:' I'". ‘0 THE CREATEON OF A COMMISSDN A Case Study of the Michigan Commission on Aging Thesis far the Degree :1? M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY James Me Michael 1961 *7 .1; u- ' I??? 6r r «mum; “My“! LN («1 mm mm “ll! I11} 111 n This is te certify that the \ thesis entitled THE CREATION OF A COMMISSION A Case Study of the Michigan Commission on Aging presented by James F . McMichael has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for M degree in_£nlitic;a.1 Science Date M" 0-169 m the cream. Metal (:0 the Pattie ““ement PM “when a: Origins O] l thFOug] T 1150:5851 ABSTRACT THE CREATION OF A COMMISSION A Case Study of the Michigan Commission on Aging by James McMichael This study is a combination of two areas of interest, the creation of a Commission on Aging in Michigan and the general correlation between the functions of an agency and the particular forces that brought it into being. Using a statement from Simon, Smithburg, and Thompson's book, Public Administration, a hypothesis concerning the relationship between an agency's immediate level of activity and the origins of the agency is drawn up and is explored through a thorough examination of the Michigan Commission on Aging. The study, in attempting to shed some light on the hypothesis through the case study method. will follow some standard procedures, such as background and formal legisla- tive processes. as well as a comprehensive examination of the roles of individuals, pressure groups, mass media, etc. The reason for this latter effort can be laid to the author's regard for Gabriel Almond's tool of analyzing political sys- tems, as stated in the Introduction of Politics of Deve10pir_tg Areas. In d become t m1 natal love” framework t ltt'm pro: mess be! nation 0 We in 1 H the Gm in1951-5: "eation ll! Couxyc ether bu 1 ml“ of “ng t‘n C‘s-1551 it“ a 1 Regs-um his. thing. . {emit :Et ins it 4 .13., James McMichael In developing the study. we shall see that aging has become a matter of concern to many and that various govern- mental levels have assumed responsibility in this area. The framework for the study is centered around the formal legis- lative process necessary to create a state agency. This process begins in the study with Governor G. Mennen Williams' creation of an Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging in 1950. From this point on we shall follow the works of the Governor's Commission to Study Problems of the Aging in 1951-52, the first bill calling for the Commission's creation in 195h, the establishment of the Legislative Advis- ory Council on Problems of the Aging in 1955, and various other bills leading up to the Commission's creation in 1960. Interwoven throughout this formal process are the roles of various interest groups and individuals. In evalu- ating these roles, we find that in the case of the Michigan Commission on Aging, the main impetus for its creation was from‘a few experts, bureaucratic preference. limited small Pitssure group interest, and a handful of interested indivi- duals. Correlating these origins with resultant agency func- tions, we find dissatisfaction expressed on the Commission's activities by most persons close to it, and a general slow- ness in developing any real programs. In conclusion, some other reasons for the Commission's ineptness are put forth and some recommendations made. It is cg, taped :52 Co states James McMichael heped that this analysis will prove helpful in understanding the Commission better as well as serving as a guide for other states presently considering such a move. THE CREATION OF A COMMISSION A Case Study of the Michigan Commission on Aging BY James McMichael A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER O F ARTS Department of Political Science 1961 v" a; his educat Basters tr interest 1 larly stuc into a C0: M‘Uflittee the Studer. this Study that I kne In teslin: this agenc experitime I Tiarles Ad 3eTEIOPIIJOn of P°1itic of the Sch {r . PREFACE When a student reaches that point in the advancement of his educational experience that requires the compilation of a masters thesis, he often decides that a particular item is of interest to him and he will examine the problem and write a scho- larly study on his findings. Often, this idealized dream turns into a complex, detail-filled nightmare of rough drafts, re-drafts. committee meetings, more drafts and exhaustion. Despite himself, the student is forced to learn something. So it has been with this study. Taking a subject very familiar to me, I have learned that I knew very little of the Michigan Commission on Aging. In testing this study's hypothesis, many interesting facets of this agency have been uncovered, and I am grateful that this experience was possible. I am very grateful to my master's committee, Dr. Charles Adrian, Director of M. S. U.'s Institute for Community Development; Dr. Frank Pinner, Director of M. S. U.'s Bureau of Political and Social Research; Dr. Gordon A1dridge,head of the School of Social Work; Arnold Gurin of the School of Social Work; and especially to Dr. John Dorsey, of the Poli- tical Science Department, chairman of the committee and my advisor in the true sense of the word. Dr. Dorsey's many hours of work in going over the innumerable drafts, his gui- dance in developing an adequate hypothesis, his patience with 'l-i-i my calls for help, likely to come at any time, have all served to impress me greatly with the real meaning of an educator. With his help, I have learned a great deal. I am also indebted to Manfred Lilliefors, Director of the Commission,for so generously sharing his time and information with me. The Institute for Community Deve10p- ment and its director of research, Dr. Walter Freeman, also has my deepest thanks for assistance in preparing the rough drafts of this study. As all writers of theses and dissertations do, I also hOpe that this effort will be utilized by someone and not just fill the shelf in some obscure corner of a library. Whether or not this is the case, time will tell. At any rate, one person has learned mora,and he is grateful. Needless to say, all opinions, evaluations, and recom- mendations contained herein are my own, and I am solely responsible for the blame or glory, whatever the case may be. iv PREEACE. Chapter I. II. III. IV. THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS: CREATION OF‘A COMMISSION: TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 Procedure The State of Michigan RECOGNITION OF THE PROBLEM . . . . . . . Aging as a Matter of Concern Action to Meet the Needs of the Elderly Expectations of Government Recognition of the Need for the Michigan Commission on Aging Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging: 1950 Governor's Commission to Study Problems of the Aging: 1951-1952 Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging: 1953-195b Senate 3111 1257: 195A Interdepartmental Committee: 195h-l959 Senate Bill 1128: 1955 Senate Bill 1187: 1955 The Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging: 1955-1960 House Resolution No. 30: 1957 House Bill 103 and Senate Bill 1108: 1957 The Michigan Society of Gerontology Report of Interim House Committee to Study Existing and Proposed State Organizations in the Field of Aging: 1958 House Bill 79: 1958 1950-195“ . THE MIDDLE STATE. Page . iii . l . 12 . 31 . 52 Captor szmm .11 In Chapter Page Senate Resolution #1: 1958 House Bill No. 59: 1959 Senate Resolution #2: 1959 Governors Commission on Aging: 1959 V. THE COMMISSION'S CREATION . . . . . . . . . . 75 Review House Bill 2h: 1960 Report of Senate Interim Committee to Investigate Problems of the Aging Among Michigan's Population: 1960 Senate State Affairs Committee Hearings: 1960 Analysis of Public Act 11 Evaluation of the Role of Pressure Groups, State Agencies, Newspapers, and Prime Movers VI. ESTABLISHING THE COMMISSION . . . . . . . . . 88 Appointment of Commission Members Appointment of the Director Developing a Program Plans for the Future VII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Examination of the Hypothesis Other Inhibiting Factors Recommendations Conclusion APPmDIX O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0 O O O O O O O 111 I. Senate Bill 1257, 195# Legislature II. Public Act 200, 1955 III. Public Act 11. 1960 BIBLIOGRAPHY . O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 12 5 vi One the tremend the creatio continue to 36W agencie have ”5111 a “'8. Planni a‘5911Cies, CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION One of the outstanding features of our time has been the tremendous growth of existing governmental agencies and the creation of a multitude of new ones. These agencies continue to grow and expand into more divisions and ultimately new agencies. The variety of such agencies is endless. We have regulatory, judiciary, service, coordinating, research- ing, planning, educational, punitive, and many other kinds of agencies. A glance at the United States Government Organiza- tion Manual for 1959-601 suggests the number and variety of such agencies. Nor should the finger be pointed at the federal level alone. The Michigan Manual for 1959-602 dis- closes statutory agencies ranging from the Michigan Depart- ment of Administration to the Michigan State Waterways Com- mission with a large variety in between. Once created, the Departments, Bureaus, Commissions, etc., unlike old soldiers, do not die nor do they fade away. Small agencies have grown into the huge bureaucracies we know 1United States Government Orggnization Manual 1959-60., (Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, Washington 25, D. C.) 2Michigan Manualpg195ge60., (Michigan Department of State, Lansing, Michigan) :eday. 0t? sczetines J bdind the extent are He sen, in t3: neat conce learned a': 1'. .cCIS abou and “en 5 L: . birth are light rel; today. Others have remained, virtually unknown, carrying on sometimes mysterious functions. What is known of the forces behind the creation of this multitude of agencies? To what extent are they doing the things they were set up to do? Herbert Simon, Donald Smithburg, and Victor A. Thomp- son, in their Public Administration make the following state- ment concerning governmental organization: "Much can be learned about organizations from their origins. Many peculiar facts about existing operations—~structure, program emphasis, and even staffing--become understandable only when their history and the forces that presided at the organization's birth are known."3 This observation suggests an interesting question: can any general propositions be formulated which might relate particular conditions and factors important in the creation of an agency to its subsequent behavior? Generally, it can be assumed that governmental organi- zations are created as a result primarily of one of two sources of pressure, one being demands on the political system from outside of its formal structure and the other being demands from within the formal structure of the political system. Examples of these kinds of pressure would be the public demand for a public works department as opposed to the bureaucrats' desire for a good records management program. When brought to bear on the law making bodies, either kind of demand on the political system can result in the creation of new agencies. E 3Herbert Simon, Donald Smithburg, and Victor A. Thomp- SOn, Public Administration, (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1950), p. 25. It is con resulting A "Len go who pI est grou; Strong in berate an proceed 1 Dill of a est on t}: Vith inte the Prob} ins: leadj Dised 0n It is conceivable that agencies resulting essentially from internal demands subsequently behave differently from those resulting from external demands. A general hypothesis can be formulated as follows: When a governmental agency is created as a result of bureau- cratic preference, pressure, eXpert advice, and limited inter- est group pressure rather than general public demand and/or strong interest group pressure, such an agency will be deli- berate and careful in undertaking its functions and will proceed very slowly toward meeting its stated objectives. Conversely, one might exPect that an agency created out of a widespread public demand or a great amount of inter- est on the part of pressure groups would immediately begin with intensive programming and staffing in order to deal with the problems for which the agency was established. The reason- ing leading to this hypothesis is obvious; lacking the impetus based on widespread public support or the constant prodding of a pressure group, the agency, once it is legally consti- tuted, can take its time in approaching the problem for which it was constituted. Moreover, lacking strong political support outside the bureaucracy, too active a beginning might stimulate opposition which could have serious consequences from the agency's vieWpoint. The advantages of such a deliberate beginning are many. Given time to carefully study the area, the agency can develop programs based on need, rather than the overly hasty and sometimes ill-advised type of programming many new agencies a: przbably o! bsget 1‘qu latcr’s cr; have time ‘ legislatur. Eff-.35 the c hi.“ to an; all agenci u595x11 in ‘ lkly‘stratil an the We (is uaUn on L: “Fission Ea 0's Leiisli f a J: 3: A‘l \ ‘\c In agencies are pushed into. Also, such a slow start will probably obviate the need for appreciable increase in early budget requests, thus forestalling the ever watchful legis- "empire building." Instead, the agency would lator's cry of have time to build its support both inside and outside the legislature, so that when the time comes for launching pro- grams the conditions for success will be more favorable. Of course, only a study of the largest scope could hope to analyze the conditions relevant to the creation of all agencies existing today. However, a case study can be useful in shedding light on some of these questions and in illustrating the basic hypothesis. The present study focuses on the creation of a new state agency, The Michigan Commis- sion on Aging. A duly constituted public agency, the Com- mission was established by Public Act 11 of the 1960 Michi- gan Legislature.“ A review of the literature failed to turn up very much information of this sort on agencies. Simon's "The Birth of an Organization"5 was concerned more with the agency after its creation than before. Ferrell Heady and Robert Pealy's book on the development of the Department of Admini- 6 stration in Michigan goes into the background but generally __ hMichigan, Journal of the Senate, 1960 Legislature, (Senate Clerks Office, Lansing, Michiganyfi 5Herbert A. Simon, "The Birth of an Organization," Egblic Administration Review, (Aut. '53), pp. 227-236. 6Ferrell Heady and Robert H. Pealy, The Michigan Q§partment of Administration, (Ann Arbor, Bureau of Govern- Ment, Institute of Public Administration, University of Michigan, 1956) ignores the or against In nation on 1 responsiblc flared. n01 'I'ere put ft Vities of ‘ activities aSSists in me Emu": Th *0 the C0211 "I.“ a use ‘orce ignores the personalities and pressure groups working for or against such a move. In order to obtain all possible background infor- mation on the establishment of this agency, the kcy people responsible for establishing the Commission have been inter- viewed, newspapers have been examined to see what efforts were put forth for the creation of the Commission, the acti- vities of the Governor's staff and Legislators were examined, and pressure groups representatives were asked about their activities either for or against the Commission. This data assists in determining the extent of public demand and pres- sure group interest in creating the Commission. The processes, both formal and informal, which led to the Commission were also studied to assist in determining "the forces that presided at the organization's birth." The Governor's Inter-departmental Committee on Aging, the Commis- sion to Study Problems of the Aged, the House Committee on Problems of the Aging, the Temporary or Governor's Commission on Aging, the Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging were all carefully studied to determine the role each had to play in the Commission's creation. Journals of the House and Senate of the Michigan Legislature were examined to follow the legislative process of establishing the Commission. After analyzing the background of this agency, the results of all this activity is presented. The structure, administrative location and membership of the Commission is examined to determine the connection, if any, with the origins of the agency. The programs carried out to date are examined in order to illustrate further our original hypothesis. In addition to examining this hypothesis, this study attempts to provide essential data on the background of the Commission and to evaluate its present structure. Many states are presently considering the creation of a similar agency. These states have questions as to the apprOpriate procedure to attain their goal, such as where the Commission should be located in the state's administrative structure, whether it should be independent or not, etc., and it is hoped that the following analysis will be helpful to them. Procedure Gabriel Almond and James Coleman, in The Politics of Developing_Areas,7 include in the introductory chapter a scheme for comparing political systems of various areas. This scheme considers political systems and the inputs or claims on that system from other systems within the culture. These input functions are classified as (1) political sociali- zation and recruitment, (2) interest articulation, (3) inter— est aggregation, and (fi) political communication. The out- put functions or services of the political system are classi- fied as (1) rule making, (2) rule application, and (3) rule adjudication. Such a conceptual framework can be of con- siderable assistance in calling attention to various a3pects 7Gabriel A. Almond and James S. Coleman, The Politigg gfiwthe Deve10ping_Areas, (Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton Ihniversity Press, 1960), pp. 3-6h. of me pc 11:... ~11 of the 01 we are 11 231i ica] articula: bill". for bureaucr: of the political process which might otherwise be overlooked. Although.it is not used explicitly to organize this study of the origins of the Michigan Commission on Aging, it was lepful in guiding the analysis at several points. For example, as an aspect of "political socialization" um are led to examine the public's conception of the Michigan. Imlitical system and their expectations of it. "Interest articulation," is manifested in the action of pressure groups, tmth for and against the Commission, as well as that of the tmreaucracy, the legislature, and the governor. Interest aggregation is represented in the roles of the Republican and Democratic party. Important aspects of "political com- munication" can be seen in the newspapers' activity in attempt- ing to help pass or kill the legislation setting up the Commission. The State of Michigan The state of Michigan is defined as being the terri- tory between Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and Lake Huron; consisting of a lower peninsula, which is highly industrial- ized and lying within the major industrialized areas between Chicago and New York, and of an upper peninsula, geographi- cally separated from the lower peninsula and which has been dominated by lumbering and mining industries. The population of Michigan is nearly 8,000,000 persons, of whom over 2% million live in the Detroit metropolitan area in the south- eastern part of the lower peninsula. The center of the state government is in Lansing, a community'of 120,000 persons located.in the middle of the lower half of the lower peninsula. The state ranks 7th in the United States in population and tms a major share of the automobile manufacturers of the (muntry located within its boundaries. Michigan became a state in 1837. The peoples settling im.the state were of mixed origin, coming from Scandanavia, the Netherlands, the German and Slavic countries as well as (heat Britain and the Southern Mediterranean countries. bfichigan's industries ranged from fur trading to lumbering and mining. Once famous as the major producer of iron and copper ore in the United States, the development of surface ndning in other areas and the difficulty of removing ore from the tremendously deep shafts in the upper peninsula has since curtailed its effectiveness and is gradually de- creasing mining as an industry of major importance in the state.8 Perhaps best known of all of Michigan's industries is automobile manufacturing. Since the first construction of the automobile in Michigan, the major manufacturers have located here because of the availability of skilled workers, raw materials, and suitable markets. Although still a domi- nant industry, the automobile industry is now beginning to show some signs of weakening. As a result, Michigan is currently suffering from the unemployment of a considerable 9 number of its workers. 8Willard Baird, This is Our Michigan, (Battle Creek, Michigan; Federated Publications, Inc., 1959.) 9Haro1d H. Martin, "Michigan the Problem State." The Saturday Evening Post, February 25, 1961. The political history of the state was one of long dominance of the Republican party which continued in the state of Michigan up to the rise of organized labor as an effective organization in the late 19’40'5, when G. Mennen Williams and the leadership of the UAW-CIO labor union in Michigan joined forces to weld an effective liberal organi- 10 From Governor Williams' election in 19118 to the zation. present, the Democrats have increased their control over the state administrative offices, presently holding all of the major positions. Despite the majority of Democratic votes cast, however, the Republicans still have a vital control over the outputs of the state political system through a nearly evenly divided House and a definite Republican major- ity in the Senate. This occurs because of a "Balanced Legis- lature" apportionment amendment which was passed in 1952. This amendment sets up Michigan's representative districts in such a manner that the rural out-state voters in effect have more representation than the highly populated urban Detroit area voters. Wayne County, which has 38% of the state's population, has only 20.6% of the seats in the Senate.11 Due to the dominance of organized labor and the lib- eral Democratic politics, Michigan has been called a "Wel- fare State" and charged with driving out industry with 10Stephen D. and Vera Sarasohn, Political Party Patterns in Michigan (Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State Uni- versity Press, 1957). PP. 514-68. 1:I'Joseph G. La Palombara, A Guide to Michigan Politics (East Lansing, Bureau of Political and Social Research, College of Business and Public Service, Michigan State Uni- versity, 1960), p. 15. 10 2 excessive taxes.1 Despite these charges, however, the liberal coalition in the state has considered the mandate of the people in re-electing their leadership and continues to press for advances in state governmental service responsi- bility. High among the services to be offered are those affecting the aged. In developing the way the state of Michigan has enlarged its services to the aged and has evolved the Com- mission on Aging, this paper will follow the idea suggested in Simon, Smithburg, and Thompson.13 First recognition of the problem will be covered by outlining the reasons for considering aging as a matter of concern, the development of local, state, and national programs for the aging, people's expectation of state government in Michigan, and recognition of the usefulness of a central state agency for the aging. Then the legislative process creating the Commission will be followed. This process will include not only an examina- tion of the formal legislative process, but of the various agencies, organizations, and individual's role in facilita- ting or blocking passage of the bills creating the Commission. Finally, the Commission, its membership, staff, program, and future will be examined and a few recommendations made. Following this compilation of data, our general hypothesis will be re-examined. How was the Commission 12Martin, 100. cit. 13Simon, Smithburg, and Thompson, Op. cit. 11 created? What were the pressures and where did they come from? Did these pressures have any effect on the consequent programming of the Commission? CHAPTER II RECOGNITION OF THE PROBLEM Aging Es a Matter of Concern Much has been written concerning the various facets and problems of agin". The main emphasis has been on the numbers of the aging. As one of the fastest growing segments of our national population, persons 65 and over new number in excess of 16,000,000. In Michigan, people over 65 years of age (over 600,000 persons) make up four times as large a part of the population as they did in 1900. This number is expected to increase at an average yearly rate of lh,000. The number of older persons is not the only factor leading to the problems of senior citizens. As Governor G. Mennen Williams stated in his message to the 69th legis- lature "It is not just numbers that have changed, it is a way of life. We have moved from a day when the typical Michiganian lived on a farm which he owned and operated, to a day when he works in a factory owned and operated by persons who are most likely strangers to him. He once worked side by side with members of his family and with close friends; today he works with near total strangers. In years now gone forever, the family breadwinner retired gradually, if indeed he did not die in harness as he would prefer, his health permitting. What is more important, perhaps, his retirement 12 13 was, in large measure, a matter of personal choice, both as to time and degree."1 Governor Williams also pointed out that "When he retired, he continued to live on his own farm, or with his sons and daughters in their large farm homes. Recreation consisted of hunting and fishing in the well-stocked woods and streams ngarby, or in visiting with long time friends." Needless to say, the situation today is quite differ- ent. As Governor Williams pointed out "The individual today works in a factory or office, away from his family and in the midst of strangers. He retires at the will of his employer, or perhaps according to an agreement his trade union has been able to work out with the employer. He may find it necessary to retire involuntarily years before his mental or physical capacity would require it and before he is able to provide a retirement nest egg large enough to sustain himself and his wife. His children may be scattered widely over the nation and, in any case, are likely to be liv- ing in much smaller homes than the old-style American farm house."3 There is yet one other facet of the field of aging which should be mentioned here. When aging or old age is mentioned in modern day America, one is most likely to think in terms of those persons 65 years of age and over. This artificial barrier was introduced with the Federal Social Security Act in 1935 which set this arbitrary age limit as the time one should retire and receive the benefits of __ 1Governor of Michigan, (G. Mennen Williams) Message to the Sixty-ninth Legislature, February 1, 1957 (Governor's office, Lansing, Michigan). 2Ibid., p. 2. ' 3Ibid. 1h his labors. Because of this, one hears much of the 16,000,000 Americans who are 65 or over and thus are automatically "old.” Realistically facing the modern problem of aging calls for a realization that the age of 65 has come to be of real sig- nificance and does cause many problems. This is not only because 8% of the population is 65 or over, but also because in the minds of their fellow Americans they have become old and are relegated to a somewhat inferior position--not because of ill health and disabling disease, when modern medical ad- vances would allow for a healthy and active old age, nor because all those 65 and over are poor, for they control 20% of our nation's wealth and 66% own their own homes.“ Nr>t, because they are all senile and unable to think crea- tively when there are the Eleanor Roosevelts, Amos Staggs, and so forth by the thousands. Because Americans view old age negatively, because we are judged by what we produce, not what we are, because we are a youth oriented society, because only in a modern industrialized nation such as ours could such a waste of human talents and energies be afforded, are we so likely to think of the "problems" of aging. Agtion to Meet the Needs of the Elderly Services for the elderly have existed since earliest times. Many ancient and primitive tribes required their Inembers to set aside a portion of their food to feed the 1’Dr. Frederick Swartz, Chairman, American Medical .Association Committee on Aging, talk to Lansing Project on .Aging, 1960. 15 elderly.5 The ancient Greeks, by law, required a family to care for its elderly or be ostracized from the City-State.6 The Inca Indians set up a system of collecting taxes to put in a central storehouse to care for the poor and the elderly.7 In our modern culture "county farms" to care for the indigent elderly and other needy persons were part and parcel of a county of any size. In 1935, the Old.Age and Survivors Insurance program was instituted nationally to assist persons in saving for their retirement as well as providing for dir- ect relief to the elderly through the Old Age Assistance program. But as the number of older people grew, and the changes Governor Williams mentioned took place, more and more services were provided for the elderly. These services were instituted on all levels of government and are worth considering briefly at this point. Local Level As mentioned earlier, most counties had, at a mini- mum, a facility to care for its indigent elderly. Several cities had, by 1943, established Committees on Aging, which compiled data on the needs of older persons.8 The services 5Leo W. Simmon, The_Bole of the Aged in Primitive Society (Yale University Press, l9h5),pp. 32-33. GBessie Ellen Richardson, Old Age Among the Ancient Greeks (Johns Hopkins Press, l9h3), p. 56. 7Simmon, op. cit., p. U2. 8Helen Hardy Brunet, Old Age In New York City_(Wel- fare Council of New York City, New York, l9h3), pp. 1-10. 16 for the elderly already included Homes for the Aged, Nurs- ing Homes, special recreational programs, clubs, etc. In Michigan, the larger cities formed Committees on Aging and began the development of coordinated, planned programs for the elderly.9 Many services were extended by agencies serv- ing all age groups, such as Family Service Agencies, Recrea- tion Departments and others. A survey of community facilities for the aged made in Lansing, Michigan, in 1950 helps to illustrate the status of such services. A questionnaire was mailed to nearly six hundred public and private agencies, organizations, and insti- tutions in Ingham County, one hundred sixty-nine of which were returned. Of these, fifteen organizations reported that they were made up primarily of older persons. Fifty of the replies indicated that individual (not group) services on a limited scale were already being provided such as home visiting by the churches and counselling by social agencies. Forty-two agencies, organizations, and institutions had resources which they could easily make available for group activities of older people. Thirty-six had physical faci- lities for a meeting place, twenty-eight could provide leader— ship, and thirteen could give financial support.10 9Anthony Lenzer, Community Action in Aging, (Ann Arbor, The Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging. 1959). 10Annual report of the Committee on Older People to Ingham County Council of Social Welfare, Lansing, Michigan, June, 1951. 17 At the local level then, many services for the elderly were being created, existing services were being expanded, and coordinating, planning activities were taking place. Obviously the problem of aging was recognized. State_Levgl In 1955, the Council of State Governments published a report entitled, "The States and Their Older Citizens."11 This report pointed out the action of the individual states in the areas of employment, income, home living and family relations, homelike institutional care, physical health, mental health and rehabilitation, community participation, and social services as an indication of the state's activi- ties in the aging field. In Michigan as early as 1938, the State Social Welfare Department was spending over thirteen million dollars per year on Old Age Assistance grants.12 In following years, the State Health Department stepped up its chronic disease program with increased screening for diabetes, venereal disease, and tuberculosis. It assumed responsibility for licensing nursing homes and stepped up educational programs aimed at proper diets, weight control, and other important health factors. The Michigan Employment Security Commission established an older worker specialist in several of its branches. The Office of Vocational 11A report to the 1955 Governor's Conference by the Council of State Governments, Chicago, 1955. 12Old Age Assistance in Michigan, 1937-1938 (Lansing, Michigan, State Welfare Department, Bureau of Old Age Assist- ance), p. 7. Rehabilita rehabilita and the De cation pro Rental Hea tionalizec‘ state ager 10 the 91C Hing as a " the A- 11 31‘, _ ‘3 (LE 18 Rehabilitation in the Department of Public Instruction offered rehabilitative programs for those who could go back to work and the Department stimulated expansion of local Adult Edu- cation programs to serve the elderly. The Department of Mental Health was serving the 35 per cent of their institu- tionalized patients who were 65 years of age or over.13 So state agencies were also busily engaged in providing services to the elderly, thereby indicating their recognition of aging as a matter of concern. National Level On the national level, there was also widespread recognition of the need for action. The first National Conference on Aging was held under the auspices of the Fed- eral Security Agency in August, 1950. In 1961, the Whitehouse Conference on Aging was called, bringing to a focus the many plans and agencies on all levels of government. Within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare a Special Staff on Aging was created. The Department of Labor set up the position of Older Worker specialist and the Social Security program kept expanding and covering more persons.1u The Kerr-Mills bill was passed expanding medical care for the aged to include the medically indigent.15 On many fronts, —— ‘i —— —. 13Michigan Commission on Aging, Programs and Services for the_Aging in Michigan (Lansing, Michigan, 1960). 11"U. S. Federal Council on Aging, Programs for Older People (Washington, D. C., 1960). 15U. S. Statutes at Large - 1960 Congress. stepped I need. 0:33: Ac‘ The; De QAljn" 52)); S. 16?: a :30 19 the Federal government recognized aging as a problem and stepped forward with new and expanded programs to meet this need. Other Action Such a review of recognition of aging as a problem would be remiss without noting the Townsend Movement of the 1930's. Dr. Francis E. Townsend, a California physician, led a movement which at one time had a membership of over three million older people in an attempt to gain a grant of $200 per month for persons over 65. Other organizations of older people have been created and are carrying on effective programs to date. In addition to the federal conferences, many univer- sities have sponsored conferences on aging, including Michi- gan's Annual Ann Arbor Conference on Aging, which greatly stimulated recognition of aging as a problem on the part of all agencies and many citizens. In 1942, the American Geri- atric Society, concerned with the study of diseases of old age, was formed. The Gerontological Society, an interdis- ciplinary professional organization, was formed in 19UU.16 Thus we have seen that through demands for action, private and public agencies at all levels of government have set up and expanded programs for the elderly. The public through personal experience, mass media, conferences, com- mittees, etc., appears to have become aware of the need for 16Brunot, op. cit. introduction. actien f o ;c‘.i:ical for the 0 public do. that got dermis it 2:15 agen :4- Csrissio 20 action for the elderly. This has been accepted by both political parties, each now including a plank for programs for the elderly. Granted then, that there is considerable public demand for services for the elderly. But what has that got to do with the Michigan Commission on Aging? What demands were reflected in the responsibilities assigned to this agency? According to Public Act 11, 1960 Legislature, the Commission has the following functions: (a) Conduct, and encourage other organizations to conduct, studies of the problems of the state's older people; (b) Encourage, promote and aid in the estab- lishment of local programs and services for the aging. The commission shall assist local governmental and other agencies by designing surveys that could be used locally to determine needs of older people; by recommending the creation of such services and facilities as appear to be needed; by serving as a clearing house for the col- lection and distribution of information on aging; and by assisting organizations and communities in such other ways as the commission may deem appropriate; (c) Conduct programs of public education on the problems of the aging; -‘v- -L 2'1 PU 1“ Z » TI. t I ,. i \ S.‘ ‘7“. .. s an .3 N. .. .. u‘ ~‘ \ I (d) Review existing state programs for the aging, and annually make recommendations to the governor and the legislature for improvements in and additions to such programs; (e) Encourage and assist governmental and private agencies to coordinate their efforts on behalf of the aging in order that such effort be effective and that duplication and wasting of effort be eliminated.17 As can be seen from this act, the Commission does not have as its function the provision of direct service to the elderly. Instead, its responsibilities are coordi- nation, research, recommending legislation, stimulating local communities, etc. Is this what the public demanded? Are these the services pressure groups lobby for? These v questions will be looked into at a later point in this paper, but for the time being, let us look at the general expectations that the public has of its state government. Egpectations of Government As the authors of Public Admigistration point out, much of the activities, structure, and location of an agency will be dependent on the community's attitude toward govern- ment. The authors explain the arguments of laisser-faire, 17compi1cd Laws of Michigan, Public Acts 11, 1960. State Capital, Lansing, Michigan. 525 of a SZEIE. 22 protection of individual rights, and humanitarianism with reference to governmental activities.18 For the purpose of "Hyth Systems" this paper, however, Dr. Charles Adrian's provides a useful framework for the analysis of the consen- sus of attitudes toward government in various areas of the state. Mac Iver thinks of these myths as value systems or "the value impregnated beliefs and notions that men hold, that they live by or live for. Every society is held to- gether by a myth system, a complex of dominating thought forms that determines and sustains all its activities. All social relations, the very texture of human society, are myth born and myth sustained."19 Adrian uses this myth concept to define political beliefs and trends. "The impor- tant thing is that there normally exists a myth or set of myths that is accepted by a dominant group of citizens, and as a result politicians are able to condition their appeals to fit the beliefs that their constituents treasure."20 In State and Legal Government, the categories of frontier individualism, industrial individualism, and the social service state, are put forth, each with its pattern of expectations of government. These myths are useful in 18Simon, Smithburg, & Thompson, op. cit., p. 31. 19R. M. Mac Iver, The Web of Government (New York: The Macmillan Company, l9h7), p. E. 20Charles Adrian, State and Local Government -(New York: McGraw-Hill Co., 1960), pp. 39-#0. 23 assaying the expectations of the people towards its govern- ment. Obviously, no one area of the state can be considered to manifest one myth system or the other in its pure form. In looking at the state as a whole, however, one can observe areas where one system seems to be dominant over others. Frontier Individualism In State and Local Government Adrian says of this particular myth system: "Americans still believe that small government is better than big government; that an office— holder is more re5ponsible to the people and more likely to be honest if he is directly elected; that rural govern? ment is more democratic and probably of a higher type than urban government; that a local government of neighbors is more efficient and effective than a local government in the hands of a professional bureaucracy, and so on."21 In general, persons who hold primarily to this myth system expect government to be small and primarily focused on the local level rather than the state and federal level. They probably would argue that such problems as aging should be cared for by the family and neighborhood and there is little need for all of these services, much less a Commission on Aging. This point of view could be expected from the south- western portion of the lower peninsula as well as through- out the rural agricultural area of the state. 21Ibid., p. 56. Industx # 2h Industrial Individualism Again from State and Local Government, we read, "The new myth included the idea that business (including industry) was the nation's most important institution, that what was good for business was good for the nation, that other institutions, social or political, should play a secondary role and must not interfere with the activities of the business community. Free enterprise and laissez- faire became key symbols; government was regarded as ineffi- cient, and its control over business was held to be not only a threat to the progress of the nation but in fact immoral."22 It is within this group that the strong advocates of "voluntary" programs are found. If problems exist, private enterprise and the voluntary agencies can do the job and government's role should be as small as possible. The answer of these persons to a Commission on Aging would seem to be that "a voluntary group of interested citizens," could do the same thing cheaper and more efficiently. Geo; graphically, this type of response and the prevalence of this myth system is to be found in the prosperous out-state urban areas as well as from representatives of business and industry, regardless of their location. 22Ibid., p. 59. 25 The Social Service State As the name suggests, this particular myth system leads to greater expectations of government on the part of individuals. Commonly thought of as a modern phenomenon, Dr. Adrian points out that "whenever the hopes of men had been frustrated under industrial individualism, people were now able to turn to government to bridge the gap between what the person could provide for himself and what he needed in order to possess a reasonable amount of psychological security."23 The relationship of psychological security and acceptance of the Social Service State myth is most readily assimilated in areas of economic deprivation. Closely coupled with urban area growth and economic inter- dependence, Dr. Adrian suggests that they "produced insecuri- ties nearly unknown in an agrarian society. These circum- stances caused people to look around for a social institu- tion to help them regain the poise and security that had slipped away from them. The most likely candidate--perhaps the only one available, in fact, was government."2h In areas where this system is prevelant, the citizens have come to exPect such services as welfare, medical assistance, highly develOped recreational programs, public housing and other such programs from government. 23Ibid., p. 71. 2L‘Ibid” p. 72. 1! hr: — (D bl '1?” ”Q t :w 6“t n Q . a ' q mt \’_ vl . \::i 0“ c l I. ~ (‘3 26 The American Culture Tied in with the Social Service State myth is America's particular cultural view of aging referred to in the first chapter. America, in general, is a productive minded society. When ever three-fourths of the 65 and over age group is not working, therefore not productive, they are consciously or unconsciously given an inferior position in the society. The modern American family has become greatly dependent on many outside factors and usually has stretched its credit to the limit to care for the "needs" of its immediate mem— bers, let alone the grandparents. As a result, this society has come to expect government to aid in caring for the elderly to a great extent. This is true even in the more conserva- tive elements of the society, as is seen by the widespread acceptance of the Social Security program, Although the frontier individualism myth has several advocates and the industrial individualism myth a strong following in out-state Michigan, the Social Service State myth now reigns dominant in the state of Michigan. Generally, in the large metropolitan area of Detroit and the upper peninsula of Michigan this myth system prevails. The poli- tical coalition of organized labor, social welfare organi- zations, and the Democratic party has enabled advocates of the Social Service State to capture the Governorship four— teen consecutive years in Michigan. Despite this popular mandate, however, the legislative apportionment is such that the more conservative elements have controlled the legislature all during this period. 27 Thus there are various expectations of government in Michigan, ranging from the frontier "caretaker" category to the Social Service State. Across all of these areas there seems to be a growing expectation of governmental responsi- bility for the aged, the question being, how much and to how many? These are the thoughts, the myths that are chan- neled into the political system via the legislators and their understanding of their constituents. Still, these demands are for services, whether they be as minimal as old age welfare or as complete as residential and medical care. Who is it that feels the need for a Commission on Aging? Recognition of the Need for the Michigan Commission on A ing Q L.) L.) From a strict organizational standpoint, Fritz Morstein Marx talks of the problem of expanding governmental agencies, overlapping and duplication in Chapter Nine of 25 the Elements of Public Administration, Herbert Hoover, then United States Secretary of Commerce in 1924, proposed the Congress provide the frame of reference for services and the chief executive take action to work within his authori- zation to meet their charges and make organizational adjust- ments in view of changing times. This preposal has served as a guideline for development of federal reorganization plans to date and has led to consolidation of efforts, coordinating agencies, broader Spans of control, and, in 25Fritz Morstein Marx, "The Departmental System," Elements of Public Administration, ed., F. M. Marx (Engle- wood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1959), pp. 169—183. 