Governor Jennifer Granholm (D-Northville)

by: lpackard

Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 16:25:43 PM EST

Biography:

Jennifer M. Granholm was elected the 47th governor of the State of Michigan in November 2002. Since taking office, she has successfully resolved over $4 billion in budget deficits, trimming more from state government than any governor in Michigan’s history. A fiscal hawk, Granholm has worked to ensure that state government spends every penny efficiently, while aggressively pursuing her top priorities: growing Michigan’s economy and maintaining the state’s high quality of life.

Granholm has focused on improving Michigan’s economy through the most comprehensive plan in the country – her Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow plan. Her economic agenda includes creating thousands of jobs for Michigan workers this year by accelerating infrastructure projects, training unemployed workers for high-demand jobs, and by diversifying Michigan’s economy through the unprecedented $2 billion 21st Century Jobs for Michigan Fund. The fund was created to help diversify Michigan’s economy in key industries including the life sciences, alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, and homeland security and defense technology. Governor Granholm has also reduced the red tape businesses face when seeking permits from the state.

And she’s gotten results. Since taking office in 2003, Governor Granholm’s administration has helped to create and retain some 331,000 jobs. She has met face-to-face with businesses from across the country and around the world – and her leadership is paying off. Two trade missions to Japan have resulted in more than 1,000 new jobs and more than $200 million in new investment from Japanese companies.

Governor Granholm is going anywhere and doing anything to create jobs for Michigan workers, and direct action by her administration is convincing major corporations to create jobs and expand in Michigan. Keebler relocated its headquarters from Illinois to Battle Creek. Toyota is putting 400 people to work in York Township at its new Technical Center. And when manufacturing jobs left Greenville for Mexico, Governor Granholm stepped in and helped convince United Solar Ovonic to open a new manufacturing facility there.

Michigan was cited by Governing magazine (February 2005) as an outstanding leader in its Government Performance Project (GPP) report titled, "Grading the States 2005." The nationwide report card gives Michigan and the Granholm administration high marks in the areas of money, people, infrastructure, and information management. Only Virginia and Utah scored higher than Michigan.

Governor Granholm’s focus on families has meant extending affordable prescription drug coverage and health care coverage to more than 292,000 Michigan families. Granholm saved the state nearly $40 million in 2003 when she introduced the nation's first bulk-buying pool for prescription drugs; and then she extended those savings to citizens by introducing the MiRx Card, which provides discount prescription drugs to uninsured families. Since 2003, Granholm has also enrolled nearly 50,000 additional children for health insurance through the Healthy Kids and MiCHILD programs. In 2006, Governor Granholm signed into law legislation that increases Michigan’s minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $6.95 per hour in October 2007, and up to $7.40 per hour in July 2008 – the first increase in Michigan’s minimum wage in nine years.

Despite tough fiscal times, Granholm has increased spending for Michigan’s public schools. In 2005, for the first time, classrooms in Michigan received record funding at levels promised by the previous administration. The first in her family to attend college, Granholm has championed universal access to higher education. She successfully challenged state universities to hold the line on tuition increases and has proposed a first-in-the-nation program that would award $4,000 to every Michigan student who completes two years of post-secondary education.

Granholm began her career in public service as a clerk for U.S. Judge Damon Keith on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. She considers Judge Keith a mentor to this day. In 1990, Granholm became a federal prosecutor in Detroit, where she maintained a 98 percent conviction rate. In 1994, Granholm was appointed Wayne County Corporation Counsel. She worked to reduce taxpayer-funded lawsuit payouts by 87 percent.

Elected Michigan’s first female Attorney General in 1998, Granholm continued her fight to protect Michigan’s citizens and consumers. She established the state’s first High Tech Crime Unit to prosecute Internet crimes. Following the September 11th attacks on the United States, Granholm led a multi-agency effort to ensure that Michigan laws could effectively be used to fight terrorism at the state level. In the wake of the attacks, she also cracked down on gas stations gouging consumers at the pump. As Attorney General, Granholm also started a successful statewide mentoring initiative.

Granholm was elected by the people of Michigan to serve as their first woman chief executive on November 6, 2002.

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Granholm is an honors graduate of both the University of California at Berkeley and Harvard Law School. She serves as Vice Chair of the Democratic Governors Association and Chair of the National Governor’s Association Health and Human Services Committee. She and her husband, Daniel G. Mulhern, have three children.(from Governor's page)

Past Election Results

by: lpackard

Mon Jan 23, 2006 at 10:56:47 AM EST

Race for Gov: Undecided Losing Badly

by: JPowers155

Fri Aug 13, 2010 at 14:42:34 PM EDT

The DetNews is saying that Snyder is beating the heck out of Virg and crushing Undecided. 

Republican Rick Snyder heads into the general election campaign with a nearly 20-point lead over Democrat Virg Bernero in the race for governor, according to a Detroit News-WDIV poll released Wednesday.

The Ann Arbor businessman holds a 51 percent to 32 percent edge over Lansing's mayor, with 18 percent of likely voters undecided. The candidates have roughly equal name recognition -- 88 percent for Snyder and 80 percent for Bernero -- but with widely divergent favorability ratings.

In other news, it looks like Snyder etal is afraid to debate the former debater.  Either that, or the crack new campaign team forgot to read the sticky notes left around from the previous crew. I guess they've heard the rumors (actually true) that Hizzoner is a champion former debater who can pretty much smack down (or maybe even smite) the competition because he's a first negative.  (Yeah, I know like 4% of the readers of the post know what that means but if you do... you get it.  Game, set, match, b*&^h, nuke.)

Don't count out Virg... he's a fighter and he's already kicked Undecided's butt.  I have a feeling the Angry Mayor is coming for the Nerd and it isn't going to be pretty come Election Day.

Washtenaw County Elections 2010 Examiner Digest--Post-Primary Edition

by: Neon Vincent

Mon Aug 09, 2010 at 01:22:25 AM EDT

Examiner.com: Votes on millage proposals show little anti-tax sentiment
By Vince Lamb, Washtenaw County Election 2010 Examiner

Many column inches have been written about the anti-tax sentiment sweeping the country in the form of Tea Party protests and town hall meetings during the past year.  However, only a relatively small amount of that well-publicized hostily to taxation was in evidence Tuesday, as ten of the thirteen ballot proposals involving property taxes passed, some by impressive margins with relatively strong turnouts exceeding the county average of 21.28%.  Only the renewal of the millage for the general operating budget for Manchester Township, one of the millage renewals for police protection in Northfield Township, and the bond proposal for the Saline Area Schools failed.

Details on the ballot proposals at the link in the headline.

Examiner.com: Little anti-incumbent sentiment in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti races as office holders win
By Vince Lamb, Washtenaw County Election 2010 Examiner

In municipal primary elections held last Tuesday, all the incumbents running to keep their offices won.  In Ann Arbor, the mayor and five council members won strong, in some cases overwhelming victories over an insurgent slate.  In Ypsilanti, the mayor and the one council member who ran for re-election also won by large margins.

These electoral wins came despite widely publicized anti-incumbent sentiment which claimed only a few victims in the state, most notably Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, who lost her congressional seat in the primary.

Details on the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti municipal elections at the link.

It looks both these memes (anti-incumbent and anti-tax) held little weight in local elections.  Take that, Tea Party!

Other races, including Governor and U.S. House of Representatives, on the other side of the jump.

True colors

by: Bootsy

Mon Aug 02, 2010 at 18:22:04 PM EDT

From Right Michigan yesterday:

From my viewpoint as an advocate for the Second Amendment and as part of the pro-Life minority in the Democratic Party, I second (or third) your support for Cox.  His record on both issues outweighs his past indiscretions.  And as a northern Michigan resident, for what it's worth, I'd also like to add my Democratic support in your primary for both Jason Allen for the 1st Congressional District and Dennis Lennox in the 105th House District.

Guess who?

Say it ain't so, Brady!  Dillon was one thing.... but Cox?  

Lessenberry: Bernero "showed an astonishing lack of comprehension of the issues"

by: MSURyanJ

Wed Jul 28, 2010 at 11:24:32 AM EDT

Not surprisingly he pretty much dumps on all of the Republican candidates, save some complimentary words towards Rick Snyder.

