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The right to criticize government is also an obligation to know what you are talking about. 
 -Lent Upson, 1st Executive Director of CRC  

CRC NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release
August 11, 2008

Contact: Earl Ryan
(734) 542-8001

 

Citizens Research Council Report Wins National Award

At its annual conference in Boston last week, the Governmental Research Association (GRA) presented its 2008 award for Most Distinguished Research to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan for its report, Michigan's Fiscal Future. GRA is the national association of individuals and organizations engaged in the kind of research undertaken by CRC. The Most Distinguished Research award is the highest honor GRA bestows each year. It was last won by CRC in 1998.

Released in May, Michigan's Fiscal Future was undertaken in cooperation with the W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Based on sophisticated projections of the Michigan economy, state revenues were projected to Fiscal Year 2017. Projections of spending pressures were made in major components of the state budget, including health care, education, corrections, human services, and transportation.


click on image to enlarge

The study concluded that the current revenue streams in both the state general fund and state school aid are inadequate to support the growth in spending indicated by the projections. A gap of $6 billion in the general fund and a gap of $3.6 billion in school funding are projected by FY17. Significant policy changes will be necessary in order to keep spending growth in line with revenue growth.

"We are very pleased that our peers recognized Michigan's Fiscal Future in this award," said CRC president Earl M. Ryan. "It involved a great deal of thought and effort on the part of the entire staff and it is very satisfying to know that it is getting acclaim beyond our borders."

Michigan's Fiscal Future was underwritten by grants from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, the Frey Foundation, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, and Detroit Renaissance.

The report may be accessed HERE.

The Citizens Research Council of Michigan is a private, nonprofit public affairs research organization, founded in 1916 to analyze issues pertaining to state and local government organization and finance in Michigan.

 

 

 

 

 

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