Michael Moore elicits a fantastic range of reactions at the national level. But I have just one reaction when I see the man on television: He's one of us.
Michael Moore, of course, is a Michigander. He grew up near Flint, wears his Tigers' cap everywhere and now lives near Traverse City. And in that beautiful Lake Michigan town, Michael Moore has created a film festival that rehabbed an historic downtown theater and brought hundreds of thousands of visits. Of course, Michael Moore and I share a secret: We both think that Michigan is a great place to live. And why not? The state has 10,000+ lakes, more than a thousand miles of shoreline, fantastic universities and a vibrant cultural scene. All those pictures of closed auto plants and empty buildings are true, but they aren't the only story.
And now Michael Moore has a new vision for Traverse City. Last week, he published his ideas for new community projects in the Traverse City Record Eagle: