Former Michigan Governor John Engler, on the heels of Detroit’s bankruptcy filings, is concerned there’s a stagnant response to the country’s anemic growth because without a clear agenda from the federal government, he says thousands of companies are left uncertain on whether business investments in the United States are the best routes for economic vitality.
“I don’t think there’s a growth agenda for America,” Engler said. “And I think, fundamentally, that’s the challenge. We’re limping along.”
Engler, now head of the Business Roundtable, said the private sector should play a key role in the country’s grasp for prosperity. The Business Roundtable is a business association of large U.S. companies that look to contribute their business perspectives to shape public policy. Engler took the reigns as president in January 2011. He served as the governor of Michigan from 1991 to 2002.
Without a specific economic plan from the government, Engler said the economy will continue to trudge along.
“[A]re we really believing we’re in an economy where we’re going to have unemployment rates above 7 and half percent forever, growth rates around 2 percent, and declining participation in the workforce?” Engler asked.
Watch the full interview with John Engler for his take on the difficult situation in Detroit – in bankruptcy but in the middle of rebuilding – and the roundabout budget debates on Capitol Hill.