On the Democratic side, however, he let this bomb drop on Virg Bernero.

Bernero often goes off half-cocked. He has taken Matty Moroun's money, and opposes the vitally necessary Detroit River International Crossing bridge.

When I questioned him about this, he showed an astonishing lack of comprehension of the issues, and when presented with information about Moroun's career as a slumlord and generally bad citizen, said he believed in the possibility of deathbed conversion.

Ouch.

Granted, he doesn't seem particularly excited about Andy Dillon either, but does sum up the Democratic race this by saying he's the best option.

He (Dillon) is clearly the better choice, if only because he is the only candidate who has tried to do something sensible about the Michigan budget mess

The whole story is available here:
http://www.metrotimes.com/news...

Who REALLY has the momentum in the Governor's race?

by: MSURyanJ

Sun Jul 25, 2010 at 22:49:17 PM EDT

Supporters of Virg Bernero were on top of the world last week.  Political pundit Bill Ballenger released a poll of the Democratic race that he stated showed such a "substantial lead" for Bernero that he was ready to call the race right then and there.

Supporters cheered while Bernero released statements showing his campaign had the momentum behind it now and it was all going to be smooth sailing from there.

But just as quickly as that good feeling set in, it seems like it was pulled away as reality came crashing in.

Where was this momentum coming from that Bernero bragged about?   Dillon had just come off getting the endorsements of Detroit Mayor Bing, former mayor Archer, and the bulk of the rest of the prominent Detroit officials.  Considering Detroit is likely to represent a sizeable percentage of the overall turnout on August 3rd, that was certainly momentum for Dillon.

A Lansing Resident's Take on Bernero

by: HeatherH

Sun Jul 18, 2010 at 13:48:05 PM EDT

I know there have been a lot of posts here already advocating the pros and cons of both Andy Dillon and Virg Bernero.  To be honest, I know little about Dillon, but I have learned quite a bit about Bernero as a resident of Lansing and dealing with him as our Mayor.

Unfortunately, my experiences with him aren't good.  I've never been one to get actively involved in local politics until an issue came up a couple of years ago involving Lansing's munical golf courses.  I live right next to one of them, a very nice course that our community was always proud of.  It was kept up well, was a nice "gateway" to Lansing coming from one of the major roads going into the city, and best of all, the course was self sustaining.  It, barring unforseen expenses, paid for itself.

more...

In which Brady screws up royally

by: Michigan Awesome

Mon Jul 12, 2010 at 21:38:59 PM EDT

On July 8, MSURyanJ posted an ironically-titled diary attacking the Bernero ad being run by the Genesee County Democratic Committee. Of course, as is par for the course, MSURyanJ went after the Bernero campaign for the ad, when it was independently produced by the Genesee Dems.

In the same thread, Brady decided to participate in a little race-baiting while on the taxpayers' dime...

So Much For Civility, Virg TV is On The Air!

by: MSURyanJ

Thu Jul 08, 2010 at 15:12:56 PM EDT

I, like many others, was hoping that if nothing else, the Democrats could get through the primary election without resorting to name calling, mud slinging, and outright slandering their opponent.  Whoever the party's candidate for Governor ultimately winds up being, after all, is going to have enough of an uphill battle against their Republican opponent already.

For the first few months, it seemed we were going to have a relative peace.  Each candidate had their share of "here's why I'm better than the other guy" slogans, but nobody had gone off the deep end.  Then the debates happened and we took a turn for the worse, as Virg Benero kept using cheap, tired insults against Andy Dillon like "Speaker of the Mess," and the nonsensical "fat cat."  

I was still hoping against all odds that things could get back on track and we could keep things focused on the issues, but that all went out the window today when I turned on my TV and saw Bernero's first ad finally hit the airwaves.  Calling it an attack ad wouldn't do it justice.  Calling it a trainwreck might.

