Schor: I'm the mayor of Lansing, and I love the capital city

Michigan is the home to many remarkable cities large and small — including both Lansing and Detroit, as well as Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Flint, Kalamazoo and so many others. Our communities balance each other and connect to create a vibrant place for people to live and work, vacation and learn.

As Lansing's mayor and a Michigan resident, I've always been a fan of Detroit, even when others weren't. Despite the differences between our two great Michigan cities, I've proudly highlighted the positive aspects of my own city and Detroit. I appreciate the conversations I’ve had with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and was a great supporter of Detroit when I served in the legislature.

That's why I was surprised by Nancy Kaffer's recent column. (Editor's note: Detroit Free Press Editorial Page Editor Nancy Kaffer recently penned a column that proposed restoring Detroit as the state's capital.) Even if written in jest, the editorial was disparaging of our capital city. We need to be positive about the things going on in Lansing, just like in Detroit and all other Michigan cities.

This editorial came across to many (myself included) as criticism littered with untruths that people may not see as funny when said about their community. If this was written about Detroit, I would have the same adverse reaction.

Couch: Let me tell you about Lansing, this 'sad little town' many of us happily call home

Lansing, like Detroit, was affected by the pandemic. We are on the upswing with new entertainment venues, affordable and market rate housing, and small and large businesses. If anyone misses this, even in jest, then they aren’t recognizing the incredible amount of work that so many have put in to grow Lansing and recover from very difficult times.

At first when I read this, I thought, "haters gonna hate." But then, I felt sorry for those who disparage Lansing without spending much time here. In the decade since Detroit’s bankruptcy, Lansing has also grown and changed. Our school district is growing and our scores are up. We have been rated one of the most affordable cities in the nation and our population has remained stable when others declined. Our many neighborhoods throughout the city are strong and more connected than ever, and Lansing pride in our own city has never been stronger.

Yet, the column, even if a joke, chose to spread negativity. The governor created a task force to find ways to get more people to live and work in Michigan. We’re certainly not going to do that by tearing each other down or through ill-informed editorials that call any of our cities "sad."

I moved to Michigan for college, fell in love with the state as a whole, and found my home in Lansing. Lansing is more than just a place I landed a job, it's a community that I connected with and chose to raise my family in. And I am not unique ... in fact, I am the rule rather than the exception.

I’d invite anyone to spend a day in Lansing (and not just at the Capitol or inside the Lansing State Journal offices). Caffeinate at 517 Coffee Company or Blue Owl Coffee. Have a great lunch at one of Lansing’s many family-owned, immigrant run, or even first-generation entrepreneur restaurants in REOTown or on one of our many corridors adjacent to our wonderful neighborhoods. (Yes, even some great tacos!) Do some shopping in Old Town or at the thriving Middle Village Market in Downtown. Bring your kids to the Impression 5 science center.

We are centrally located in the state, and honored to be Michigan’s capital city and home to our State Capitol building. We're very proud of our 113,000 residents and the contributions they make to the State of Michigan. Detroit is important, but claiming it's the center of Michigan is dismissive of the rest of the state. I hope anyone throughout the state will come here to Lansing and check it out. Do some research (read "100 Things to Do in Lansing Before You Die" or check out the Choose Lansing website), and you might just love it here too.

I’m immensely proud to be the mayor of our capital city and will fight every day to ensure we continue to have a bright future in Lansing — even when the editorial page editor of our state’s largest newspaper wants to make light of our city in a column.

Andy Schor is mayor of the City of Lansing

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lansing mayor defends capital city