In the June 2010 issue of Governing, writer Josh Goodman congratulates the City of Livonia (located in Wayne County, just west of Detroit) as the highest rate of return of U.S. Census applications of any city with at least 50,000 people. To what does the U.S. Census attribute it too. According to Detroit-area demographer Kurt Metzger, "it isn't what it did, but rather what it is. Livonia has a lower unemployment rate than its municipal neighbors. Foreclosures and abandoned buildings are not necessarily a problem, and 90 percent of its residents live in homes they own. Its' populations is constant, not dwindling, with a median age of 43, six years older than the national average. Livonia's mail in rate was 87%, with Detroit at 62% and the national average at 72% -- the form was just five questions. We have something to learn from Livonia and once again, Michigan sets the benchmark for the rest of the country. For more on the story, see www.governing.com.
We have a lot to learn from ourselves
Daniel Cherrin
DANIEL CHERRIN |served the City of Detroit as its Communications Director and the Press Secretary to Detroit Mayor, Ken Cockrel, Jr. He is a public relations + affairs specialist who just happens to be a lawyer, with 20 years of experience providing senior public relations and government relations’ counsel to organizations on state and federal regulatory and legislative matters, as well as issues affecting corporate and individual reputation, crisis management and the media. Daniel is the founder of NORTH COAST STRATEGIES (Est. 2005) an independent public relations consultancy that combines the best of a big agency with hands-on executive-level experience and support. As a signatory company to the United Nations Global Compact, we are dedicated to addressing issues around human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. We are also focused on redefining your brand and changing the conversation to create an impact.