10 C3 general, many attempts to streamline and make more effec- tive, the working of government. This kind of thinking has been responsible for the development of many broad agen- cies with intensive departmentalization covering a variety of functions as well as coordinating agencies, to bring about effective planning and to avoid duplication of efforts. It was this latter principle which guided much of the initial concern for the need of a Commission on Aging in Michigan. As was shown earlier in this chapter, several state agencies had developed extensive programs for the elderly by 1950. Due to this increased activity, Governor Williams and others became concerned lest these agencies develop duplicating or overlapping programs. Also of concern to many was the lack of a focal point at the state level to which local groups and indivi- duals could go for information and assistance in program- ming for the elderly. Others saw the lack of any one agency re5ponsible for the over-all aging programs as a real short coming in the deveIOpment of comprehensive and inclusive programs. Some examples of expression of need for a cen- tral state agency can be seen in some early reports and recommendations. Governor Williams' Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging in 1950 stated that, ”since the problem is broad and having an increasing effect on our social and economic life, it seems clear that no single lay or professional agency is equipped to adequately cieal with it alone," They further say that "a Commission 9... Ir A 35 ‘d‘l 29 representative of all interested lay and professional groups as well as the aging themselves, should further study the many specific problems involved and work toward their solu- tion."26 The report of the Commission to Study Problems of Aging in 1953, recommended a permanent organization to use and integrate materials and also for maintaining a state- wide interest in aging.27 The Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging in 1957 felt that, "A permanent Interdepartmental Committee on Aging established through legislative action and with funds for staff assistance is needed to continue and expand this needed work of coordi- nation (of state services). Further on, the report states "this lack of a proper state agency to develop and coor- dinate these programs makes obvious the need for a special office to serve older people."28 Thus there was concern over the need for an Aging Commission and it was recognized as a problem. Apparently this need was not recognized by the general public but rather by a few of the effective leaders of aging programs across the state. The efforts of these individuals and the process 26Summary Report of Interdepartmental Committee on Aging to Governor Williams, September 26, 1950, Lansing, Michigan. 27Report of the Governor's Commission to study the Problem of Aging, January, 1953, Lansing, Michigan 28First Annual Report of the Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging, January, 1957, Ann Arbor, Michigan. I I 0.5.2.1 a" 1, .‘ heléblll 30 of gaining favorable legislation will be described in the following chapters. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to summa- rize the problems of aging in our modern society, the pro- grams and activities for the aging population on the local, state, and national level, the expectations people have of state government in Michigan, and recognition of the problem of providing a focal point for developing and coordinating state programs for the aging. CHAPTER III THE BEGIZ‘IEIIIIG or me PROCESS-~1950-l95l: The first formal state activity to deal with the ever-increasing problem of planning services for the aged seems to have been Governor Williams' appointment of an "Interdepartmental Committee on Aging" in early 1950. Following this organization, he appointed a "Commission to Study Problems of Aging" in spring of l95l. In 1955, the Michigan Legislature created a Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging. In order to prepare for the Whitehouse Conference on Aging to be held in Washing- ton, D. C., in January of 1961, the Governor appointed a temporary "Commission on Aging" in 1959. These groups were the main attempts made by the state of Michigan in trying to arrive at a solution to the problem of planning services for the elderly, providing a focal point for information and research, as well as establishing over-all authority for state aging programs. The works and recommendations of the Interdepartmental Committee, the Study Commission, and the first piece of formal legislation shall be covered in this chapter. 31 32 Igterdgpartmentgl Committee on Problems of the Aging: 1950 On July 6, 1950, Governor Williams called a meeting of state government officials involved with aging programs to discuss the establishment of an Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging. The Governor asked the Committee to do three things: 1. To define the general problem and break it into manageable units which could serve as an outline for working committees of a Commission on Problems of Aging. 2. To suggest individuals and groups for possible appointment to the commission. 3. To review the work done in this field and evaluate its usefulness in developing an integrated program in Michigan. The Governor's reasons for taking this initial action have been laid to the amount of interest shown in his attempt to repeal the lien law of the Old Age Assistance Program in l9h8-h9. The lien law, as it is commonly called, is a part of the Old Age Assistance program in Michigan. The law calls for a lien which is assessed against the estate of an Old Age Assistance client after their death to repay the state for monies expended in welfare. As part of his campaign in 19h8, Governor Williams had included the repeal of this provision and made an attempt to do so in the l9h9 legislative session. Although this attempt was unsuccess- ful, the amount of interest shown stimulated the Governor 1Summary Report, Interdepartmental Committee on Prohflems of Aging, September 26, 1950, p. l. to further Thc of Iiichiga: Governor w; Astudy of activity a] IRJme, 1 .“.a5 f0 “110d Fed-2m 50 Called for 1 L,- Jung tllc 33 to further investigate the aging field. The Institute for Human Adjustment at the University of Michigan has also been credited by persons close to the Governor with assisting in his recognition of the problem. A study of aging in 1937 by Dr. Clark Tibbetts stimulated activity and focussed attention on the problems of aging. In June, 1951, the Division of Gerontology of the Institute was formed and Dr. Wilma Donahue became its chairman.3 The Federal Security Agency's National Conference on Aging, called for August of 1950, was also responsible for stimu- lating the Governor's action. Active in the original appointment of the Interde- partmental Committee was Mr. Clinton Fair and Mr. Clarence Smazel of the Governor's staff. Named to the group were: Miss Ruth Bowen, Supervisor, Social Services, Social Wel— fare Department; Mrs. Molly Guiney, Assistant Supervisor, Wayne County Bureau of Social Aid; Mr. Ralph Walton, Research Psychologist, Mental Health Department; Dr. John Altland, Director of Local Health Units, Department of Health; Dr. Clarence Poppen, Chief, Cancer and Adult Health Services, Department of Health; Mr. Robert Sharer, Chief, Adult Edu- cation, Department of Instruction; Mr. John Simmons, Michi- gan Employment Security Commission; Mr. William Phillips, Secretary, Commissioner of Labor; Mrs. Loleta Fyan, State 2Interview with Frank Blackford, former legislative aide to Governor Williams, July 5, 1961. 3Wilma Donahue, "Gerontology at the University of Michigan, the Historical Perspective," Geriatrics, Vol. 15, (April, 1960). pp. 222-228. 'Jr Auk IICJ‘J' SEW; l Librarian; Dr. Wilma Donahue, Director, Institute for Human Adjustment; Jr. W. C. Conley, Actuary, Insurance Department; and Mr. James hagdanz, Department of Administration, who served as Committee Chairman. This committee organized into seven groups, each dealing with one area of concern, and met continually until September 26, 1950, when their report was u given to the Governor. This report recommended a Michigan Commission on Aging to further study the problem in these seven areas. These areas were: 1. Employment - using the productive energy of older people in paid employment. Specifically this would include consideration of such matters as part-time employ- ment, transferring older employees to less demanding jobs to enable them to continue in employment, the effect of workman's compensation, insurance and retirement plans on the employment of older people, employer and union attitude toward employment of older people, differentials in chrono- logical and biological ages as they affect retirement, and vocational counselling, re-training and rehabilitation. 2. Economic support - other than employment. In this area are such considerations as family support, savings, insurance, annuities, retirement benefits, pension plans, and public assistance. 3. Health - both physical and mental. This area includes such things as disease prevention and control, both Summary Report, Interdepartmental Committee, pp. 1-2. 35 acute and chronic, communicable and non-communicable, board- ing homes and out-patient programs, facilities for custodial care, convalescent care, hospitalization, visiting nurses or homemaker services and county public health programs. u. Education - a. of older people themselves; b. of personnel for work with older people; 0. of general community attitudes toward older people and the value of their employment and participation in the life of the commu- nity. Covered under these sub-heads are such things as field and extension services, continuing education, library ser- vices, survcy of training resources, analysis of curricula and need for institutes. 5. Activities in retir ment - both group and per- sonal. This includes what people can do to make their lives worthwhile both to themselves and to society after they have retired from their usual occupations as well as preparation for such activities in advance of retirement. These activi- ties are usually, but not necessarily, non-remunerative. 6. Living arrangements and hggsing - Covered here are the physical and social needs of the aging as they relate to housing. Among these considerations are possibilities for living in a community of friends or with relatives and in public or private institutions with special emphasis on independent living arrangements. Programs of activity in connection with groups or individuals and public or private living arrangements would be a part of the considerations under this heading. 36 7. Community_planning - This includes the planning and coordination of state and local programs in the fields of employment, health, housing, etc., to discover gaps in existing programs and to best utilize community resources. Churches, schools, social agencies, service clubs, profes- sional and non-professional organizations and other interested groups and individuals could all be employed. Their final report stated that "We therefore believe that a Commission representative of all interested lay and professional groups as well as the aging themselves, should further study the many specific problems involved and work toward their solution."5 It was given to the Governor along with a list of suggested names and groups for appointment, and the Committee, at least temporarily, went out of busi- ness. Governor's Commission to Study Problems of the Aging The Commission recommended by the Interdepartmental Committee was created by Governor Williams in accordance with the provisions of Act 195 P. A. 1931, on March 15, 1951.6 Financing this study commission was $5,000, shared by several other study commissions. Thirty-nine persons representing various professions, geographical areas and interests were named to the Commission. Mrs. Harold S. Patton of Kalamazoo, 5 6Sec..10.51, C. L. h8, gives the Governor of the State of Michigan authority to appoint special commissions. Ibid., p. 12. \h Chi \‘HI; 0“" I Edisc Eliza 37 Michigan was appointed chairman and the group named Rabbi Morris Adler, John Badoud, Dr. Wilma Donahue, Miss Ruth Edison, Fedele F. Fauri, Rev. Charles M. Herbst, and Mrs. Elizabeth L. Belen to its executive committee. From March 15, 1951, to July 1952, when the final report was drafted, the Commission held fourteen meetings and a state conference on aging, went on several field trips, carried on surveys and hearings to gather data, and published their report. The eighty-six page report developed some comprehensive recommendations and was quite thorough in view 7 of the Commission's limited funds available. Recommendations According to his letter of appointment, the Governor created the Commission because "The solution to the problem (of aging) is not one that can be resolved over night, but is one that requires mature judgment and consideration. To assist in this solution, I have established a commission to study the problem and its ramifications, and to recommend programs and legislation that will be both beneficial to those older people and to our state."8 The Governor did not mention the problem of developing a centralized state program in his letter, nor did the Interdepartmental Com- mittee suggest an area of state planning for the aging in 7Report of Governor's Commission to Study Problem of the Aging, 1953, pp. l-h. 8Ibid., p. 1. their 1 n. ' W315! 38 their recommendations. Nevertheless, the thinking of the Commission mendations 1. moved clearly in that direction, as its recom- show. The Commission recommended: That adequately financed and staffed governmental 'ad hoc' committees be developed under approp- riate sponsorship to make detailed studies and present authoritative findings and definite recommendations for long range housing, health, education and employment programs respectively for the aging in Michigan. That a permanent organization, committee or agency assume responsibility not only for using and integrating the materials produced by the 'ad hoc' committees, but also for maintaining a continuing statewide interest in the problems of aging. That each community in the state be encouraged to organize a Committee on Aging, either under the leadership of an existing agency or by means of a newly activated group, to inventory the resources of the community, to assess unmet needs, and to stimulate voluntary programs aimed at making a more comfortable life for all older people. That organized groups in the community, e. g., churches, schools, recreation departments, fra- ternal societies, professional clubs, and similar orgax membe to m: ofc mat the urg. th e U The 39 organizations evaluate the place of the older member and where necessary take positive steps to maintain his integration in the normal patterns of community activity. That the state legislature should memorialize the Congress and the citizens of the state should urge their representatives in Congress to amend the Social Security Act so as to make the cover- age of Old Age and Survivor's Insurance universal. That such steps as are necessary to be taken to make available to non-profit groups loans of public funds to supplement private funds in the capital financing of facilities for the care of the aged--such loans to be repaid at a low rate of interest and over a long period of time, under proper safeguards. That the State Department of Public Instruction explore the need for extending its planning in— cluding older adults and carry on experimental programs designed to determine course content, teaching method and materials, facilities, and places of meeting appropriate for older people. That a committee of the agencies concerned with health, welfare and related activities explore the feasibility and desirability of a change of responsibility from the Department of Social Welfare to the Department of Health, for the Recc first formal like the I-Ii( :enied solu1 stay of th. data and ma Cmuniti e 5 me “38an can)- l‘eCog kiwi-(bone 0f Rec it Would 5‘ .nthg 33h t] 0 “3r “Ch a 40 supervision and standard-setting for homes for the aging.9 Recommendations 1, 2, 3 & 8 really represent the first formal statements concerning the need of an agency like the Michigan Commission on Aging as well as some recom- mended solutions to these needs. The need for long-range study of the various problems of aging, bringing together data and maintaining statewide interest, stimulating local communities, and bringing together state agencies to deter- mine responsibilities and prevent overlapping was specifi- cally recognized. These functions ultimately became the backbone of the Michigan Commission on Aging. Recommendation two is especially pertinent because it would set up a "permanent organization, committee or agency." Although the purpose according to this recommendation would be much more limited than later plans for such an agency, it nevertheless recognized a governmental responsibility for such a task. Interestingly, the recommendations in the bulk of the Commission's committee reports do not recognize such responsibility. The only committee recommendations concerning this problem of state wide planning was found in the Community Planning chapter. This recommendation states "That consideration be given after community commit- tees on aging are functioning, to the formation of a state organization inspired from the local level (a) to pool 9 Ibid., p. vii-viii. infer: [‘0) to organi the re #1 information and make it available to community committees; (b) to offer consultant services; and (c) encourage new . 10 organizations." This recommendation itself does not place the reSponsibility for development of such an agency, but the following descriptive sentence places such responsibility solely in the private sphere: "If there were a privately organized and financed central gerontological society or by whatever name it may be known, the difficulties of getting under way would be considerably minimized."11 Thus, it is apparent that the community planning section, chaired by Fedele Fauri, Dean of the School of Social Work at the Uni- versity of Michigan, saw the need for a statewide agency to assist the local planning bodies, but that they saw this as a function of a private organization. It must be assumed that the executive committee, which had the responsibility of compiling, editing and publishing the committee reports as well as making the major recommenda- tions, chose to interpret this one recommendation in the light that it did. Probably greatly influencing their deci- sion on this matter was Governor Williams' statement at the Conference on Aging: "I h0pe also that from the work of the Study Commission and Conference discussion will come suggestions regarding next steps to be taken at our state level. Although you have agreed that local planning must loIbid.. p. 67. llIbid. tic: prec to anothe stimulat e til, vhic governmor programs 1“ 1953. “OR-prof E‘" . “a?” it It“ #2 take precedence because conditions vary from one community to another, it appears that local action would be greatly stimulated by a statewide organization, committee, or coun- cil, which would be available to assist communities and governmental units in the planning and initiation of additional programs and services for older people." 2 A private state planning agency on aging has never been seriously considered since the Study Commission's report in 1952. The Michigan Society of Gerontology, a private, non-profit corporation composed of persons interested in aging, was formed a few years later; however, it soon lent its support to the Michigan Commission on Aging Bill. At any rate, we see in this Study Cbmmission report the seeds of the Michigan Commission on Aging. Not meant to be an ongoing commission, this group was dismissed following its report to the Governor and the Interdepartmental Committee, which had been reactivated to assist the Study Commission in its work, assumed the responsibility of carrying out those recommendations which were not intended for any specific agency. Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging, 1953e19jfi As we have noticed earlier, the Interdepartmental Committee, after making its recommendation in September, 1950, offered its collective resources to the Study Commis- sion and disbanded. After being reactivated in the fall of 195] was Re; their 5 sion to Comiti a perm: Dr. Ki; 43 of 1951, the committee met twice with the Study Commission, was kept informed of their progress and assisted them in their studies. Following the report of the Michigan Commis- sion to Study the Problems of Aging, the Interdepartmental Committee began its activities in the direction of creating a permanent state Commission on Aging. On November 5, 1953, Dr. Wilma Donahue, chairman of the Institute for Human Ad- justment, Division of Gerontology, wrote a letter to Frank Blackford, then Legislative Secretary to Governor Williams and chairman of the Interdepartmental Committee, proposing 13 On December 1, 1953, the a permanent Commission on Aging. committee met, considered Dr. Donahue's suggestions, reviewed other state's activities in this area and unanimously recom- mended the establishment of a permanent "Commission on the Problems of the Aging." Mr. Barrett Lyons, Assistant to the Director of the Department of Social Welfare and Mr. John Reid, head of the Michigan Department of Labor, were instructed by the Interdepartmental Committee to draw up a proposed bill for submission to the 1953 Legislature. Dr. Donahue was also elected chairman of the committee at this meetin0.1u Senate Bill 1257 of the l95h Legislature was the result of this activity. 