In November of 2007, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm issued an executive order establishing the Michigan Climate Action Council (MCAC). Over the course of the next 16 months, the MCAC, a collection of stakeholders from across the spectrum, developed a 125-page document, the Michigan Climate Action Council Climate Action Plan [.pdf] which contains 53 recommendations for reducing the impacts of climate change.
Yesterday, during the Clean Energy Now! rally on the lawn of the Michigan Capitol, we learned via Twitter that Governor Granholm had signed a second executive order, EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE No. 2009-4, that implements several of the MCAC's recommendations, all aimed at achieving the MCAC's stated goal of delivering a 20% reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases by 2020 and an 80% reduction by 2050.
At tonight's meeting, the East Lansing City Council passed a resolution I authored opposing the proposed repeal of Michigan’s wetland protection program. Wetlands are vital to both the environmental and economic future of the Great Lakes State. They provide Michigan communities with storm water filtration, groundwater recharge, erosion control, flood control and fish & wildlife habitat. It’s no exaggeration to say that we can’t make it to a healthy prosperous future without our wetlands.
Governor Granholm appeared today on Face the Nation with Bob Sheiffer, Roy Blount, Heather Wilson and Diane Feinstein discussing Presidential politics.
Hundreds of fans were in downtown Detroit today for a visit from the Today Show. Governor Grahnolm was interviewed by Ann Curry about the state of the Presidential race. For some reason Curry insisted the race was tied in Michigan, even though at least one poll is showing Obama with a 10 point lead.
ABOVE: Visiting a hospital near Nagoya to see an artificial heart and lung machine produced by Terumo Corporation in Ann Arbor in action. Terumo recently announced it would move operations from Tustin, CA to the plant in Ann Arbor.
On the final day of this jobs and investment mission, we covered more ground in Nagoya and Osaka.
We started bright and early with a breakfast meeting with Toyota Tsusho, co-owner of Eurus Wind Energy. Well established in the automotive industry, Toyota Tsusho is looking to move into the renewable energy business with Eurus Energy and we talked about the possibilities for making that happen in Michigan.
Then it was off to Toyota Motor Company to meet with President Watanabe. He was gracious enough to spend time discussing his company's plan to develop battery technology, the success and expansion of the Toyota Technical Center and more.
ABOVE: Discussing the future of hybrid and electric vehicles with Toyota Motors President Katsuaki Watanabe.
I also met with company executives from Toyota Boshoku, including Dr. Toyoda. Toyota Boshoku is another great company in the Toyota family.
ABOVE: Enjoying a light moment with Mazda Chairman and CEO Hisakazu Imaki while discussing Mazda's new production facility in Flat Rock and the potential for future investment in Michigan
It's great to be back in Japan. It was a hot one today - temperatures in the mid-80s with lots of humidity. Unfortunately this may be our only sunny day...rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week. News of Typhoon Sinlaku reminded me of our 2005 investment mission when we were here on the heels of another a typhoon! I hear we are missing some great fall weather back home.
This morning came early after a long day of travel from Detroit to Tokyo. We arrived at our hotel last night and following a cup of java and a quick breakfast briefing this morning, we were off to company meetings where we emphasized that our top-notch workforce and a host of new tools in our economic development toolbox make Michigan the perfect place for global companies to invest.
Why won’t he just give in? Governor Jennifer Granholm just started the hearing to remove Kwame Kilpatrick from the mayor’s office today. It is unbelievable that he still has not resigned despite all the pain and embarrassment he has put Detroit and the rest of Michigan through, not to mention the stagnation he has brought to the city’s and region’s growth and development ever since the whole scandal erupted.
As cleanup continued and power was restored to Manistee Friday afternoon, Governor Jennifer Granholm made a scheduled appearance at a fundraiser reception for Dan Scripps, Democratic Candidate for Michigan's 101st State House, after viewing storm damage in Mason and Manistee Counties.
"I am thrilled to be here to support you because we really need you in Lansing. I know you came close last time, but this year we are going to have this surge, this wave of people coming out to support Democrats and I hope you all agree that it is time for a change in not only in Washington, but your support here allows for there to be a change in your representation in Lansing.
This Michigan Primary situation has gone from bad to worse. It was bad enough that the Legislature, fully aware of the candidates' decisions to boycott our state and the censorship from both the Republican and Democratic parties, decided to spend over $10 million of our dollars on this January 15th mistake, and then withhold the information from the very people who put up the money: the public! Now, just as there was beginning to be hope that Michigan delegates would be re-enfranchised with the close race, this issue of another, 'do-over' caucus/primary/who-knows comes up. Should we do one? Will it count? Who will pay? What form will it take? If we do one, how will it be administered: by the state or by the party?
Governor Granholm's got her plan for a 'firehouse' primary: a semi-open primary that would be done at community gathering places with a relatively low cost that would have to be shouldered by the state parties. Some throw out the idea of a party-run caucus. James Carville has publicly stated that he will raise $15 million (if the Obama campaign agrees to do the same thing) to contribute to the primary and cover campaign costs. Obama's people have been non-committal, and Senator Levin (a Clinton supporter) agrees with Senator Clinton that the vote from January 15th should be honored and that's that.
Everyone and their brother seems to have an opinion one way or another, most of them formed not out of reason, but from a feeling of being slighted. So far there are only two progressive ideas I have heard: one, from Marjorie Sarbaugh-Thompson, an associate professor of political science at Wayne State University, is to re-enfranchise our delegates and commit them 50/50 for Obama and Clinton. The other is from Mark Grebner, whereby we would do a mail-in primary, with low costs for everyone involved. This would also eliminate many of the barriers that exist with traditional polling places: harassment, wrongful disenfranchisement, and the inability of low-income citizens and seniors to turn out in as great number as their younger and wealthier counterparts.
I have another idea: IT DOESN'T MATTER. A lesson in DNC politics: all delegates are only bound to their stated preference for the first round of balloting. After that, it's anyone's game. Therefore, if Michigan splits 50/50 for the first round of balloting, or if another proportion is found through a new primary, or if the results of Jan. 15th are upheld, it doesn't matter. There are bound to be multiple rounds of balloting, with an intense floor battle that will render any apportionment we can think of moot. Some may complain that this is un-democratic; if so, it is the system's fault rather than Michigan's. We should not unfairly burden our people for another election that will not hold much water. Grebner's plan is solid and provides the best compromise between the unfortunate reality of the DNC system and the preciousness of our tax dollars, while Mrs. Sarbaugh-Thompson's plan would also be sufficient. Personally, I think the original primary should be honored, as the Uncommitted delegates in Michigan's delegation hold a great deal of power, being able to make up their own minds and give the Superdelegates a small challenge.
I took video at the Activate '08 conference in East Lansing. I am working on uploading Governor Granholm's presenation to Google video. If you like, I can post the video when it's ready.
Governor Granholm addressed the Activate '08 training at MSU. She let us all know how important the blogosphere is to policy development and support from Democratic bloggers are to making sure Michigan makes the progress we all want for our state.
Thanks for coming out on a Saturday morning, Governor.
All I can say is wow. The Phil Hart Dinner was FANTASTIC. Howard Dean was our keynote speaker and was great. I will have video tomorrow. Too tired to post now.
Spike, one of the hosts of Mojo in the morning was a great emcee. The gov made an appearance, John Cherry was there, James and Janet Blanchard, Sander Levin arrived a little late, it was just a fantastic evening, plus we packed the hall with almost 400 Democrats that are excited and energized to go to work for Democratic victories in 2008 to take back the White House and even bigger majorities in the House and Senate. More Michigan House and Senate victories are on the way too, once we get past this nasty budget battle. The governor was great. I love the gov. Thanks to Jayne Hamilton of the Oakland County Democratic Party Publicity and Communications Committee for her tireless work, and the rest of the committee. It all paid off tonight. Look for stories in the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News in the morning.
Update: Pete's not getting a lot of love over at DailyKos. Feel free to stop by and chime in!
Just when it seemed to be the least likely of four-legged creatures to cause a splash in the political arena, the turtle beats the hare for the win. I'm guessing that Republican Rubberstamper Congressman Pete Hoekstra of West Michigan is wishing he had never heard of the little guys.
After having a temper-tantrum in front of the press about a federally-funded fence going up in his district to protect turtles and motorists alike, Hoekstra didn't like the response his letter to Governor Granholm got. The entire event was merely posturing for Hoekstra's desired run for Granholm's seat in 2010, it seems to have backfired a bit on him.
While most of the state viewed the tete-a-tete between the Lady Gov and Sneaky Pete from the luxury of their newspapers, Pete couldn't go down without swinging one more lousy punch. I'm also going to take a gander that he's going wake up feeling this one in the morning.
Welcome to another round of "Partisan Hacks posing as Journalists". Today we feature one of the most notorious hacks of them all, Frank Beckmann, the WJR radio talk show host who goes out of his way to pledge his allegiance to Unethical Republican Propaganda on a regular basis.
This morning Beckmann of taped an interview with Gov. Granholm that was to be played later in the day. Beckmann, thanks to his minions at the ultra-conservative blog RightMichigan (RM) was already prepped for a partisan slam on nothing but taxes.
Barely bothering to get his facts right in his questions about the recent budget negotiations, Beckmann accused the Governor of lying to the citizens of this state when it came to tax hikes.
To do this, he played the YouTube clip that RM put together of a debate that took place at TV station in Detroit during the '06 Campaign. The interesting part is, RM couldn't be bothered to put up her answer in entirety, but rather just the part that fit their devious desires.
If he had ethics, Beckmann could have just as easily gotten the clip from WXYZ, who actually hosted the debate. Problem is, it wouldn't have suited his dirty tactics. Even Saul Anuzis, Chairman of the MI Republican Party bothered to post the full clip. Wow. It's a sad day when Saul's own people make him look like the good guy.
