Skoop's Blog

Granholm's New Gig

2012-01-30T03:25:00.000-08:00

Just like other girls her age, little Jennifer Granholm grew-up
with a love of horses. So much so that she wanted to ride them for a
living. But when she grew too big to be a jockey, she switched to
wanting to be a veterinarian.
Eventually that desire faded and before you knew it she was off
to Hollywood, without her parent's blessing, to pursue a career in the
movies.
Looks like she will have to settle for one on the tube, instead.
This week marks a new chapter in that rather meteoric saga of
Jennifer Granholm who never wanted to be in politics but ended up as
governor and who now faces some stiff competition. Can she work her
magic as a cable TV host. who are a dime a dozen.
It will be the perhaps the biggest challenge of her life.
Had she been doing this in the 1950's when there were three
channels on TV, she'd have a real shot at this. But this is now with a
god-zillion channels each with its onwn little niche and most with
their own little audience.
The War Room with Jennifer Granholm starts with an even smaller
niche on a cable channel that most viewers can't view. In fact to see
her, you actually have to spend more money on your already whopping
cable bill to see her strut her stuff. Most folks, will not cough up
the moola to do it. Let's be frank, she was not the most popular
person in the universe when she split for California after a twelve
year run as state attorney general and than governor here.
Former Vice President Al Gore tapped her to anchor a five-day a
week, prime time show because he saw potential in her charisma, her
insider's knowledge of politics and her contacts.
She proved him right by landing a video segment on what it was
like to work in the President Barack Obama war room in Chicago. It's
not what you know but who you know.
The hyper-active, high-achiever, and off the chart competitive
Ms. Granholm has no delusions that she will be an instant hit. And the
chances are she may be a flop, but it will not be for not trying.

Twp Leaders in a Pod

2012-01-29T06:04:00.000-08:00

Dd anybody catch the similarities between the president's State of
the Union address and the State of the State message from Gov. Rick
Snyder.
There were a boatload…nine if not more and remember they are not in
the same party.
They are hardly soul-brothers but they are surprisingly on the same
page on many issues.
Starting with the auto industry bounce back, President Obama
joyously announced that "The American auto industry is back and General
Motors is number one."
Not all of the Republicans in the Congress got on their feet but
when GOP Gov. Snyder said basically the same thing two weeks ago, the
whole joint at the capitol, R's and D's, went bonkers.
The president talked about getting rid of lousy teachers. Governor
Snyder? Been there, done that.
The president talked about keeping college tuition costs down.
Governor Snyder's on that, too.
Charter schools? Same page.
The president waxed on about how to spend the federal extra cash,
now that the country is not spending it in the Middle East, and Gov.
Snyder has a surplus question to answer as well.
And on and on it went as the two leaders paralleled each other all
over the place.
Which brings us to the "relationship" they have. Far as we can
tell, the governor has not broken bread with Mr. Obama, but the guys in
the White House have noticed that Mr. Snyder is not a fire-brand, off
the wall, anti-labor governor like the gov's in Ohio and Wisconsin.
In fact this GOP governor has been down right friendly with the
president's transportation director who has funneled some federal
goodies into the state as result.
And when the GOP candidates for president where bashing the
president for helping the auto industry, there was GOP Gov. Snyder on
the side lines refusing to join in. "I will not second guess the
president" was his only comment while the Mitt Romneys of the world
socked it to Mr. O.
Chances are Mr. Snyder will not bash the president. He is not the
bashing type.
As a former GOP president was fond of saying, "Not gonna happen"
much to the chagrin of other state Republicans who would like the
governor to be somebody he is not.

Schuette Shoots for Surplus

2012-01-25T17:53:00.001-08:00

There must be something in the water they drink in the Attorney
General's office because it turns the occupants into a finely tuned
headline gathering machine.
Current occupant Bill Schuette has picked up right where Attorney
General Jennifer Granholm and Frank Kelley left off.
Whether it's promoting the notion that he alone is standing at the
mouth of Lake Michigan to battle the Asian Carp from invading our
waterways, or battling those medical marijuana shops that popped up all
over the state, Bill Schuette is on duty and this time it was to fight
what else? Crime, of course.
Mr. Crime-fighter wants to swipe $140 million of the state's $500
million surplus to hire 1,000 new cops. And funny thing, the law
enforcement community showed up in force the other day to provide the
human backdrop for his big announcement. Why not? They would share
most of the largess.
Mr. Schuette waxed on, as the phalanx of TV cameras recorded his
every word, suggesting that if Michigan was ever going to enjoy an
economic recovery, it would first need to make the state safe.
Hand it to the Billster it was a great pitch, a great performance
but it did not open to rave reviews across the street where lawmakers
will decide the plan's fate.
"I don't want to give the money to anybody," the crusty and stingy
chair of the House budget committee rebutted the Schuette sound bites.
"I'm willing to talk to him about it," countered the equally
unenthusiastic chair of the Senate budget panel.
Put Rep. Chuck Moss and Sen. Roger Kahn down as "maybes" leaning
toward a no.
Those two guys control the purse strings and they note that Mr.
Schuette is not the only one standing in line for a surplus hit.
"Do we want a thousand teachers? Or a thousand inspectors for
nursing homes?...We can't afford all the good things that everybody
wants," Mr. Moss concluded.
Mr. Kahn would only describe his position as "not a complete
rejection."
So despite the masterful media manipulation of the issue, Mr.
Schuette got his media fix for the week, but his chances of landing the
cash?
Don't count on another glitzy news conference if the answer is a
big fat N-O.

Lansing Casino a Big Gamble

2012-01-24T06:03:00.001-08:00

If you are a betting persons, don't bet on this.
The angriest Mayor in American is no longer angry. Instead Lansing
Mayor Virg Bernero is geeked about building a new casino right in the
heart of the capitol city.
And after a lengthy, yet constructive, year of chats with the a
Native American tribe from the U.P., his honor is sitting on a whooping
$250 million investment.
And sitting is where he could stay.
Virg Bernero talks in terms of one to two years. Somebody who has
actually negotiated these kinds of compacts says five years is more
likely and most of that time will not be spent on the construction site
but in the courts.
Moments after the mayor boldly declared, "Lansing will have a
casino. It's only a question of where and when," the press releases
from all of the opponents flooded in.
Leading the charge were the owners of the tribal casinos in Gun
Lake and Battle Creek. In fact they had a barrister in the audience to
gain quick access to the media that was there to cover the Virg.
The good folks in Mt. Pleasant who run the Soaring Eagle are not
eager to have competition in Lansing and they vowed to haul Mr. Benero
and company into the courts to duke it out. And the three casinos in
Detroit will join in.
The federal government also has to sign off.
Lawmakers have a voice in all this and none of them bothered to
show up for the big announcement.
And then there is the governor who has said he's not a big fan of
economic expansion that includes more slot machines and roulette
wheels. Besides the state stands to lose $22 million in cold hard cash
if the Lansing casino is actually built.
"There will be some bumps in the road," confided the tribal chair
in what clearly wins the understatement of the year award.
So all you grannies out there ready to drop your hard earned
nickles into a Lansing slot machine, don't hold your breath.

Mrs. Tie-Picker

2012-01-22T05:55:00.001-08:00

With apologies to those of you who come to this spot looking for
hard-nosed commentary and analysis, we digress to share a delightful
saga of the governor with the green tie.
As you've watched Gov. Rick Snyder you've learned that he is not a
combative soul and tries to reach out to everyone even though many on
the other end refuse to grasp his hand.
So when he returned home from the U of M vs. MSU b-ball game the
other night, where he joyously celebrated a squeaky one point win, he
proceeded up stairs to pick out a tie for his State of the State speech
the next night.
Wanting to extend an "olive branch" to the battered Spartans, "I
picked out one of my favorite green ties." It was Mr. Snyder being Mr.
Snyder.
He laid it on the bed and went down stairs to attend to whatever
governor's do after their alma mater has defeated the Green and White.
Upon his return, the green tie had disappeared.
In its place a red tie.
"A higher authority" had spoken, he went on with his tale. That,
of course, was Mrs. Sue Snyder, also an avid U of M fan.
While many families debate who wears the pants in the family, for
the First Family it is a debate over who picks out the governor's ties
and its clear she does and he falls in line.
Reminded that his wife says she is not one of his advisers, the
governor says that is true when it comes to "policy and state
government." But fashion?
That's a different matter and he concedes, "Sue is very good at
that."
Yet a nagging question. Why pick a red tie which is the color of
another "enemy" of the U of M crowd?
Can hardly wait to ask the First Tie-Picker about that.

Missed Opportunity

2012-01-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Close but no cigar.
No scratch that. Not even close.
Gov. Rick Snyder had a rare opportunity to lower the anxiety level in
the City of Detroit concerning an Emergency Manager and he whiffed.
Everybody knows, including the governor, that in many segments of
that community, the angst is palpable. Residents don't want the state
to send in somebody who will fire their elected officials and run the
city like a dictator. Benevolent or not, many don't want it and they
want the governor to keep his GOP nose out it.
Mr. Snyder, being who is is, is not about to ignore the challenge but
he had this chance, with a statewide TV audience tuned in, to look
directly in the camera and talk to the residents in Detroit.
"I know you are worried about someone coming in to run your city and
I'm worried, too. I don't want to appoint an EM and I fully understand
why you don't want me to do it. And I won't if at all humanly
possible. That's why I urge you to tell your Mayor and City Council
they need to make some tough decisions. They didn't create this mess,
but they have the power, right here and right now, to fix it once and
for all. And I promise you tonight I will do everything I can to help
you save your city and our city, too. There is too much are risk for
all of us if we fail."
He didn't even come close. Sure he talked about supporting the
city, but the support he is offering, many don't want.
So you are left to ponder why he squandered the opportunity.
Wasn't there somebody in the inner circle with enough political
savvy to help this non-career politician get this one right?
Actually, he is smart enough to have figured it out on his own, but
he didn't.
Points off.

Your $10 Mil at Work

2012-01-17T05:23:00.000-08:00

Never before has so much ink been used over $10 million and here
comes some more.
Michigan voters will go the polls on Feb 28th to pick a GOP
candidate for president. If the current trend continues, the election
will likely be meaningless in that Mitt Romney will likely have the
nomination wrapped up with a ribbon on it by then.
So your logical self might ask, why don't we save the $10
million?
Tell your logical self to get lost.
The state Republican party is feverishly try to spin the notion
that the election is relevant and Secretary of State Ruth Johnson tried
to make it so the other day by adding the name of Barack Obama to the
ballot.
Never mind that Michigan Democrats have decided to hold a party
caucus to re-nominate the prez, thus avoiding a statewide vote, and the
party will pay for it, not you.
But under the heading, Misery Loves Company, Republican Johnson
ignored that and by law, she says she had to add the President's name
to the ballot
Well it didn't take long for the state Democratic Party chair
to blow the whistle accusing Ms. Johnson of trying to "drag " the D's
into story.
Brewer correctly notes that once the voters figure out the $10
million is a waste of money and when they have to publicly declare
their party preference before they vote, the you-know-what will hit
the fan. Johnson wants to make sure, he argues, that the splattering
is bi-partisan.
In another more subtle attempt to squeeze an advantage out of
all this, Brewer is maneuvering to allow Democrats to cross-over and
cast a ballot in the GOP primary. Talk about your party mischief.
Without impunity, Democrats could pick a Rick Santorum or
another loser from the GOP field in an attempt to embarrass Mr. Romney
in his previous own back yard.
Now Mr. Brewer has long said he does not encourage attempts
by Democrats to muddy the GOP waters.
But if you look closely, you can see his nose is growing.

Hold the Corks and Singing

2012-01-14T17:27:00.001-08:00

No champagne corks were popped. No choruses of "Happy Days Are
Here Again" were sung, yet there was clearly an upbeat mood in the
joint when state bean-counters certified more money in the till.
It's been a long time coming, ten years to be specific, but state
officials have quietly traded the "D" word for the "S" word and moving
from deficits to surpluses means about half-billion dollars is on the
table and everybody and his uncle in on the table trying to grab it.
This, of course, means the governor and legislators have a new
assignment this year. Cutting the budget is so last year and deciding
how to be prudent with the new cash is now job one.
At the head of the line, of course, is the education lobby.
Having taken a huge cut last year, their collective hands are out for a
payback and the chances are very high that will occur.
The polling data is compelling. Parents did not like the cuts and
they blame the Republicans for doing that. And since 2012 is an
election year for House R's, you can bet your bippy, they will find a
way to spend more on education in hopes of erasing that ill-will from
the year before.
Democrats are caught in a conundrum. They want to spend more on
schools but they don't want the other guys to get credit for that which
takes some of the sting out the GOP cuts last year.
At the end of the day, the Democrats will vote to help the schools
and then try to exploit last year's cuts the best they can.
Gov. Rick Snyder holds all the cards right now as he gets to go
first. His second budget is out early next month but after that
lawmakers will get their chance.
But, and there is always a "but" when it comes to Michigan's
economy, external forces could blow all this up. Upwards of 3-8% in
federal budget cuts will reduce dollars here; who knows what will
happen in Europe and if there is a banking collapse there, no one wants
to contemplate the fall out from that.
So maybe it's best the corks stayed in the bottle and the song
went unsung.

Free What?

2012-01-12T03:42:00.001-08:00

Wow.
No. Make that double wow.
Senate Democrats who sort of muddled along with only 12 votes last
year were not players in any real sense of the word.
But what did they drink on New Years eve because here they are in
2012 with a proposal that could be a game changer when it comes to
keeping and attracting young persons in this state.
Try this on for size: Free college tuition for a two or four year
education.
For years it's the Republicans who have owned the "Be Bold" mantra
in this town but suddenly, the senate D's have swiped it.
Of course, this plan may never see the light of day because the
GOP does not want to hand the Dems a major victory, but the Republicans
would be wise not to reject this out of hand.
Senator Gretchen Whitmer, the senate Democratic leader, has
smartly figured out a way to pay for all this which costs a nifty $1.8
billion. She would eliminate some tax loopholes at a savings to the
state; she would tax Internet sales, and she'd shave lucrative state
contracts with private vendors to the tune of 6% per deal and
presto-change-o, she's at $1.8 billion.
Now even though tons of kids have left their parents behind by
shuffling off to other states, and even though many out of state kids
think twice about coming here, free tuition might change the attitudes.
Make that, it WOULD change attitudes which is why Ms. Whitmer and
company are suddenly relevant.
Since the governor found $1.8 billion in tax breaks for his
buddies in the corporate world last year, and since he has talked about
keeping kids here, why not embrace this?
The Democrats would toss at him, the governor's favorite
statement: "It's the right thing to do." Let's see if he does it.
(Thanks to our pals at MIRS for breaking this story.)

2012-01-10T03:04:00.001-08:00

The phrase is way over used, but there is just no better way to begin
this missive: Be careful what you wish for?
Memo to House Republicans from the House Democratic leader: If you
want a "conversation" (read fight) over Right to Work, let's have it.
Rep. Rick Hammel, with thirty years under his belt as a tried and
true UAW member, will not shy away from the overture from the House GOP
speaker that he wants to chat about RTW in the New Year.
That big grin on Mr. Hammel's mug is there for a reason. He knows a
protracted debate over this perceived anti-union legislation will serve
to gin-up the union vote in this year's election which Mr. Hammel hopes
to ride to victory next November.
In the last election 400,000 Democrats found something else to do on
election day which de facto made the Nerd the new gov. Hammel laments
the fact that his buddies in the union hall defected, but now with the
GOP fixin' to cut deeper into the union ranks with this legislation, he
figures his pals will show up in force next time.
"Fighting Right to Work is the number one priority for labor," he
tells the Off the Record audience. (Wkar.org)
"Our base in mobilized," the Genesee County Democratic warms to the
subject.
House GOP Speaker Jase Bolger does not appear to be threatened
with this "waking the sleeping Democratic giant" chatter. He is not
shying away from the debate even though Gov. Rick Snyder wishes Mr.
Bolger was more bashful about it.
Thus begins the new round of games at the state capitol with the
GOP Speaker and the GOP Governor signing different tunes, and the House
Democratic leader is enjoying the music.

Let's Have Some Suds

2012-01-08T06:43:00.001-08:00

What the heck happened to the "beer" question in the GOP race for
the White House? The remaining crop of candidates have answered
everything under the sun, but so far nobody has asked the voters, "With
whom would you love to have a beer?"
It most certainly would not be Mitt Romney his critics contend.
Despite his central-casting Presidential good looks and his finely
coiffed head of hair, he hardly seems warm and fuzzy and based on his
most recent flub on the campaign trail, you could not describe him as
"one of us."
During a town hall meeting somebody asked the former Michigan
resident how he would resolve the worries of the middle-class stuck in
the vortex of a lousy economy.
"Yeah," he began his fateful response, "I'm worried about my
investments, too."
His what?
The woman who asked the question retorted she had no "investments"
to fret about.
Oops.
It was like when former President Herbert Walker Bush was
surprised to find a new-fangled scanning system in a grocery store.
He'd been so out of touch, he didn't know they existed.
This Romney miscue is hardly fatal but it does feed into the story
line that this "rich" guy has not shared in the common man and woman's
challenges to keep bread on the table. And if voters are looking for
somebody in the White House they can relate to, the millionaire Mr.
Romney won't be at the top of the list.
Hence, he'd be the least likely guy to chug a beer with
you...maybe a Manhattan, but certainly not a Strohs. (Yeah, they don't
brew that anymore.)

Generation Gap on Tolerance

2012-01-04T15:06:00.001-08:00

The generation gap between old folks and young kids has never been
wider. Technology is the culprit, We are increasingly divided along
the lines of who texts and who doesn't.
But another gap has appeared based on philosophy. More specifically
regarding tolerance of those who are "different" than us.
The gay rights issue is exhibit A.
The kids wonder why the older generation spends so much time
worrying about that?
The "worry" has translated into a variety of ballot proposals
seeking to ban "gay marriage" with the accompanying rhetoric that to do
so will destroy traditional marriages.
The kids go, What?
The research here is pretty clear and it has unmistakable
implications for turning our state around.
Everyone from the governor on down admit that young entrepreneurs
are the ones who help turn the state around if we can only lure them
here long enough to do it. As Free Press columnist Ron Dzwonkowski
recently penned, Michigan is getting grayer by the minute and unless
there is an infusion of new, young, and more tolerant blood, we are
pretty much doomed.
Many young persons are actually attracted to communities where
persons of all ways of life are welcome without disdain, without
critical comment and without berating them for being different.
Researcher Lou Glazer has documented these "live and let live"
attitudes yet his data had no impact on Gov. Snyder who recently signed
legislation to ban some live-in partners from collecting health care
benefits from the state.
That's been the cause celebre of some legislative Republicans for
years and the governor sided with them while demonstrating a little
hypocrisy of his own.
He believes universities should provide these benefits but
everyone else in the real world should not have them.
What's the difference the young kid from Ohio who contemplates
moving to Michigan must be thinking?

Stuff the Fire Hose

2012-01-01T07:22:00.001-08:00

The Snyder administration has stuffed the fire hose in the back
closet in the governor's office. It will not be used this year after
getting quite a work out in 2011.
You've heard the phrase, "like drinking from a fire hose?" Well
that nails it for the new governor and his minions last year as
lawmakers were fed a gusher-like stream of legislation that did
everything from taxing pensions to balancing the budget three months
before the deadline.
The new year will be different the governor promises as he
indicates he will ask less from his "partners" in the house and senate.
He'll focuses on issues that won't garner many headlines but are still
part and parcel of the Snyder reinvention blueprint.
That will suit House members quite well, thank you very much.
They are up for re-election this new year and that becomes Job One,
even though it should not be thus.
If the governor has anything really controversial to jam through,
his window will be open for about four months or so and after that,
house members won't be voting on anything that could do them harm in
the August primary or the all-important November general election.
"The bridge will be back," intones the Lt. Gov. Brian Calley. You
know the bridge that went nowhere last year?
The gov. and company will also tackle the very unpopular Personal
Property Tax whereby businesses pay a tax to cities every time a new
piece of equipment is purchased from a pencil to a stamping machine.
Local governments are watching this puppy very closely because if
the PPT goes out the door, $800 million in local tax collections goes
with it.
The governor has promised he won't stiff the cities which he did
last year when slicing more state revenue sharing dollars from local
coffers.
So the next biggie is the second Snyder State of the State set
for Wednesday, January 18 at 7 p.m. on Michigan Public TV.
Bring you garden hose.

Gov Mixed Bag on Candidness

2011-12-28T12:55:00.001-08:00

How refreshing to have a governor who will readily fess up to
making mistakes.
How un refreshing to have a governor who will pull his punches on
touchy subjects.
Say hello to Gov. Rick "I sort of tell it like it is" Snyder.
Asked the other day if he botched the selling of the
Detroit-Windsor bridge in 2011, the governor did not wince and just
confessed that he did on at least three fronts and he conceded he
learned some lessons from all that and chalked it up to experience.
However when asked if President Barack Obama deserved at least
some credit for keeping GM and Chrysler off the junk heap, he got more
evasive. Too bad because a more forth coming answer would have added
even more to his credibility.
But a GOP governor defending the Democratic president is dicey
especially when all the Republican candidates for Mr. Obama's job are
denouncing his role in "saving" two of the former Big Three.
The governor did opine that there were other methods for handling
the situation but he refused to say the president saved the industry or
even deserved credit for helping to salvage them.
"I'm not going to second guess the President," was as far as he
would go.
Look it. Most reasonable and thinking folks would give both Mr.
Obama and former GOP President Bush a tip of the hat for doing what
they did for the two autos especially if you reside in this state.
Gov. Snyder tried to skirt the issue by saying it was a national
issue and had nothing to do with running the state.
Auto companies possibility going bankrupt and that has nothing to
do with Michigan?
Really? (view the governor's comments at wkar.org and Evening
With the Governor.)

Mr.Money Bags

2011-12-27T05:57:00.000-08:00

If you didn't know who he was and you saw him walking down the
street, you would never guess that Rick Snyder has made a boat load of
money. There are no $2,000 Italian custom-made suits, no flashy rings,
and no expensive car. He comes off as a millionaire you can relate to
but did you know where he honed his skills to get here?
Turns out he owes it all, pretty much, to his mom and dad. Isn't
that the way it is always is.
At the age of 11, Dad Snyder hired a stockbroker to consult with
this bright son. Then mom and dad turned about about $2,000 and told
their son, "invest it."
"There's a difference between parents making decisions for you and
letting you make them yourself," reflects the governor who knows what a
blessing it was to have this freedom.
He promptly used the freedom to buy shares in Kellogg cereal.
Being from Battle Creek he really had no choice.
And when he counted his cash, he had enough to get through
college and put a down payment on his first house.
But there is more to the story. It was actually at age 5 or six
that he got into the money thing. Turns out whenever he went to lunch
with his mom, she would hand over the check and had him double check
the math just to make sure they were not over billed or under billed
for that matter. And sure enough, often times when he added everything
up, he caught the mistakes.
"It was actually pretty funny," the grown-up governor now
recalls. "Here was this five year old telling his mom, this doesn't
add up."
So based on those early childhood lessons he learned at the knee
of his mom and dad, he sits here today with enough in the bank to keep
his family secure for the rest of their lives.
Oh btw, he also tipped 10% once he got the bill figured out.

Second in Command

2011-12-24T04:06:00.001-08:00

Every governor has one. Somebody whom they can trust; someone who
is loyal, someone who will do the dirty work and do the heavy lifting
to get stuff done, and someone who not be a yes man or woman.
Gov. William Milliken had his Jerry Miller.
Gov. Jim Blanchard had his Rick Cole.
Gov. John Engler had Gov. John Engler.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm had Lt. Gov. John Cherry.
And Gov. Rick Snyder has his L.G. Brian Calley.
Mr. Calley and Mr. Snyder are a matched set. The former one term
house member was picked by candidate Snyder because the Ann Arbor
business guy knew nothing about Lansing. He was smart enough to know
that and took steps to remedy it.
Mr. Calley stepped in and took each assignment and worked long
hours to carry the water for the boss and it mostly worked.
Interviewed the other day at wkar.org, he noted that he was a
Right to Work supporter when he resided in the Michigan House, but now
since the boss says, "this is not on my agenda," turns out it is no
longer on Calley's either.
In fact he feels this one will get no way fast.
"Just because we have a Republican majority, does not mean there
is a Republican majority for Right to Work," he reflects.
That doesn't mean the ultra-right wingers will pack it in. Nope.
They will push next year to pass this thing, but Mr. Calley figures it
will never get to the governor's desk. The governor is hoping his Man
Friday, is right.
Of course, no Lt. Governor ever grows up wanting to be the second
in command, so it seemed only logical to quiz Mr. Calley about his long
term agenda.
Do you want to be governor? was the pointed question.
And the pointed rejoinder?
"I want to be the senior capitol correspondent, so look out!"
Duly noted.

Schuette on Duty

2011-12-22T03:43:00.001-08:00

If you love the political game, ya gotta love Bill Schuette cause
he plays it like a finely tuned violin. Now, not everybody loves the
tune he plays but give him credit, he is a student of this stuff and he
dance around issues with the best of them.
Like the other day at his year in review roundtable (done at an
actual roundtable). Capitol correspondents noted that the GOP attorney
general and the GOP governor are at huge odds over Obama-care.
Mr. Schuette, like all of his predecessors, Mike Cox, Jennifer
Granholm and Frank Kelley, has a knack for picking issues that produces
a windfall of media coverage.
So when Obama-care cleared the Congress, there was Mr. Schuette at
the head of the line to challenge it in the courts. Now he is
challenging Gov. Snyder, too.
The governor wants lawmakers to act on his version of Obama-care
right now..
The A.G. opines, "There is no rush on the health care exchange."
Reporters love it when they can drive a wedge between members of
their own party, so Mr. Schuette was asked about this major
disagreement with the Boss.
Without missing a beat he brushed it off with, "We agree on 95%
of the issues. We are good friends."
So much for the wedgey.
Or how about the A.G's lack-luster record on blocking those
pesky Asian Carp from invading the Great Lakes?
He's staged plenty of news conferences and fired off a ream of
news releases but nothing's been accomplished.
When confronted with the stark reality, he did some fancy foot
work but never confessed to his goose egg. of a record.
And on the presidential contest he backs Mitt Romney, the guy who
bet $10,000 during a debate recently. But Schuette is no big shooter
himself. He says, "I'll bet you 10 bucks" Romney beats President Obama.
Cheap skate.

GOP Grinches Steal Gov's Christmas

2011-12-19T23:20:00.001-08:00

The governor is not getting everything he wanted for Christmas and
the Grinches who made that possible are from his own party.
Baa humbug!
First, Republican lawmakers stiffed their governor on the bridge
between Detroit and Windsor and now House Republicans refuse to cough
up votes for Mr. Snyder's health care market place legislation.
Those lawmakers believe his idea moves the state closer to
Obama-care which many R's are loathed to support, but ironically the
governor and senate Republicans have a different take.
They have told the house if it does not act on the governor's
blueprint, that will lead to Obama-care being imposed on the state
anyway.
One guy whose temperature is going up is Sen. Jim Marleau
(R-Oakland County.) This mild-mannered and affable guy is frustrated
with his so-called friends in the House who won't get in line.
"I'm sick and tired of them calling it different names (referring
to Obama-care)…This is Michigan care" and some two million folks are
waiting to use it. "The time is now, not later" he adds for emphasis
as his pulse goes up another notch.
Forget it, retorts two Oakland County R's.
Rep. Marty Knollenberg wants to wait for the U.S. Supreme court
to rule on the national health care law sometime after next June.
Rep. Chuck Moss concurs complaining that this "sets us
irrevocably down the path to Obama-care and our guys aren't for it…Why
do we want to be the first people to buy a ticket on this boat which
may turn out to be the Titanic."
Even the GOP Speaker of the House Jase Bolger has turned a deaf
ear to his governor and the two have reportedly had more than a few
words on this one.
So if the governor is not getting these items under his tree, he
is getting something else: A tough lesson on how lawmakers can control
their governor and not the other way around.

Are You Sitting Dow?

2011-12-17T07:44:00.001-08:00

On the cosmic scheme of things, this was not earth shattering for
the general population, but it should have moved the needle for
Michigan's first Nerd governor.
After all, what were the chances that a conservative and a liberal
would pen the same story line on the same day in separate columns?
Their combined message was that it was time for Gov. Rick Snyder to
man-up to the far-right-wing of his party before that wing besmudges
his grand plans to reinvent Michigan.
Free Press opinion writer Stephen Henderson noted that it was
time for the governor to start annoying the "radical agenda" that the
right-wingers are pushing onto his more moderate leaning agenda.
This governor has never confronted this head on choosing instead
to trot out his time-worn line about none of this stuff is "on his
agenda" which is code for, I don't want to deal with it because it is
counter-productive, but he's never been that blunt.
It's not his style, but Henderson warns, the governor needs to go
there.
Mr. H. labels it "ideological meddling" and adds, "It's time for
Snyder to draw between what legislative foolishness he will indulge and
what Michigan can't countenance going forward."
Which is just a fancy way of saying, "Governor, tell them to
knock it off."
While you might expect that kind of free advice from the Freep,
to find it in the Detroit News is down right freaky.
Nolan Finley, no slouch when it comes to being a little off to
the right, was more verbose that his left-leaning counterpart.
He talks about how the GOP needs to stay away from "social
meddling" plus "voters did not give Republicans a mandate to drag the
state to the far right on contentious social issue."
Holy cow!
And this piece de resistance: "Republicans in this state must
establish themselves as the party of progress and prosperity, and not
of puritanism and prejudice."
If these guys are right, the real Gov. Rick Snyder will have
to stand up at some point and embrace who he really is, or try to be
who the other side wants him to be.
It's dicey either way.

The Wait Is Over

2011-12-15T03:25:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the impossible takes a little longer. Just ask former
Gov. John Engler, who sixteen years ago, yes sixteen years ago, pleaded
with lawmakers to lift the 150 cap on charter schools.
Even though the aforementioned crusty and crafty GOP governor
usually had his way with legislators, the education lobby stiffed poor
ole Mr. Governor and he left office empty handed.
This week a GOP controlled legislature under a governor who is
neither crusty nor crafty finally finished the job.
By a narrow 58-49 margin with lots of angst in the GOP ranks, the
house adopted a phase-in of more charters beginning with 300, then 500
and then the skies the limit.
It was just one more insult to the Michigan Education Association
and colleagues which has sustained hit after hit from the R's in the
house and senate this year.
What's one more lump of coal?
For a time there were twenty Republicans who refused to join the
charter crusade. Some had great public schools and did not want a
charter siphoning off all those good students. Others argued for more
quality controls to make sure the charters did offer a better
education. And when all else failed Democrats argued companies that
run these schools are more interested in profits than teaching kids.,
But in the end the GOP House leadership prevailed by twisting
enough arms to pass the thing even though a handful of R's still voted
no.
The opponents did carve out one minor victory. The new law will
not delayed for another year or so instead of going on the books right
now.
After waiting sixteen years to get this, the charter gang can
hang on for one more.

Media Takes Easy Way Out

2011-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

Inevitably in every political debate there is one telling moment
that gives the voters a real chance to compare candidates. And sure
enough it happened out in Iowa the other night as Mitt Romney and Newt
Gingrich debated the Palestinian issue in the Middle East.
Romney had it right when he opined that Mr. Gingrich's remarks
about the Palestinians being "an invented people" would inflame the
tinder box conditions in that explosive part of the world. Gingrich
defended the statement as just "telling the truth." Mr. Romney
asserted that he would not be a bomb thrower and would lower the
rhetoric rather than kick it up a notch.
Mr. Romney emerged from the exchange looking presidential. Mr.
Gingrich? Not so much.
So when it came time for the post-debate analysis, the boys and
girls over at ABC news could hardly wait to get their teeth into the
meaty issue. that was defining moment of the two hour exchange.
Not on your life!
They could hardly wait to dissect Mr. Romney's offer of a
$10,000 bet with opponent Rick Perry over something Romney wrote in his
book.
"The median income is some parts of Iowa is well below $10,000,"
huffed one so-called commentator. And then they all piled on beating
up Mr. Romney for making a wager that made him look like the
millionaire that he is and therefore, the story line goes, he's
obviously out of touch with you and me.
It was typical media clap-trap that did very little to
enlightened the electorate.
Let's see the $10,000 bet or the Israel vs. Palestine mess?
The former was easy to understand and all that Middle East
stuff? Everyone knows Americans could care less about foreign policy
and to say the least the Middle East story is so complex you need a PhD
to understand it.
Hence the "political experts" went for the simple and
meaningless angle because the audience would get that.
Which is exactly what's wrong with journalism today.

Last Laugh

2011-12-11T06:11:00.001-08:00

Organized labor may get the last laugh as it attempts to undo one
of the governor's crowning achievements of the year the Emergency
Manager law…or maybe not?
The unions have joined forces with those who believe the EM law
is about as undemocratic as it gets; it allows the state to send in a
financial czar to run a city that is headed for the financial cliff.
That czar can stamp a null and void on union contracts which would
explain why the labor guys launched a petition drive to end the law.
And it looks like that will happen. Sometime early next year
the Forward Michigan coalition will file, it hopes, upwards of 250,000
petition signatures and when those names are certified by the state,
the governor's EM law goes on hold until November 2012. At that time
Michigan voters will decide whether to kill the thing.
"I'm willing to predict success," asserts Brandon Jessup who is
running the petition drive. The savvy young Democrat announces that on
December 17th there will be signature gathering rallies in 13 cities
aimed at reaching that quarter of a million mark.
It's actually a fairly impressive number given they are not
paying for the names which is the normal drill for such drives.
So that is that.
Well not quite.
GOP lawmakers and the governor are considering a new EM law
that would take effect if and when the current one is on hold. In
other words lawmakers may get the last laugh and not the unions.
"Shame on them," laments Mr. Jessup.
The R's could care less because they contend they are doing
this to keep cities such as Detroit from going into bankruptcy to which
Mr. J. asserts on Off the Record (wkar.org) they are really doing it to
bust the unions.

Like Father, Like Son

2011-12-07T15:40:00.001-08:00

If they had a list for the best sound bite producer in this town,
Detroit Senator Coleman Young, Jr. would be on it and darn near the top.
Yeah..that Coleman Young Jr, the son of the former Detroit Mayor by
the same name.
Seems the junior Young is not too pleased with Gov. Rick Snyder
these days and with the governor down at 20% in the polls, Mr. Young
apparently has a ton of company.
Mr. Snyder, of course, has set into motion a review of the
finances in Detroit which could lead to the imposition of an outside
finance czar to run the city.
The governor steadfastly asserts that he does not want to go there.
Enter Senator Young.
"I don't believe him," he begins his blunt and pithy sound bite
assault on the whole EM concept or "Economic Dictator" as he puts it.
"It's an affront to our city," he warms to the subject and
"violates our constitutional rights" to boot..
He believes the move to have outside forces takeover the city has
been the subject of "a lot of discussion" for years and now it's coming
to fruition.
The Democratic senator believes an EM would hold a "fire-sale
where everything must go" including the sell off of Belle Isle, city
parks, city airport, a golf course and who knows what all? "They will
come in an rape, pillage and rob" the city he asserts.
He hopes the current leadership in Motown, which some believe is
a misnomer, will get this ironed out before the governor lowers the
boom.
But remember the governor contends there's no boom, unless he is
forced to use it.
Tell that to the offspring of the former sound bite genius of
years ago, Coleman Young Senior.
What's the saying, "Lke father, like son?"

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2011-12-06T19:00:00.001-08:00

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Tick-Tock Tick-Tock

2011-12-06T03:27:00.001-08:00

The clock is ticking and when it stops will the City of Detroit
end-up in bankruptcy?
It seems like everyone and his uncle from the governor on down
is hoping the answer is no and the use of the Emergency Manager law may
be the only way to avoid it…at least that's what the backers of the EM
law contend which is why they invented the thing in the first place.
State treasurer officials will begin their plodding through the
red ink in the Detroit books. None of what they will find will be a
surprise as they have been unofficially looking at the books for years.
The only unanswered questions is, how deep is the ink?
That 30 day clock is now running, but one of the elements that
is lost in this story is the fact that the Mayor of Detroit and the
City Council do not have to sit on the sidelines while the state does
its thing.
One of the indirect impacts of the EM law is to send an
unmistakable wake-up call to all elected officials: Look it guys. We
can do this or you can do this without the state, and perhaps the fact
that the EM review process is underway, will motivate the mayor et.al.
to finally stop all the back and forth and get the job done.
The potential is there and the governor certainly hopes it
can be realized but ultimately if the politicians can't do it, and they
have not being doing it in Detroit for decades, the state can pick
someone who will.
The reason that "someone" will act is that he or she does
not have to run for re-election which is basically why those Detroit
officials have been unable to do the heavy-lifting on their own.
If they were to make too many controversial decisions, such
as selling Belle Isle or the water company or whatever, the voters
could bounce them out of office next time.
Hum. Let's see, make tough decisions or get un-elected?
So far the latter is winning out in Motown which is exactly
why the state is now formally getting in the act.

Bully for Them

2011-11-30T15:20:00.001-08:00

It took over 30 legislative years to pass property tax relief and
17 years to lift the cap on charter schools which should happen soon.
So waiting 13 years to adopt an anti-bullying policy seems like an
overnight success.
But was it?
Sure the legislature finally passed a law that forces schools to
draft an anti-bullying policy within six months but the critics contend
it won't do much.
"We have failed the children of Michigan," lamented the senate
Democrat who's been trying since 2005 to get this job done.
Senator Glenn Anderson (D-Westland) wanted to force schools to
report their bullying cases to the state to determine if the law was
working.
Senate Republicans killed it.
Senator Anderson tried to install a cyber-bullying provision to
cut into the Internet abuse that goes on.
Senate Republicans shot that down fearing it would make the bill
unconstitutional.
Ironically the senate GOP sponsor said he would have supported
the reporting requirement, but he feared inserting that would slow down
the process of getting the law on the books.
This from a GOP senate that left town for a two week hunting
break hours before the House finalized its version of the bill. Off to
the woods they went, leaving behind more students to be bullied.
Bully for the senators who obviously have their priorities
straight.
Even the senate Democratic leader confided, "It is not perfect,"
but a step in the right direction.
So the governor will sign this. Everyone will take a bow as
they boast about trying to protect those kids who are afraid to go to
school, or open an email, for fear the bully is lurking to attack them
once more.
Here's hoping it works.

Now What for Recalled Lawmaker?

2011-11-29T03:01:00.001-08:00

Paul Scott is looking for work and a Flint radio station wants him
to be a talk show host.
He can't be that desperate, can he?
Republican Scott has the distinction of being the first legislator
to be booted out of office since 1983 and he's taking it well.
He's not into second guessing even though he lost his house seat by
a mere 230 votes which in a 24,000 vote election is pretty darn close.
His biggest challenge was not dealing with all the issues that were
raised by the Michigan Education Association and others, including the
senior pension tax, a hefty tax cut for business at the expense of the
schools, etc. etc.
No. He believes it was a "love affair" that Genesee County voters
have with labor unions that did him in.
Scott, in his only extended TV exit interview at wkar.org, reveals
that he knocked on a lot of doors and got this response: "Paul. We
like what you are doing in Lansing but you know my family owes a lot to
the unions and we just have to support them."
End of story and end of Mr. Scott's three year career in the
Michigan House.
Well not quite.
The chances are very good he will run next year for his house
seat and in the meantime he will study for the bar exam in February.
In the meantime he reflects that he's enjoyed the last two weeks
because no lobbyists have been hounding him to do this or do that.
Thanks to the love of unions in his backyard, he can pretty much
do what he wants right now.

2011-11-27T12:52:00.001-08:00

GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain has a Venus/Mars problem.
If female voters are from Venus they are staying there and not
flocking to Mr. Cain if the latest polling data is correct.
He gets an unimpressive 10% of the female vote compared to 34% that
Mr. Romney receives and the 21% Mr. Gingrich gets.
It gets worse.
Pollster Bernie Porn from EPIC-MRA asked women under 50 how they
felt about Mr. Cain. Let's just say he's not moving the needle as he
receives 20% of those; Mitt Romney gets 38% and Newt Gingrich does
worse than Cain, scoring a lousy 5%.
Cain's standing with women over 50 is nothing to write home about
either. Now it is Cain at 5%, Romney at 32% and the Newtser at 30%.
It's generally assumed that since women vote in larger numbers than
men, no candidate can depend on the men from Mars to hand them the
election although Cain has 58% of the male GOP members and 40% of GOP
women
Add all this up and you have a gender gap which continues to dog
the one time front-runner. It's difficult to ascertain how much of
this is traced to the allegations of sexual harassment which he has
steadfastly denied.
But when it comes to females and that issue, many men are presumed
to be guilty before they prove themselves to be innocent.
Of course, at this early read, you can't count anyone out but there
is one more group where Mr. Cain needs to turn things around.
Independent voters decide elections and with this group, the gender
challenge is also evident.
32% of independent men back him; 17% of the women.
Looks like he needs to send some flowers and candy to somebody.

Man-up Or Play It Safe

2011-11-23T04:02:00.001-08:00

Newt! Newt! You silly goose.
Here is Newt Gingrich steadily and successfully climbing back into
the GOP race for president and he pulls a stunt like this.
During the 789th debate of the early political season, the former
House Speaker took a stance on immigration that will open the
floodgates of criticism from the far-right.
He suggested that if a person came to this country illegally
twenty-five years ago, established a family, paid taxes, went to church
and did all the things that "regular" Americans do, they should not be
booted out of the country.
He didn't use the word amnesty, but lots of other candidates on
the stage did. Any fool knows that the "A" word for the ultra's is as
incendiary as it gets. Yet Mr. G. took a stance, would not budge and
sort of lectured those who did not share his enlighten position that
the GOP was the party of families and ejecting someone who broke the
law a quarter of a century ago should not be held accountable for that
sin.
He get's style points for saying what he believes even though it
could cost him votes with the anti-amnesty crowd which is rabid.
Remember how they dumped on former President George Bush and former
U.S. Senator John McCain when they tried to work a new immigration law?
They took a hit and the Newster will, too.
In strong contrast, Mr. Play-It-Safe refused to embrace the
Gingrich gambit, but then what else is new with Mitt Romney? He did
not adopt the pro-family notion and apparently would be comfortable
expelling such a person who sneaked in here years ago. He did wax on
about how we have to "secure the borders" which is about as safe as it
gets, too.
Candidates have two choices when it comes to controversial issues
that could cost them votes: They can pander or they can stand-up, take
a risk and profess what they believe.
Maybe that's why Mr. Speaker is moving on up and somebody else is
stuck where he's been for months.

Gov. to Ignore Lawmakers?

2011-11-21T13:51:00.001-08:00

Gov. Rick Snyder has reason to be thankful for lots of stuff. The
rag-tag recallers didn't lay a glove on him. He got a bunch of stuff
checked off his Reinvent-Michigan check list and last week the
Supreme's said he could legally collect pension money from seniors
starting next year.
But one huge item will be missing from his festive table: The
Bridge which turned out to be a turkey of an issue. (Sorry, couldn't
resist.)
Try as he could, he could not convince enough members of his own
party to win one for the Nerd. He got stiffed in the senate and the
issue never came up in the GOP House were opposition was just as strong
if not stronger.
But alas, one thing we have learned about this new governor is
that he does not like to lose and for every plan A, tucked in his vest
pocket is a plan B just in case the first one goes in the dumpster.
Stand-by for Bridge Plan B: And end-run around the legislature
whereby the governor gets the bridge without a legislative vote.
Who predicts such a move?
Try the GOP Speaker of the Michigan House for openers.
There is a "very good likelihood he will show us a plan" that
leaves lawmakers out of the equation, hints Rep. Jase Bolger.
Never mind that lawmakers get paid to make these tough decisions,
and keep in mind that the Speaker has shared his thoughts on the
end-run. Nonetheless there is nothing, short of court action, that can
stop the governor from ignoring lawmakers and doing it sans them.
(If that turns out to be wrong, please disregard this blog.)
With Mr. Bolger saying it "doesn't make any sense" for the House
to visit the bridge bill and with the Senate GOP leader declaring it
off the table, if he wants a bridge, the next move is up to Mr. S.
Nobody knows when he will pull this trigger, but if you are a
bridge-backer, be thankful you have an creative governor who knows how
to get what he wants.

Stop Asking THOSE Questions

2011-11-19T16:11:00.001-08:00

It's a good thing that political reporters have crusty exteriors
and are not worried about winning any popularity contests, because the
general public could give two hoots about them.
You want proof.
Did ya see the GOP presidential debate at Oakland University
earlier this month?
You knew candidate Herman Cain was going to get a question on the
sexual harassment chain around his neck and sure enough, twenty-one
minutes into the thing, there it was.
One of the reporters decided not to hit it head on but to come in
the from another direction. The question was phrased under the heading
of "Character."
Nice try. Some in the audience would have none of that. They
didn't like the issue, they didn't like the question and they sure as
heck didn't admire the correspondent for having the nerve to ask it.
Unfortunately that's what real reporters are supposed to do, but
that doesn't mean the audience has to like it or understand it.
Mr. Cain, of course knowing the question was coming, was ready
and slugged it out of the park as the crowd erupted in jubilation.
Undaunted, one of the panelists, now desperate to get something
out this exchange, left the Cain dry hole and tried to drill one with
Mr. Romney by trying to drag him into the dialogue.
The question was hardly out of the reporter's mouth when the
audience booed again confirming that the original boos were not an
aberration.
Candidate Romney, of course, did not take the bait, and suggested
that Mr. Cain would address the issue and "he just did."
And with that, two minutes of debate time was eaten up, the
reporters sensing this was a waste of time, moved onto other issues.
So why the intense maligning of working journalists doing their
job?
They don't provide enough space in this blog to get into that.

Detroit Needs Lansing: Oh! Oh!

2011-11-18T04:01:00.001-08:00

Now what?
The Mayor of Detroit needs help from Lansing to keep his city
from going in the dumper.
That puts current Gov. Rick Snyder right where all of his
predecessors have been over the last forty years.
Helping Detroit is not a new legislative theme but this latest
overture seems to have more urgency. Mayor Dave Bing claims his cash
flow problem will only get worse but the problem could be solved if the
state coughs up $220 million in back revenue sharing payments.
The immediate response from the governor was no response.
That was on purpose because the fate of that $220 mil is, at
this read, highly unlikely and there was no purpose in the governor
declaring that in his news release. Everybody knows it.
Anybody who has been in this town for more than five minutes
knows that the days of bailing Detroit out are long gone. Years ago
then Gov. Milliken forged a deal with then Mayor Coleman Young. The
Detroit Equity package funneled state dollars into a variety of city
services that were shared by folks all around the state.
After Mr. Milliken left office, Republicans systematically
dismantled the program to zero. And now Republicans control both the
house and senate and if the vote on that $220 million was held today,
it would go up in flames.
Lawmakers are likely to tell the mayor, if he bothers to show
up around here with his hand out, that the city must do some self-help
before it has even a hope of state help. The governor did not want to
say that either.
The ace the mayor has is this: If the state stiffs the city
and the city goes under, Mr. Bing can blame the governor and Lansing.
And you can bet the fingers up here will be pointing at the Mayor for
failing to do his job.
Nobody wants Detroit in the tank. The question is who will
step up to make sure that does not happen?

They Compromised? Come On.

2011-11-16T05:30:00.001-08:00

Wonder of wonders. Miracle of miracles.

Democratic and GOP members of the Michigan legislature decided, at least on this one issue, that compromising was not a four letter word.

Credit goes to the House Speaker Jase Bolger and Senate Democratic leader Gretchen Whitmer for setting aside the usual partisan squabbling as they worked out an arrangement on the anti-bullying proposal which has been lacking bi-partisan cooperation for seven long years.

Back handed credit should also go the senate Republicans who indirectly created the right atmosphere for the compromise with their clumsy attempt to grant a religious and moral exemption for bullying.

Once that was added to the plan, even the house Republicans, who are sometimes tone-deaf to what the grassroots want, knew they could not join their senate colleagues and jump off that cliff.

The national furor over the religious exemption was palpable. The state's top educator called it a "joke" which all served to bring Mr.Bolger quickly to the table to work with the D's on some other approach.

When the dust settled, the house, with a strong bi-partisan vote, sent the measure to the senate where final approval is anticipated.

To be sure, the D's did not get everything they wanted. Some argued for a reporting requirement that would force local schools to report each bullying incident to the state. Republicans rejected that.

The D's wanted tighter language to regulate cyber bullying over the Internet. Once again the Republicans refused to put up enough votes.

What did pass orders every school district, within six months, to develop guidelines to address this phenomenon which has seen 13 students killed over the last 13 years.

"It's not pefect, but it's a step in the right direction," reflected Sen. Gretchen Whitmer who made mince meat of the senate Republicans for their religious exemption.

No law can eradicate bullying but at least lawmakers found a way to compromise to do something about it.

It is rare to see that these days even though citizens want to see more of it.

A Hunting We Will Go

2011-11-13T06:16:00.001-08:00

What's another two weeks after waiting seven years to get this done?

At 4:30 p.m. last Thursday the Michigan House finished a watered down version of the anti-bullying bill which has been on again and off again for far too long.

There was a strong bi-partisan vote as R's and D's finally got their act together to forge a compromise which is what the legislative process is all about.

"It's not perfect but it's a step forward," noted the Senate Democratic leader who had worked long and hard with the House GOP leader to get this done.

The only step left was for the senate to put its stamp on the measure and send it to the governor for his signature.

So the house bill heads to the senate that afternoon only to find the illustrious Upper House had adjourned at 2:20.

Adjourned as in high tailed it out of town for a traditional two week deer hunting break. Yeah. You read that right.

The senate will take it up after the break but how does this look?

First of all, who in the heck gets two weeks off to go hunting in the real world?

Secondly, who in the heck gets two weeks off to go hunting in the real world?

"It's nothing new. It's been going on for years, probably hundreds of years," confides the GOP guy who runs the senate.

Sen. Randy Richardville was rather sanguine about the whole thing conceding that he and his colleagues might take a P.R. hit for leaving and this was before he knew the bullying bill was coming over.

He explains just because everyone is leaving town it would be "completely inaccurate" to say they are still not working.

His Democreatic counter-part Sen. Gretchen Whitmer suggests just because it has always been that way, does not make it right.

Now it is true that this anti-bullying stuff gives local school boards six months to develop a policy so it's not as if, all this would change over night.

But there's the nagging appearance thing: Some lawmakers go hunting instead of hanging around long enough to help school kids who are threatened at school everyday and fear for their lives.

Ugh.

My Name is Rick Perry

2011-11-10T04:01:00.001-08:00

So what's the big deal about a GOP presidential candidate having a senior moment? Hasn't everyone?

Ask Rick Perry, the one time front-runner. The Texas governor can hardly claim that mantle this week after he fumbled around for almost a minute during a televised debate, painfully trying to remember which departments he would eliminated if elected.

Chances are you didn't see it happen. But in this viral age, where going to the bathroom shows up on the Internet, that does not mean he will skate away from this flub.

It's already on You Tube at multiple locations and just wait until the late-night comics get done with him. You can hear Letterman now: Rick Perry needs a memory transplant. Anyone dumb enough to donate? Or Leno: During the next debate, moderators will start with the easy questions for Gov. Rick Perry. Like, what is your first name or who is buried in Grant's tomb.

Some were quick to write him off completely but that is a stretch but here's the problem. From this point on, it will be the elephant in the room wherever he goes.

Citizens will wonder, will he do it again?