13Letter from Wilma Donahue, Chairman, Division of Gerontology, University of Michigan, to Frank Blackford, Legislative Secretary to Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams and Chairman of the Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging, November 5, 1953. u 1 Letter from Blackford to Donahue, December 2, 1953. or JOL' uh lgékLgigitial legislation: A careful examination of Journals of the Michigan Senate and House of Representa- tives since l9b8 reveals little activity specifically cata- logued as "aged" or "agingj" As a matter of fact, the first entry under such a category was in the 1952 session, and this bill had no connection with the establishment of an agency. S. B.W1257: The first bill calling for the creation of a permanent state agency in aging was introduced into the 195M Michigan Legislature. Senate Bill No. 1257, spon- sored by Senator Brown, a Detroit Democrat, was the one writ- ten by Barrett Lyons and John Reid for the Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging. After some modification, it was introduced with the Governor's support but lived a relatively short life. Introduced on February 10, 195W, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on State Affairs and was never reported out of Committee. Description of S. B. 1257 - Calling for the estab- lishment of a "Michigan Commission on the Aging," this bill would have set up a body of fourteen members. Five ex-officio members were the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Director of the State Department of Mental Health, the Com- missioner of Health, the Director of the State Department of Social Welfare and the Director of the Employment Secu- rity Commission. These persons would not have voting power. There was also a provision that the above named members could appoint an employee of their department to function temporarily 35 in their stead. Of the remaining nine members, five members from the general public were to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, two members of the Senate were to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and two members of the House of Representatives were to be appointed by the Speaker. The bill specifically stated that "the five members appointed by the Governor shall be selected without partisan consideration from persons with a demon- strated interest in one or more of the problems of the aging." This method of selecting members meant that the Governor could control nine of the Commission members by the virtue of the fact that four of the five ex-officio offices are technically appointive positions. Of the nine voting members, however, four could be appointed by Republican leaders pre- suming their control of both Houses, and, strictly inter- preted, the five appointed by the Governor would be non- partisan, thus removing much of any one party's control over the Commission. The powers and duties of the Commission would have been to: 1. Study and investigate the employment, economic, health, educational, recreational, housing, institutional care and other needs of aged per- sons which constitute present or potential prob- lems for the state; 2.. Request and receive reports from all state depart- ments on subjects within the regular functions #6 of the commission and of said departments; Provided, that said departments shall comply with such requests to the extent that the govern- ing bodies of said departments deem practical; 3. Receive inquiries from persons and agencies interested in problems of or programs for the aged and to redirect any inquiries to appropri- ate departments or agencies for reply; h. Arrange and conduct hearings or discussions on aspects of the problems of the aged, with the end in view of meeting the needs of the aged economically and effectively; 5. Make recommendations for needed legislation to the governor and the legislature; and 6. Make requests for appropriations for the print— ing and mailing of reports or other materials for public distribution, and to arrange for the distribution of same when printed: Provided, that the department of administration shall contact or arrange for the reproduction of mater- ials authorized for publication by the legisla- ture under this subsection.15 The bill also stipulated that the Governor should convene the Commission 60 days after the effective date of the act. The Commission would elect a chairman and vice— 15Michigan, Senate Bill 1257, 195M Legislature. lP7 chairman from its membership and could not meet less than four times a year. The Department of Social Welfare would provide secretarial services and the Commission was granted authority to accept donations, grants and bequests. Some interesting points of this bill were the lack of either an Executive Director or of the power of vote for the ex-officio members. Apparently the authors of the bill felt that the duties so prescribed could be carried out with- out any staff, which is indeed doubtful. In not giving the powerful departments a right to vote on the Commission, this bill did not enhance its chances for passage. One of the fears of any established agency towards a newly established single-purpose agency is that such an agency might deprive it of an integral part of its program. Without having a legal voice on such a body, some departments were not overly enthusiastic about the passage of S. B. 1257. As will be seen in later chapters, sources close to the legislative scene have credited the Department of Social Welfare and the Michigan Department of Health with delaying passage of he Commission bill. The activities of some departments, notably the Department of Social Welfare, on the present Commission on Aging underlines their lack of enthusiasm and support for the program. This is true, despite the number of changes made in later legislation to give the state depart- ments more control and to appease their opposition to the bill. Another interesting facet of this bill was the inclu- sion of two members of the House and two members from the ‘ a “'3 tut i nati cc UIJI‘CI . A N- mu - “/1 1 Q Ms.“ 9 rs V'J ”g“; Senate. Probably aimed at getting support for this proposal, representation was never mentioned in any subsequent legis— lation, At any rate, even though the bill died quickly in the legislative process, it had broken the ice and had served notice that the problems of an aging population were reaching proportions demanding such legislative action. Interdepartmental Committee: l95h-l959 In discussing the reasons for the failure of S. B. 1257 in their April, 1954, meeting, the Interdepartmental Committee concluded that "the bill had died from lack of grass root support and interest on the part of other sena- tors who were busily engaged in more urgent matters such as unemployment compensation, and salary increases for both state personnel and legislators." Another reason advanced by the Committee for the ill fate of the Bill was that "since the Governor has been given appointive power the legisla- ture reacted negatively." Concerned over eliminating the shortcomings,the committee suggested four ways of strengthen- ing its approach the following year. These were: 1. Group support is necessary. Unions and other community organizations should be urged to sup- port such a bill. 2. There should be some indication of the number of people who would benefit from the passage of such a bill. 3. Press should be used extensively. Articles con— taining facts and figures should be prepared and on Ag Othel l re* Gove agen Yiti role sion the 03‘ t1: lenta ”9 sent to organizations who would in turn get them released through the press in their local communities. In order to get action on any such bill, grass root support must be secured. This may be done by using churches. insurance agents. local week- lies, State and City Council of Churches, the {American Legion, Community Councils as well as Councils of Social Agencies.16 From this point on the establishment of a Commission on.Aging became the main reason for the committee's existence. Other activities were carried on by the Committee, however. A review of the Committee‘s 1955-1956 memorandum to the Governor suggests that through its meetings the various state agencies concerned were kept informed of each other's acti- vities.17 This memorandum also pointed out the committee's role in following up the recommendations of the Study Commis- sion. The minutes of the meeting of April 27. l95h, suggest the following activities for the Committee's activities. 1. 16 Conducting hearings in various communities on the problem of aging. Serving as a clearing house for information on problems of the aging. Minutes of Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging, April 27, 195# (from Dr. Donahue's files). 17Tentative and Rough Draft, Report of Interdepart- mental Committee to Governor Williams, September 12, 1955. 50 3.- Serving as consultant to local communities who are interested in resolving the problem on a local level or in arousing interest in commu- nities who have not become aware of the problem. h. Surveying present facilities for the aging in Michigan. 5. Serving as watch dog over legislation so as to assure progressive legislation and interpreta- tion. 6. Assuring progressive policies in hiring of aged by the state and its overlall personnel poli- oies and practices. 7. Coordinating efforts of various State agencies in their services to the aged.18 In these suggestions, the Commission agreed with Mr. Blackford's letter to Dr. Donahue when he said ”I believe also that the committee has an important task to perform, at least until a permanent commission is established.”19 Under the leadership of Dr. Donahue and later, Mr. Jordan Popkin, Director of the Office of Hospital Survey and Con- struction, the Committee continued to submit yearly recom- mendations to the Governor and his whole-hearted support of these recommendations to the legislature testifies to the value of this Committee. With the creation of a temporary 18Minutes of Interdepartmental Committee, April 27, 1951*. 19Letter from Blackford to Donahue, December 2, 1953. or Governor for the Int part of Mic 51 or Governors Commission on Aging in 1959. however, the need for the Interdepartmental Commission ceased and it became part of Michigan's history. CHAPTER IV CREATION OF.A COMMISSION: THE MIDDLE STAGE Having seen the beginnings of interest in a state- wide agency, the establishment of an Interdepartmental Com- mittee to coordinate state programs, a Study Commission of Problem of Aging, and the first formal step in the legisla- tive process. we shall now turn to the more intensive middle stage of the creation of a Commission. This stage, lasting from 1955 to 1959. includes the legislaturds recognition of the problem and their consequent appointment of a Legis- lative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging, the sub- mission of a new bill calling for a State Council on Aging and a coordinator of state aging programs, the formation of an outside pressure group and the beginning of interest being shown by groups other than the experts and bureaucrats, the unification of persons working for the Commission through a special House committee, submission of the bill very simi- lar to the one eventually passed. and finally theliovernor's appointment of a‘remporary Commission on Aging. 1955: Still intent upon gaining passage of their desired Commission, the Interdepartmental Committee restruc- tured s. B. 1257 to gain support and had it submitted to the 1955.Legis1ature as S. B. 1128. 52 to “Adv vas'int Doyle, chance to be 1 having and Yel of the 'el fare 53 SI B, 1128: Changing the title of the proposed agency to "Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging," this bill was introduced on February 10, 1955 by Senators Brown and Doyle, Detroit Democrats. The bill appeared to have every chance of passing the Senate and the House was considered to be favorably disposed towards such legislation. .After having been reported out of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare favorably and with no amendments, the Committee of the Whole referred it back to the Committee on Health.and Welfare on February 23 and it was never reported out again.1 Senate bill 1128 was very similar to the l95h bill S. B. 1257, with the exception that the title of the agency was changed, the Governor appointed all nine public members. the ex-officio members were not deprived of the authority to vote. and the Department of Social Welfare was given more authority on the Commission. The removal of appointive power by the legislature and the expansion of the Governor's power in appointing all nine citizen members seems to be contrary to the Interdepart- mental Ccmmittee's conclusion that his appointment of five members in the l95h bill was a major reason for its failure. Despite the fact that Democratic Governor Williams could appoint thirteen of the fourteen members of the Commission, (the Superintendent of Public Instruction is elected) the Committee seemed to feel sure it would.pass the Republican Legislature. Apparently this feeling had some Justification, _‘ tJournal of the Michigan Senate, 1955. Legislature. became. point ' brit grante ment 1: cnthus least to prc Socia] the Ct have 1 rm t the 0 Paid ‘"311‘ a For, 5h because the bill was making excellent progress up to the point when it was referred back to committee. Another reason for its improved chances was undoubtedly the power of voting granted, or more correctly, not taken away from the depart- ment heads. Although some heads were reportedly still not enthusiastic about the Commission, they must have been at least partially pacified by this extension of control to them to protect their vested interests.2 The Director of the Social Welfare Department was given authority to convene the Commission instead of the Governor; materials which would have been provided by the Department of Administration were now to be supplied by Social Welfare; and the expenses of the Commission as well as secretarial assistance were to be paid through the approPriation for the Department of Social Welfare. The powers and duties as prescribed under S. B. l257 were generally the same under S. B. 1128. It was at this point, February 23. 1955. shortly after 5. B. 1128 had been effectively side-tracked. that one of the significant events for the future creation of the Michi- gan Commission on Aging took place. The Senate Republican majority either saw the handwriting on the wall or recognised their obligation to provide a central state agency for aging and introduced 5. B. 1187 on February 2h. 1955. S: B: 1182: This bill called for the creation of a "Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging." As originally introduced. it was an exact duplicate of the 2Interviewwith Blackford. “11in 5! except: the Co Senato the bi Welter lican, bill t to car out n tppm; final $5.00: Cox-m: bill . t° thq ahead, heath 55 "Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging" with a few major exceptions. These were centered around the appointment of the Council. Introduced on February 2h by leading Republican Senators Coleman. Hittle, Geerlings. Feenstra and Morris, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare. This committee, chaired by Senator Graebnor, Repub- lican, where S. B. 1128 was peacefully resting, amended the bill to add an Executive Secretary and appropriated $20,000 to carry out the provisions of the act. The bill was referred out with amendments and sent to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. This committee, which.was to become the final resting place for future Commission bills, removed $5,000 from the appropriation and referred the bill to the Committee of the Whole on March 2h. 1955. On March 28, the bill was passed and sent to the House where it was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. Here the functions were amended to remove Section 2 (d) giving authority to hold hearings. and Section 2 (f). giving authority to make requests for appropriations for printing and mailing. Also amended here was Section 2 (d) to read "make heports on or before the first day of January of each year of their activities and for needed legislation to the legislature." On May 26. the amended version of S. B. 1187 passed the House and was returned to the Senate. The Senate concurred.with the amend- ments. Senator Brown was named co-introducer. and it was sent to the Governor on may 31. On June 17, the bill was 56 signed by Governor Williams, becoming Public Act No. 200 of the 1955 Michigan legislature.3 This bill, with the exception of the amendments des- cribed above and the method of appointing the Council, was similar to S. B. 1128 of 1955 and S. B. 1257 of 195%. The act called for a Council which would consist of eight mem- bers, four appointed by the Senate and four by the House. Also, funds were to be appropriated from the legislature for this purpose as opposed to the Social Welfare device called for in S. B. 1128. As may be obvious to the reader, this was a maneuver by the Republican party in Michigan to answer Governor Williams' insistence upon the need for such an agency, but to keep it safely controlled in their own party. The method of appoint- ment looked secure in view of the Republican majority in both houses. By not including state departments. however, this act necessitated the continuance of the Interdepartmen- tal Committee, thereby undermining the single focal point idea for a state agency. The significance of this act for the eventual estab- lishment of the Commission was the fact that the Republicans openly agreed to the need for such an agency and some of their influential leaders throw their own weight behind it. In the future when their own group was to recommend its own abolishment in favor of a single state commission, they had 31955 Senate Journal. very 1 111113 a sala Colenu inter: to th much Legis The 1 ‘— 19 the 1 1955 57 very little ground left to stand on in opposition to Governor Williams' proposal. It was also the first bill to include a salary for a paid staff person. Unfortunately, Senators Coleman and Brown, the two leaders most responsible for and interested in the Legislative Advisory Council, did not return to the Senate and according to some sources, the Council lost much of its effectiveness by not having a champion in the Legislature.” The Legiglative Advisogz Council on Problems of the.Aging3 1 - O _ The Legislative Advisory Council was to undertake the following activities: (a) Study and investigate the employment, economic, . health, education, recreational, housing, insti- tutional care and other needs of aged persons which constitute present or potential problems for the state; (b) Request and receive reports from all state departments on subjects within the regular func- tions of advisory council and of said departments; (c) Receive inquiries from persons and agencies interested in problems of or programs for the aging and to redirect any inquiries to appro- priate departments or agencies for reply; (d) Make reports, on or before the first day of . . January of each year, of their activities and recommendations for needed legislation to the legislature; and (e) Employ an executive secretary on an annual basis whosejcompensation shall not exceed $9, 000 per year. ”Interview'with Dr. Donahue, June 30, 1961. 5Compiled laws of Michigan, Public Act No. 200, 1955.Logislature. 93910; 100 p 58 Named to the Council were Howard R. Estes, Chairman; John B. Martin, Jr., Vice-chairman; Wilma Donahue, Ph.D; John V. Fopiano, M. D.: Richard C. Hedke; Rev. Charles M. Herbst; Alfred E. Thomas, Jr.. M. D.: Ernest Wunch: and Anthony Lenzer, Executive Secretary. Mrs. A. R. Jacobs, Msgr. Wilber Suedcamp, and Mrs. John J. Walch.were later appointed to fill vacancies on the Council and Mr. Martin served as chairman the last three years. Despite its limited funds, the Council carried on an active program from'July, 1956,to December, 1959. Their main areas of activity were research and investigation, pub- lication and dissemination of information, technical assis- tance and other direct services to legislators and to commu- nity and statewide groups. The Council held a series of public hearings on the employment, health and housing problems of the aged. Nearly 100 persons testified in person or submitted written state- ments. The hearings helped to stimulate public interest in aging, and provided information useful to the Council. They brought together much existing data about Michigan's aged into a single publication ”Michigan's Older People: Six Hundred Thousand over Sixty-Five,"6 which has been widely used as a reference work, both in Michigan and in other states. .A series of specific studies designed to fill in some of the 6Anthony Lenzer, Adele S. Pond, and.John Scott, Michi an' Older Peo 1e: Six Hundred.Thousand Over Sixt -Five lAnn.Arbor, State of Michigan, Legislative.Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging, 1958). gaps in mates of counties comitt fifty-t year, 1 Program for the the se' ‘° dis Parson Pr°8ra ber 01 and 1‘ data 1 59 gaps in existing knowledge was carried on. Two sets of esti- mates of the number of persons aged 65 and over in Michigan counties and cities were published in 1958 and 1959.7 The Council surveyed the state's nine known local committees on aging in 1958. A survey of the mayors of fifty-two large Michigan cities was undertaken the following year, in an attempt to uncover previously unknown community programs in the aging field. The Council carried out two brief surveys on housing for the aging in 1958 and 1959. The first was a Survey of the seventeen local public housing commissions, designed to discover the extent of use of public housing by older persons. The second was a survey of the sixteen urban renewal programs in Michigan. Information was obtained on the num- ber of older persons displaced by urban renewal programs and local plans for rehousing such persons. The staff analyzed data from the 1956 National Housing inventory, to find out what changes had taken place in the housing status of the aged in Detroit between 1950 and 1956. Information on topics of special interest to members of the Legislature was obtained for them upon request. .An investigation on anti-age discrimination laws in other states illustrates this type of activity. The Legislative.Advisory Council prepared twenty- three publications in the field of aging and functioned as 7FourthAnnual Report of the Legislature Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging, 1960, Ann Arbor, Michigan. I clea; additi: they a2 office totho vities in the maid ing on Iiaing Affect 18:10; mm,ué Other Provi, were 1 60 8 In a clearinghouse for information on aging in Michigan. addition to handling many direct requests for information, they also served other state agencies and the Governor's office by answering inquiries which had originally been sent to those agencies. In addition to these research and information acti- vities, the Council offered direct services to various groups in the state. As an agency of the Legislature, it assisted individual members and committees of that body by (l) carry- ing out special investigations of laws pertaining to the aging in other states; (2) arranging public hearings on bills affecting older people; and (3) helping draft proposed legis- lation. - The Council served other organisations primarily through assistance in the preparation of field surveys and other studies of older groups. In 1959, for example, it provided technical assistance to four local communities which 'were planning surveys on aging. Even though it had been the intention of some of the legislators to circumvent the proposed Commission on Aging with this Advisory Council, the Council in its first year and every year thereafter recommended an official agency on aging other than itself.9 The 1958 report made a recommendation for a State Commission on Aging which was basically the same as the final 81bid., Bibliography. 9Interview with Dr. Donahue. bill pa hendati Advise: for the the Int or res: to ena] nate t] The 19‘ the Le 1960, 46mg achie‘yr ments - 61 bill passed in 1960. Included in this proposal was the recom- mendation that the Interdepartmental Committee. and the .Advisory Council be replaced by the new Commission. The reason for the proposal was the Council's recognition that neither the Interdepartmental Committeee or itself had the authority or resources to help communities establish local programs, to enable public or voluntary agencies to effectively coordi- nate their aging programs, or to carry out long-range studies. The 1959 and 1960 report carried.the same recommendation to the Legislature and, with the passage of House Bill 2% in 1960, the Legislative.Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging went out of existence. It left behind many significant achievements. Perhaps the most significant of these achieve- ments was their demonstration that “A state agency, opera- ting with a very modest budget and a staff consisting of two persons, can usefully assist both the government and the citizens of Michigan in better understanding and meeting the needs of the state's 625,000 citizens who are today over 65 . . . and the many additional thousands who will reach that “Golden Age" tomorrow."10 . Even though some legislators might have felt that setting up this council would mean the end of hearing about the need for a state commission on aging, they were soon to learn that they were very wrong. The following year, 1956, there were no bills introduced concerning this subject, but in 1957 there were several items of particular significance. 10FourthAnnual Report of Legislative.Advisory Council, p. #. m. 1 should Connie functi The :4 tion: 62 The Legislative Advisory Council's report of’Janu- ary, 1957, carried a recommendation that an "Office of Aging" should be created which, along with the Interdepartmental Commission and.Legislative.Advisory Council, would serve a function in filling the gaps in needed services for the elderly. The report states; "Neither the existing state departmmnts, an Interdepartmental Committee on aging, or a Legislative Advisory Council on aging is able to fill certain crucial gaps in present state services to older persons. Housing, for example, is one of the most pressing of the problems faced by older persons today. Yet there is no state agency which has responsibility in this matter. The same is true of recreation, of the coordination of state programs for the elderly with voluntary services, and of assisting others who wish to turn their skills and talents into incomeqproducing enterprises and thus increase their self-sufficiency. This lack of a proper state agency to develop and coordinate these and other important programs makes obvious the 11 need for a special office to serve older people." This "Office on Aging" would.have the following func- tions according to the Council's recommendations: (1) Working with groups at the local level to deve- - . lop projects and studies designed to help the aging. (2) Carrying out research and surveys in the problem areas concerning older people. (3) Receiving and dispursing monies appropriated by H the state or Federal government for programs for which it has responsibility. (h) Offering such research and training funds, and . grants-in-aid for local programs for the aging as become available. “Ibid., First Annual Report, p. 9. House were :1 had be study of agi Hunsbe the y of e a on £31 Jeffrj Toms, shah to the ”Do rt 63 (5) Stimulating the proper training of personnel who provide specialized services for older per- sons. House Resolution No 0: l Apparently the members of the House of Representatives were not convinced that the final word on state organisations had been spoken. A resolution calling for a committee to study existing and proposed state organisations in the field of aging passed the House, and Representatives Emmons, Root, Hunsberger, Mahoney, and Townsend were appointed to this task. More will be said later about their work. House Bill 102 and Senate Bill 1108: 1222 These were companion bills calling for the creation of a state coordinator of aging programs and a State Council on Aging. H. B. 103 was introduced by Representatives Romano, Jeffries, Sobieski, Senmeraski, weaniak, Murphy, Dsandsel, Townsend, Vales and Williams; and S. B. 1108 by Senators Steeh and Miron, all Democrats. These bills were referred to the respective committee's on State Affairs and were never reported out.12 Apparently these bills were'based largely on the com- ments of the Legislative Advisory Council in 1957 that WA permanent Interdepartmental Committee on aging established through legislative action and with funds for staff assistance is most certainly needed to continue and expand this important 1zM’ichigan, Journals of the House and Senate, 1957. work of c loterdepe eStete C well as t {or the o nator ve. 0! local offer co 8M: fa “tion 1 ‘Etncie: to co“ We to lath. '°uld e was to the GO‘ “Visa ASing “1° he “at appoin \ P. 9. E0, 9311: 6# work of coordination."13 Primarily this bill formalized the Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging by creating a State Council on Aging made up of agency representation as 'well as by creating the position of coordinator of programs for the aging. The functions of this Council and the coordi- nator were "to encourage, promote, and aid the establishment of local community programs and services for the aging, to offer consultant services to communities and agencies on pro- grams for the aging, to serve as a clearing house for infor- mation and the referral of older people, communities, and agencies desiring information on problems of older persons, to coordinate existing State programs for the aging and to make recommendations to the Governor concerning needed legis- "lu The coordinator, who lative and administrative action. would also serve the State Council as Executive Secretary, was to be a member of the Executive staff and appointed by the Governor with.Senate approval. This proposal differed from the existing Legislative Advisory Council in three ways. First, the State Council on Aging would be composed of the 15-20 state agency departments who had some responsibility for the aging as opposed to the eight citizen members of the Legislative.Advisory Council appointed by the Legislature. Second, the coordinator would be directly responsible to the Governor as contrasted to the ”First- Annual Report of Legislative Advisory Council, p. 9. . , _ 1“Memo of Interdepartmental Committee to Gov. Williams, November 1, 1957. 55 Advisory Council's Executive Secretary being responsible to them. Third, the State Council would report to the Governor while the Advisory Council reported to the Legislature. In many other areas, these groups would be overlapping and would probably result in duplication of effort as well as confusion as to whom to look to for leadership in the aging field on the state level. According to some sources, the.Advisory Council did not think highly of this proposal even though it was taken from their report. What the Advisory Council had actually recommended was a "State Office on Aging” which had a considerably different purpose from that of theee bills as we have seen earlier in this Chapter. To summarize this particular bill, it was still pri- marily a Democratic piece of legislation and was quickly stifled in the Republican-dominated legislature. Perhaps this was Just as well because in effect the bill was a considerable compromise with.what had originally been desired in S. B. 1257 in 195#. Not only would there be two state agencies, one for the Governor and one for the Legislature, but citizen parti- cipation was not provided for in the latter bill. The coor- dinator, serving at the pleasure of the Governor, would be much.more politically oriented than the Director of a non- partisan Commission. In addition, thinking was now going on in Special Interim Committee of the House which.would lead to a much sounder approach to this problem. The Muchigan Society of Gerontology ' Late in 1955. a group of some 300 persons who worked or were interested in the field.of aging, formed the Society 66 as a private nonaprofit corporation. Mainly a professional, society, the purpose of the group is to "serve the interests of those in the state of Michigan who are concerned with ser- vice, research, training, and other aspects of the problems of aging and the aged. It will provide a forum for the inter- change of information and for the mutual promotion of programs designed to improve the position and welfare of older people." The specific objectives of the society are given as (1) to . increase awareness, improve knowledge, and promote study of the problems of an aging population; (2) to provide a channel for the exchange of information and the development of co- ordinated efforts in the field of gerontology; and (3) to collaborate with other groups and organizations interested in gerontology and the welfare of older people."15 Dr. Wilma Donahue was one of the key persons behind the formation of the society and was elected its first presi- dent. Her Division of Gerontology at the University of Michi- gan provided secretarial service to the society and the annual Conference on Aging, which she heads, provided much of the material the society published. A prime mover behind the Commission on Aging since 19h9, Dr. Donahue announced that the first meeting of the Society would be on March 25, 1957, and would deal with current legislation concerning the aging, primarily H. B. 103 and S. B. 1108.16 The Society supported 15Sections 1 and 2, By-laws of the Michigan Society of Gerontology. 16 Letter from Dr. Donahue to all members of the Society, March.25, 1957. - 67 these proposed bills and urged its membership to contact their legislators in this regard. This was the first formal pres- sure put forth by a private non-governmental organization and was continued until the passage of the Commission bill in 1960. Report of Interim HousgfiCommittee to Study Existing and Proposed State Organizations in the Field of Aging: 12: . During the interim period of the 1957 and 1958 Sessions of Legislature, the House Commission to Study Existing and Proposed State Organizations for Aging held several hearings and came up with a comprehensive report for the 1958 legislature. The Committee was created by House Resolution No. 30, 1957 Legislature and was composed of Representatives Emmons, as chairman, Root, Hunsberger, Mahcney, and Townsend. They) recommended that Public Act 200 creating the Legislative Advisory Council be repealed and that a commission on Aging, composed of five department heads and six citizen members, be established. Other recommendations were made which even- tually formed the basis for H. B. 79 of the 1958 Legislature. The most important achievement of the Committee was the agree- ment of all interested groups and individualsfbr a single proposal to submit to the Legislature. In a letter addressed November 8, 1957, Anthony Lenzer, Executive Secretary of the Legislative Advisory Council, dis- cussed the coming together of ideas of both his Council and the Interdepartmental Committee.17 One difference still 17Letter from Anthony Lenzer, Ex. Sec. Legislative Advisory Council,to Wm. Nichols, Coordinator, Project on Aging, Lansing, Mich. Nov; 8, 1957. Also The State Journal, Lansing, Mich., Oct. 17, 1957. 68 existed in the manner of appointing a chairman, the Council saying that the director should serve as chairman and the Interdepartmental Committee recommending the Governor appoint a chairman. This difference was apparently resolved by using the Interdepartmental Committee's approach. Once minor differ- ences were resolved, the Legislative Advisory Council, Inter- departmental Committee on Problems of the Aging, Governor Williams, Republican Representative Emmons, the Michigan Society of Gerontology and other interested groups and indivi- duals went to work on gaining passage of House Bill No. 79. House Bill 22: 1258 This was a bill to create a State Commission on Aging and to repeal P. A. 200, 1955 legislature. Introduced by Representative Emmons and others, the bill was referred to the House Committee on State Affairs. On January 23, it was reported out of committee and sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means on February 5. On March 28, the bill was reported out of committee and on April 3, was named the Emmons Bill, passed the House and was sent to the Senate. Here the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Appropriations on the same day, April 3. Apparently this committee had no inten- tion of reporting the bill out because on April 10 Democratic Senator John Swainson made a motion on the floor of the Senate that the Committee on Appropriations be discharged from any further consideration of the bill. According to Article 5, Section 15 of the Senate rules, a majority vote of members elected is necessary to carry such a motion. Along straight 69 party lines, the motion was defeated with eleven Democrats in favor, nineteen Republicans cpposed. Senator Haskell Nichols, Jackson Republican, filed a protest on his vote, saying that he did not favor discharging committees but was very much in favor of the bill and urged the committee to favorably consider the bill. Senator Nichcl's plea notwithp standing, however, the bill was never reported out of committee.18 Very similar to the act that was eventually passed to set up the present Commission, this bill called for an eleven man body, five ex-officio heads of agencies, and six citizen members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The chairman would be elected by the Commission along with a vice-president and other officers deemed necessary; The Commission was ordered to appoint a director who was given authority to hire such other personnel as the Commission determined to be necessary. Advisory Com- mittees of the Commission could be set up and demonstration projects carried on. The purposes were also the same as the final Commission bill which is enclosed as an appendix to this study. The important aspect of the bill was the solidifica- tion of supporters behind.it. This bi-partisan support seemed to indicate that it was just a matter of time before the bill's passage. Despite these forces for the bill, however, it was not reported out of committee. 18Michigan: 1958 Senate and House Journals. 70 Of course there were forces against the bill also. Even though they were not too vocal, some state agencies were still lobbying against this bill in Committee. Apparently threatened by the creation of a new agency, these agencies have been credited by persons close to the legislative scene for delaying passage of the Commission bill by at least two years.19 Then too, the conservative block of Republican Senators were reportedly concerned about the creation of a new governmental agency. This concern was not only based on the expenditure for this agency's funds but also on the assump- tion that the Commission would stir up increased programming in existing agencies and therefore again increase state ex- penditures. The only lobby known to have opposed the passage of the bill was the Michigan Chain Stores Bureau. Mr. William Doyle, representative of the bureau and acknowledged as one of the most influential lobbyists at the capitol, was said to have favored a private agency carrying on functions simi- lar to those the state agency would have.20 Thus, this same committee which.three years earlier had whisked through a $15,000 dollar appropriation for the Legislative‘Advisory Council now balked at reporting out a bill that the same Advisory Council highly recommended. So the natural conservatism of this body, plus the activities of some state agencies, plus a lack of strong public support resulted in the demise of House bill 79. 1958 Legislature. 19Interview with Blackford 2oLetter from Nicholas to Lenzer. 71 The stage was now set. The bill was agreed upon, the forces united behind it were all working towards converting more persons to the cause of supporting the Commission bill. On February 2, 1959. House bill 59 was introduced into the Michigan Legislature. Before discussing it, however, there was one other small item of business in 1958. Senate Resolution 1&1: 122: Establishing a Senate Interim Committee to Study Broblems of the Aging. This resolution was introduced by Republican Senators Nichols and Greene and was referred to the Committee on Senate Business and was not reported out. Introduced on April 18, eight days after the motion to dis- charge the appropriation Committee failed, this could have been the more liberal Republican's attempt to set up some support for the coming session. At any rate, the resolution did not pass.21 House Bill No._59: _;222 I.A bi-partisan bill was introduced by Representatives Emmons, Lehman, wansend, Hunsberger, Root, Sobieski, Folks, MoCollough, Darker, N111, DeMaso, Borgman, Bolt, Messana and I. O'Brien. It was referred to the House Committee on ways and Means on February 2. 0n march.30, it was reported out and referred to House Committee on State Affairs. On June 30, it was reported out of this committee and on July 7, it passed 21Michigan: 1959 House and Senate Journals. 72 the House and was sent to the Senate. Even though this was past the deadline for referring bills out of the House, the late date of this action was made possible because it concerned appropriations and as such was not subject to the same dead- line. Once in the Senate, the bill was referred to the Com- mittee on Appropriations and was not reported out.22 Description of House Bill No. 59 ' With the exception of having several more introducers, this was the same bill as had been introduced in the 1958 Legislature._ Those who can remember Michigan's fiscally black year of 1959 can probably understand the reason for this bill's failure. This session, lasting until December of the year, was much more concerned with keeping the state solvent than in passing legislation creating new agencies. This was the year that Michigan was ridiculed across the nation as being bankrupt, a social welfare state, having payless paydays for state employees, etc.23 It is doubtful if anyone really expected the bill to pass this year. Even Representative Emmons, who was sincerely interested in having the bill passed, said as early as Febru- ary 25 in the session that the budget troubles and the cost of the Commission could block its creation. Nevertheless, the bill was introduced, probably to keep it in everyone's mind for the coming 1960 session. 22 23 Ibid. Hartin, Saturdaz Evening Post 73 Senate Resolution #2 This resolution, to establish an Interim Committee to Study Problems of the Aging, was introduced on March 2” by Senators Nichols and Greene. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Senate Business where the appropriation was reduced from $1000 to $500 and favorably reported. On August 29, Republican Senators Nichols, Greene, Stephens, Graebnor, and Democrat Miran were named to the Committee. Apparently the budget problems were not severe enough to pre- vent this amount being spent for further study. Their report will be covered under the 1960 Session.2u Governor's Commission on Aging ' In 1958, the Congress of the United States passed public law 85-908 presented by Congressman Fogarty of Rhode Island which called a PWhitehouse Conference on Aging." This Conference, patterned after the long-standing "Whitehouse Conference on Problems of Children and Youth" granted to each participating state with an appropriate receiving agency an amount up to $15,000 to prepare for the Conference, which was to be held in January, 1961. Michigan, at this time, had still not passed the bill creating the Commission and, as a result, in April of 1959, Governor Williams appointed a "Temporary" or'Governor's Com- mission on Aging” to be the recipient of the federal grant and to carry on Michigan's plans for the Whitehouse Conference. 2% Michigan: 1959 Senate Journal. 7% This Commission was composed of the five state agency heads plus six citizen members, chosen on a basis of interest and knowledge in the field of aging. These six members included James Brophy, chairman, John B. Martin, Jr., Charles Odell, Dr. Wilma Donahue, Msgr. John Slowey, and Dan Connell. Leonard Gernant of Western Michigan University's Extension Service was loaned to the Commission as Executive Director and the University also furnished office space and secretarial assis- tance.25 Given the charge by the Governor to prepare Michigan's report to the Federal Conference, the Commission and its staff set up a series of regional areas and preparations for a state conference were begun. This was the situation when House bill 2# passed the 1960 Legislature, thus removing the need for the ”temporary Commission" on July 1, 1960. _—-i _— 251119 State Journal, Lansing, Michigan, April 11 and CHAPTER V THE COMMISSION'S CREATION This chapter shall be devoted to a careful examina- tion of the legislative process which resulted in the Col-sis- sicn's creation. The act will be examined in detail and the roles various individuals, groups, and agencies had in its enactment will be evaluated and summarised. Review As we have seen, by 1960 the State of Michigan had gone through several phases in developing a comprehensive permanent state agency for planning services for the elderly. In 1960, the Legislature.Advisory Council was still working, reconending the passage .: the Commission bill, and the Governor's Commission on Aging was busily engaged in setting up regions for the upcoming Vhitehouse Conference on Aging. The Michigan Society of Gerontology'had expanded and inter- ested some other groups in the need for the Commission, and local communities felt the need for the agency and were expres- sing these views to their legislators. In general, everything seemed to be ready for the final push. 0n January 2h, 1960, the move started with.the introduction of House Bill 2h. 75 76 House Bill No.g2h: l2§2_ This bill was introduced on January 21 by Represen- tative Emmons, O'Connor, Borgman, Sobieski, Buth, McCollough, M. O'Brien, Jeffries, Edwards, Hunsinger, Morrison, Gillis, Green, Novak, Fitzpatrick, Olson, Lohman, Erlandsen, Cobb, Raad, Edwalski, Yates, and Jackson. ' The bill was referred to House Committee on State Affairs.i On February 19, it was reported out and sent to the Committee of the Whole. 0n Iebruary 23, the bill passed the House and was sent to the Senate. Once in the Senate, the bill was referred to the Committee on State Affairs. Public hearings were held in this committee and the bill was amended to add a representative of the Michigan Health Council as an ex-officio member and to set a limiting effective date of July 1, 1965. On March 2%, the bill was reported out of committee with amendments and was passed by the Senate on March 28. On March.31, the House concurred with.the amend- ments and named the bill the Emmons-O'Conner act. On April 7, the bill was signed by Governor Williams making it Public Act 11. 1960 Legislature.1 The number of co-sponsors alone would seem to indi- cate the growing support for this bill. Some twenty-three legislators of both.political parties saw fit to affix their names and give their support to it. There were several sig- nificant points of interest in the passage of the bill. The *— 1Michigan: Journals of the 1960 House and Senate. 77 first and probably most important change from past years procedure was the byupassing of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Accord- ing to Section 3, Rule 59 of the House rules of order, any bill which calls for the expenditures of funds should be exam- ined by the Committee on Ways and Means. In order for this committee not to examine such a bill, they must waive their right to do so. The House Committee on ways and Means had examined and passed this bill on both of the preceding years and so might understandably waive their right in order to save time. The Senate Committee on Appropriations, however, had not been so kind in the past and their consent to waive their rights should be viewed as a major occurence.2 It has been impossible to determine the reasons for this action despite several attempts to do so. Several rea- sons have been put forth, ranging from the expected, ”We felt the bill was a good bill and, having seen it before, decided to waive our right to review it again to save time,” to ”everyelection year the Republicans come up with some . program aimed at the urban area voter and this was probably it.” Authoritative sources could not be contacted, however, and so the.rea1 reasons for this important action remain unknown to the author. ' 2Interviews with Haroldm'lgerford, State Representa- tive, Ingham County, 1st District and Paul Younger, State Senator, Ingham.County, July 16, 1961. 