Preservation politics in Michigan

 While searching for politicians that are actually interested in preservation (there aren't very many) I came across this guy  Congressman Mark Schauer of Michigan. Schauer recently published his priority projects for 2011 for the upcoming appropriations process. On his website, he described the process by which his team surveyed organizations throughout the state to get input. The result is a list that includes the following:

• $100,000 for the City of Eaton Rapids Flood Damage Reduction which will help protect the city’s historic district from flooding.
• $150,000 to restore and renovate Tibbits Opera House — one of the oldest operating opera houses in Michigan — back to its original 1882 design.
• $294,293 to upgrade the electrical system of Jackson’s Michigan Theatre, which is on that National Register of Historic places due to its architectural significance.

Schauer’s list brought home a really important point for me that I’d like to share with you: One politician simply interested in preservation can make a world of difference. You can have as many interest groups, committees, commissions ect. as you want but if you fail to get support from atleast one key politician it seems like the odds of getting your projects funded are minimal. Though we often think that the endangered historical properties in our own states may be rescued by government funds, preservation efforts take planning and politicians and can’t always be last-minute game changers. This is a good example of the power politics play in the preservation game and how planning is crucial to the process. Often people do not become interested in preservation until the buildings they love are in danger of being demolished.