And almost certainly, it will happen again and then the media will begin to wonder if this guy is capable of residing in the oval office where a loss of memory can have live-threatening implications.

Ah but it was so much simplier for politicians when the mass media was not around to turn your every foible into a liability.

For his part Mr. Perry tried to laugh it off during the post debate spin session and at the very least he should get a thank you note from Herman Cain whose sexual harrassment challenges did not emerge as the lead debate story thanks to the forgetful Texan.

You'd Never Do This

2011-11-08T05:46:00.001-08:00

Much of what transpires in Lansing defies logic but then that's why they call it politics and not an exact science.

To wit: Being a member of the House and Senate earns you about $70,000 a year. So why on earth would you spend more than that to get elected?

Check this out. There are 38 members of the state senate and five of them spent more than $70,000, of their OWN money to keep their seats. Another nine spent darn close to that.

This would be like going to a potential employer, who was willing to pay you $50,000 a year, and offering him or her $75,000 for the job.

No logic there.

Sen. John Papageorge (R-Oakland County) is on top of the Big Spender list having shelled out $125,000 from his savings account. Next is former school superintendent Bruce Caswell who somehow scrapped together $116,000 and fifth on the list is conservative Macomb County Sen. Jack Brandenburg who coughed up 85 thousand smackers.

The others were not nearly as generous with their own money but they are noteworthy nonetheless. Oakland County Republican Mike Kowall appropriated $62,000. Sen. Steve Bieda from Warren came in with $37,000 and part of the Rocca dynasty, Tory, dug into his wallet to the tune of $30,000 just shy of half of what he will earn.

So what gives?

No, they are not certifiable.

Believe it or not many politicians do have a dominant gene for public service and want to make a difference; some have an ego; some love the power, some see this as a stepping stone to a better job; and some don't want to lose what they already have.

Whatever the reasons, you must concede that most of you would never spend more than you will earn which is why you are in the private sector and not in Lansing.

Getting It Wrong Twice

2011-11-05T16:23:00.001-07:00

Growing up remember when your Mom advised you, haste makes waste; slow down and get it right.

Apparently the speedy folks in the state welfare department are orphans.

The social safety net crowd is up in arms over the state's mad dash to remove the needy from the welfare roles and to get them off the food stamp program, too.

The leader of all this is Maura Corrigan recently of the Michigan Supreme Court with an admirable track record of helping children.

Which is why some advocates for the needy are scratching their collective heads.

Item: The state legislature enacts an end to welfare benefits after 48 months. Ms. Corrigan and company get caught by the courts for moving too quickly without adequate notification or due process for those about to be booted off. Under a court order, the department does a make good and finally gets it right the second time.

Item: Seeking to eradicate fraud which has plagued the food stamp program, Ms. Corrigan decides anybody who owns a car worth over $15,000 is obviously pretty well to do and therefore does not deserve food stamps. Rumor has it she strolled into a welfare office and saw a Hummer out front which prompted the new policy.

Let's dismiss that as folly because if it was true, it would hardly reflect the due diligence and logic that a former jurist might apply to running a department where the lives of individuals are on the line.

The no car thing quickly circulates and the pro-needy folks were wondering how their clients will look for or get to work; What if they were given the car as a gift? What if they lived in the car? What if they bought the car when they were well off but have now fallen on hard times?

All the "what if's' apparently escaped the "thinking" in the bowels of the welfare department which found itself the subject of a question at a governor's news conference.

Although he didn't cast aspersions on the policy, because Gov. Snyder is not an aspersion- caster by nature, he was asked if the decision should be changed.

He advised that it was under review and since it had become a "typic of discussion," which was a polite way of saying there was consternation all over the joint, he awaited the results of that review.

Several days later the quickly enacted car ownership miscue was just as quickly revised.

Memo to Human Service Department: See Mom's advice in paragraph one.

So Much for the Good News

2011-11-03T03:57:00.001-07:00

Well that didn't take long. The after glow of Michigan being ranked number two in the nation on economic health, lasted less than 24 hours as the Mayor of Detroit went public with the bad news that his city might be headed for bankruptcy and an Emergency Manager might be required to avert that.

Put the champagne back in the bottle.

The last thing Gov. Rick Snyder wants is his largest city swimming in red ink. The national headlines and the predictable jokes from the late-night comedians would be so counter to the governor's goal of turning Detroit around.

Yet the mayor was telling the media there is a $150 million gap in the budget and the city could run out of money by February. So will the governor step in?

Take this to the bank. The governor will not unilaterally pull the trigger on an EM unless the Mayor pulls it first. Under the new law, Mayor Bing must file a request with the state treasurer for a review of the books. Andy Dillon is no stranger to the financial challenges in Motown. After his review, then the decision on the need for an EM would be rendered by the governor.

In the meantime, the president of the city council says there is no need for an outsider, even if it is Mayor Bing himself, to run the city.

What's really going on here is pretty clear. The mayor is rattling his saber and hoping all of his unions hear it. So far he's been unable to secure enough union concessions to help balance the books. An EM could do that with a stroke of a pen which is why labor unions are trying to block this new law with a petition drive and a possibile vote of the entire state.

Perhaps the mayor figures if I threaten all this, the unions will give me what I want.

Either way all this back and forth only underscores how fragile Michigan's economic situation is despite that glowing report from the Bloomberg News folks that the state is on the comeback trail.

The trail will go over the cliff if the Detroit mess is not resolved one way or the other.

Governor the Road Fixer

2011-11-01T05:56:00.001-07:00

Here's a shocker. The boys and girls in the legislature were not, repeat, were not falling all over themselves to get in line behind the governor's aggressive, and shall we say, expensive new infrastructure agenda.

Oh sure they all agree with the gov that the roads, bridges, sewers, and other crumbling stuff is a mess and in dire need of repair. But that is hardly a new story. It's been rotting away for years and lawmakers have watched it rot without doing squat to stop it.

So Gov. Rick Snyder thinks this time will be different.

Oh my.

He is just brimming with solid and logical reasons for finding more money, upwards of $1.4 billion, to get the job done. He contends the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be. Or if that does not appeal to you, how about creating more jobs and lowering the unemployment rate.

But when has logic ever translated into votes when lawmakers worrying about losing THEIR jobs if they place another financial burden on motorists?

Sen. Tom Casperson, an R from the U.P. who runs the senate transportation panel, reports he's on board with the governor's notion that there is a "road funding" problem, but asked how he would vote on a hefty $120 hike in the license registration fee, he said he'd be a no right now.

Sen. Jack Brandenburg, an R from Macomb County who runs the senate finance committee is just like Casperson.

None of this bodes well for the governor who continues to embrace issues that Democrats can cuddle up to but members of his own party dive for the high grass.

But the governor has just begun to sell all this, just like he did nine months ago on that little bridge between Motown and Hockey-land and you know how that story ended.

Recall Fall-out

2011-10-30T06:10:00.001-07:00

All of this is so counter to what Gov. Rick Snyder wants to do, that is creating a spirit of cooperation between R's and D's, that he blurted out the other day that recalls are not good for either party and therefore we assume the state, too.

In about a week the voters in Genesee County will decide the fate of Rep. Paul Scott. The second term Republican chairs the House Education panel and when he ran for office, the Michigan Education Association saw him as a breath of fresh air and endorsed him.

Now the MEA is gagging for air.

You see Mr. Scott rode herd on some education "reform" issues that the teacher's union did not like. Rather than wait for the November 2012 election to take him out, the union shelled out close to $150,000 to get the job done now.

Borrowing the law from physics, for every political action there is a reaction. Hence the state GOP has now targeted six house Democrats and will go after even more regardless of what happens Nov. 8^th to Mr. Scott.

A Genesee County Democrat does not share in the drive to get even. Sen. John Gleason denounces all recalls as bad for government and demeaning to boot. He's tried for years to make it tougher to recall any official but all those efforts failed.

Maybe wobbly legislators are afraid to change the law for fear they could be recalled?

One school suggests recalls are good for the democracy; but the GOP governor and the state Democratic party chair see little good in it.

But no matter what happens with Mr. Scott, the anger, revenge, bitterness and travail will hang like a dark cloud over proceedings in the capitol.

Bi-partisanship, which is always a dicey endeavor as the new governor has painfully discovered, is never easy. This is hardly the elixcer Mr. Snyder needs to grow it now.

Starbucks or Potholes

2011-10-27T01:23:00.001-07:00

Would you pay the equivalent of a Starbucks coffee and half a meal at McDonalds to help beef up the state's crumbling road infrastructure?

The governor is about to find out.

For the first time, Gov. Rick Snyder put his arms around a figure to fix those roads: A hefty $1 to $1.4 billion a year. That's billion with a big "B".

And one of his suggestions is to bump up your annual license plate donation to the state. In a vain attempt to soften the impact the governor's guys described it as "ten dollars a month." But do the math: That's an extra $120 a year on top of what you are already paying. That would raise a quick billion.

The always upbeat governor notes, "Citizens will speak out loudly. In the positive," he tells FOX2 news.

Cizizens are likely to speak out but will it be positive? And more importantly, how will lawmakers speak?

If the anti-government and anti-tax crowd frames this as a tax increase, the governor begins this journey in a deep pot hole he may never get out of.

Such is the harsh reality this newbie governor continues to confront. He tried to build a bridge because it was the right thing to do and got push back from his own party. Could he go 0 for two on this one?

In his favor, motorists have generally said if the state is raising new dollars and the money is going for the roads, they can live with that. But times are tough and even though the governor says he is not squeezing motorists and only wants to talk about this plan, for many it will feel like a squeeze nonetheless.

The road building lobby, which has not had an influx of fresh cash since 1997 was obviously overjoyed at the governor's $1.4 billion marker.

And Mike Nystrom, who runs that lobby, had a nifty comeback for those motorists/lawmakers who don't like this. Essentially it was: Pay me now or pay me later." He suggests drivers are paying more now for repairs to their battered autos that traverse the state, dodging potholes, everywhere.

So maybe the next time you drive by a coffee joint and Mickey D's, you shouldn't go in. The gov. needs those bucks.

No Bridge RPA This Time

2011-10-25T03:13:00.001-07:00

Even though he is only ten months into his first term, it was beginning to look like he would make it for the entire four years without uttering a single discouraging word.

You know him. Old Mr. Relentless Positive Action himself, Gov. Rick Snyder. Well it finally happened. 293 days into the mission, he did it. He was forced to confront reality and uttered the following: "Even though I'm a positive guy, today was a set-back."

Egads. Stop the presses. (Do they still do that?)

Not even he could put a positive spin on the events, or non-events, inside the GOP controlled senate committee that's been considering his Detroit-Windsor bridge bill for ions. Because when they counted noses, and he needed four measly votes to move the project to the senate floor, Gov. RPA got two, count'em, two lousy Republican votes and one of those was under intense pressure from the Tea Party to vote no.

Even the two Democrats on the panel who had been cuddling up to the GOP governor voted "pass" which is tantamount to a no vote anyway.

So instead of moving the bridge out of committee, the bridge became a certified train wreck as the governor was stiffed by members of his own party for the second day in a row.

Oh woe is he.

"It's time for a cooling-off period," he tried to regain some positive ground, but there was precious little to stand on.

How long would it take to get this project back on track?

"Maybe a week, or two or longer," he offered without adding another dose of reality, "maybe never."

Oh, this bridge will be built, the governor confidently believes. But lawmakers may not help him build it. But he can do it without them. Yet, and this comes as no surprise, hope springs eternal inside the Snyder inner circle that eventually lawmakers will agree with him that it is the "right thing to do."

Right now it looks like he's the only one in the choir singing that tune.

Peeling the Ficano Onion

2011-10-23T06:50:00.001-07:00

For eight years he had a front row seat to inner workings of the Bob Ficano administration. And Phil Cavangh did not like what he saw or didn't see.

Now a state lawmaker, the Redford Democrat is coming forth with the suggestion to the news media that there are other "transactions that should be looked into…I was troubled by many events."

By now you have read that the Wayne County Executive Mr. Ficano is swimming in a swirling controversay that began with a $200,000 bonus to one of his appointees and now with the FBI sticking its nose in, no one is quite sure where are this will end…if at all.

For you old timers out there, it is shades of the Eddie McNamara days when he ran the Wayne County government and there were all sorts of unproven allegations that he was engaged in some willful wrongdoing.

Mr. Ficano says he has done nothing wrong and there is no hint of any impending charges, but Rep. Cavangh sat on the county Ways and Means committee and had a birds-eye view of the Ficano budgets.

Sometimes the "view" was either fuzzy or blocked.

"We would ask for the number of appointees, what their jobs were and what they were paid," he recalls. But there were instances of "stonewalling" by the executive's office as commissioners were simply told to "trust our decisions."

Cavanagh may be a trusting soul, but he was not comfortable when the auditor general was unable to "get documents" on various spending items.

"I'm not declaring anything criminal," he explains but he urges the media to peel back more of the Ficano onion.

One wonders if the odor could get any worse than it already is.

Assume At Your Own Risk

2011-10-19T14:31:00.001-07:00

Never assume. Repeat: Never.

Correspondents like to think they can figure anything out by piecing together this piece of info and that which leads to a logical conclusion.

Such was the case when it came to the committee vote on the bridge between Detroit and Windsor. All the stars appeared to be aligned and if you read the tea leaves, they showed the governor finally had the committee votes to send this puppy, after nine months of waiting, to the senate floor.

Even the Senate Democratic leader bought into the assumption. Just before the hearing she advised, "I do believe it will come out of committee."

In her defense Sen. Gretchen Whitmer had every reason to believe it to be so…just like the capitol correspondents.

Never assume. Repeat: Never.

Within minutes of her prediction the unpredictable happened.

With one bang of the gavel, the bridge committee chair ended the hearing before it began.

Sen. Mike Kowal informed the stunned audience of popular wisdom believers that as he walked in the door he was handed a new bridge bill which he was unable to read.

"I'm not going to vote on something I have not read," he told the audience.

Sen. Tupac Hunter, one of the Democrats who had fashioned a new compromise on a portion of the bill, sheepishly told the GOP chair that he could explain the changes.

Mr. Kowall would have none of that.

There's an age old rule around these parts: If you want a bill out of a committee, never hack off the chair.

You could color the Oakland County lawmaker "angry" which is an understatement to say the least.

As for the future of the bridge?

No one is assuming anything.

Uncommon Bed Fellows

2011-10-17T16:32:00.001-07:00

When is the last time the trial bar and the doctors were on the same side of an issue?

Answer: No one can remember if there was a last time.

When is the last time the trial bar was divided?

See answer number one.

Normally when you mention the term "trial lawyer" in front of anyone wearing a white coat, duck. Them is fightin' words.

Mention the term "physician" in front of a trial attorney and watch their mouths salivate.

But despite all that history, they are locking arms and battling the insurance industry over its efforts to "reform" the state's historic no-fault car insurance law.

And the list of folks joining the docs and barristers is as long as your arm if you are Mike Jordan. It's virtually everybody in the free world, including labor unions who are trying to gang up on the insurance guys.

That lobby fears that if left unchecked, the no fault system will implode with cost over runs that will eventually destroy the system.

The other side counters, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

And back and forth they go as this "reform" is now out of a house committee and teed up for a showdown vote in that body.

But there is another unusual twist to all this. There apparently is a split in the trial lawyer ranks as the Sam Bernstein firm, maybe you've seen them on the telly, is working with the insurance folks.

Come again?

Yep. The Bernstein's are with the insurance lobby but other elements of the trial bar are against the Bernstein's. Mark Bernstein was even called in to explain to his compatriots why they should be on his side.

Geez. This is getting complicated.

But yet it is all very simple as it all comes down to money and which side can make the most.

Maybe somewhere in the debate, somebody will eventually talk about how this will impact you, the motoring public.

So Much for that MSU-UM Tradition

2011-10-14T19:16:00.001-07:00

The traditional gridiron battle between the Green and White and the Maize and Blue not only produces challenges for the two teams but Michigan governor's face some of their own.

Governor's are just like all other elected officials; they want to please everyone but on this one weekend a year, whatever they do, someone will be upset.

Which is why former Gov. Jennifer Granholm was a chicken. She refused to choose sides. Hey, she graduated from Berkely and Harvard so what did she care.

Such was never the case with MSU grads/Governors Jim Blanchard and John Engler. You knew exactly where they stood and while it may have cost them some votes here and there, their devotion to their alma mater was more important than the politics for them.

Like wise with the current occupant. Nobody has seen Gov. rick Snyder bleed, but if he did, most surely it would not be green or white blood. It's just another reason for MSU fans not to like him.

There's another thing that governor's abhor: Being booed in public.

Years ago the governor would attend the game and sit on one side of the field for the first half and then in a grand ceremony, the governor would walk across the 50 yard line to take a seat on the other side just to give the illusion of fairness.

Problem was, there were always some lugs in the stands who didn't like the governor and that always produced cat calls, and unsavory taunts. The media would dutifully report all this and it was hugely embarrassing to say the least, if not a little humorous to everyone except the governor.

Which is why they scrapped the tradition without fanfare.

Now they will tell you they did it for security reasons. After all parading the governor across the field, makes the governor a sitting duck, but more importantly from a political standpoint, who wants to be booed in public?

No one.

The Ole Switcher-ru

2011-10-13T03:33:00.001-07:00

If at first you don't succeed, move the bridge to another committee.