In MI Governor Race, 42 Percent of Dems Still Undecided

by: carissapicard

Sat Jun 19, 2010 at 09:50:35 AM EDT

New Political Ad Watchdog Group: Michigan Truth Squad

by: MonFineis

Thu Jun 03, 2010 at 13:18:25 PM EDT

Submit political campaign ad tips to www.MichiganTruthSquad.com

All of Macomb County endorses Bernero

by: Bootsy

Thu May 20, 2010 at 20:32:38 PM EDT

Macomb Daily:

The gubernatorial campaign of Virg Bernero received a big boost in Macomb County today when 36 prominent Democrats endorsed his candidacy over the competing bid by House Speaker Andy Dillon.

Those backing the Lansing mayor's run include three longtime officials from the past -- former congressman David Bonior, former prosecutor Carl Marlinga, and former state Senate minority leader Art Miller.

Bonior said he hadn't known much about Bernero until recently, when the mayor made numerous, spirited appearances on national TV and radio shows defending federal loans to ailing automakers. Bernero's impassioned support for working families and American manufacturers, he said, is what Michigan needs from its next governor.

Others backing Bernero include: county Treasurer Ted Wahby, Clerk Carmella Sabaugh and Public Works Commissioner Anthony Marrocco; state Reps. Sarah Roberts and Fred Miller; county board Chairman Paul Gieleghem and 12 of his fellow commissioners; and Sterling Heights Mayor Richard Notte.

While Dillon and his supporter, Brady, continue to spin about Bernero's supposedly "anti-labor" record (despite the endorsements of the AFL-CIO, the state's largest labor federation, and the UAW, the state's largest union), labor-rich Macomb County is lining up to support Virg Bernero.

Not only that, but Bernero's endorsements today included David Bonior. As any good MichLib reader knows, Bonior is the chair of the board of American Rights at Work (a pro-labor organization), a former Labor Studies professor at Wayne State, and someone with a record of fighting for working families his whole career. It will be interesting hearing how David Bonior is spun into being somehow anti-labor too.

Also: Dillon got the endorsement of Buzz Thomas today.

For those keeping score at home: that's 36 endorsements for Virg Bernero today, and 1 for Andy Dillon. (Dillon's website also lists the Mayor of Westland as a major endorser, the only elected official listed).

Hoekstra's Campaign Spokesperson - Fan of Controversial Facebook Page?

by: MSURyanJ

Tue Apr 27, 2010 at 11:42:17 AM EDT

Meet John Truscott:

http://www.truscottgroup.com/Team.aspx

John is a well paid Republican strategist in Lansing who served as John Engler's Press Secretary during his term as Governor, and currently serves as the spokesperson for Congressman Pete Hoekstra's campaign for Governor.  

According to his  biography on his website, John is "one of the foremost experts in the area of public relations and politics in Michigan."  Maybe, but if that's the case, he might want to give himself a quick refresher course in how NOT to use social media.  

A quick look at Mr. Truscott's personal Facebook page reveals that he is a member of a highly controversial Facebook page that recites a prayer which seems to be asking God to strike down President Obama.  

See for yourself:
http://i41.tinypic.com/er0cwm.gif

Clicking on a facebook page like that out of curiosity is one thing, but actually becoming a fan of the page (or "liking" the page as Facebook now seems to call it) seems like a whole other story.

I'd ask what Congressman Hoekstra's opinion is on the matter, but I'm sure he'd just refer my question back to his spokesperson for a response.

What if you threw a campaign and no one came?

by: LiberalLucy

Sun Feb 28, 2010 at 17:52:13 PM EST

As we heard on Friday, House Speaker Andy Dillon told the world that he would be announcing his official run for governor today on Sunday with a state-wide tour with several stops around the state, including Saginaw. 

Just a couple hours ago, MLive ran with a story that 'technical difficulties' prevented Mr. Dillon from holding his appearance in Saginaw. What technology?? Unless he had a laser show planned, technology never has a place in a campaign stop.

Not only that, but rumors from folks on the ground in the area are pretty conclusive that the only thing lacking was the actual supporters to provide the camera-ready backdrop for the media despite multiple attempts to shore up support by senior staff. 

Even more interesting is who did meet with Dillon on an earlier date.