78 Rgport of the Senate Interim Committee to Investi ate Problems 2f the in Amon Michigan‘sfl Pcpulaticn: 1230 Among other findings, this committee, composed of Perry Greene, Haskell Nichols, and Lloyd Stephens discovered ”The need to assist community groups and other voluntary organi- sations in deve10ping effective local programs on aging."3 This finding probably assisted in getting the bill referred out of Senator Greene's Committee. The Governor's basically non-partisan appointments to his temporary commission is reported to have been signi- ficant in obtaining the favorable attitudes of some Republi- can leaders.” .Another significant point of interest was the hearings of the Senate Committee on State Affairs. At this hearing several persons and organisations testified on the merits of the bill. Probably most outstanding and influential of these were John B. Martin, Jr., Msgr. Vilber Suedcamp, John A. Doherty and Charles O'Dell. Senate State Affairs Committee Hearings; 2260 John B. Martin, Jr., a Grand Rapids attorney. who had been a State Senator, State Auditor General, and a can- didate in the Republican primary for U. S. Senator, was and is now serving as Republican National Committeeman from Michigan. As chairman of the Legislative Advisory Council, 3Report of the Senate Interim Committee to investigate problems of the aging among Michigan' s population. Michigan: Journal of the Senate, February 25, 1960, pp. 191-192. ”Interview with.Jordan Popkin,.Administrative Officer to Midhigan Governor John B. Swainson, July 3, 1961. 79 a Empublican-created body, and as an influential member of the Republican party, his testimony urging creation of the Commission must have carried some weight with this Republican controlled committee. His main point was the fact that such an agency could work with the local communities and help them develop comprehensive programs for the elderly. It goes with- out saying, of course, that such an activity would not greatly increase state expenditures for the aging. A well-known lib- eral Republican, Mr. Martin has also been given credit for lining up much support in both the House and.the Senate among the Republican party stalwarts. Monsignor Wilbur Suedcamp, the Director of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Detroit and long an active leader in developing programs for the aging, gave very moving testimony on the need for a commission. Bringing home some of the statistics in personal experiences, Msgr. Suedcamp was said to have changed the minds of some committee members to vote in favor of the Commission. In general, Catholic Charities of Michigan and Francis J. Coomes, its Executive Director, played a major role in passage of the bill. Catho- lic Charities of Michigan, a newly founded organisation, has as its goal to "promote the material and moral well being of all Michigan residents.”5 In addition to many other programs. the organisation plays a legislative role in matters concern- ing social welfare, migratory labor, aging, and family problems. 5Interview with Francis Coomes, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of Michigan, February, 1961. 80 This role is carried out by "creating an awareness of legis- lative needs and channelling these interests into the politi- cal system." Extensive use of the Catholic press and personal visits to members of the Senate Committee on State Affairs by influential Catholics of both parties certainly must have helped the cause. John A. (Tony) Doherty, Executive Director of the MichiganHealth Council testified for his organization. The Michigan Health Council is a private, non-profit organization which has as itsppurpose the deve10pment of effective pro- grams to safeguard the health of Michigan residents and is composed of some 79 member organizations and affiliates. The Health Council works closely with the Michigan State Medical Society and is supported to a large extent by the latter group. Their position was that they would support the Commission providing it included representation of the Coun- cil. Mr. Doherty's recommendation that a representative of the Health Council be included as an ex-officio member came as no surprise and the immediate acceptance of this proposal was a tribute to the smoothdworking Medical Society lobby. Charles Odell, Director of the UAW-010's Older and Retired workers Department and a nationally recognized auth- crity in the field of aging, testified on behalf of the mem- bershipd‘ the Michigan members he represented. Strongly urging the creation of the Commission, Mr. Odell pointed out the value of the Commission and indicated the amount of interest his organization and its membership had in the .‘."“ h: . ail-J ‘. "1 ‘wkd 81 Commission. Probably the well-known liberal CID-Williams alliance in Michigan had a tendency to reduce the effect of his comments on this Conservative group, however. Following the hearings, the committee voted five for and two against reporting the bill favorably out of committee, and the bill was on its way. Analzsis of Public Act 11 Before examining the resultant act, which is included in the Appendix of this study, it should be read in its final form. (See Appendix III.) IThere are several significant features of this act which should be drawn to the readers attention. The six ex-officio members, one-half the Commission membership, have the power to vote. A private organization, the Michigan Health.Council, is given the same ex-officio status as the public department head. If a department head cannot make a meeting, he can designate anyone to go in his place and have the power to vote. A Director of the Commission is to be hired and has various responsibilities. The Commission may‘ establish advisory committees to carry on functions in spe- ‘cialized areas. Many of the functions are basically the same as S. B. 1257 in 195h; however, the departments are not required to submit reports in Public Act 11. Also, the main push of Public Act 11 is toward the local community where S. B. 1257 did not include any responsibilities for the development of local community committees. Demonstration projects to show “A” .' Olin. , . I ”km: . ,, -‘e: M‘lm .41. “3v. 'A— .- “ant“ B- A n ‘ K: 82 the value of a program.may be set up. The Commission is the agency designated to receive funds for the aging not directly allocated to another agency and may also accept grants provided the legislature approves use of the funds. Finally and very important, a time limit of July 1, 1961 was set for the expira- tion of the bill. This time limit may cause some to question whether this is to be a ”permanent" commission or not. Many of these factors will be discussed further later in this chapter and in the next. Evaluation of the Role of Pressure Grogpg. State Agencies, Newspapers, and Ppime Movers Pressure Group;: Although at the final stage of process several pressure groups were found indicating inter- est in passage of the Commission, there were few of the power- ful lobbies such as the business. industry, and similar groups. The Michigan Society of Gerontology began its activities in 1957 and worked hard for the passage of the bill. The soci- ety, however, could hardly be considered a powerful lobby. Catholic Charities also played a helpful role in the final stage of the process but again is not considered as a power- ful group.' Although the UAW-CID leadership lobbied for pass- age of the bill, it is doubtful if they really considered it a top priority. The Michigan Health Council probably went along with the Commission as long as they had a representa- tive. Generally the role of powerful pressure groups in working either for or against the Commission was negligible. Two small groups were interested and worked for passagebut did not ppay a major role in the eventual passage of the bill. 83 This lack of concern, either for or against the Com- mission, on the part of groups representing segments of the public as well as the lack of editorial interests on the part of newspapers probably represents the general lack of interest in the Commission on the public's part. State agencies: Fritz Morstein Marx talks of the problem of agencies in terms of reorganization. "Talk about shifting any of these activities to some other department and.heated argument breaks loose." When lines of demarcation have to be drawn, departments claim reasons for programs it "always had" or ”belongs to it."6 Departments have been called amonsters with great defensive power developed at the expense ef movement and intellect,” by Pendleton Herring.7 References to state agencies throughout the paper would seem to bear this observation out. First, the heads were given the power to vote, then could send anyone else to protect their inter- ests. The provision calling for agency reports to the Com- mission was eliminated. As we shall see, some agencies, even with this leeway, have attended only a few of the Commission meetings, apparently feeling secure that the Commission cannot take actions which will affect their program. Inasmuch as some department heads are acknowledged as being astute lobbyists, it can be safely said that their activities must have played a key role in impeding progress. 602, cit., p. 171‘. 7Pendleton Herring, FExecutive - Legislative Rmsponsi- 8b In view of these findings, it is interesting to specu- late on the reason for the Interdepartmental Committees inter- est and continued activities in sponsoring the Commission bills. Apparently contrary to these findings, this activity could be explained in three ways. a. The Governor continued to push the Committee to come up with reasonable solutions to this problem. b. The Committee was composed of second-line lead- ership and, as a result, could not make any real decisions without the department heads approval. c. The Committee really did nothing. The chairmen were usually on the Governor's staff and worked for the bill in the name of the Committee without any support.. Newspapers: Going over the morgue of the Lansing State Journal from 1950 to the present, one finds many articles written about the various developments. These articles how- ever, were covered strictly as news items without any edi- torial slant either for or against the idea of a Commission. Mr. Frank Sallows, editorial writer for the Journal, could not recall ever writing an editorial on the Commission nor being asked to by anyone in his organization.8 The State Journal covers more state news than any other state newspaper. Apparently, the newspapers were not particularly concerned one way or the other about the Commission on Aging. As such, there was no concentrated effort to arouse public cpinion 8Interview with Frank Sallows, editorial writer for the State Journal, July 7. 1961. 85 in this matter, probably indicating the lack of public inter- est in the Commission. Prime Movers: Probably the most significant factor in the Commission's Creation was the activity of several key individuals. Governor G. Mennen Williams from the beginning used his office to urge action on the part of the legislature. Supplying the leadership in appointing the several preceding commissions and committees. planting the idea of a state agency. gathering support, and in many other ways he must certainly be considered a prime mover. Dr. Wilma Donahue. supplying the expert advice. suggesting the Commission to the Interdepartmental Committee. served as head of or a member of nearly all organisations working for the Commission. She worked tirelessly for its passage and is now serving on the Commission and is another prime mover. Although coming on the scene later than the other prime movers. Mr. John B. Martin, Jr., must also be considered in this category. Through the Legislative Advisory Council and using his influence in the Republican party. Mr. Martin was helpful in obtaining a favorable vote in the Republican controlled Committees. Of crucial importance was the waiver of the right of the Committee on Appropriations to view the bill in 1960 and its assignment to the Committee on State Affairs whose chairman is Senator Perry Greene. who is from Mr. Martin's home town, Grand Rapids. There are many others who played major roles in the passage of the bill. and undoubtedly without their assistance. 86 there would be no Commission today. This study will not be able to give recognition to all whom it is due. but it is clear that the Commission's creation was due in large part to the urging of these key individuals. Supported by these interested groups and individuals, the efforts of the Prime Movers spearheaded the movement for the creation of the Michi- gan Commission on Aging. In summary. this chapter has seen the end of the legis- lative process on April 7, 1960, with the signing into law of P. A. 11 by Governor Williams. In order to accomplish this end, many things were necessary. The Legislative Advisory Council and the Interdepartmental Committee saw eye to eye and put their combined weight behind the bill. The Michigan Society of Gerontology urged action on the part of its members in obtaining passage. Republican Legislators forgot their personal feelings towards Governor Williams and passed one of "his" bills. Governor Williams never stopped using his office to urge action on the part of the Legislature. Influ- ential citizens, such as John martin and Mrs. Helen Jacobs. members of the Legislative Advisory Council. created favorable attitudes among key legislators. All of these factors finally overcame the negative side of the ledger and the bill was passed. This activity. it should be noted, was mostly on the part of experts. politicians and a few lay persons and involved very little "public" demand. Most persons agree there was very little public interest in the bill or the Commission. despite some attempts to arouse such interest. I. J ‘. 87 It should not be assumed that Michigan has seen the end of such legislation. In 1961. for instance. the Senate. apparently still not convinced of the merits of the Commis- sion. passed S. R. 52. calling for an "Interim Committee to Study Problems of the Aging," with special emphasis on local community activities, and appropriated $1000 for it to carry out its assigned function. However. despite this indication of lack of confidence shown by the legislature, the Commission has been established. 7.. p.17 l .': ‘4" uni-Ix _.' CHAPTER VI ESTABLISHING THE COMMISSION As the saying goes. "now that we're here. what will we do?" All of the efforts described in the preceding pages have led to the final step of the analysis. the establishment of the agency. To follow the establishment of the Michigan Commission on Aging. the appointment of Commission members. appointment of Commission Director. development of programs. and plans for the future shall be examined. This examination should be made much clearer and the reasons easier to under- stand in the light of Simon. Smithburg and Thompson's obser- vation on the origins of agencies and of the hypothesis guid- ing this study. Appointment of Commission Members According to Public Act 11. the Commission has two types of members; ex-officio and citizen. The ex-officio or government members are the heads of the Departments of Social Welfare. Health, Mental Health. Public Instruction and Employment Security Commission. plus a representative of the Michigan Health Council. The six citizen-members were appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate and were selected on the basis of interest and knowledge in the field of aging. In actuality, these 88 ‘ 89 appointees were the same as the Governor's temporary Commis- sion and are basically non-partisan. The Government Members. These persons are all mem- bers of the Commission ex-officio. that is. by virtue of their office. They represent the five state agencies most concerned with aging programs and a representative of a volun- tary health council also greatly concerned with aging. Mr. Max Horton is the Michigan Employment Security Commission Director. His agency carries on several functions concerning the older worker. These include: participation in older worker replacement studies. older worker demonstra- tion programs to develop favorable community attitudes and retraining programs for older workers. {Albert Heustis. M. D.. Commissioner of Health, heads a department which carries on several programs affecting older persons. These include nursing home and homes for the aged licensure. chronic disease case finding procedures, and health education. The Department of Mental Health and its Director, Charles Vagg. play a major role in providing service to the elderly. Over thirty per cent of the inpatient load of Michi- gan mental institutions are 65 years of age or over. The department also assists with out-patient clinics and after- care programs which serva the elderly. Lynn Bartlett. is the Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion. This agency provides consultative services stimulating local Adult Education Centers to serve older persons as well [IT s ‘ '.'Ci..~ 90 as carrying on the vocational Rehabilitation program which included older persons. It is also interested in the recrea- tional aspects of aging. Mr. Willard Maxey is the Director of the Department of Social Welfare, a department which carries on extensive programming for the elderly. This includes administration of direct relief. Old Age Assistance. Aid to the Blind, and gm-) Aid to the Disabled as well as the new Medical Aid to the 3 Aged. The Department is concerned with the aged in nursing . homes and hospitals and in establishing auxillary services for them. 'va' The Michigan Health Council Representative, Harry B. Zemmer, M. D.. is president emeritus of the Council. Dhe Health Council carries on an active program of education. placements. training and service for all ages. including the elderly. Its 1961 state conference had a section giv— ing considerable background on aging. Dr. Zemmer also infor- mally represents the medical profession on the Commission and the activities of the Geriatrics Committee of the Michi- gan State Medical Society. These persons were all included on the Commission in order that it might carry on the coordinating functions of the Interdepartmental Committee on Aging. As we have seen earlier. they have power to vote and can send a deputy in their absence with power to represent the agency and to vote. The Citizen Members. These six members of the Comp mission were appointed by the Governor with the advice and 91 consent of the Senate. They are: Mr. James Brophy. Execu- tive Vice-President, James T. Barnes Company, Investment Brokers, Detroit Michigan. An active Democrat. Mr. Brophy was chosen by Governor Williams as chairman of his temporary Commission and was elected as chairman at the first meeting of the Commission following its passage in 1960. His special interest in aging is in the housing field as he assisted in arranging finances for Carmel Hall. a 500-bed home for the aged, operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. t Mr. Brophy's term expired on April 6. 1961. and he was not W a reappointed. Governor Swainson replaced him with Earl F. Wolfman. Business Manager. United Bakery and Confectionery Workers. Local 30, AFL-CIO. ' Mr. Dan Connell. Director of Personnel. Campbell. Hyatt, and Canon. Muskegon. Mr. Connell has been very active in the Geriatrics Council of Greater Muskegon as well as the Temporary Commission on Aging. His term has also expired but no action has been taken to replace him and it is expected that he will be reappointed. Dr. Wilma Donahue. Director. Division of Gerontology Institute for Human AdJustment. University of Michigan. An internationally recognised authority on aging. Dr. Donahue has written extensively on the subject. The Ann Arbor Con- ference on Aging which she heads is one of the foremost in the United States. She had been active in Michigan even before the establishment of the Interdepartmental Commission in 1950. 92 Mr. John B. martin, Jr., a Grand Rapids attorney. is vice-chairman of the Commission and former chairman of the Legislative Advisory Council. He was a member of the Advisory Council for the White House Conference on Aging, and is presently Republican National Committeeman and President of the Coordinating Council for the Aging in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Martin is nationally recognised for his acti- vities in aging. Mr. Charles Odell is Director, UAW-C10 Older and Retired Workers Department. Another nationally-known figure, Mr. Odell is Secretary of the Commission. He also serves as secretary of the National Committee on Aging. Treasurer of the Michigan Society of Gerontology. and has developed seve- ral programs in the prearetirement area. Monsignor John Slowey, Director, Catholic Social Service, Lansing. Member of the Lansing Project on Aging. Monsignor Slowey's agency serves a goodly number of older persons. and he has had an active interest in this field for many years. Governor Williams submitted the names of these six citizen members and they were confirmed by the Senate. Election of Officers - At its meeting on May 27. 1960. the Commission carried out Sec.three of the act which states. ”The Commission shall elect a chairman. a vice-chairman. and other such officers as it deems necessary." James Brophy, the personal choice of Governor Williams to chair his temper- ary Committee, was elected chairman without too much discussion. 93 Charles Odell and John B. Martin. Jr., were both.nominated for the vice-chairmanship of the Commission. Mr. Martin. the Republican National Committeeman. was elected vice- chairman in a move that reportedly surprised some members of the Commission and the Governor's staff. Reports have it that at this point the post of secretary of the Commission was decided upon and Mr. Odell. the UAW-CIO labor union leader, was elected to that post.2 These developments are particularly interesting and do point out the bi- or perhaps non-partisan nature of the Commission. Appointment of the Director According to Section five of the Act. "After its citizen members have been confirmed by the Senate. the Com- mission shall appoint a Director who shall act as chief admini- strative officer of the Commission. He shall be a person who is professionally qualified by experience and training .to assume the responsibilities of the Commission." The act .also gives authority to the Director to'"appoint such other personnel as the Commission deems necessary." and further says that "The Commission, through its Director. shall take action to carry out the following purposes:" Also, "the Commission may establish, under the administration of the Director. in selected areas and local communities of the state. demonstration programs of services for the aging."3 2Interview with Commission member. 3Public Act 11. 9h After screening ten or so candidates, the Commission appointed Mr. Manfred.Lilliefors, to carry out these various functions. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Lilliefors had been employed as a research analyst by the Michigan Department of Social Welfare for ten years. His experience in aging had been as Executive Secretary of a Family Service Agency, as director of a study of clubs for older people in Ohio, as a member of the Interdepartmental Committee on Problems of the Aging, and as a member of the Lansing Project on Aging. He possesses a Master's Degree in Social Work and is sixty-four years of age. The Commission appointed Mr. Lilliefors and on July 11, 1960, was ready to give attention to the functions assigned to it. Developing a Program By its very existence, the Commission had begun to serve one of the needs for which it was created: to provide a focal point for aging programs and inquiries in the state. As far as actual programming is concerned however, the Com- mission was faced with the very real need of carrying on and completing the preparations for the White House Conference on Aging. Started by the temporary Commission under the Governor's auspices a year earlier, the State had been divided into eleven regional areas, composed of several counties. .At the instigation of these regional area committees, many counties had conferences on aging. Each region then had a conference to consider the needs of the area, suggest 95 appropriate solutions, and to draw up a report for local use and for the use of the State Commission on Aging in preparing for the State Conference on Aging. The State Conference on Aging was held in Lansing on September 21-22, 1960. Attended by an estimated 1000 persons, this conference drew together recommendations on ten areas of concern to the aging for a report to the National White House Conference.” Following the State Conference, the Commission was engaged in preparing its report, meeting with various commu- nities, and meeting with several related agencies and com- mittees. The National Conference took place in January of 1961 and following this, the Commission was ready for the first time to really begin developing a continuous program for the state. Following the White House Conference on Aging, several members of the Commission had decided that the Commis- sion should set up committees of Commission members and carry on activities themselves.5 As a result, three committees were established: local community organization and housing, employment and income maintenance, training, health and recre- ation. These committees met and made some recommendations. One of the things done by the committeeeon local organiza- tion and housing was the bringing together of the four execu- tives of local aging programs in the state to share their “Michigan’s Recommendations to the White House Confer- ence on Aging (Michigan Commission on Aging, October, 1960), P. 1. - - sInterview with Manfred Lilliefors, Director of the Commission. . 96 views on the Commission activities and follow-up to the White House Conference. The remaining activities of these committees were primarily in the area of making studies and recommenda- tions for future activities.6 Activity reports of the Director show his function in visiting numerous groups and communities, interpreting the Commission to them and assisting those groups in planning for the aging. The Commission has also published a quarterly newsletter.AIM (Aging in Michigan) and a direc-' tory of services for older people at the county level. The Director has met with State Highway Department officials and plans for relocating the oldsters displaced by the new high- ways which.have begun.7 Having only been involved in carrying on a program since January, 1961, this agency has not really had time to get settled, decide priorities, methods of procedure, etc. As we shall see in the last chapter, the Commission has also had other special problems which.have slowed down its activities. Plans for the Future The Commission has recently decided to hire an addi- tional staff person to have the responsibility for developing local community programs. This decision by the Commission indicates its intention to work with the local groups rather 6Mflnutes of Commission meetings from.August, 1960, to June, 1961. 7Interview with Lilliefors, his monthly activity sheets and minutes of commission meetings. 97 than setting up special state services, such as housing for which there is no existing agency. The response to the news- letter has been such that the plans include its continuance and.possible expansion. An Inter-University Training Committee is presently being considered. The purpose of this group would be to stimulate specialized training in gerontology and other work with older people. As we shall see in the final chapter, the commission has yet to make several decisions on its role and these decisions will have an impact on the type and number of future programs of the Commission. The Michigan Commission on Aging, after several years of effort, is now in existence. Its members have been appointed, a Director has been hired, a major project carried on and some continuing programs established. What the future will bring cannot be determined at this point in the agency's life. The act set a limit of July 1, 1965, on the Commission; and it till have to be reconsidered and.passed upon once again by the Legislature. Will the decision be to carry on or will it be to drop the Commission? A lot will depend on the actions of the Commission in the next four years. One thing seems apparent: the needs which were expressed and for which the Commission was created will not subside. Aging is an area of evertgrowing concern. Even the most conservative of legis- lators have recognized the state's responsibility in plan- ning adequate programs for the elderly and this responsibil- ity will be met, if not by the Commission, then by another group or organization. CHAPTER VII SUMMARY'AND CONCLUSIONS Having examined the background of aging as a matter of concern, the recognition of the need for a state agency, proposals for solution of the problem, the legislative pro- cesses, both formal and informal, and the establishment of the agency and its program, we are now in a position to re- examine our hypothesis. The hypothesis put forth in chapter one was that when a governmental agency is created as a result of bureaucratic preference, pressure, expert advice and limited interest group pressure rather than general public demand and/or strong interest group pressure, such an agency will be deliberate and careful in undertaking its functions and will proceed very slowly toward meeting its stated objectives. Examination of the Hypothesis In the case of the Michigan Commission on Aging, there was very little "public” demand. As we have seen, the pres- sure put forth for the agency was by a limited public, the lay and professional leaders of a few interested groups, a few interested citizens, Governor Williams and his staff, and several experts. Although several legislators professed a keen interest in the Commission bill after it passed, it 98 99 appears that they did so to show they were interested in the "old folks" rather than as a response to or against the Commission bill; and those that did have more or less discontinued their interest in the Commission. So it can be safely said that the Commission was created by bureau- cratic preference, pressure, and expert advice and not as a result of any strong public or interest group demand for such an agency. But, what about the development of a pro- gram? . Interviews with members of the Commission, the Commission Director, and persons in and out of state govern- ment who are interested in the Commission indicate some dissatisfaction with the program to date. The examination of the program itself indicates many shortcomings. One of the main purposes of the Commission, to stimulate and assist local communities to take action in the field of aging, has not been carried out to any extent. The Commis- sion did not give permission to hire a staff person for this purpose until nearly a year after its creation, even though it had been recommended by the Director and funds were available during that time. A review of the minutes of the Commission also would indicate that the coordinating function of the Commission was not being carried out. In the first place, several state agencies serving the aged directly or indirectly, are not represented on the Commission. Secondly, the min- utes show that the projects of the member state agencies 100 were very seldom, if ever, discussed. Then too, out of seven meetings of the Commission since August. 1960, the following agencies were totally absent.1 AGENCY TIMES ABSENT Employment Security Commission Department of Health Mental Health Department Department of Public Instruction Department of Social Welfare VIC-WANG Obviously, if the department heads did not attend or did not designate an employee of the department to attend, then their programs were not being coordinated through this Commission. Not only were some of these departments occa- sionally absent, but the May and June meetings of 1961 had only the Employment Security Commission represented. The Department of Social Welfare has not had a representa- tive at a meeting since December, 1960. The question arises as to whether these absences were unavoidable or if the department heads simply did not consider attendance at the meetings worthwhile. As the Commission's function, according to Public Act 11, 1960 Legislature, is compared with the program of the Commission to date, it becomes increasingly apparent that very little progress has been made toward meeting the needs for which the agency was created. Studies have not been conducted, local programs have not been encouraged extensively, only limited public education programs have 1Minutes of Commission meetings from August, 1960, to June, 1961. 101 been carried on, existing stateprograms and proposed legis- lation have been reviewed only to a limited degree, and very little effective coordination has taken place. Many of the defenders of the Commission point out the time it takes to get such a program going. "After all, they've only had a year to get going and you can;t really do anything until you've been around awhile," seems to be the prevailing thought. However, some agencies are set up and develop a full-fledged program in months. Simon des- cribes the phenominal growth of the Economic Cooperation Administration from a handful of employees to a complete bureaucracy in months in "The Birth of an Organization."2 As we have suggested, the reason for such growth could be equated in terms of outside demand for such an agency. Backed by strong interest group pressure or public and legis- lative demand, an agency can boldly strike out to deal with the problems for which it was created. Lacking such sup- port, however, the agency must move slowly, gain support outside of the political system, and then increase its pro- gram.to meet the needs. This has obviously been the case with the Michigan Commission on Aging. Wishing to improve its service to local communities, the Commission asked for funds this year to hire a field representative at the IV level, for an additional stenographer-clerk, and for some funds to carry on demonstration projects. This request 2Simon, loo cit. 102 amounted to about $52,000 and was reduced to $33,500, the same amount appropriated for the Commission in its initial year by the legislature.3 Thus the Commission, receiving requests for service from the State Conference on Aging, and other individuals and groups and facing growing dis- content amongst the persons in the field looking to it for assistance, is faced with developing a program with no more means than the previous year. So, in this case history ‘ at least, it would seem that the speed.with which an agency begins its program and meets the needs which it was created for is in direct proportion to the amount of pressure behind that agency creation. A large amount of pressure could be said to be exten- sive public demand and interest group activity. The demand lends support to the agency in obtaining an adequate budget, thus enabling it to take the immediate steps desired by the pressure groups. Conversely, an amount of pressure, potent enough to gain passage of desired legislation, yet without the backing of an aroused public or vocal interest groups, can be considered a minimal amount of pressure. In this case, even though the need for action may be as great or greater than the former case, the strong support is lacking and public funds are not as easily obtained. Fortunately, the demanding public is not as large either, therefore minimizing the demand for immediate action. 3Interview with Manifred Lilliefors, Director, Michigan Commission on Aging. 103 Other InhibitingiFactors So we have seen that our hypothesis has held up in the examination of this agency. The reasons stated as "obvious" in the introduction however, have not proven to be the exclusive factors for the slow development of the agency. The agency can be said to be off to a slow start for three reasons. They are: (l) The failure of Commission members to clearly . define the role of the Commission, their role as Commissioners, and the role of the Director. (2) The lack of strong support in obtaining an - . adequate budget from the Legislature. (3) The lack of truly "citizen" members on the . Commission. . . The failure of Commission members to clearly define the role of the Commission, their role as Commissioners, and the role of the Director was pointed out when one of the Commission members asked at their meeting of December it, 1960, "What is the role of the Commission? 1. it to be a policy-making body with the Director and staff carry- ing on the work of the Commission, or is the Commission it- self to be a working group with committees carrying on program responsibilities?"u Apparently some members of the Commission decided the latter philosophy to be prefer- able because of their action in setting up the three Commit- tees mentioned earlier. Others however, do not take this position and have not been effective in carrying out responsi- billtiGS. ”Minutes of Commission meeting, December 1%, 1960. 10h Several of the regional chairmen mentioned the need for the Commission to define its role and the role of the regions more closely in order that work may proceed in those areas. Faced with a variety of functions and demands for service, the Commission has been unable to decide what to do first, and as a result, has done very little. The Govern- mental members, afraid of losing some program to this new- comer, held down its growth. What to do and what to do first are questions the Commission has yet to answer. Some of the more vocal members of the Commission felt that they should set up committees and carry on pro- gram responsibilities and the Director carry on the miscel- laneous tasks assigned to him.. These committees would be the backbone of the Commission. This has been tried. The three committees were set up and members assigned. The- results were not too spectacular. The committees met once or twice, rehashed some old material, and issued another report. The Act grants considerable authority and responsi- bility to the Director and to date the Commission has not performed in such a way so as to give the impression that they are willing to release such authority. The Commission member's question still stands. Can these busy persons with.multiple reponsibilities hope to carry on additional program responsibilities with the Director simply assisting them? The answer is apparently no, and until the members do redefine their role as a policy-making board, the agency's Iflwgress is not likely to increase too much. 105 The lack of strong support in obtaining an adequate budget from the Legislature has been mentioned earlier. The reaction of the Legislature to the budget request of the Commission will probably have serious consequences on future programs. The Commission's hopes of filling the field representative position with a highly qualified per- son have been diminished somewhat due to the reduced classi- fication possible with the budget. The present steno-clerk of the Commission has no relief and has been under pressure since July 1%, 1960, when she was hired. In addition she will now have to handle the work of the field representative as well as the many bookkeeping, purchasing and secretarial duties she performs for the Director. The demonstration projects will have to be put .rr until another year. Often, a small grant from such an agency as the Commission can greatly stimulate local action through such demonstration projects. However, in a year when many budgets were cut down from previous years, the Commission possibly did all right to hold its own. If the projects of the Commission had been better defined and an effective program started which would have garnered some support, they might have fared better. Until such programming is instituted and until the public, even the limited public working with the Commis- sion, becomes convinced of its worth, they will probably face rough sledding in gaining additional appropriations. 106 The lack of truly "citizen" members of the Commis- sion should have been apparent in the analysis of the mem- bers of the Commission. The Commission is not, with a few exceptions, made up of lay interested citizens. Of the twelve members, six are members ex-officio and represent a limited portion of the population. They are professionals, primarily representing and protecting their own agency's interests. An example of this is one governmental commis- sion member's statement that he did not wish to work on a certain committee because his recommendations would be too narrow and the Commission should take a broader look than an agency head. Included on the Commission as voting members, these persons certainly do not represent the general public. Of the six citizen members, one is an internationally known expert in gerontology; another is head of an international union's older worker department and is known as an expert in pro-retirement counseling. Another was a chairman of a major section at the White House Conference on Aging, and, although a layman, is certainly considered very know- 1edgable in the field. The chairman, Mr. Br0phy, has been replaced with a representative of the International Confec- tioners Union by Governor Swainson andthe remaining two Commissioners, Mr. Connell and Msgr. Slowey, alone amongst this group, are not considered experts, even though they -both.have had considerable experience in this field. This collection of learned and knowledgable persons in the field of aging would seem to be an optimum as far as 107 Commissions go, but in reality it has served to stifle the activities of the group by their inability to resolve dif- ferences of opinion, establish priorities and some concrete programs. Such persons could much better serve the agency as advisers and relinquish some of their control to a more representative lay group. This type of Commission might possibly have more time and fewer vested interests than some of the present membership. They might also be able to come to conclusions easier and earlier and would utilize the staff to a greater extent. Such a Commission would also tend to broaden the public's knowledge of it by the very process of bringing "newer" people in on the membership. Of course, all of these factors can be attributed to the lack of an interested public for this agency. If such a highly motivated group did exist, then some of the actions, or lack of action, on the part of the Commission would have been more closely scrutinized and demands made. Recommendations The perusal of the development of the Commission and its consequent programming lead quite naturally to some recommendations for the Commission's consideration. These recommendations are based on numerous interviews with many persons connected with, or interested in, the Commission. A. Commission membership. I. Governmental members a. Public Act 11, 1960 Legislature should be amended to remove the power of vot- ing from the six governmental members. 108 They were included on the Commission for coordinating purposes and can do so without the power to effectively decide the functions of the Commission as they can presently do. Use the authority of the Governor's office and the Legislature to Incour-- age departmental representation in Commission affairs and for bi-annual written reports on agency activities concerning the aging. Citizen members a. Upon termination of their appointments, certain professional members of the Commission should be replaced by inter- ested lay persons more representative of the general public and without regard to political affiliations. These mem- bers would include Dr. Wilma Donahue and Charles Odell. The Commission should define its role as a policy-making and guiding body, leaving program responsibilities to the staff and the Advisory Committees. B. Programs 1. The creation and utilization of advisory committees to the Commission. The present members mentioned could play a key role in organizing the available knowledge through- out the state into advisory committees. These committees would: a. b. 0e make available to the Commission vast amounts of knowledge, include in the plannings and workings of the Commission many more people, thus adding support for programs, and save costs in adding staff persons to work in specific areas. The advisory committees could be staffed by the appointment of an employee of the logi- cal state agency to that reSponsibility to work closely with the Director of the Commission. . 109 2. Utilization of available Universities for research. Foundation funds and governmental grants could be channeled through the Com- mission to the Universities for such research as is needed. 0. Staff. 1. Efforts be made within existing budget or additional funds be requested for an addi- tional stone-clerk. 2. After obtaining a qualified field representa- . tive, a person skilled in public relations should be appointed to carry on a continuous program of interpreting the Commission and the general field of aging to the public. Conclusion In their report to Governor Williams in 1958, the Special Staff on Aging of the Department of Health, Educa- tion and Welfare said that "each state develops the kind of state agency for the aging that best suits its needs."5 More in Michigan we have seen the deve10pment of a state. agency for the aging, and the effect that the needs, as they were perceived, had on the Commission's creation. What the needs of other states are is difficult to tell. Hopefully, Michigan's experience will assist them in developing the program most effective in meeting their particular needs. As far as procedure is concerned, it would seem that one of the most vital steps to be taken in creating such an agency would be to convince the Governor of the merits of such a Commission and then to bolster his A 5William Fitch, Director. Special Staff on Aging, D.H.E.W., in preliminary report to Governor Williams, 1958. 