So why didn't Beckmann play the real, entire clip? Simple, because if he did, he knew the Governor would have known it was a question about replacing revenues from the Single Business Tax (SBT), and not just a blanket "No New Taxes" pledge, and she would have talked about the SBT/Michigan Business Tax (MBT).
Even though it's not necessarily unexpected news, it is sad nonetheless. From the LSJ -
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said she may have to start a partial state government shutdown by Friday.
If no deal is reached by Thursday solving the state's budget deficit, she said the state will have to start taking steps that would affect Detroit casinos, liquor sales, state parks, state welcome centers and a variety of services such as processing motor vehicle titles.
State programs that protect citizens' health and safety, such as state police patrols, will continue, she said.
"In the event the Legislature forces us into a partial government shutdown, it is our intention to continue the most vital services until a budget resolution is reached," Granholm said in a statement Wednesday.
It was the governor's first public statement on what services may be shut down and which will be kept open if a shutdown occurs. She said that, if no agreement is reached by Thursday, a shutdown will have to be initiated on Friday.
It's like a bad train wreck. Unless you've called, emailed, or even visited your legislators office, all we can do is sit there and watch it happen. What will it take? A mob with pitchforks and torches?
The air had a forced tone to it, and while folks were smiling and shook hands, everyone waited and wondered.
When the Governor's spokeswoman came out and announced that Governor Granholm would be joined by East Lansing Mayor Sam Singh and several firefighters, puzzled faces were followed by frowns and furrowed brows by Republican members and staff. Was the public safety 'dressing' a weak attempt by the Governor to pull at an extra couple heartstrings?
On the contrary.
She walked out and as has always been her style, her somber dark suit matched the stone faces of herself and her guests. This was no moment for smiles or encouraging words.
Would she take on Bishop? Would she have kind words for Dillon? I'm not sure a single breath was taken as we waited for her to begin.
Her voice strong, her words and attitude resolute, I got shivers as I stood watching and listening, pen and paper in hand. I had a fleeting thought of FDR sitting fireside nearby, radio microphone in hand, and while it wasn't a declaration of war that was issued, I imagine the mood somewhat the same.
Her words weren't a demand, it was a declaration of clear intentions. Any continuation budget proposed and passed would be promptly vetoed. Any legislative budgetary action must be bipartisan.
Have no doubt, the Governor is in this for the long haul, and she's not taking No for an answer.
With seemingly little progress from the House floor, Democrats have brought in the reinforcements.
Despite having an active role in talks all weekend-long, Governor Granholm made her first tour of the House floor today, shaking hands, and offering a big smile for the weary Democrats as they stood firm in their weekend-long Battle to Save the State.
Lt. Governor John Cherry, a permanent fixture during this standoff, combined with the Governor, have been fairly effective during talks.
Later this afternoon, Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) made an extended appearance on the floor and in talks. Also seen from the Senate Democratic Caucus was Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, Mickey Switalski of Roseville, and Deb Cherry of Burton.
While Republican Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Hair Gel) was noticeably absent from the discussions, Senators Valde Garcia of Howell and Allan Cropsey of Dewitt were present throughout the weekend. Garcia in particular is rumored to be one of the most amenable of his caucus to work with a mixed package of reforms and revenue enhancements, as Dillon has continuously offered.
Some say my interest in the advancement of stem cell research, particularly embryonic stem cell research is selfish.
To an extent, they're right.
But show me one person here in Michigan or in the entire world who's life doesn't have the potential to be drastically altered by stem cell research.
You might be searching for quite some time.
Within the last 5 years, I've lost one grandfather to complications from Diabetes, another grandfather to Pulmonary Fibrosis, and a grandmother to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). My remaining two grandparents are fighting losing battles to Parkinson's Disease and another case of Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Thanks to a particularly severe case of Crohn's Disease, I've undergone over 70 hospitalizations and made it through 35 surgeries. I'm missing my large intestine, rectum, and one of the two major veins in my arm. My stomach looks like a small war was waged on it, scar crisscrossing scar. My parents insurance company spent an astronomical amount keeping me alive the 10 years I suffered before entering remission.
As it stands now, the rest of my life will hinge on whether this disease, for which there is no known cause or cure, will suddenly reappear. As my doctors like to remind me, I'm not carrying around too many spare parts anymore.
My monthly out-of-pocket costs for the ostomy supplies that I need to stay alive would be over $300. I'm one of the lucky few to have insurance that covers the full cost.
If I had been born 50-75 years later in the future to a Michigan that not only allowed embryonic stem cell research, but promoted it, our Big Three research universities would take over where the Auto Industry has faltered in employment, income, and state revenue. There could be important advancements in the treatment for my disease, and the diseases that robbed me of my grandparents and face millions of Americans; or perhaps even a cure.