According to sources, Dillon met with an 'unknown entity' in Midland on Feb. 15th, the same day he was trying to meet with local Democratic party officials in Saginaw. 

Given Dillon's conservative politics of the last 5 years, the odds are pretty good that he was having a close door meeting with the extreme-right minds of the Mackinac Center.

While it's pure speculation at this point, it's not too much of a stretch, particularly when you consider the politics of both parties, as well the lack of berating by the Center of Dillon as of late. Say what you will, but given Mackinac's love of beating up Democrats, they've been awfully quiet when it comes to the Speaker. 

At the end of the day, the Mackinac Center maybe the best Dillon can get. After a long reign of vehemently anti-labor, anti-environmental, anti-stem cell, anti-everything progressive, Dillon is the Democratic proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing at best.

Perhaps the only 'technical difficulities' Dillon's campaign had in Saginaw was getting the Right folks out. 

Recap of Statewide Democratic candidates forum in Ypsilanti yesterday

by: Eclectablog

Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 20:19:33 PM EST

From L-R, Rebekah Warren, Alma Wheeler-Smith, Jocelyn Benson, Richard Bernstein, Pam Byrnes, Pastor Jerry Hatter

Full recap after the jump.

Making MI-Gov news today: John Freeman, Denise Ilitch

by: Bootsy

Tue Jan 12, 2010 at 13:12:57 PM EST

In an email sent to supporters a little after 12:30, John Freeman made this statement:

Having consulted with my family and given it serious reflection, I've decided to end my campaign for governor of Michigan.

Given our state's economic woes and my obligations to both my family and job, it became clear that the amount of money required to run a viable campaign was out of reach.

For the many Michiganders who welcomed me into their homes and donated their time, energy and resources to this campaign, I will be forever grateful. For the family and friends who offered me their devotion, love, and support, I am fortunate to have people like you in my life. And for all those who dream of a better future for our state, the work continues.

I will work to build a better Michigan by continuing to strive for comprehensive health care reform, so that Michigan's businesses can compete around the world, working families can be freed from skyrocketing costs, and nobody will die or be forced out of their home simply because they can't pay their medical bills.

I will continue fight for progressive ideals, just as I always have, and fully expect to support the Democratic nominee for governor.

On a final note, Supporter, I ask that you continue to strive towards a better future. Robert Kennedy said that often in politics, there's a danger of feeling futile, like there's nothing you can do against the enormity of the problems we face. Yet, Kennedy said, "each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls..."

Those ripples don't care if you're in elected office or just an everyday citizen; we all have the power to stand up for what we believe, and to create those ripples of hope. And eventually, those ripples will build up.

Together, if we all do our part, we can continue to make a wave.

Thank you.

more...

Hansen Clarke For Governor 2010

by: TomChoske

Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 16:42:55 PM EST

State Senator Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit) has just filed papers to run for Governor. From his personal Facebook status:

Hansen Clarke filed papers at 2:31pm today in Lansing to run for the Office of Governor in the great State of Michigan.

As well, MIRS picked up on the story as well. Expect other media outlets to follow. The final confirmation came from Hansen's wife, Choi, who wrote:

Choi Palms-Cohen is extremely proud to announce that her husband, Sen. Hansen Clarke, has filed papers today to run for the Office of Governor of the great State of Michigan!

I think this is not just great for Senator Clarke, but also for Michigan. Hansen has been a long-time advocate of the little guy in Lansing, and, while others 'play the game' to get bills passed, he's stuck to his guns and refuses to do anything that violates his moral or ethical principles. Furthermore, I've never seen him turn away an idea without giving it proper consideration- given the status of our state's economy, a leader who is willing to listen and consider all options before making a decision is exactly what we need.

I personally worked with the Senator for two years in his office. Beforehand, I had worked in other government offices and for other candidates, and since have left to join the private sector. While some may think this makes me biased, I believe it gives me a lot of credibility in assessing his merits to attain to the highest office in the state. My assessment is that he is one of the most decent and honorable people I've met in my life, and a true example of a concerned citizen who broke into politics with a message that hasn't let that message be muddled by special interests or insider politics. I believe he will make a great Democratic candidate and a strong leader to take Michigan out of its Lost Decade and into a prosperous future.