The governor continues to be stymied in his efforts to pry loose from a senate committee his blueprint to build a second span between Motown and Windsor. What makes it a tad frustrating is that members of his own party are stiffing him and refusing to move the bill to the floor.

Enter the senate GOP leader Randy Richardville to the rescue. Look for him next week to quietly remove the measure from the senate Economic Development committee and redirect it to the senate committee that he chairs. And it appears he has enough yes votes on that panel to get this stalled bridge to the senate floor.

All this is kosher and Richardville has the authority to do it, but this does not mean they will be hauling in the steal beams to build this thing anytime soon.

That's because the governor and Mr. Richardville have the same problem on the floor i.e. not enough GOP votes to pass it. Depending on who is counting, there could be as little as three yes votes or upwards of eight or so, but certainly not the required twenty.

It's hard to get your arms around the total because some squeamish GOP senators don't want to declare their support for fear that would trigger those nasty TV commercials from the Ambassador Bridge folks. They are spending mucho to block the competiting second span.

Mr. Richardville was reminded the other day that he doesn't have the votes despite his prediction two weeks ago that he did.

He noted it's been nine months since Gov. Rick Snyder embraced the bridge. It was last January when the snow was flying.

It's not snowing yet, but there's a good chance it may be by the time they get around to passing this thing…if they can.

Can't Make Him Answer

2011-10-11T05:02:00.001-07:00

For a guy who steadfastly professes to be a non-career politician, he has certainly adapted quite nicely to one of the traits of a career pol: Not wanting to answer tough questions.

Don't kid yourself, Gov. Rick Snyder is one tough-cookie when it comes to bobbing and weaving away from controversial inquires. Take the Right to Work question.

The governor has said any attempt by businesses and Republicans to cut into union membership would be "divisive" and he wants no part of that. Period.

Up until now silly reporters have continued to ask for his position on the issue itself and like the career politician he says he is not, he declines to expand on his answer.

So an even sillier correspondent tried to come in the back door the other day.

"Governor. Your position on not wanting to debate Right to Work is clear, but set aside for the moment the divisiveness of this debate and please answer this question: Does RTW create jobs?

Now recall that the governor is a data-driven guy who longs for all the answers he can gobble up before he makes a decision. And the job creation aspect gets right to the heart of the Right to Work debate so surely he will wade right in with his analysis.

Ha.

"I think the issue is divisive," he says for the umpteenth time.

"Let me press you on that. Does it create jobs?"

Double ha.

"I'll just leave it at what I said," he stonewalls again.

And in staying on message he concludes that "just talking about" the jobs angle is divisive in and of itself.

Score it career politician: One. Frustrated reporter: Zippo.

Pulling a Fast One

2011-10-09T06:32:00.001-07:00

Just how stupid do you think they think you are?

Read on McDuff.

The headlines were just what state lawmakers wanted: Life-Time Health Care Benefits to End. And if you were dumb enough not to read anything more, you concluded that one of the bestest (sic) benefits ever was finally coming to and end: State legislators could be vested in a health insurance program after only six years in office.

That's right, six years!

Whatever happened to the legislative mantra that all benefits for public workers be tied to those in the private sector where getting vested in six years is only a dream?

When the Michigan House took up this bill, the measure would have ended this benefit for 109 of the 110 members. In the state senate 32 of the 38 senators would have been exempted from the law. In other words they would keep their health care from the state until they turned 65.

Well a curious thing happened as the House measure moved around the capitol rotunda and arrived in the Upper Chamber a.k.a. the House of Lords or the state senate.

Instead of one representative keeping his benefits, the bill was changed to conclude 14. And instead of 32 senators, the number was kicked up to 36.

There must have been a reason for that and it was, many house and senate folks didn't want to lose what they had, so they wrote the bill to protect themselves.

Welcome to Lansing.

Sen. Vincent Gregory (D-Soutfhield) was one of two senators who did not keep his health care. He was asked if the measure was composed to protect some of his colleagues?

"I wouldn't say that," he began to dance but quickly acknowledged the obvious, "Although it might look like it."

Oh yeah. He's got that right.

Pete's Tune Changes

2011-10-02T06:39:00.001-07:00

In an attempt to beef up his lead over the other GOP U.S. Senate contenders, the Pete Hoekstra campaign got a little greedy. It trotted out this news release the other day proudly announcing, "Hoekstra Signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge."

Actually the release should have read, "Hoekstra Re-signs" the no-tax pledge as he actually signed it for the first time way back in August of 2010 when he was running for governor.

Not only was the news release a tad misleading, it lead to a rehash of the fact that Mr. Hoekstra had done a somersalt on the issue or if your prefer, which the current Hoekstra campaign does not, he flip-flopped.

An aide sheepishly concedes the point and good thing because there is proof all over the place that he once was against the no tax pledge before he was for it.

During a FOX2 interview while running for governor, Mr. Hoekstra called it a "bad pledge" and asked directly if he would sign it, he offered, "No, I don't think so…signing pledges only gets you into trouble."

But then signing them can too.

Let's just say his position has been evolving. During the first Gov debate on Mackinac Island in May of 2009, Hoekstra declined to take the pledge.

But the next year, he was reversing himself sighting the lousy economy and the lack of reform in Lansing to justify his switch-eroo.

All of this was ancient history and betya nobody remembered he did that, but now they do, because he brought it up.

Isn't only a matter of time before his opponents try to exploit this.

Points off for resurrecting an issue that was better left in the grave for some else to dig up.

Dan the Jerk

2011-09-30T03:46:00.001-07:00

Much has been written lately about the new Granholm/Mulhern book on their life in the bubble and part of the focus was on the so-called "love story" between the two. Well turns out, and this was somehow left out of the book "A Governor's Story", it was the love that almost wasn't.

"Actually I thought he was a jerk,' former Gov. Jennifer Granholm whispers into the camera.

"Jerk?" Dan Mulhern goes sitting right next to her.

Yep. Jerk. She unfolds the story of the first time they met waiting to board a cheap airline from New Jersey back to Harvard where they both attended law school.

Seems Danny Boy was chatting with a lass in line about how he had been out drinking and dancing the night before. You know how men are about getting drunk.

Ms. Granholm is singularly unimpressed but can't help herself when he mentions he is going back to Harvard.

"You go to Harvard," she intervened in the conversation and that one question launched the romance although it took some time before he actually got a date.

She kept him at arms length which frustrated the heck out of him but he was as tenatious as she was; the romantic Dan went to work. He placed "pressed flowers" in her mail box and demonstrated there was more to him that drinking and getting blitz.

They fell in love and here they are today, out on the stump hawking their book and making revelations about their relationship that she preferred to keep secret. Dan on the other hand pushed her to disclose and she reluctantly did, while refusing to call him a jerk for doing it.

Plot to Kill Lawmaker

2011-09-28T11:48:00.001-07:00

If you're in the news biz, late Friday afternoon is rather a sacred time….and every correspondent worth his or her salt does not want a big story to pop minutes before quitting time. So much for being dedicated journalists.

Yet here was a reporter on the horn to a source who had called the day before. It was 4:15.

"You're not going to believe this," this always reliable contact began in what turned out to be an incredible and bizarre tale to say the least.

With one eye on the clock, the source began: There was an inmate in a state prison who wanted to hire a hit man to kill a sitting state lawmaker.

Hum. Sounds like a story alright.

Seems the unnamed inmate asked a buddy who was getting out of the slammer to find the hit man and offer him $500,000 to kidnap, hold hostage and perhaps even murder the lawmaker.

The second inmate instead of lining up a hit man went to the authorities and the Michigan State Police took it from there.

They found an undercover officer who poised as the hit man and contacted the crook behind bars. He allegedly laid out the entire plot including the name of the lawmaker. The MSP got it all on tape and has charged the guy with conspiracy to commit murder.

Up shot of all this, two sources confirmed it and by 5 p.m. the story was on TV-2 and WWJ News Radio 950 for all the world to hear.

The decision was made not to reveal the lawmaker's name. It really was irrelevant to the story and could have put that family at risk.

About four hours later, Rep. Barb Byrum (D-Onondaga) issued a statement thanking the police for busting this plot and noted she would say nothing more. Obviously some other reporter felt it was important to the story and outed her.

Why her?

Turns out the inmate seeking the gun for hire was from the Mason area, in her house district, and knew the name of only one lawmaker…her.

Talk about your lousy luck.

One-Term Rick

2011-09-25T06:21:00.001-07:00

News flash from Mackinac Island: Gov. Rick Snyder may not seek a second term.

Actually this is not news only in the sense that he finally confirmed what many in this town have known since he first took the oath of office.

Remember. He was quite clear during the campaign that he was not a career politician and he's proven it as governor by propossing issues that someone interested in re-election would never do. Think taxing senior citizens.

So he confirms on the island during a state GOP gab fest that if he ticks off most of the items on his reinvent Michigan agenda, he's out of here to allow "better and smarter" folks to takeover. He tells the MIRS news hounds that he'd be more than excited to "go fishing, go teach, and do something else."

Close associates confirm the "teach" thing. There has got to be a classroom somewhere at his alma mater, what was that school?, where he can share his Relentless Positive Action shtick with the maze and blue faithful. He'd love to do that. And in addition to fishing, he left out water skiing which is one of his fav summer things to do, when he can find time to ride the waves.

This is Snyder being Snyder as he is totally concerned with a long term and positive legacy for the entire state and not about polishing up his resume so he can write a book about it. "This is not about me," he says for anybody who will listen.

But by making these pronouncements public, he may be viewed by some as a lame-duck in waiting which may undercut his ability to wheel and deal with lawmakers.

What can he offer lawmakers, if he is not going to be around for a second term?

But "as a practical matter," as he likes to say, he is not a wheeler and dealer and so if some view him ill for not running again, so be it.

All of the previous governors since 1970 had a political prism on their desk. Every major political move was eventually filtered through it to ascertain if the decision would enhance his or her reelection bid.

Mr. non-career governor came into office, removed it from his desk and promptly sold it on E-Bay.

Off To China We Finally Go

2011-09-22T17:31:00.001-07:00

There is a delicate little ballet that former governors dance when it comes to commenting on what their successors are doing. It's an unwritten rule, sort of an honor-among-thieves thing, that you don't blast the guy who took your old job. And the same thing applies to the new governor and Rick Snyder has steadfastly adhered to the rule refusing to bad mouth anyone who use to have his job.

But he came darn close to doing it the other day. As he prepares to head off for his first week-long sojourn to China, capitol correspondents wanted to know what his objectives were.

Previous Gov. Jennifer Granholm had a hard and fast rule. She would not set her tootsies on foreign soil unless she could boast about bringing jobs back to Michigan. Gov. Snyder has no such rule.

"I don't have high expectations on jobs," he candidly reflected adding, "don't expect too much."

In reality this governor is pretty much starting from ground zero when it comes to cultivating jobs out of China and that's in part because his predecessor did nothing on that front. Nada or as they say in Chinese…hum, how do they say that in Chinese?

At any rate, Gov. Granholm kept her tootsies out of China because she was too busy beating up the country and anyone who sent jobs from Michigan over there all for her own political gain.

Call former GOP candidate for governor Dick DeVos if you require more details.

Consequently no ground work was laid there so Gov. Snyder was asked if Michigan was behind the eight-ball because of the previous feck-less eight years?

Please note he does not use any names but offered this poignant observation, "It doesn't help matters not being there."

He could have said "thanks to Gov. Granholm," but Rick Snyder being Rick Snyder he did not.

Others will do it for him.

Going After Electric Cars

2011-09-21T05:08:00.001-07:00

Now that the governor has solved the state's obesity problem by lecturing everyone to just lose weight…hardy, har-har-har, he moves to more mountains to climb.

And if you own an electric car, you're it.

Next month the Synder administration will trot out its special message on infrastructure which is just a nerdy way of saying, roads, bridges, and potholes which the governor knows need attention.

The governor might target the Prius, Leaf, and Volt owners. If you own an electric vehicle you are not paying one dime in the gasoline tax which is great for you, but not so great for state coffers.

While you are rolling along on the roads, without coughing up some bucks to repair the roads, your cars are adding to the deterioration of the infrastructure.

Now recall that the governor is all about "shared sacrifice." The governor confesses he has not heard anything about this but for sure there's been plenty of chatter among the special interest groups that want more money for the roads.

Sen. Tom Casperson who chairs the senate transportation committee believes this is something that should be done.

Nobody has leaked how the governor intends to right this "wrong" but at the end of the day, if lawmakers go along, hy-brid and electric car owners will be paying something.

But you're not being singled out.

Regular car owners will be asked to kick in, too. A source reveals that a different approach is being considered when you purchase a new license plate.

The new registration fee might be based on the price of the car divided into groups. From zero to $5,000 you might pay zippo. From 5,001 to !0,000 you might get one fee which would increase with the price.

You can do the math gang. Got a giant SUV? You'll pay a bundle and if you own one of those fancy Rolls or Bentley?

Get out your check book, but then if you do own one of those babies, you can probably afford it.

Synder No Scott Walker

2011-09-17T17:39:00.001-07:00

The issuance of a lay-off notice is a time-honored tactic used by management to put a little more heat on workers to cough-up wage concessions.

Well given a chance the other day to engage in the traditional game, the governor declined. After all he said he would change the culture in this town and by sitting on his lay-off notices to some 48,000 state workers, he did just that.

According to the state contract, workers deserve a 30 day heads up that the Big Guy might send them home on October first and employees were braced to read that in their Labor Day weekend pay envelope.

In another example of the gov's now infamous RPA, relentless positive action, the governor sent the signal that he was confident the two sides could come up with $145 million in worker concessions so the notices were stuffed in the drawer…for the time being.

That collective sigh of relief from the employee ranks was palpable but the gesture does not mean the two sides will resolve their differences which are significant.

The labor guys have argued that there are other ways to find those savings. One way is to reduce the number of non-union supervisors; the unions claims there are too many of those folks.

The governor's bargainers say they are willing to look at that, but so far they have not signed off and the governor's spokesperson doubts there is not enough time to realize those savings before the contracts expire next month. And the unions have not budged on giving more concessions noting that over the years they have given more than enough at the office.

Hence despite the goodwill gesture by the governor, the two sides appear to be going no where fast. In fact they just filed empasse statements which will open the door to bring other entities into the talks.

In another overture to the unions, the governor did order a study on supervisor issue.

All of this adds up to one conclusion, Gov. Rick Snyder is not Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

9-1-1 Centers on Chopping Block

2011-09-15T16:21:00.001-07:00

If you are a public employee and any lawmaker mentions the word "efficiencies", duck for cover. That has become code for "We need you to give more at the office."

But in this next instance, the giving means more than that. It means losing your job.

Rep. Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland) is on a mission to put the state's 9-1-1- emergency call network on a starvation diet. He wants to reduce the current 166 centers to ten. That's over a 90% cut.

This is just a guess but that means some of those operators who are now answering the phone won't be any more.

Rep. LeBlanc says the person calling for a cop or fire fighter via the 9-1-1- system doesn't give a hoot where the person is who answers the call. All they want is a quick response and he is confident this can be done with fewer call centers.

In Grand Rapids and Wyoming over on the west side of the state, they not only combined functions, the two cities saved a combined $1.5 million. "Absolutely this will work," beams G.R. Mayor George Heartwell.

It took them two years to iron everything out, but it says it was well worth it and Mr. LeBlanc agrees, but he also knows he is picking a fight with the operators who won't take this "efficiency" stuff lying down.

Heartwell says during the two year process they did not fill vacancies and when it came time to finish the consolidation there weren't a lot of layoffs.

That probably will not appease the operators, but LeBlanc has a strategy to win this fight. He would take the savings from the "efficiencies" to hire more first responders. From a political standpoint, lawmakers can get more re-election points back home by hiring more cops even if it means laying off 9-1-1 folks.

Look for all this to come to a head in the next few weeks.

Experience Counts or Does It?

2011-09-13T15:34:00.001-07:00

The minions for Clark Durant, one of the Repubs running for the U.S. Senate, have been banging pretty hard on front-runner Pete Hoekstra for having too much experience in Congress.

The West Michigan candidate has 18 years under his belt in the U.S. House and the Durant crowd argues that disqualifies him from going into the senate. This is under the heading, no experience is better than any Washington experience.

Durant crony Saul Anuzis sums it up, Pete "has become a part of Washington. Washington is part of the problem." Apparently the only time Mr. Durant has been there is to visit the joint, not work there. And what the Detroit charter school operator Durant brings to the table is his private sector experience his defenders go on.

Mr. Hoekstra made a lap around the state this week announcing that he for sure was in the race and touting his Washington and private sector business background in the same sound bite.

"I think having someone in Washington that actually has experience there, along with private sector experience, is a real benefit."

But here is the revealing twist in this story. Normally you would assume that Mr. Hoekstra would return the fire aimed at Mr. Clark when given an opening to question HIS lack of experience.

The question was pointed: Is a candidate disqualfied if he or she lacks a Washington resume?

Hoekstra, who has pledged to run a positive campaign and stay out of the mud, did just that. "I wouldn't say you can't have someone with no experience." Which is another way of saying, Durant's lack of experience is not a problem.

Unfortunately for Mr. H, Mr. D. will not return the favor.

Gov and R's Differ on Speech

2011-09-11T06:48:00.001-07:00

As Artie Johnson often said on TV's Laugh-in with a German accent: Vvv—eee—rrr---yyy interesting.

