State of the State Recap

by: LiberalLucy

Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 21:34:03 PM EST

I think it's safe to say that the 2008 State of the State address really did impress everyone. Gone are the days of the partisan theatrics interrupting the speech, or petty spinning after the fact.

Tonight was truly a night of unity, and my, what a nice change of pace.

Several legislators were kind enough to grant me interviews, and I'll be bringing those to you tomorrow, so stay tuned. 

Thank you again for joining us and adding your two (and three) cents. See you back here tomorrow! 

~Liberal Lucy  

The Republican Response to the State of the State

by: LiberalLucy

Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 20:21:36 PM EST

Anything out of Mike Bishop's mouth is always good fodder for a snarky post. Following that stunning speech and delivery from Governor Granholm, I have no idea how Republican Senate Majority Obstructionist could possibly pooh-pooh it, but we all know he'll certainly find a way.

This little treasure just dropped in my lap thanks to the miracles of the Intertubes, and I thought you'd all like to see it. And yes, for those of you wondering, it's classic Mike Bishop (R-Extra Hair Gel tonight)

From Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop -

Live from the Capitol

by: LiberalLucy

Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 17:58:31 PM EST

Greetings from the State Capitol located in beautiful downtown Lansing!

7:35pm - Be sure to check out the diaries with the transcripts of the address on the MichLib main page.  

7:03pm - The Governor and First Gentleman have entered the House. Lots and lots of clapping, pomp and circumstance, and due credit for the Governor. All of which she deserves, clearly! 

6:22pm - The official procession has begun, with Lt. Governor John Cherry leading the House and Senate are filing in and are joined by their guests, along with the State Supreme Court and various state officials including the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. 

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I'm here with hundreds and hundreds others as we eagerly await the Governor's annual State of the State. For those of you opting to watch via the Intertube vs. TV, you can watch along here at MGTV.

As for now, the legislators are starting to file in, and the official procession will begin exactly at 6:30, with the speech to commence at 7pm. Stay tuned!

State of the State Live-blog from the Capitol - Tonight!

by: LiberalLucy

Tue Jan 29, 2008 at 11:48:59 AM EST

Tonight I'll be back at the Capitol live-blogging the Governor's State of the State address and I hope you'll join us for the discussion starting at 6 p.m.

In attendance tonight will be the full House and Senate, including Lt. Gov John Cherry, the State Supreme Court, a multitude of elected officials including the Attorney General, Secretary of State and several honored guests invited by the Governor. 

Widely-speculated possible topics the Lady Gov's speech include -

• Education
• "No Worker Left Behind" - worker retraining
• Health care
• Drug Industry Immunity
• Clean Energy Manufacturing
• "Michigan First" program
•  Government Reform

And then there's the list of things that we can probably expect from the other side...  

Possible Republican Response topics include -

• The Governor's wrong
• Andy Dillon's wrong
• Mike Bishop walks on water (or at least floats well, with all that hair gel)
• Rich Republican Conservatives feel for Working Michigan
• Cutting more taxes
•  "Protecting Michigan families" - i.e. telling you who you can and cannot love and what you're allowed to do with your own body.
  

Speaker of the House Andy Dillon and Senate Democratic Leader Mark Schauer will be speaking to the press shortly after the speech concludes.

So be sure and drop by MichLib after 6pm as I'll be bringing you the latest from the Capitol. Listen or watch along at home and join in the conversation here!

Governor Greenholm

by: danscripps

Wed Feb 07, 2007 at 01:43:58 AM EST

State of the State: Git 'Er Done!

by: LiberalLucy

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 22:16:20 PM EST

In telling Saul & Co. where to stick it, Governor Jennifer Granholm managed to deliver a passionate and eloquent summary of what's broken and gave an outline of how we're going to fix it.

With her recent triumph over Mr. Soap and Hope himself, the Governor added a whole new level of steel to her spine and drew a new line in the sand. There will be stem cell research, there will have to be some sort of tax adjustment and that no one will slash school funding.

P.S. The Governor's cut taxes 93 times. The Naysayers? Well all they really did was create a lil ol' 1.9 billion dollar hole.

For the full blow-by-blow, be sure to check out Capital Viewpoint. Feel free to leave your snarks, your spitballs or your swarmy praise below.

For a little extra snarkiness, check out the Dazzling Display of Talent by our very own Michigan Republicans.

Republican Dick DeVos again

by: farmboy

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 20:46:07 PM EST

Some how the Republican came off as a new Dick DeVos. Lets hope the result is the same. Next step is the budget in two days.

State of the State

by: joan

Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 17:44:30 PM EST

I just finished reading the delightful thoughts of Saul Anuzis (who should really leave the sarcasm to those better suited for it) on what he would like to see in the State of the State Address this evening. Being the newly-returned state resident that I am, I also have a few things that I would like to see the governor approach, although I assure you that my priorities are different than those of Mr. Anuzis. You know, since I'm currently a welfare mom, and he is very much not. But then, I'm sure that he has my best interests at heart, guarding them carefully with his faith in the invisible hand of the marketplace freed from the tyranny of unnecessary taxes. Right?

No, wait, he really doesn't. The marketplace hasn't been kind to my unemployed and pregnant behind lately, and I have a feeling that it hasn't been to the behinds of many other people, either. Which would be why Governor Granholm is giving this speech tonight, and not anyone else.

Be sure to check out the real speech at 7:00 on your local PBS or NPR station.

State of State: what should Granholm say?

by: David Boyle

Mon Feb 05, 2007 at 21:53:06 PM EST

  I don't think the weblogger community will complain, though, if La Gov says something about net neutrality, or about the Michigan Democratic Party staying up with the times (e.g., having full-time webmaster), rather than staying mired in the past like, let's be frank, plenty of low-gas-mileage (koff koff) Michigan institutions which need to be rewired, and fast.

  (I personally wouldn't complain if JG said something about what Michigan can do re the Sudan/Darfur crisis--if you think WE'RE suffering in Mich, try the mass rapes and executions in that part of the world--, but that's all I'll say. Besides mentioning that even the Gropinator signed legislation about Sudan, so all the more should the Nation's Greatest Gov do something similar...)

  Looking forward to an exciting S of S speech! Knock one outta the park J. Grho!

  And happy birthday too!!! !! !  :D

  (Completely off-topic: the Repubs torpedoed the Warner/Levin resolution today, the one condemning the Iraq surge. So much for decency and common sense. But at least Mr. Carl tried, God bless him...)

You Get What You Pay For

by: Cordelia Lear

Thu Jan 25, 2007 at 02:27:06 AM EST

We have to save Michigan. Raising revenues is absolutely necessary if we are to keep the essential services going that will allow the state to continue to be a decent place to live. The state has been cutting taxes, often irresponsibly, for years, thanks to selfishness, greed and cracked-brain ideologies.

Taxes sound terrible, I admit. We've been brainwashed to think they are always bad. But what do you think pays for the water that makes the toilet flush? What do you think paved the freeways and paid to teach you how to read this column? Taxes, that's what.

It's not just the water, it's the infrastructure to get it to your house and make sure it's safe to drink when it comes out of the tap. Remember what happened in Walkerton, Ontario several years ago? Provincial Premier Mike Harris and his Tory Party were in a tax cut race.

Between tax cuts, privatization and cronyism, the water became not only unsafe, but deadly. Seven people died, over 2000 others were sick and every house and business in Walkerton was disrupted, in some cases for over a year.