As the 1998 race for governor gains definition, the traditional indicators show Michigan has rarely done better. Unemployment is at record low levels. Personal income is up. And Detroit seems on the edge of a true economic awakening. Yet according to other measures, a different picture emerges.
Highways are jammed.
Adults are working two jobs to stay afloat. Civility is waning. Cynicism is rampant. Indeed, what the conflicting trends most clearly point to is that we are in an age of vast transition. What often distinguishes such historical periods of uncertainty and change is the emergence of an organizing principle, a new governing vision that matches the seriousness of the choices people and their communities confront.