President Barack Obama delivered his re-election errr Jobs for America speech the other night and the GOP responses were very interesting to compare and contrast.

Right out of the shoot came conservative Congressman Mike Rogers flailing away at the Prez: "Another speech won't change the Washington, D.C.-created burdens that are hampering job creation." And then the Brighton Republican rattled off the usual GOP boilerplate stuff about excessive regulation, health care and energy costs, etc. etc. etc.

He was fed up with the "borrow and spend stimulus policies." Put him down as a no vote.

Congressman Dave Camp (R-Midland) was not nearly as gnarly but was disappointed that Mr. Obama did not discuss comprehensive tax reform but in a conciliatory coda he looked forward to "reviewing the details" of the proposal. Put him down as a maybe.

Then came the governor who by-passed the chance to join the chattering class of ultra-conservatives who couldn't wait to dump on the Democratic president.

"These are changes that will help create an environment where jobs can grow, and they should be considered by Congress" the not so far right wing governor asserted. He was referring to cutting pay roll taxes and small business tax reform both of which have been accomplished by the Snyder administration.

Neither he nor the president referred to the Tea Party by name but you could read in between the lines to find it. President Obama referred to those with "rigid ideas" and you know who you are.

And the GOP Governor noted we "cannot afford to waste time on unproductive posturing and partisan fighting." True, both R's and D's have engaged in that, but so have has the T.P. crowd.

So if you were sitting in the White House, post-speech, you'll take what Mr. Snyder said which puts him at odds with the conservative base of his party once more.

They're Back

2011-09-07T15:35:00.001-07:00

W interupt this lengthy summer recess and return you now to our regularly scheduled program: the fall session of the Michigan legislature.

When we last left our band of merry lawmakers, they were ending a six month march and were off to celebrate the 4^th of July and bask in the victories racked up by the new governor and the new GOP dominated house and senate.

Left behind to lick its collective wounds, and there was a lot of licking goin' on, were the Democrats and their labor buddies who got run over by the Snyder juggernaut.

It started with the repeal of the item-pricing law which will cost some grocery folks their jobs and it ended with passage of the Emergency manager law which critics contend will end democracy as we know it.

Along the way there were countless capitol steps demonstrations by this anti-Snyder groups and that and while it made for good TV, it had little impact on what was going on inside the building. One "reform" plan after another breezed through the process with little or no Democratic input or votes.

It was not all peaches and cream, however, as the new governor got a good dose of political reality when he had to confront ultra-conservative members of his own team. They were anything but team players when it came to the pension tax and they told him so.

He made a mid-course correction to secure just enough votes to pass the thing and his much bally-hooed re-invention of Michigan was on it's way.

So now they return to what?

The Snyder crowd explained it would use the summer recess to nail down the jello-ey "support" for the Synder bridge between Detroit and Windsor. Despite his enthusiast support for that, let's just say the jello has not solidified despite the two months of "educating" lawmakers on the subject.

While the bridge will be a top priority for the upcoming session, it's future in the legislature is in doubt, but the governor will have a Plan B and may go around lawmakers if they stiff him and they just might.

Slapping new rules on the medical marijuana law will also be front and center along with a host of right-wing GOP social issues which the governor is loathed to confront but will one way or the other.

So back we go for more Rentless Positive Action from the big guy but the outcome this next six months may not be as joyful as the last.

Growth Industry Killed

2011-09-05T06:27:00.001-07:00

So much for that growth industry. Here was a segment of the business sector that was adding jobs, expanding at a pretty good clip and it was actually growing and there-in was the problem.

You see these entrepreneurs were growing marijuana, Mary Jane, weed, call it what you will but the state appeals court slammed the door on these dispensaries and the cops have been joyfully shutting them down one by one ever since. That's because when voters approved the medical marijuana law, apparently pot shops were not part of the plan.

A three judge panel ruled that sick folks have the right to smoke this stuff; they just can't hobble down the street to the nearest head shop and buy it.

And that loud applause you heard was from the law enforcement community which didn't much care for this law in the first place.

One local senator notes 48 such stores in Lansing. He is a conservative Republican and while Sen. Rick Jones would normally embrace that kind of free-market competition, he is not a believer when it comes to this product. He believes no market is better than too many markets.

Of course the big boogeyman man in all this is the underlying fear that these shops foster crime. Many of them were in neighborhoods where kids could see the coming and going and pretty soon they'd be pot heads..at least that's how the conservative reasoning goes.

But not to worry, the appeals court has halted all this and the truly needy will simply have to grow their own at home. But they better keep the plants under lock and key or the cops could raid their homes and arrest them for not doing that, too.

Guess the governor will have to look elsewhere to help lower the jobless rate around here.

Camp To Get T.P. Flak

2011-09-02T06:17:00.001-07:00

Michigan Congressman Dave Camp is a hearty fellow who apparently fears no danger. He should be worried, however, because he may have a Tea Party target on his back soon. Silly man, he wants to close tax loopholes to help balance the humongous federal deficit of $1.5 trillion.

Mr. Camp is one of twelve members of the so-called super committee charged with slapping together a plan to rescue America from the red sea of deficit ink.

He wants to reduce tax rates and broaden the tax base and then, get this, "that means doing away with some of the special provisions, exemptions and loopholes that have grown into the code over the years."

Hum. Close tax loopholes. Wasn't that part of the Grand Bargain that el Presidente Obama and el Speaker where close to doing when the Tea Party crowd cried, Over our soggy tea bags you will!!

Undaunted, Republican Camp from Midland explains "we really need to simplify the tax code" and that means lots of losers i.e. all those who now enjoy a tax break will have to cough up some moola.

One such item is the time-honored tax exemption that allows taxpayers to write-off their home loan interest. Oh my, you can hear the banks, the realtors, not to mention the homeowners, who will scream bloody murder if they lose that.

Not to worry.

Mr. Camp offers that is "not a good approach" to take. After all he does want to get re-elected next year.

He does not want a general tax increase and it appears he is not alone but closing loopholes is a tax hike on somebody and it will be interesting to see what the Tea Party folks do to Mr. Camp.

Anybody got a flak-jacket you can loan him?

End-Run Risky Play

2011-08-29T03:09:00.001-07:00

The "end-run" in football is one of the more exciting plays to watch. The "end-run" by the governor around the legislature is quite another thing.

To be blunt lawmakers don't like to be ignored but the Snyder administration, in its un-ending quest to build a bridge between Detroit and Windsor, is considering doing just that.

The Lt. Gov. Brain Calley volunteered the other day that there were "at least a half dozen" other ways to build the span that do not include asking legislators to approve it.

Mr. Calley, who drinks from the same cup of Relentless Positive Action as his boss the governor, remains confident that lawmakers will cough up the votes this fall to get this project off dead center where it has languished for years.

But if the votes do not materialize, those other options can be exercised, right?

Wrong contends one of the key players in this debate. Rep. Paul Opsommer who chairs the House Transportation committee is armed with an Attorney General's opinion that asserts, "If they want to bond for the bridge or build a bridge, the legislature would have to approve that process."

Republican Opsommer, wanting to sound loyal to the GOP governor confides, "that's the governor's option if that's something he wants to do," but when pressed he doesn't sound so loyal: "I'm uncomfortable with it and I think it's something that we should definitely sit down and discuss" which is code for "Houston we have a problem."

You see lawmakers get paid to work on these sticky issues and he says the governor would have to explain to the voters why the legislature should be left out of the process, if he goes that route.

For his part, the GOP lawmaker confesses, "I would have a difficult time explaing that" and there's a good chance he's got lots of colleagues who would agree.

So when it comes to end runs, lawmakers may ask the governor to leave that to Matt Stafford.

Social Saftey-Netters Upset

2011-08-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

After being gone for most of the summer, the boys and girls were back in town last Wednesday and my-oh-my what a display of efficiency. State lawmakers successfully whacked away at welfare families and forced all public employees to cough up more dough for their health care.

And then, apparently exhausted from all the activity, they went home to begin their Labor Day holiday.

Their what?

Labor Day is not until Sept 5^th.

Your point?

Maybe without knowing it, lawmakers have fed the common notion that when it comes to legislating, less is better and meeting one day every two or three months might be the solution to Michgian's woes.

But don't get your hopes up, a part-time house and senate is not in the cards..at least not in your life time.

However being booted off the welfare roles October 1^st is.

On that date, the first round of 11,000 families will stop getting that monthly welfare check. Republicans made sure of that when they were in town and while the silly Democrats complained that many children would be impacted by all this, the end of welfare after four years was merrily sent to the governor.

Republicans figure four years is enough and the fear of losing benefits will motivate these folks to finally get a job.

What jobs, the social safety net crowd cries out?

Well from the governor on down, the R's figure Michigan's economy will turn around within four years and these welfare-types will eventually find a job.

And to be fair, there are some exemptions to the new law so it is not like they are tossing abused mothers onto the streets to fend for themselves.

All this will save the save the state $60 million but at what cost to these families, the safety netters wonder?

Two Can Play This Game

2011-08-22T16:33:00.001-07:00

Recall mania continues to infest the political landscape in Michigan as both political parties continue their, "two can play this game" strategy.

The state Republican Party is convinced that the state Democratic Party is secretly behind the more than two-dozen efforts to yank GOP lawmakers out of their house and senate seats.

"The Democratic Party is not involved in recalls," protests chair Mark Brewer. However, he does concede that local democrats are but who's keeping score?

Stu Sandler is. He's been hired by the GOP to go after some Democrats with hopes of recalling them a nasty game of tit for tat.

Mr. Sandler aims toward next February when the state party holds a presidential primary to pick a GOP presidential standard-bearer for next year. He anticipates a huge turnout of voters who will stick around to recall some Democrats while they are at it.

"It's a risky move," Mr. Brewer offers some unsolicited advice to his political rivals.

Since democrats can vote in the GOP primary by merely signing a piece of paper, Brewer figures many D's will show up to vote against the recalls of their legislator and then stick around to vote for the worst GOP candidate for president, too.

With a straight face, Mr. Brewer says he will not encourage this kind of mischief, but he laments, "I can't stop it." Nor would he want to some critics might add.

Meanwhile the pundits in this town are trying to figure out what impact recall mania will have on the governor's legislative agenda? Democrats are hoping some nervous Republicans will think twice about supporting it

since they might lose their jobs.

And Republicans will tell the Democrats the same thing could happen if they don't play ball with the governor.

This is war…with no peace talks in view.

Strange Bedfellows

2011-08-20T05:53:00.001-07:00

What do liberal Democrat Carl Levin and a conservative leader of the Michigan Tea Party Gene Clem have in common?

Yes, they are both men and deeply interested in politics but that's about it.

Well…not quite.

Are you sitting down? They both want to close tax loopholes to help erase the mushrooming federal deficit.

OMG.

You would expect Michigan's senior U.S. Senator to favor that as he complains "some Republicans have drawn a line in the sand saying no to new revenue and making it impossible for us to do signficant deficit reduction."

Having bumped into Mr. Clem and sensing a good contrasting story, he was asked about loopholes and he offered this. "We agree. We agree."

Come on.

"We need to fix the tax code and take out all those things (tax breaks) and then lower the tax rates…we are simpatico on that."

But our dear Mr. Clem, the Tea Party crowd is opposed to anything that even looks like a tax increase and some will argue wiping out tax expenditures is exactly that.

"I don't agree it's a tax increase," he notes in one breath but concedes, "the result is your revenue will probably increase. I support that, yes."

Now recall that during the Congressional meltdown debate the president and the house speaker were "this" close to doing just that when reportedly the Tea Party house members went bonkers and killed the "Grand Bargain" which turned out to neither grand nor a bargain.

So here are a liberal D and a conservative T.P.-er walking arm and arm on the need for loophole closings.

Who'da thunk it?

Colbeck on recalls

2011-08-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

Targeted for recall, state Senator Patrick Colbeck is sanguine about the whole notion suggesting, "It's funny. You get recalled for doing exactly what you said you would do during the campaign."
If he is worried about the recall papers recently filed in his district he did not let on during his conversation with MIRS noting, "It's not slowing me down...I'm very comfortable with what we've been doing" and he describes the effort as "just an attempt at a mulligan frankly."
Colbeck says he looks forward to working on the abortion issue in the fall and concedes some members of the senate GOP caucus may not be on the same page as the governor when it comes to so-called base issues. But the freshman senator says the good news is the governor is willing to talk about the issues and he says it is up to the lawmakers to pass these issues and see what the governor will do.
GOP consultant Tom Shields checks in on this saying the governor is correct to stick to his top priority of turning the economy around. The MRG leader says the majority of voters agree with that and "everything else is secondary." He does not believe the ultra conservatives and the governor are on a collision course as he believes over time the two sides will work out any differences they might have.
On Right to Work, for example, Shields agrees with the governor that it is an divisive issue but support for it is growing as he says "it's a simmering issue" that could come to head this fall with more and more Tea Party groups passing resolutions asking the governor to go there.
However Shields concludes, "You can't make the governor happy all the time."

Levin: Anti-T.P.

2011-08-18T03:48:00.001-07:00

There is only one John McCain so it was silly to think that Michigan's senior senator would use McCain's lingo to describe the Tea Party movement, but Carl Levin came closer than you might expect.

The frumpy senator known for his "look-over-the-glasses" stare was asked to weight in on the T.P. movement. Senator McCain has blasted them for being "bizarro" in their opposition to compromise on the debt ceiling and accused them of being like "Hobbits returning to middle earth" which is to say they are isolated and speak only to themselves.

So Mr. Levin are they Hobbits?

Since he has not read that Lord of Rings he has no idea what the heck that means?

Well certainly he understands the term bizarro but he won't bite on that either.

"I agree with John McCain on a lot of things but I don't want to use any label on anybody…" he demurs.

But he did find a label he could use: "extreme and radical voices" and he laments "they've kinda taken over the Republican Party."

That is especially problematic for the senator who firmly believes new revenue must be part of the next debt reducation package while the T.P. crowd will oppose it to the death.

"We just need moderate politics and bi-partisan solutions," the moderate and bi-partisan senator asserts.

So does that mean he is worried about the two Michigan GOP congressmen who will be at the center of the debt debate? Will Fred Upton and Dave Camp bow to the Tea Party?

Levin thinks not. "I know both of them and I don't think they will be subservient to the Tea Party or anybody else."

But the Tea Party will attempt to block any new revenue, he was reminded.

Then "we're not going to have deficit reduction" he predicts.

Someone is Fibbing

2011-08-16T11:20:00.001-07:00

They teach you in journalism school to pursue the truth, but what they didn't learn (sic) ya is that it's illusive in politics.

Take President Obama's recent sojourn to Dutch-land a.k.a. Holland. Somebody is not telling the truth.

It was his second trip to the west side of the state in less than a year as he celebrated the creation of battery jobs for the car industry.

And, for the second year in a row, he created some hard feelings with local Republicans. Last year in was then Congressman Pete Hoekstra and this year it was his replacement Rep. Bill Huizenga.

It's pretty standard stuff than when a sitting president shows up in a congressman's back yard, you get invited to whatever the event is.

Mr. Huizenga complains he got no courtesy but got the run-around instead.

Once he got word that Mr. Obama would be on his turf, he phoned the White House for details. He heard nothing for five days. Finally a couple of days before Air Force One was set to arrive, the White House called. The congressman says the caller was "surprised" that he wanted a seat in the audience.

He claims the W.H. said the decision not to invite him might be reconsidered but there would be "conditions" added if that happened.

"This is over the top," he observes. His office was three miles from the event and he could not get in.

"Today I saw the Campaigner-in-Chief not the Commander-in-Chief," the GOP lawmaker laments. He figures he was stiffed because he strenuously opposed the president's debt ceiling plan.

And how ironic he continues that the President talked about the need for bi-partisan cooperation in the Congress, yet given a chance to walk the walk, it was Mr. H. who took a hike.

Ah, but wait.

State Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer reports "everyone" was invited to the gig including the local congressman.

Anybody got a lie detector?

Snub or No Snub

2011-08-14T16:44:00.001-07:00

So maybe the invite got lost in the mail?

West Michigan GOP Congressman Bill Huizenga doesn't think so. In fact he thinks the Obama White House snubbed him.

Last week President Barack Obama made his second visit to Holland in less than a year. He was celebrating a new car battery plant and for the second time in a row, he managed to hack off some key Republicans in the district.

This time it was Mr. Huizenga. Last year it was Congressman Pete Hoekstra.

"I think you saw the campaigner-in-chief, not the Commander-in-Chief," observes Mr. Huizenga. He wanted to attend the Obama event but he never got the invite because Huizenga was critical in the Congress of the president's debt ceiling package. That's his story and he's sticking to it.

You mean the White House would try to get even?

State Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer thinks not because, "they were all invited" from Gov. Rick Snyder on down.

The Holland representative disagrees. He says he contacted the White House a week before the gig and then waited for a response…and he waited.

Five days later, the White House called acting "surprised" that he wanted to attend, according to his story. He says someone said the no invite decision might be reconsidered but "there would be conditions" attached.

"This is just over the top," the first term GOP Congressman moans.

The real irony, he contends, is that the President's speech centered on the need for bi-partisan cooperation in Washington and an end to partisan bickering.

Huizenga, who boasts a record of doing just that, concludes the President says one thing and does another. Again Mr. Brewer contends nothing got lost in the mail so what's the beef?

