILVERDOME. HOWEVER, SINCE GM IS MOVING THEIR PARTS OPERATION EMPLOYEES OUT OF THE BUILDING IN GRAND BLANC OFF I-475 THAT TOO COULD BE THE START OF MAKING MICHIGAN AN EXCELLENT VENUE TO CAPTURE THE EYES AND HEARTS OF EVERYONE WHO VALUES THEIR HEALTH AND HAS BEEN INSPIRED TO CONDITIONING THEMSELVES TO BECOME POSSIBLE OLYMPIC CONTENDERS. THE STATE COULD ALSO USE AN INDOOR FACILITY TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN THE SPORT OF BICYCLE MOTO CROSS AND THE NEWEST OLYMPIC SPORT TO TRAIN IN DURING THE INCLEMENT WEATHER.