UPDATE by ScottyUrb (3:52 PM): The one and only Todd Heywood at Michigan Messenger had a chance to meet with Clarke. That has more on Clarke as well as his thoughts as he begins his campaign.

The Politics of the One-Two Bitch Slap: Larry Summers & Rick Snyder Rap Ned Staebler and MEDC

by: A2Politico

Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 20:28:17 PM EST

As I mentioned in a Tweet, I've been behind in my reading. I read more periodicals than should be legal, but there you have it. Among those periodicals is The New Yorker. I was reading an October 21st article about President Obama's economic advisor Dr. Lawrence Summers, when the piece suddenly veered toward Michigan and right into downtown Ann Arbor. The piece described a visit Summers made to Michigan and a meeting with Governor Granholm and her top economic advisor, Ned Staebler. Yep, that Ned Staebler, the one who is currently having holiday parties, cocktail parties, birthday parties, baby naming parties, bar mitvah parties and First Communion parties where attendees come together to deposit their cash and check-filled envelopes in party boy Ned Staebler's wishing well. If Staebler happens to be shopping at Hiller's when you're in the store, move quickly to the nearest exit, as your shopping excursion could turn into a "party," and you will be expected to pay $200 to be in the same building with the 53rd District House representative wanna-be. 

A2Politico, always one to pick up on the current trends, is having a party soon. Sometime after I figure out how to deposit your checks. I digress. 

In The New Yorker piece, the author watches as Staebler describes to Dr. Summers an economic development loan program Michigan had just created to help old-line firms make the transition to new-economy industries, like solar-panel production and microchips, and the meeting turned into a plea to the Obama Administration to adopt the program as a federal plan.

"Ned Staebler, one of Granholm's top economic advisers, explained excitedly that the new assistance program for struggling companies had already approved its first loan even though he hadn't advertised the program....."

Pay close attention to the last part of that sentence: "even though he hadn't advertised the program....." because Lawrence Summers was listening.

The New Yorker author writes, [Summers], turned to Ned Staebler. Granholm seemed to hold her breath as Summers prepared to deliver his verdict on the new loan program. 'You said you hadn't really marketed your program at all, and you've been able to get a number of people who have been able to take advantage of it without marketing,' Summers told Staebler. 'One reaction was 'Isn't that terrific? There's this demand without marketing it.'  But, he added, another way to look at it was that Staebler had started a program of loans in which only 'the people who are well connected and fortunate enough to know about them are able to take advantage of them.' Summers said that the Michigan program reminded him of a term used to criticize Asian countries during the financial crisis of the nineties: 'crony capitalism.'"

I smiled broadly when I read that. Who ever thought little old A2Politico would ever have anything in common with one of the 21st century's brainiest economists? Turns out we can both recognize crony capitalism when we see it. I've been writing about the Den of Crony Capitalism gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder birthed here in Ann Arbor: Ann Arbor SPARK. Snyder has been criss-crossing the state telling folks that he wants to bring the SPARK model of economic development to Lansing. Maybe he can spread the Bubonic Plague while he's at it. Turns out Rick Snyder isn't the only crony capitalist with an Ann Arbor SPARK connection who wants to spread the crony capitalism model far and wide.

Republican Washtenaw County Commissioner Mark Ouimet, a member of the Executive Committee of Ann Arbor SPARK, and a wanna-be for Representative Pam Byrnes's 52nd District House seat, was recently quoted in the Manchester paper as saying that, "Here in Washtenaw County, our local chambers of commerce and the Ann Arbor SPARK do an amazing job of bringing together job providers, policy makers and local interest groups to insure that all are working together to promote our region and the opportunities that exist for business here. I've been honored to hold leadership positions at the chambers and SPARK and can attest to the important need for strong partnership from our legislators in Lansing. I intend to foster that partnership."

I read that and a cold grue ran through me. Typhoid Mark. 

