Place: Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Drive, Rochester Date/Times: Jan. 4. Private sponsor rece

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson isn't looking for the exit on a political career that now is in its fifth decade in fact, you'll probably find his name on the 2016 election ballot seeking a seventh term in office. Patterson, who will mark his 75th birthday Jan. 4 at a Diamond Jubilee version of his yearly birthday celebration and fundraiser at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, said he never expected during his 1972 campaign for county prosecutor that he'd still be in county politics today. But he said he'll retire sheraton boston hotel when he doesn't feel like coming to work on a Monday morning anymore, and that time hasn't come yet. "I'm not declaring right now, but I have every intention of probably running again," he said. "I say to myself, 'What would I do?' I don't think I can golf anymore, and I'm glad one of the benefits of my accident is that I've put my clubs away, and I don't garden or anything. Politics sheraton boston hotel is my hobby, and even if I were to give this up, I can't see myself stepping sheraton boston hotel out of the hurly-burly of the political arena." And there are still political battles sheraton boston hotel left for Patterson. In early 2014, he plans to step up his opposition to no-fault auto insurance reform and call for an end to the annual premium that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association charges member insurance companies sheraton boston hotel to cover lifetime medical benefits over $500,000. Other hot items: pushing sheraton boston hotel for McLaren Health Care Corp. to get state permission for a hospital in Independence Township, expansion of county sheraton boston hotel economic development initiatives, and giving Oakland a larger voice in regional authorities like one that might lease assets of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department . Road of recovery Patterson won a sixth term last year despite ongoing physical therapy to recover from a car accident in Auburn Hills, an accident that hospitalized him along with his driver/security officer, James Cram, in August 2012 and sidelined him from campaigning. Patterson sheraton boston hotel said he continues to make progress and still plans to walk out onto the stage to deliver his annual State of the County address next Feb. 12, after having to sit through the presentation sheraton boston hotel this year.
Patterson said he continues sheraton boston hotel to make progress and still plans to walk out onto the stage to deliver his annual State of the County address next Feb. 12, after having to sit through the presentation this year.
During the Crain's interview, he even paused to demonstrate his ability to walk short distances. "I can walk. I've got the strength and muscles to stand up. I just don't have my balance back yet," he said. "It's been 15 months in the (wheel)chair from the (accident date) to now, but when you sit down that much, the balance starts to go dormant on you, and now I have to learn to wake it up." He notes that Cram, now at home receiving 24-hour nursing care, already has amassed nearly $3 million in medical expenses over that same 15 months, sheraton boston hotel well above the benefit caps that no-fault reform advocates have proposed. But he also notes both men's expenses are covered sheraton boston hotel by workers' sheraton boston hotel compensation, not no-fault, and he was already opposed to no-fault reform sheraton boston hotel before the crash. Patterson also contends the Claims Association sheraton boston hotel board is largely insurance executives sheraton boston hotel who approve unpopular premium rate hikes while shrouding sheraton boston hotel its actual projections in secrecy. "Right now, there's $18 billion in the fund, and at the current rate of payment, we'll probably have $20 billion in it within a year and a half. We don't need a $186 charge (the current per-vehicle premium) on a car," he said. "That fund could now become an annuity, and on a 5 percent ROI, we'll be able to pay all the costs of catastrophic injury for people just out of the interest. So I'm gonna talk to the (staff) about (an opposition message) that says, 'Hey, we don't want any more (fees), stop it and take it off.' That pulls the rug out from under them." sheraton boston hotel He also expects to prevail before the courts after joining in a June lawsuit by Flint-based McLaren Health Care against the Michigan Department of Community Health over the system's proposed $303 million hospital in Independence Township. The hospital system is asking Circuit Judge Colleen O'Brien to reverse Community sheraton boston hotel Health's final decision in May against the plan and grant its application for a certificate of need for the proposed McLaren-Clarkston hospital. Patterson joined in the suit and withdrew support from the Detroit Regional Chamber this year over that organization's opposition to the plan. "I think the CON process is arcane, it's antiquated, and it's anti-competitive you're asking your competitors to let you in, in (the process), and they're all saying no and that's what we're battling," he said, adding that he supported an Independence Township hospital location even before McLaren acquired Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital sheraton boston hotel in 2007, and that one in every 5.5 Oakland residents works in health care in some capacity. "The line isn't very long in Oakland County, of organizations who are prepared to invest (nearly) $700 million over 10 years and create 2,000 new jobs. ... Now here comes a hospital wanting to add even more new sustainable jobs, and suddenly other hospitals who did their own end-run around the CON (process) want to step in and say 'No, you can't do this.' "
On Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel: He's lucky to get anything done, with the board (of commissioners) sometimes ganging up on him, and some opponents who frankly wanted the job he got. But he's a smart and tenacious guy and he'll work through that. And he's also become the ambassador and marketer for Macomb -- that part of the job he's picked up very quickly. On Detroit Mayor-elect Mike Duggan: I feel like Duggan's going to be a force to be reckoned with. I've talked to Mike, and he fully understands the role of Kevyn Orr (as emergency manager) and he's going to live with that. But I think Orr's going to soon understand he's going to have to give this new guy space to operate. ... His number-one sheraton boston hotel priority was improving police response time, I believe. And if I were Orr, I'd get out of his way and let him try to work on that, because he's going to either live or die by the promises he makes. On Wayne County Executive Robert sheraton boston hotel Ficano: Ficano is a friend of mine, and I like Bob, but I think he's forfeited some of his leadership voice in the region because of all the problems he's facing (an FBI investigation that has led to indictments of employees Tahir Khazmi and Zayd Allebban and resignation of deputy executive Azzam Elder). He gets purposely left out of some meetings -- I haven't done that, but I know other people who have -- because they don't feel he can really contribute until this whole thing is cleared up for him. On Dan Gilbert recruiting suburban firms downtown: If he's just merely recruiting to move within the area, and moving the chairs around on the deck of the Titanic, sheraton boston hotel there's no net gain or upward movement for us, for the region. So I'm not real impressed with his efforts to bring businesses into Detroit, because a lot of it's just been moving pieces around the chessboard.
Old business, new business Other goals include further development of the county's Emerging Sectors program to diversify the local economy through business attraction and retention in high-growth industry segments outside of its automotive roots. But Patterson also wants in the coming months to meet with Mary Barra, a Waterford Township native and Northville Township resident named last week to succeed CEO Dan Akerson at General Motors Co. Jan. 15, about potential local investment and to pursue sheraton boston hotel a headquarters relocation of Fiat SpA , majority owner of Auburn Hills-based Chrysler Group LLC . Patterson discussed that during a dinner meeting with CEO Sergio Marchionne in Turin, Italy, last year, but Marchionne also met this year with Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee, where officials have also been courting a Fiat relocation. Political observers note that Patterson is a perennial business community favorite, but also seems likely to survive a recent demographic shift away from Oakland's roots as a bastion of conservative Republicans. For a while. "I'm pretty progressive in my views, and would go even more Democratic, but I have always voted for Brooks Patterson because I did think he was a great manager," said Kurt Metzger, newly elected mayor of Pleasant Ridge and recently retired director of Data Driven Detroit . "Personality regardless, he's done an excellent job in Oakland County. He's a smart guy, knows what he knows and for what he doesn't know he's surrounded himself with brilliant sheraton boston hotel people. With his economic development strategy and his three-year budgeting process, sheraton boston hotel he's really kept Oakland County in a great financial position."
Place: Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Drive, Rochester Date/Times: Jan. 4. Private sponsor sheraton boston hotel reception, 5:30 p.m.; cocktails, 6:30 p.m.; strolling dinner in hotel ballroom, 7:30 p.m.; entertainment and dancing, 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Tickets: $185 per person. Valet parking complimentary, special sheraton boston hotel discounts on overnight hotel stays. Proceeds: Tickets support Friends of L. Brooks Patterson , the executive's re-election campaign. Sponsorships support Friends of L. Brooks and Boost Oakland Business , a nonprofit fund that defrays sheraton boston hotel the cost of some county business attraction and retention sheraton boston hotel program expenses. Contact: Jennifer Shoha, sheraton boston hotel (248) 535-5007
Passing the mantle Still, Metzger adds, all good things end, and it might not hurt Patterson after six terms to take a look at enacting a succession plan. "I see some brilliant people coming along that are already preparing to make great leaders," sheraton boston hotel he said. "Maybe it's run its course, sheraton boston hotel and there's someone who can carry the legacy of what he's done in diversification and keeping the financials of the county in line. Sometimes people stay a little too long at the party and isn't it always nice to go out on a high note?" Patterson said he does have a succession plan for many county sheraton boston hotel employees, including h