To a Livingston Crowd, Archer Sounds Gubernatorial

Is Dennis Archer running for governor of Michigan?

Let's just say, actions speak louder than words.

The former associate justice of the Michigan Supreme Court and former mayor of Detroit spent almost 90 minutes with a crowd of 75 Democrats in the historical courtroom of the Livingston County Courthouse in Howell on Tuesday night talking about the need for better schools, a new approach to solving problems in Michigan, and the need for all regions of the state to work together.

"I want to raise the bar. I'm not making a secret of what I'm doing. I'm looking at the governor's office out of respect of those who have asked me to," Archer told the audience, which burst into applause at the remark.

Archer stopped short of saying he definitely will run, but he said he wants Michigan voters to make sure that whoever does run for governor has done the hard work of understanding the problems and complexities of the state's problems. That, he said, is more important than offering a litany of personal achievements as qualifications for governor.

"This state cannot afford to have somebody who needs on the job training," he said.

Archer had praise for Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is term-limited out of her office in 2010. He said her efforts to create jobs, such as the 46 percent tax break for filmmakers, are paying off, adding he loved the fact that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in California is trying to figure out how to catch up with Michigan.

And he said she has put forth reasonable solutions to the state's spiralling prison costs by releasing non-violent offenders, but groups such as the sheriffs and prosecuting attorneys have stood in the way.

Agreeing with Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, Archer said, "We need to change the way we do politics. Once we get elected, we need to work together. Right now, it's gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. You can't do that and serve the people. You've got to put the people first. When you put the people first, the people win."

Regarding education, Archer said the state needs a cultural change on the part of many parents to demand children do well in school and plan for higher education. "Bill Cosby's absolutely right," he said, referring to the comedian's talks urging more efforts by families.

Archer remained an optimist about Michigan's future, noting that current economic conditions are nowhere near as bad as the Great Depression. "It will turn around. ... Yes, I'm very much optimistic about the future," he said.