Roberts: Foot in Mouth Disease

2011-08-12T08:35:00.001-07:00

This is why business guys should not go into politics because when they do, they sometimes act like arrogant business guys while being clue-less when it comes to public perceptions of their decisions.

Exhibit A: Roy Roberts. He's a delightful chap with a ton of hands on leadership experience at General Motors but now he's in the public sector trying to save the Detroit Public Schools from itself.

Hence everything he use to do behind closed doors at GM, is now out in the open for the whole world to see and what it saw recently regarding his new SUV was…well, let's just say it wasn't pretty.

Roberts inherited a 2005 Chrysler Durango with 110,000 miles. The thing broke down on a recent trip to Mackinac Island and set the district back about $1000 in repairs according to the Detroit Free Press.

O.K. let's give Mr. Roberts the benefit of the doubt. He probably needed new wheels but did it have to be a $40,000 Chevy Tahoe?

Is that the cheapest buggy he could find?

Did he shop around or just pick off the lot the one he wanted?

Was the question ever asked, "How will this look to the public if I pop 40 thou for this SUV?"

If the perception question was asked, somebody came up with the wrong answer.

With the teacher unions breathing down his neck about concessions they've been asked to make and with him in the courts trying to defend his decision to unilaterally cut their salaries and bennies, the $40,000 sticker shock is the last thing he needed right now.

A more respectable hybrid at a cheaper price would not have produced any stories and no griping by his enemies, but now he's stuck with this not so flattering image that he is better than everyone else, even though he has taken a 10% pay cut.

And to make matters worse when the paper asked why he didn't just buy his own car he noted, "I would if they paid me like they pay other" school leaders.

Open mouth, insert foot.

Greece Fire

2011-08-10T13:53:00.001-07:00

It is the state treasurer's job to keep his eye keenly on the economic ball and at the first sign of trouble, he blows the whistle.

If you look closely you can see Andy Dillon puckering up.

While the domestic political blame game continues on whether the Tea Party cabal caused the Monday meltdown on Wall Street, the experts assert it was an international deficit/red ink problem that precipitated the tumble.

Mr. Dillon is also looking over seas for the "real" threat to Michigan's comeback.

The bogey man is not on Wall Street or in the Congress. "The biggest risk I see is you have trouble with Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland. If trouble happens there, I could see a contagious effect that could affect our economy in North America."

Translated: You thought Monday was bad, try world-wide bankruptcies on for size.

Years ago before all this economic globalization mumbo gumbo, folks on this side of the pond give two hoots about what happened on the other side. Now the harsh reality is if anyone of those countries goes in the dumper, the resulting shock waves could reach these shores. And your 401-K goes down another notch.

Some Democrats are crying about impending federal budget cuts that may also impact Michigan's fragile recovery but even though he is a Democrat, Mr. Dillon has not joined the chorus.

In fact he's singing a different tune. In the near term the state is harvesting more money than anticipated and even if Congress slices some services here, Mr. Dillon figures the state can survive. But he warns three to five years out, if the feds continue to whack away at its deficit, "we need to be prepared for it."

So despite the harsh reality this week, apparently all is not lost…if you believe Mr. D.

You do, don't you?

Rocky Road for Rick

2011-08-08T16:57:00.001-07:00

Here's that bump in the road for the new governor who, up until right now, has been movin' along and singin' a song. Soon he will be carrying a different tune now that Michigan's fragile recovery has suddenly become more fragile.

How so?

Three words: Congress and Wall Street.

These are the same folks that brought us to the brink of a new depression and now this encore.

The weak-kneed budget deal in Congress and the Wall Street credit down grading have combined to give the new governor a massive economic headache, only it appears he doesn't know he has it yet.

The Democrats in this town are all up in arms that it is only a matter of time before the folks in the nation's capitol will order another round of trickle down budget cuts impacting the state budget.

"It will be devastating," moans the ranking Democrat on the House Budget committee in Lansing. Rep. Fred Durhals, Jr. (D-Detroit) is playing Paul Revere and warning everyone that another ugly budget battle is looming.

The almost upbeat governor is not ready to go there. Yes, he concedes there will be some cuts, but how deep and how broad, he does not know and apparently until he does, he is not bracing for the worst.

For a business guy with all sorts of business acumen, it seems a bit out of character. Maybe he flunked Boy Scouts where they teach you to be prepared.

Even though lawmakers finished the budget four months ahead of schedule, it's a good bet, with impending service cuts from D.C., they will have to revisit it later this fall. Durhal predicts a battle as the R's will want to cut and the D's will want new revenue.

And finally the Standard and Poors downgrade, which produced a nifty 600 point sell off on the market. Do you suppose that will help or hurt the governor's economic recovery blue print?

In order words, the governor is in for his first rude awakening and will be reaching for the pain relievers real soon.

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2011-08-04T14:04:00.001-07:00

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Two Faces Have I

2011-08-04T14:01:00.001-07:00

Will the real Bob King please stand up.

There's the flame-throwing Bob King who stood on the state capitol steps and lambasted the GOP Gov. Rick Snyder during some pro-labor and anti-Snyder rallies earlier this year.

And then there's the guy who showed up in town recently to begin contract talks with the Snyder administration. He not only ditched the flame-thrower, he was on his best behavior as he brushed aside a correspondent's question for being too divisive.

Mr. King. Do you believe public employees are overpaid compared to those in the private sector?

"There is plenty of data to show that is not true, but I feel like that's a question of division" and today we are here to talk about working together on a new contract.

So which face is the real one?

Turns out it's both.

He concedes he has "strong political and philosophical differences" with the business CEO turned governor, but he quickly adds he had the same misgivings with auto company executives and that did not stop Mr. King from working with them either.

Mr. King believes the governor is "sincere" when he asserts he does want to work with labor. In fact Mr. King reveals the governor has told him he wants to use the so-called Ford model of collaboration..the kind that King used with Ford executives to help the car maker survive.

So instead of brick bats, Mr. King is using, dare we say, relentless positive action in his dealing with the new governor.

A career civil servant, however, was asked is she believed the governor on this labor cooperation stuff? She paused and offered this insightful quip, "I would say I'd have to wait and see on that."

Which is the same thing Mr. King is doing.

Virgil Milquetoast

2011-08-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week we asked the real Bob King, UAW President, to stand up. Now extend the same invitation to Virg Bernero.

Surely you remember the surly Angriest Mayor in America who went down in flames at the hands of the Nerdiest Governor in America Rick Snyder?

Candidate Bernero was all over Mr. Snyder with heated rhetoric and breathless charges about him being the CEO in charge…chief economic outsourcer.

But now comes a kinder-gentler Mayor Bernero pledging to "extend my hand across the street to the governor. We want to work with him."

So will the real Mr. Benero please stand up.

With the campaign history, the wise Mr. Bernero has concluded that if he wants to get anything for his city from the GOP administration, he should bury the stick and starting use some carrot language instead.

"I'm still hopeful. We're working with the administration on a number of things," he reflects at the six month mark of the Snyder reign.

Bernero wants the governor to extend state tax credits for brownfield developments calling it a win for everyone when land is clean-up and prepped for new job creations.

During the campaign it did not take much to secure a pithy Bernero sound bite that lashed out at his opponent, but when asked the other day if the governor was anti-labor, Mr. Nice Guy Mayor punted.

"I'm not prepared to say that…I will leave that to others to make that assessment."

So is he drinking the GOP kool-aide?

No. He does say the governor went too far with his Emergency Manager law that Bernero says takes a "brick-bat" to the cities and he's not too fond of the governor's machete approach to state aid to the cities, either.

So does that mean, he gives the governor failing marks?

"I leave the letter grading to my wife," he deadpans deferring the question to his elementary school principal spouse.

Alright then, what is her grade?

Virgil Milquetoast suggests with a chuckle, "You will have to ask her."

Geez..he's no fun anymore.

Scott First Recall Victim?

2011-07-30T17:53:00.001-07:00

The list of Republicans subject to a possible recall is about as long as your arm as the anti-Snyder and pro-labor forces out there are on the march. But there isn't anybody in this town who believes for one second that dozens of lawmakers will be ousted from office.

But picking off one or two?

Now we can talk.

Item: Rep. Paul Scott (R-Genesee County).

Mr. Scott is a bit of an anomaly..a Republican in a heavily leaning Democratic region of the state. Yet he won his house seat, he says, by a comfortable margin as he "beat the UAW" in the contest last year.

He chairs the House Education Committee which has been steadily grinding out "anti-teacher" legislation according to the Michigan Education Association which is up to its eyeballs in trying to oust the chairman.

With a goal of 10,000 names to bring this to a vote, the recall effort, reportedly collected about a third of the signatures in less than a week. A $25,00O union contribution will certainly help as the August 5 deadline approaches.

Mr. Scott confides if they got every teacher and UAW member to sign, this could get interesting, yet he reflects, "whatever is going to happen will happen" which is code for there is not much I can do about this. It also masks the fact that he should be shivering in his boots.

Well apparently some other forces are not nearly as sanguine because somebody is paying for robo-phone calls into the district urging citizens not to sign the recall petitions.

One person supporting the recall could not be happier in that the calls are leading some of the citizens to ask, "I didn't know there was a recall. Where can I sign one?" In other words the strategy could back fire.

Mr. Scott concedes, "that could be valid."

The governor is getting into the act by attending a fund-raiser for the targeted Republican..that's a sure sign that there is some trepidation in the GOP ranks.

Scott, in an attempt to get the last laugh, suggests, even if he is recalled, he could actually run for the seat again and end up serving longer than he can now.

But first things first. For now Mr. Scott is on the state's endangered species list.

Gov. Kill Joy

2011-07-26T17:00:00.001-07:00

Smokers and hard liquor drinkers must have been buoyed by reports the other day, that lawmakers were thinking about cutting the taxes on tobacco and booze. Talk about your Christmas in July.

It made sense in that Republicans always believe that cutting any taxes is a sure fire way to kick start the economy. Never mind that the evidence suggests it doesn't always work, but that was not the point.

It was a great political move in that many Republicans voted earlier this year to tax unsuspecting seniors, and this was a good opportunity to score some points with folks back home who might be hacked over that.

After all some do still smoke and last time we checked, liquor sales have not dropped off the map.

But turns out there is one Republican in this town who does not buy the GOP tax cut mantra, at least in this case.

Asked for his thoughts on his level of support for these two tax cuts and the governor shot back, "The level of support here would be NONE."

So much for that.

Turns out Gov. Rick Snyder is on his way to balancing the state budget and plans to slice those two sin taxes might jeopardize those efforts.

Now he was very careful to soften the blow of his lack of support by suggesting that lawmakers can debate anything they like and he respects that.

But if they send this stuff to his desk, he owns a red veto pen ready for action.

Sorry smokers and drinkers..maybe next governor.

Clark D-Who for U.S. Senate?

2011-07-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

It will be a real shocker if Clark Durant does not run for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination. In fact instead of wasting your moola on the lottery were the odds are rotten, put a little money on him as the odds are much better he will get in.

Some of you, maybe many of you are going Clark D-who?

If you were around in 1990 Mr. Durant ran for the senate but lost to GOP winner Bill Schuette who proceeded to lose to one Carl Levin.

Mr. Durant is back looking seriously and saying it is "highly likely" he will take on the equally entrenched incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.

His current day job is running the Cornerstone charter schools in Detroit where he says he is graduating and sending to college most of the kids who attend.

Earlier this year, the newly installed state GOP chair was scrambling to find somebody to take on Ms. Stabenow. Pete Hoekstra's name was in play as was Terri Lynn Land. Party Chair Bobby Shostack was apparently unimpressed with those two West Michigan folks so he asked Durant if he would make a run?

Durant said no but agreed to work the phones to find somebody who would. Subsequently Ms. Land and Mr. Hokestra took a powder and eventually Durant decided he would consider it.

Now it turns out Mr. Hoekstra has changed his mind and is running and Durant says that will not impact his own decision which he promises by the middle of next month.

He's doing all the things you do to run. He wants twenty of his friends to raise $100,000 each and has ten in line right now. He's got Bob Lutz of auto industry fame to be his finance chair if Durant gets in.

His four kids and wife have signed off but she wants to make sure the Cornerstone school project is left in capable hands if hubby runs and she wants the money thing resolved.

He's well on his way to getting there so look for those old Durant for U.S. Senate bumper stickers to be dusted off soon.

Randy Vs. Ricky

2011-07-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

The Hollywood film tax credit has captured the imagination of common folks as it was used to bring tons of well-known stars into these environs and, given our preoccupation with celebrities, it was kind neat to see the likes of George, Clint and others showing up in our own back yards.

Apparently the new governor is not celebrity struck. After all he is a CPA and the only thing that lights his fire is balancing the numbers at the end of a spread sheet.

Which explains why he was well on his way to eliminating the tax credit as just another lousy example of the state trying to pick winners and losers in ther market place.

But the plot thickens with the entrance, stage right, of one Randy Richardville. He is no Clint Eastwood or George Clooney but he is on his own mission to reinvent the Hollywood incentive to save the industry, not kill it.

Oh, it should be mentioned that Mr. Richardville is the Senate GOP leader and one of the governor's top lieutenants, but not on this one.

It's Republican leader vs. Republican governor and at this early read, it's unclear if this will be a one or three act saga.

Sen. Richardville, with relatives in the movie making business and a matinee idols look of his own, he wants to lower the credit from 42% to around 30% but producers could earn more if they worked Michigan employees and studios into the production.

"We need a whole new framework," he explains after studying the situation for the last six months while the governor was moving to end the Hollywood bait.

The Monroe Republican figures there is a "good economic return" if this new incentive is provided.

Since Mr. Richardville has been carrying the water for the governor since the first of the year, it might be time for the governor to carry the bucket for his "partner."

So far the governor has said nothing. Maybe he's holding out for a part in a new movie: The Nerd Goes to Lansing.

First You Say You Won't and Then You Do

2011-07-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

What a difference four months makes.

Last March Pete Hoekstra decided he would not run for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination.

Now he has decided he will.

Que Pasa?

During the ensuing four months, the state Republican Party looked clumsy at best and inept at worst at fielding some legitimate candidate to take on Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow.

All the would-be first tier candidates took a powder. Even though the polling suggested Ms. S. was vulnerable, no big name gun-slinger stood up.

Fast forward to the funeral last week in Grand Rapids for former First Lady Betty Ford. The West Michigan former Congressman and former GOP candidate for governor was there and one prominent Republican after another came up to Mr. Hoekstra and urged him to end the party angst by getting in.

There was a two hour family meeting. The Hoekstra children voted no. Having been through the grind of a statewide primary race for governor, they had had enough. Mrs. Hoekstra, who thought the decision made last March was in cement, was non-supportive but she was careful not to say no, per se.

Mr. Hoesktra came out of the session ready to run but as Thursday morfed into Friday he began to have some doubts. It was decided that he would notify Gov. Rick Snyder of his decision by Friday at 4:15 last week.

The appointed time came and went. Mr. Hoekstra was not going to run and delayed the phone call.

His wife said, "What do you mean, no?"

Surprised by her apparent change of heart, his answer moved back to yes.

Look for the formal announcement soon.

Good Bye Charlie

2011-07-19T03:47:00.001-07:00

If you took a DNA sample from every political journalist in this state, it's a good bet that sensitivity to another person's feelings would not be a dominant gene, if you found one at all.

Practitioners in this biz tend to be on the rough and tumble side and if they demonstrated any sympathy to the plight of another, they would have gone into social work instead.

The passing of state capitol correspondent Charlie Cain has drawn many deserved praises about how he successfully plyed his talents as he informed the readers of the Detroit News for decades.

What follows never made the papers. It speaks to the kind of human being Mr. Cain really was.

The Jennifer Granholm and Dick DeVos campaigns were engaged in some intense negoiations over the first 2006 debate between the incumbent and GOP challenger Mr. DeVos.

The DeVos camp had made a tactical bundler. It agreed to a no rules televised debate with a single moderator. The format clearly favored her.

Unable to back out, the DeVos team sought to dilute the ability of the moderator to bore in on both candidates with an endless series of questions and follow up questions.

The DeVos negoiators demanded that a second correspondent be added to the program. Unwilling to lose the debate altogether, the Granholm folks gave in and both agreed on Mr. Cain…a testimony to his stature in its own right.

The lone moderator is a superior format in that the candidates can not duck answers by running the clock or hiding behind the rules cause there are none. Mr. Cain knew that the single moderator in this case had made a career out of doing those debates.

Just after Mr. Cain was selected, the phone rang with an apology: I'm really sorry about this. I had nothing to do with it and if I had my choice I would not do the debate," he revealed his unique DNA.

"Charlie. Thanks for the call, but the important thing here is the debate and not who is moderating it. Let's make this work. No hard feelings."

Another, lesser person, would have skipped the phone call and would have been overjoyed with the chance to fire some questions at the two candidates on statewide Public TV with one million viewers.

But Mr. Cain's first concern was not enhancing his own career, but worrying about the concerns of a long time colleague and friend.

In the biz, we call that a class act which Mr. Cain certainly was.

Depends on Where You Sit

2011-07-17T05:32:00.001-07:00

Feeling better about Michigan's economy?

If you look closely there are some reasons to answer yes. Looks like the domestic car makers are making a come back of sorts. The state treasury is collecting a tad more moola which means somebody is working and paying taxes. And Republicans like to smile when they claim the governor's Relentless Positive Action stchick is actually catching on.

