Michigan Matters: Is Civility In Politics Dead?

Southfield (CBS Detroit) - The high powered roundtable of Denise Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Enterprises, David Dulio, director of Oakland University's Center for Civic Engagement, and Barry Rabe, of UM's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, appeared on CBS 62's MICHIGAN MATTERS to discuss the state of politics and its impact in Lansing and Washington.

The trio appeared with Senior Producer/Host Carol Cain as they dived in to the conversation on the heels of the passing of William Milliken – the state's longest serving governor. A Republican, Gov. Milliken was known for working both sides of the aisle and his focus on helping Detroit and then- Mayor Coleman A. Young a generation ago.

Rabe, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at UM's Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy, talked about his school's effort to engage students. He mentioned their high profile speaker series and talked about recent appearances of former U.S. Secretary of States Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice.

The roundtable discussed the University of Michigan being chosen to host one of the three U.S. Presidential Debates next year and its significance. The state was mostly ignored by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race.

Dulio, a professor of Political Science , talked about OU's Center for Civic Engagement which opened almost two years ago to serve as a catalyst to help raise the conversation about important issues in a non-partisan manner for students and the community. They are holding town halls and inviting well known speakers.

- Lech Walesa, former President of Poland and a Nobel Peace Prize Winner, is scheduled to appear at an OU event Nov. 15. Time Magazine listed Walesa as one of the 100 most important political figures of all time.

Also appearing on "Michigan Matters" was Margaret Trimer, of Delta Dental's Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, as she discussed the nonprofit's growing imprint in healthcare and the community.

Trimer discussed the importance of oral health to children which impacts so much in their lives not only today but tomorrow.

Among the many community programs Delta Dental is involved with: the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Forgotten Harvest and more. She also highlighted their focus on civility in the region.

Watch MICHIGAN MATTERS Sunday at 11:30am on CBS 62