Opinion | It’s time for the Death Star to die: Here’s why

Before being elected to represent Michigan’s 5th House District — representing parts of Northwest Detroit, Oak Park and all of Royal Oak Township — I was a local elected official serving on the Oak Park City Council and a teacher in the Detroit Public Schools. 

I am proud of what I accomplished on the Oak Park City Council, because I believe that local government plays a vital role in improving everybody’s quality of life. Unfortunately, our state government does not adequately share resources with local governments, nor does it believe in giving these communities the tools they need to address constituents’ concerns. In fact, it expressly preempts local governments from having even minimal control over their cities’ labor laws and working standards.

Detroit City Council’s development powers are hamstrung by one thing: they can give out millions in tax breaks, but because of state preemption, they are unable to negotiate with developers to ensure quality jobs or create local labor laws. Michigan’s conservative Legislature took that ability away from them in 2015. 

Frankly, I find it offensive that the Michigan Legislature thinks it knows better than the next generation of talented, local, Detroit leaders. For too long, Michigan’s Legislature has intentionally taken power away from majority Black cities like Detroit — like with our Emergency Financial Manager laws. 

As chair of the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus, I saw many bills that would help working families get caught up in political gamesmanship. Chief among these bills was a package restoring the local government’s ability to improve working conditions. These bills were just recently reintroduced as House Bill 4446 and House Bill 4447. 

Everyone wants development, job creation and safe neighborhoods. I hear it from my constituents every day. But corporations must pay their fair share towards that vision. Beautiful buildings are going up in downtowns across our state — including downtown Detroit. The Detroit City Council uses tax incentives to get developers to build. Detroiters hold jobs in these buildings, many in the service industry, making close to minimum wage. Service sector jobs are plagued by poor work standards, helter-skelter schedules and hard physical labor — 77% of the people who hold these service sector jobs in Detroit are Black, an analysis from EPI found. 

These workers are parents, homeowners and community members. They send their children to learn in Detroit Public Schools, where I was a teacher for many years and saw firsthand how students’ ability to learn, attend school and graduate was impeded by poverty, homelessness and hunger. They need good jobs that pay a living wage. 

Last legislative session, leaders in Michigan’s Legislature took a deeper look at corporate subsidies. Journalists at Bridge Michigan found that the State of Michigan gave out millions in subsidies, amounting to $76,076 per each of the 13,079 jobs created. Now, there’s bipartisan interest in reforming Michigan’s Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund. Part of that conversation should include House Bill 4446 and House Bill 4447 which give cities the power to set their own rules and hold corporations who receive tax subsidies accountable to actually create family-sustaining jobs. These corporate accountability tools were first taken away from Michigan’s cities with PA 98 of 2011 and PA 105 of 2015 — known as the “Death Star Bill.” 

The state should respect local leaders when they determine something is best for their community. That’s why we have local governments. That’s why we have democracy. It’s time to give local leaders in Detroit and across the state their power back.