The senate GOP leader has caught it.

Randy Richardville appeared on Michigan Public Radio the other day during a call in with his democratic counterpart.

When the question of economic recovery came up, Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) was giving zero credit to the new Snyder administration.

"I do respect her right to be wrong on occasion," the GOP leader observed.

None of Gov. Snyder's plans have taken effect i.e. the biz tax cut. Yet Richardville feels a wave of optimism has over taken the land between Lake Michigan and Huron.

Just after the election he says the business gurus took notice that the new governor would have a "conservative agenda and a better tax structure" and at that point, he asserts, they took another look at Michigan and "the confidence started to change."

Hold the phone, Whitmer chimes in.

She correctly notes that the whopping $1.7 billion tax windfall for business comes with no writen or, for that matter, unwritten guarantee that it will produce "a single job."

Richardville had no pithy comeback for that harsh reality, but he along with Mr. Snyder continue to claim this will work. Just trust them.

You can count Ms. Whitmer as a doubting Gretchen who trusts neither on this one.

If this stuff works, Mr. Snyder will be a champ, but if Ms. Whitmer is right, he could be a chump.

Close But No Cooperation

2011-07-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

They've been talking about joining political forces but when push came to shove on the first opportunity to do so, it was a bust.

Hence the Michigan Education Association will go it alone and won't have the AARP at its side as the teacher's union tries to extricate some Republicans from their comfy legislative seats.

Based on earlier reports the two entities have commenced discussions on how they might pool their resources to have a greater impact on politics in the capitol. Both are smarting from a licking they took as the Snyder juggernaut ran rough shod over some of their core issues including a new pension tax on some seniors and hefty cuts to education and a redo of teacher tenure laws.

The fact that AARP took a walk at getting even is indicative of how tough it can be for one group that leans right to hook up with one that leans left.

"It was not their style," to get into recalls reports one insider familiar with the discussion about same.

To be sure the discussion was serious as AARP went all the way up the food chain to its parent group in Washington and word came back, thanks but no thanks.

Let's face it. Some of the conservative Republicans in the retiree group have conservative friends the MEA would like to oust.

Having said that you can see AARP advising it members on who was naughty and nice, regardless of party affilaition, when the pension vote was taken but that is a far cry from trying to boot those Republicans out of office now. The MEA will do the same thing; it's just not ready to sit around and do nothing until the election next November.

This first failed attempt, however, should not be interpreted to mean the two groups won't find common ground on something else. But for now they are O for one.

Dancing on Tables

2011-07-12T05:08:00.001-07:00

Seems as though everybody has a Betty Ford story and when you blend them together you get a mosaic of a trail blazing women who was out of step with the conservative wing of her and her husband's political party but clearly in tune with her own persona and she remained thus until her untimely death last week.

One recalls the day she showed up in Lansing in a phone bank boiler room where the state GOP was calling on folks to get out to vote. She dutifully took her seat and began pawing over the list of names plopped in front of her. First Ladies were expected to wave the flag from time to time.

Apparently seeing no relatives on the list, she picked up the phone and dialed away while the cameras recorded the whole thing for the evening news.

Was it a news worthy event?

If you stretch the definition far enough, you can, with your nose between your fingers, answer yes.

It didn't last long. In fact as soon as the news crews left, she was not far behind. But you came away with a nice and warm feeling about her.

First impressions are often wrong but this one was spot on. She had none of the vitriolic anti-this or anti-that rhetoric that flows from the mouths of some current GOP women who are on the stump.

Probably the worse thing was she had to use a rotary phone. (Yeah. It was that long ago.)

And then during one of those Public TV documentaries that nobody with a real life bothers to watch, there was a picture of the former dancer doing what else? Dancing with her shoes off on the huge table that her hubby, the president, used in the stately cabinet room in the W.H.

It was the classic and don't give a hoot Betty Ford at her charming best. Now as she is placed along side her beloved husband in Grand Rapids, the unconventional First Family of the moderate Republican President and his wonderfully unique spouse will again be a team for all eternity.

Dance on.

Blogging: Reader Beware

2011-07-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Now you too can be a political writer. Just get yourself a blog and off you go to become the next Bob Woodward or David Broder.

Apparently it doesn't matter if anybody reads your stuff; the fact that you can just do it, to borrow a phrase from the shoe guys, is the salient point.

Having said that, Gov. Rick Snyder, in his first comments ever about Internet "political" writers, says this does pose some "interesting challenges in our society."

Boy. There's an understatement.

The governor states the obvious: "There are great bloggers and there are bloggers you wonder why anyone would ever read anything they write."

Clearly there should be a "reader beware" disclaimer on lots of the Internet columns appearing under the heading of freedom of the press and speech.

The governor figures in time, the really smart consumers will figure out what is worthy and what is not. But what about the dumb ones?

"As time passes you'll find some separation. People over time will naturally find ways to separate what are really worthwhile bloggers vs. things that are just absolutely worthless that are not constructive at all in terms of the dialogue and discussion."

Perhaps he's correct but what happens in the interim before the separating separates. The fact is many readers assume, at their own peril, that because it is written down, it therefore must be true.

There is opinion, which everyone has, and then there is informed opinion which does not come with a new P.C. set up in your basement.

This vast access by anyone who wants to write is both good for the Democracy but has it's dangers, too.

Many of the musings on the world wide web fail to apply one little standard that all "real" journalists practice..double checking your sources to come as close to the truth as possible.

But as some Internet writers opine, don't let the facts get in the way of a good (and misleading) blog.

Atlanta Cheating Here?

2011-07-06T11:29:00.001-07:00

The head of the secondary school principals association does not see the immediate need for new safeguards against teacher/student cheating on proficiency exams.
Jim Ballard says at the high school level the administration of the ACT exam is done under "extremely guarded" safeguards but in the wake of the scandal in Atlanta, G.A. allegedly involving more than 150 school personnel, Ballard says the Michigan situation should be monitored and if an Atlanta-type situation arose, "we would have to do something about it."
But for now he adds, "I don't think we need new laws at this time."
"Ethics is still an important part of being an educator," he reflects and everyone knows that "cheating is wrong." Having said that however, now the stakes are even higher in that instructors, starting next year, will be evaluated based on the improvement in test scores by their students.

Rep. Bill Rogers (R-Brighton) says he understands human nature and the temptation to cheat especially when your job is on the line. "This is a profession. The temptation is there, but I certainly hope" it does not occur. He asserts that lawmakers want to address the issue of "teaching to the test" and adds, "We want to get away from that," but as long as the federal program No Child Left Behind remains on the books with a demand for 100% proficiency by 2014 in all schools, this will be a challenge for everyone, he concludes.

Old Foks Populate Casinos-No Shocker There

2011-07-06T05:00:00.001-07:00

If you factor out Las Vegas and Atlantic City, Detroit is the number three most profitable casino market in the country following Chicago and Connecticut.

Detroit even beats out Reno with has gross revenues of $684 million compared to Motown's $1.37 billion.

In it's yearly report on the state of casino gaming in this country, the American Gaming Association uncovers all sorts of interesting tidbits about this lucrative and controversial business.

Former Gov. John Engler, on whose watch the gaming industry took a foothold and mushroomed, warned he did not want to see Michigan turn into the Las Vegas of the mid-west. Well if it was not for Minnesota with its 40 casinos, Michigan would be the leader with its 24. Poor Illinois has only nine and Indiana 13. Ohio has none. You know how wimpy those Buckeyes are.

During these tough economic times, the casinos nationwide saw almost a one-percent growth after two years of declining profits. Would-be millionaires, about 55 million, pumped over $34 billion into the slots in hopes of striking it rich.

Michigan's increase was a respectable 3 percent.

And then there are the demographics on who these folks are.

O.K. you know this one: 58% of the casino visitors are over the age of 50 and one out of every four is over 65. Hence the little ole lady with a giant cup sitting at a slot machine is not too far off although they are out numbered by little ole men doing the same thing.

30% of the visitors hold college degrees and 15% have post graduate degrees..maybe some of them are doing research?

25% have household incomes between $35,000 and $60,000 a year while the truly rich make up only about 15% of the casino crowd. Hey if you got, you don't need it.

And among those who set a budget before they gamble, 40% set it at one hundred bucks while one out of five bring along more than $300.

One question they did not ask. How many smoke while you are losing your money?

The number has to be huge. Apparently when you are losing, you get at least some gratification by smoking which is why the three Detroit casinos fought for and won an exemption from the ban on public smoking that applies everywhere else.

Thaddius Who is Running for What?

2011-07-04T08:12:00.001-07:00

It is easy and with some justification to dismiss the presidential boomlet of one Thaddius McCotter the GOP Michigan Congressman. He has no name ID, has no personal wealth to siphoned off to launch such a bid, and virtually the whole political world knows he doesn't have a snow ball's chance of nailing down the GOP nomination for the White House.

But didn't they once say, Barack O'-who? Didn't they predict John Engler could not defeat Jim Blanchard? And electing a "nerd" to be governor? Come on.

Hence McCotter has a chance to do this. He's no worse than all the other GOP wanna be presidents.

While his climb is steeper than most, he and his band of merry supporters, believe he can win. What pol doesn't as they launch a bid that seems to go against all odds?

McCotter will get plenty of free media which he will need. He has easy access to his party base via the Fox News Network where he appeared recently with Mike Hucakbee.

McCotter showed his funny side when he dismissed a would-be note from Vice President Joe Biden as written in crayon. But he uncharacterically shyed away from confrontation with Mr. H. when the ex-governor revealed he thought the auto bail out was wrong. McCotter backed it but keep his mouth shut.

Points off.

McCotter has set up shop in Iowa, the first caucus state and is increasing his visibility in New Hampshire the first primary state. He's got a travel schedule that will take him to New York, Florida, California, etc.

So he is doing all the things you would do if you wanted a shot at this and until he implodes or decides it is not going to work, you can't automatically write him off although it is very tempting.

In the interim he will be fun to have around and if this flops, he can always run for Congress again although he is likely to have some competition or he can pack his rock guitar and line up a gig at some bar in Livonia…he'd have no trouble doing that.

No Boom-Boom Again

2011-07-01T13:50:00.001-07:00

Let's see. It took over thirty years to reform school financing and the bikers have spent four decades trying to get rid of their brain buckets, so how long do you think it will take to legalize "real" firecrackers in this state?

That's the question pondered by Rep. Harold Haugh (D-Roseville) who is on a one-person crusade to raise some badly needed cash for state coffers while ending the constant exodus of Michigan license plates into Ohio and Indiana to buy fireworks that actually make some noise.

The affable Mr. Haugh has come close but no exploding cigar.

"We tried hard but the Big Box stores" got in the way he reports.

Those outlets want the law written so that they can automatically sell the explosives and if local communities don't want that, they would have to vote to stop it.

The locals and Rep. Haugh wanted it the other way around i.e. local communities would have to give the green light first.

"Local control has to be dominant," argues the former Roseville mayor.

He stood his ground. The Big Boxers stood their's and for the second 4^th of July in a row, Michigan does not have a law to legalize this stuff.

He's not giving up, but it is frustrating because each time he gets close, someone else comes along with another last minute road block..

The Department of Environmental Quality was the latest example.

It wanted a piece of the financial action to store and destroy contraband fireworks that the state cops pick up.

Mr. Haugh just told them, "No."

So enjoy your sparklers this Holiday and remember if you have fireworks that go into the air, you are breaking the law. Mr. H. hopes next year to make all you"firecracker crooks" legal.

Getting Out of Dodge

2011-06-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Brace yourself. Here we go with another round of chatter over legislative time off from Lansing.

By the end of this week, the state's 148 lawmakers will have wrapped a very productive first five months in office. They got the budget done four months ahead of time; they slapped a very unpopular tax on some pensions and the business community got a windfall $1.7 billion tax break that may or may not create any new jobs.

It was impressive and they worked hard with the governor to get there, so why not leave town for two months?

Two months? Don't most working slugs get two weeks?

There are no slugs in Lansing boys and girls. July and August are set aside by the GOP leadership as time to get back to the district to see how the other half lives.

"It would be unfair to call this a recess," observes the former GOP Speaker of the Michigan House Rick Johnson who presided over time off when he was in office.

He thinks legislators are busier when they are home than up here. He may be right, but how in the heck do you prove it?

You don't.

There are not enough correspondents to go around the state to keep tabs on what is actually being done during these two months. So the "honor system" will have to apply.

Yeah, that is a little scary.

Certainly Gov. Rick Snyder must have concerns given his self-described work-a-holic drive to get things done. You can't do much reinventing if there's nobody in town to reinvent.

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm once complained about all the time off and she was escorted to the legislative woodshed where leaders from her own party told her to knock it off pronto.

Hence, Mr. Snyder is not about to take the same pratfall.

"They are back in the district. So they're not really taking time off," he lectured the capitol press corps the other day.

"This is part of the normal tradition," he reflected.

Ah. Traditions. Aren't they grand.

RTW Train Coming

2011-06-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Even though there were some in the news media that lusted for a Wisconsin-like confrontation here between labor and Republicans, it never materialized, but don't give up hope.

It's only a matter of time before conservative Republicans move on flipping Michigan into a Right to Work state whereby you don't have to join a union even if your job is in a union shop.

It's a freedom of choice issue and a job creator claim the proponents, but call it what you will, for organized labor around these parts, RTW are fighting words and fight they will.

State Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer sums it up the best, "It will create the biggest multi-year fight that will be all over the national news. Why would anyone want to invest here when we have that kind of fighting going on here in Michigan?"

Now Mr. Brewer and the new GOP governor share very little in common but they agree on the blood-bath a protracted labor vs. business battle would spawn.

During the campaign and now in office, Gov. Rick Snyder has made it clear that RTW is not on his immediate or far-range agenda. He has said he would sign it, if it got to his desk, but betting money is, he never wants to see it on his desk.

But some conservatives are not detracted from their mission.

Leading the charge is Rep. Marty Knollenberg out of Oakland County who reflects on Brewer's dire warning with: "That's a matter of debate."

As for his governor's less than rousing endorsement, the GOP lawmaker observes, "It's our job to bring things to him." But what if he doesn't want this brought to him?

The governor must know this kind of conservative stuff is not going to vanish just because he thinks it should. Which is maybe why he is fixin' to keep lawmakers busy on a host of other issues when they return from summer break.

Recall Cone of Silence

2011-06-23T16:08:00.001-07:00

Here's an up to the minute update on the effort to recall Gov. Rick Snyder.

There is no update.

The good folks running this thing have clamped a cone of silence on the effort.

"We're doing very well," is the only comment one of the organizers would volunteer when asked how many signatures had been collected.

Does that mean they have ten thousand names or ten?

They ain't saying.

Now the cynic might conclude, they obviously won't release the number because it is so pitiful. To reveal it would indicate that the recall effort is deader than a door nail and that would erase any hope of gathering one million names by August 5^th.

You read that correctly. The recallers need about 10,000 names everyday in order to reach that objective and while they deserve credit for acting on their beliefs that the gov. should go, the reality is, it would be a miracle if they got the names to force a statewide vote in November.

The "committee" as Tim Kramer of Oakland County describes it, has a different reason for sitting on the number: Security and they want to get it right or as one web site put it, "We would rather be 100% accurate in our assessment than misrepresenting the current standing."

It is true that during the ill-fated recall of one Gov. John Engler, those organizers hyped the media with glowing reports of hundreds of thousands of names and with no way to check it, the media reported same. Ah, but alas the number was far less.

It is pretty clear that these organizers are passionate and at one web location, a writer tried to prove it by saying, "This is not some girl cookie sale (apparently leaving out the word scout), we are serious, covering all our bases and intend to take back our state from Engler, Snyder and maybe Dick Cheney." (Not sure how Cheney got into this mess?)

While they steadfastly refuse to provide an update, the web sight does reveal they have a goal of $250,000 and to date, they've raised about $14,000.

You can pretty much figure out where this thing is headed with or without the release of any numbers.

Calley Is No Cherry

2011-06-21T03:45:00.001-07:00

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm had zero experience in Lansing when she decided to run for governor. So she picked a running mate who did.

Gov. Rick Snyder did the same thing when he tapped Rep. Brain Calley for his running mate and there the parallell between the two governors and their second in command ends.

Ms. Granholm's selection of veteran Lansing insider John Cherry was a grand move. He knew everyone. She knew no one. He knew how to make a legislative deal. She was better in a room by herself with a pen.

But somehow it sorta just didn't totally work out. Cherry was used by her and in the best sense of the word, but it never reached the level of the current dynamic duo.

The theme song for Gov. Snyder and L.G. Calley should be "Wherever you go, whatever you do, we're gonna go through it together."

Gov. Granholm could not sing that tune and popular wisdom in town was Mr. Cherry was under utilized because there was only room on the stage for one star and he was not it.

Gov. Snyder, in strong contrast, is fond of saying. "This is not about me. It's about we" and that certainly includes Mr. Calley who has turned out to be the point man on every major item on the governor's reinvention agenda.

Pension tax? Calley worked it.

Budget? Calley worked it.

Bridge? Calley is working it but not getting very far.

But the point is, Mr. Snyder has surrounded himself with a better team than the previous governor who went through Chiefs of Staff like a knife through butter and Calley does not have to claw his way into the inner circle. He is the inner circle.

Wonder if Mr. Cherry ever ponders what might have been, had he worked for the Nerd instead of the Rock Star?