110 position with support, both in terms of expert testimony to the need and in stimulating key individuals to talk to their legislators in the local districts. It should not be hoped that the public's interest will be-aroused to the point that a massive campaign could be launched. Instead, interested persons far sighted enough to see the problem, should work from within the political system to bring their representatives to the point that they too see the need and favor action to meet it. The report also stated that "Experience seems to indicate that greatest success is likely to accrue when the organization is not closely identified with, or subordinated to, any one agency of the State Government,"6 Again, we have been able to establish an independent agency in Michi- gan. Michigan with its wealth of talent and experience in aging has every opportunity to develop a new and exciting approach to aging. The Commission on Aging can play a vital role in developing such a program and, given the proper leadership, can quite easily do so. It is now providing a base upon which to learn and to develop new programs and ideas. The conflicts, criticisms, and compromises are all part of a process, a process which, if minds are kept open and eyes looking ahead, can only lead to better things in the future for the aging in Michigan. Ibid. APPENDIX APPENDIX I MICHIGAN 67TH.LEGISLATURE Regular Session of 195% SENATE BILL N0. 1251 February 10, Introduced by Senator BROWN, ordered printed and referred to the Committee on State Affairs. A bill to create a commission of inquiry and referral to make investigations and submit reports and legislative recommendations relative to the problems of the aging popu- lation; to provide for the appointment of the members of said commission and to prescribe their powers and duties; and to provide for the cooperation of state and certain other agencies with such commission. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: Sec. 1. There is hereby created a commission to be known as "the Michigan commission on the aging", hereinafter referred to as the commission. Said commission shall con- sist of 1h members, 5 of whom shall be ex-officio members consisting of the superintendent of public instruction, the state health commissioner, the director of the state depart- ment of mental health, the director of the state department of social welfare, and the director of the employment secu- rity commission, all without voting powers: Provided, That any of the ex-officio members of the commission may select some other employee of the department he directs to function temporarily on the commission in his stead. The 9 members 112 113 who are not ex-officio members shall be voting members, 5 to be appointed from the general public by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, within 30 days after this act shall take effect, 2 to be members of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor, and 2 to be members of the house of representatives appointed by the Speaker. 0f the members first appointed by the governor, 1 shall serve for a term of h years, 2 shall serve for terms of 3 years, 1 shall serve for a term of 2 years, and 1 shall serve for a term of 1 year, and their successors shall serve for terms of h years. Vacancies may be filled for the unex- pired portion of the term in the same manner as appointments are made for a full term. The senators and members of the house of representatives shall serve on the commission for the term of their election to the legislature. The 5 mem- bers appointed by the governor shall be selected without partisan consideration from persons with a demonstrated interest in l or more of the problems of the aging. The voting members shall serve without compensation other than for their necessary and proper expenses, which expenses are to be audited and paid in the same manner as expenses of state employees from.funds appropriated for this purpose as a separate item in the annual appropriation for the Michi- gan department of social welfare. Sec. 2. The commission shall have the power and duty to: '(a) Study and investigate the employment, economic, health, educational, recreational, housing, institutional 110 care and other needs of aged persons which constitute pre- sent or potential problems for the state; (b) Request and receive reports from all state departments on subjects within the regular functions of the commission and of said departments: Provided, That said departments shall comply with such requests to the extent that the governing bodies of said departments deem practical; (c) Receive inquiries from persons and agencies interested in problems of or programs for the aged and to redirect any inquiries to appropriate departments or agencies for reply; (d) Arrange and conduct hearings or discussions on aspects of the problems of the aged, with the end in view of meeting the needs of the aged economically and effectively; (e) Make recommendations for needed legislation to the governor and the legislature; and (f) Make requests for appropriations for the print- ing and mailing of reports or other materials for public distribution, and to arrange for the distribution of same when printed: Provided, That the department of adminis- tration shall contract or arrange for the reproduction of materials authorized for publication by the legislature under this subsection. Sec. 3. The governor shall convene the commission originally within 60 days after the effective date of this act. The commission shall elect annually a chairman and 115 vice-chairman from their membership. The commission shall meet not less than h times a year and shall set the date for such meetings. The commission may authorize committees of the commission to meet during interims between meetings. Sec. #. The department of social welfare shall pro- vide secretarial service to the commission in reasonable amount as shall be determined by the Michigan social wel- fare commission, and the cost of such service shall be re- ported to the commission to be included in their report to the governor and the legislature annually. Sec. 5. The commission is hereby authorized to accept donations, grants or bequests for the furtherance of its work and to expend such for the purposes for which they were made available. The commission shall not obligate the state for materials or other services except as other- wise provided in this act. APPENDIX II 130131.10 ACT NO. 200 AN ACT to create a legislative advisory council on problems of the aging; to make investigations and submit reports and legislative recommendations relative to the problems of the aging population; to provide for the appoint- ment of the members of said advisory council and to prescribe their powers and duties; and to provide for the cooperation of state and certain other agencies with such advisory council. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: h00.3§l Legislative advisopy‘gouncil og_problems of the aging; memberthermL vaganciesppegpenses. 1M.S.A. 2.621L Sec. 1. There is hereby created a legislative ad- visory council to be known as the "legislative advisory council on problems of the aging".. Said advisory council shall consist of 8 members from the general public, h of whom shall be appointed by the senate in the same manner as are standing committees in the senate, and h of whom shall be appointed by the house of representatives in the same manner as are standing committees in the house of re- presentatives. Of the members first appointed, 2 from the senate and 2 from the house of representatives shall serve for a term of 0 years each, and 2 from the senate and 2 from.the house of representatives shall serve for a term 0f 0 years each, and 2 from the senate and 2 from the house 0f representatives shall serve for terms of 2 years each. 116 117 Their successors shall serve for terms of b years. Vacan- cies may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as appointments are made for a full term. The 8 members appointed shall be selected without partisan consideration from persons with a demonstrated interest in l or more of the problems of the aging. The members shall serve without compensation other than for their necessary and proper expenses, which expenses and any other secretar- ial or contractual service expenses incurred by said commis- sion, are to be audited and paid in the same manner as ex- penses of state employees from funds appropriated for this purpose as a separate item in the annual appropriation for the legislature. #09.3§§_ Same; powers and dutiesifi LMLS.A. 2.622) Sec. 2. The advisory council shall have the power and duty to: (a) Study and investigate the employment, economic, health, education, recreational, housing, institutional care and other needs of aged persons which constitute pre- sent or potential problems for the state; (b) Request and receive reports from all state departments on subjects within the regular functions of the advisory council and of said departments; (c) Receive inquiries from persons and agencies interested-in problems of or programs for the aging and to redirect any inquiries to appropriate departments or agencies for reply; 118 (d) Make recommendations, on or before the first day of January of each year, of their activities and for needed legislation to the legislature; and (e) Employ an executive secretary on an annual basis whose compensation shall not exceed $9,000.00 per , year. 000.353 Same; officer§L_meetings, commiggees. (M.S.A. 2.623) Sec. 3. The advisory council shall elect annually a chairman and vice-chairman from their membership. The advisory council shall meet not less than A times a year and shall set the date for such meetings. The advisory council may authorize committees of such council to meet during interims between meetings. This act is ordered to take immediate effect. Approved June 17, 1955. APPENDIX III Act No. 11 Public Acts of 1960 Approved by Governor April 7, 1960 STATE OF MICHIGAN 70TH LEGISLATURE Regular Session of 1960 Introduced by Reps. Emmons, O'Connor, Borgman, Sobieski, Buth, Mrs. McCollough, Michael J. O'Brien, Jeffries, Edwards, Mrs. Hunsinger, Morrison, Gillis, Green, Novak, John J. Fitzpatrick, Olsen, Lohman, Erlandsen, Cobb, Raap, Kowalski, Yates and Jackson. ENROLLED HOUSE BILL NO. 2” AN ACT to establish a state commission on aging; to provide for the appointment of a director and such advis- ory committees as the commission deems necessary; to prescribe the powers and duties of the commission and its director; to provide for the administration and financing of demonstra- tion programs for the aging; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts. THE PEOPLECF THE STATE OF LECHIGAN ENACT: Sec. 1. There is hereby created the Michigan commis- sion on aging, hereafter called the commission. The commis- sion shall consist of 12 members, as follows: Six members ex officio, herein referred to as government members, who shall be the director of the Michigan employment security commission, the commissioner of health, the director of the department of mental health, the superintendent of public instruction, the director of the department of social welfare 119 120 and a representative of the Michigan health council, and 6 citizens of the state, herein referred to as citizen mem- bers, who have an interest in and knowledge of the problems of the aging. The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint the 6 citizen members of the commission, none of whom shall be employees of any state department. Sec. 2. The citizen members of the commission shall be appointed for terms of 3 years each; except that of the members first appointed, 2 shall be appointed for terms of 1 year, 2 for terms of 2 years, and 2 for terms of 3 years. vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of any unex- pired term in the same manner as the original appointment. Sec. 3. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The commission shall elect a chairman, a vice-chairman, and such other officers as it deems necessary. The commission shall meet at least 6 times each year and more often if necessary, on call of the chairman. If unable to attend a commission meeting, a government member shall send in his place his deputy or another person who has authority to act on behalf of the government member, who shall be considered a member of the commission for the purpose of obtaining a quorum. Sec. 0. Citizen members shall be entitled to reim- bursement for expenses incurred in the work of the commis- sion. 121 Sec. 5. After its citizen members have been con- firmed by the senate, the commission shall appoint a direc- tor who shall act as chief administrative officer of the commission. He shall be a person who is professionally qualified by experience and training to assume the respon- sibilities of the position. The director's annual salary shall be fixed by the legislature and he shall be reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of his official duties. Sec. 6. The director shall appoint such other per- sonnel as the commission determines to be necessary for the efficient performance of the duties prescribed by this act. Sec. 7. The commission shall create whatever advis- ory committees it deems necessary in such fields as commu- nity services, education and recreation, employment, finan- cial security, health, and housing, and may use its funds to defray the expenses of such advisory committees and their members.. The commission, where feasible, shall designate a commission member having special competence in a field as chairman of any advisory committee it may create in that field. Advisory committees shall report to the commission with regard to their activities and findings. Sec. 8. The commission, through its director, shall take action to carry out the following purposes: (a) Conduct, and encourage other organizations to Conduct, studies of the problems of the state's older people; 122 (b) Encourage, promote and aid in the establish- ment of loCal programs and services for the aging. The commission shall assist local governmental and other agen- cies by designing surveys that could be used locally to determine needs of older people; by recommending the creation of such services and facilities as appear to be needed; by serving as a clearing house for the collection and distri- bution of information on aging; and by assisting organiza- tions and communities in such other ways as the commission may deem appr0priate; (0) Conduct programs of public education on the problems of the aging; (d) Review existing state programs for the aging, and annually make recommendations to the governor and the legislature for improvements in and additions to such pro- grams; (e) Encourage and assist governmental and private agencies to coordinate their efforts on behalf of the aging in order that such effort be effective and that duplication and wasting of effort be eliminated. Sec. 9. The commission may establish, under the administration of the director, in selected areas and local communities of the state, demonstration programs of services for the aging. Particular emphasis shall be given to ser- vices designed to foster continued participation of older people in family and community life and to prevent, insofar as possible, the onset of dependency and the need for long-term 123 institutional care. The programs shall be established to demonstrate their value and to stimulate local agencies to continue the programs and to create new services where needed. Sec. 10. The commission shall constitute the desig- nated state agency for handling all programs of the federal government related to the aging requiring action within the state which are not the specific responsibility of another state agency under the provisions of federal law or which have not been specifically entrusted to another state agency by the legislature. Sec. 11. The commission may receive on behalf of the state any grant or gift and accept the same, so that the title shall pass to the state. All grants or gifts shall be deposited with the state treasurer and used for the pur- poses set forth in the grant or gift, if the purposes are within the powers conferred on the commission and the use is approved by the legislature. If the use is not so approved, the grant or gift shall revert to the donor or his adminis- trator or assigns. Sec. 12. The legislature shall authorize the neces- sary appropriations to carry out the work of the commission. In respect to local demonstration programs, the appropria- tions may be made continugent upon local appropriations or gifts in money or in kind for the support of such programs. The board of supervisors of any county or the governing 'body'of any city, village or township in this state may ifuxnish,and.appropriate money for establishing a demonstra- tion program. 120 Sec. 13. Act No. 200 of the Public Acts of 1955, being sections 000.351 to h00.353 of the Compiled Laws of 1998, is hereby repealed. All records, files and other property, including preperty held in trust, belonging to the legislative advisory council on problems of the aging, shall be turned over the commission on aging herein created and shall be continued as part of the records, files, and other property thereof. Sec. 1%. This act shall take effect on July 1, 1960, and shall remain in effect until July 1, 1965. This act is ordered to take immediate effect. Clerk ofthe House of Representatives Secretary of the Senate Approved Governor BIBLIOGRAPHY Public Documents U. S. Statutes a§_£a;ge. 1960 Congress U. S. Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administra- tion, Washington 25, D. C. Uniggd States Govern- ment Orggnization Manual 1959-60. U. 8. Federal Council on Aging. Programs for Older Pegpig, Washington, D. C.. 1960. Michigan. Journalwof the Senate; 1955. Michigan. Journals of the House and Senate, 1957. Michigan. Journals of the House and Senate, 1958. Michigan. Journals of the House and Senate, 1959. Michigan. Journals of the House and Senate, 1960. Michigan. Report of the Governor's Commission to study the Problems of Aging, January, 1953, Lansing, Michigan. Michigan. Senate Bill 1222, l95h Legislature. Michigan. Compiled Laws of Michigan;l Public Act No. 100, 1222 Legislature. Michigan. First Annual Report of the Legislative Advisopy Council on Problems of the Aging, January, 1957, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan. ngpilgd Laws of Michiggp, Public Act No. 11, 1960 Legislature. Michigan. Report of the Senate Interim Committee to Investi- gate ProEIems of the Aging Among—MichiganTs—nguiation. Journal of the Senate, February 25, 1960. — 125 126 Michigan Commission on Aging. Michigan's Recommendations to the White House Conference on Aging. October, 1960. Michigan Department of State. Michigan Manual, 1959-60. Lenzer, Anthony. Community_A9tion in Aging. The Legis- lative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 1959. Books Adrian, Charles. State and Local Government, New York: McGraw-Hill Co, 1960. Almond, Gabriel A. and Coleman, James S. The Politics of the Developing Areas. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1960. Baird. Willard. This is Our Michigan. Battle Creek, Michi- gan: Federated Publications, Inc., 1959. Brunot, Helen Hardy. Old Agg_In New York City. New York: Welfare Council of New York City, 1953. Heady, Ferrell and Pealy, Robert H. The Michigan Depart- ment of Administration. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Bureau of Government, Institute of Public Admini- stration, University of Michigan, 1956.. La Palombara, Joseph G. A Guide to Michiggn Politics. East Lansing, Michigan: Bureau of Political and Social Research, College of Business and Public Service, Michigan State University, 1960. MacIver, R. M. The Web of Governmegt. New York: The Macmillan Company, 19147 . Marx, Fritz Morstein. "The Departmental System," ELgments of Public Administration. Edited by F. M. Marx. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1959. Richardson, Bessie Ellen. Old Age Among the Ancient Greeks. Johns Hopkins Press, 19E3. Sarasohn, Stephen D. and Vera. Political Party Patterns in Michigan. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State Uni- versity Press, 1957. Simmon, Leo W. The Role of the Aged igfiPrimitive Society. Yale University Press, 19h5. 127 Simon, Herbert, Smithburg, Donald, and Thompson, Victor A. Public Administration. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1950. State Welfare Department, Bureau of Old Age Assistance. Old Age Assistance in_Michigan, 1937-1938. Lansing, Michigan. ' Articles and Periodicals Donahue, Wilma. "Gerontology at the University of Michigan, the Historical Perspective," Geriatrics, V01. 15 (April, 1960). . Herring, Pendleton. "Executive Legislative Responsibilities," A,P.S.R. Vol. 38 (19kb). - Martin, Harold H. "Michigan the Problem State," The Saturday Evening Post, February 25, 1961. Simon, Herbert A. "The Birth of an Organization," Public Administratioh Review, Autumn, 1953. Reports Interdepartmental Committee on Aging. ngmary Roport to Governor Williams. Lansing, Michigan: September 26, 1950. Governor's Commission to Study Problems of the Aging. 1253 Report. Council of State Governments. A Report to the 1955 Gover- nors' Conference. Chicago, 1955. Lenzer, Anthony, Pond, Adele S., and Scott, John. Michiggn's Older People: SiggHundrcd Thousand Over Sigty-Five. By the Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging, Ann Arbor, Michigan: 1958. Fitch, William, Director of the Special Staff on Aging, D. H. E. W. PreliminaEyReport to Governor Williams. 1958. Legislative Advisory Council on Problems of the Aging. Fourth Apnual Report. Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1960. Michigan Commission on Aging. Programs and Services for the aging in Michigan. Lansing, Michigan, 1960. 128 Unpublished Material G. Mennen Williams, Governor of Michigan. Message to the Sixty-ninth Legislature in the Governor's Office, Lansing, Michigan. Interdepartmental Committee. Tentative and Rough Draft of Report to Governor Williams, September 12, 1955. Interdepartmental Committee. Memo to Governor Williams, November 1, 1957. Michigan Society of Gerontology. Sections 1 and 2 of By-laws. Michigan Commission on Aging. Minutes of Meetings from August, 1960, to June, 1961. Interdepartmental Committee. Minutes on Problems of the Aging, April 27, 195% (from Dr. Donahue's files). Other Sources Interview with Frank Blackford, former legislative aide to Governor Williams. July 5, 1961. Interview with Frank Sallows, editorial writer for the State Journal. July 7, 1961. Interview with Dr. Wilma Donahue. June 30, 1961. Interviews with Harold Hungerford, State Representative for Ingham County, lst District, and Paul Younger, State Senator from Ingham County. July 16, 1961. Interview with Manifred Lilliefors, Director, Michigan Commission on Aging. Interview with Jordan Popkin, Administrative Officer to Governor John B. Swainson. July 3, 1961. Interview with Francis Coomes, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of Michigan. February, 1961. Interview with a member of the Michigan Commission on Aging. Letter from Frank Blackford to Dr. Wilma Donahue. December 2. 1953. Letter from Dr. Wilma Donahue, Chairman, Division of Geron- tology, Univeriity of Michigan to Frank Blackford, .Legislative Secretary to Governor G. Mennen Williams “and Chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on Problems of the Aging. November 5, 1953. 129 Letter from Dr. Wilma Donahue to all members of the Geron- tological Society. March 25, 1957. Letter from Anthony Lenzer, Executive Secretary of the Legislative Advisory Council, to William Nichols, Coordinator, Project on Aging, Lansing, Michigan. November 8, 1957. The State Journal, Lansing, Michigan. October 17, 1957. Dr. Frederick Swartz, Chairman, American Medical Associa- tion Committee on Aging. Talk to Lansing Project on Aging. 1960. The State Journal, Lansing, Michigan. April 11 and April 30, 1959. .7 l; 35 am t? mmz‘a HICHIGRN STQTE UNIV LIBRQR I IIIIIII IIII II ”III II III IIIIIII II III I II 524554