So what do you think I read today? Rick Snyder issued a press release that was a big old bitch slap of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), where Ned Staebler works as a VP, and gives away billions of our tax dollars as "incentives" for a living. Snyder is quoted in the press release as alleging that, "The MEDC has been mismanaged by the current administration....The use of tax incentives should include performance objectives, reportable results, and be transparent to citizens. The state currently gives out $6.3 billion more in tax credits, deductions and incentives than it takes in yearly in tax revenue - more than $30 billion a year in handouts that are supposed to be stimulating our economy. There is little transparency or accountability in what return the state is getting on those investments."

Before you fist bump Snyder for finally realizing that tax incentives need to be coupled with absolute transparency and iron clad accountability, remember that he instituted none of these nifty reforms while the CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK, the Washtenaw County economic development entity created in 2005 by the MEDC with Snyder as President. In fact, representatives from Ann Arbor SPARK said just a few days ago that they are not in the business of verifying the results of the economic development money they distribute. A SPARK official claimed to track the actual number of jobs created by the companies funded with our tax dollars would require hiring another employee, and Ann Arbor SPARK had no interest in doing that. The state of Michigan, the SPARK official said, was responsible for tracking those results. Turns out the "state" isn't doing a very good job of tracking much of anything where the billions of tax credits given out are concerned.

Snyder, the Born Again Economic Tough Love Candidate, says in his press release, "Economic development incentives should be used sparingly and measured against the actual number of targeted jobs created to make the data more reliable and less subjective. The results should be posted online for everyone to see."

I'd love to say something cheery like, "You GO, Girl!" 

However, there's a political kicker. Snyder tells Michigan voters he's the man to get the MEDC whipped into shape because, "...Rick has led the MEDC and Michigan toward a healthy business climate before; he can do it again. He's done it on a local level with Ann Arbor SPARK. Because he's not a career politician, he has no special interests to pay back. He has one goal: creating jobs and reinventing the state of Michigan."

No special interests to pay back? What about all his SPARK cronies? The cronies he helped as CEO of SPARK are as numerous as the stars in the sky. When we see Snyder's campaign finance disclosure forms, I suspect we'll see that many of those cronies returned his favors. Sndyer claims he can make the MEDC more transparent because he made Ann Arbor SPARK more transparent. He claims he can measure the real number of jobs created through MEDC incentives because he set up a system to do that at Ann Arbor SPARK.

Snyder's December 17th press release proves that he has either lost touch with reality, has no memory of what went on when he was President of Ann Arbor SPARK, or is as duplicitous a politician as I've seen in a good long while.

One of President Obama's top economist advisors, Lawrence Summers, described the Governor of Michigan's top economic advisor, Ned Staebler, and the MEDC's "unadvertised" loan program that funnels loans to their friends, as "crony capitalism." For Gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder to bitch slap the MEDC's administration for neglecting to track results, and for not instituting mechanisms to improve transparency is little more than a political girl fight complete with hair-pulling and lots of trash-talk.  

Just a year ago, when Snyder was a small-town crony capitalist in Ann Arbor, he and his SPARK crew were nailed by auditors for over billing, conflicts of interest and accounting irregularities. Snyder signed off on annual reports that claim the creation of thousands of jobs when just a few hundred actual jobs had been created between 2006-2008. Snyder's legacy of secrecy, exaggerated claims of job creation (SPARK's 2008 990 tax form claims SPARK created over 2,000 jobs) is carried on by current SPARK staff.  Rick Snyder still sits on the Executive Committee of Ann Arbor SPARK.

That the MEDC needs some serious whipping into shape to eliminate cronyism and the boondoggle's waste of billions of tax dollars is a given. Rick Snyder may want us to believe he's the man for the job. He has proven, without a doubt, he's not up to the task because he couldn't do it on the local level.

Cox in the Lead?

by: kelster

Mon Nov 30, 2009 at 20:04:22 PM EST

A Mitchell Research poll in Michigan finds Attorney General Mike Cox (R) is the front-runner in next year's governor's race.

In the GOP primary, Cox leads Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), 27% to 24%, with Michael Bouchard (R) in third with 12%.

In a general election match up, Cox is 16 points ahead of Lt. Gov. John Cherry (D), 47% to 31%.