The Chief Outsourcer breaks another promise and still ducking debates

It appears a promise by Rick “Chief Executive Outsourcer” Snyder is as good as a promise of job security at Gateway Computers.

Snyder told Democratic Gubernatorial nominee Virg Bernero to his face and in front of about 100 handpicked Snyder supporters at a “townhall meeting last week that he would sit down with Bernero to come to an agreement on debates. Another broken promise from Snyder, and we are still waiting for that to happen.

How long are the public and the conservative media going to let him chicken out and duck the debates? At least some in the conservative media and fellow Republicans are beginning to notice what a coward Snyder is.

In an editorial in the Detroit Free Press on Monday, they called for an “independent, nonpartisan debate commission -- made up of public interest groups, media organizations from around the state” as well as maybe even party representatives to handle the debates, much like how the Presidential debates are done, or the debate commission in Indiana.

“Debates are critical to voter education and civic engagement in a democracy, the Free Press said. “That dates to the Greeks, and has its own rich history in this nation.”

Former conservative Republican State Representative Larry Julian sponsored a bill back in 2003 that would have mandated that any candidate who accepted public funding should participate in at least one public debate.

House Bill 4290 was co-sponsored by some of the more conservative House members, like
Tom Casperson and Jack Brandenburg. It passed the Republican controlled House, but, like most good legislation, it died in the GOP controlled Senate.

Julian told subscription only MIRS that he stands by the legislation today.

“They asked me, 'Why do we need this.' Now we see that we still need it," Julian said in MIRS. “Now somebody is going to have introduce it again because next time this happens someone is going to wish we had."

Julian, predictably, stopped short of condemning Snyder’s cowardice, but he left no doubt that the Chief Outsourcer should debate.

“The issue isn't getting people to vote. It's getting people informed so they can vote," Julian said in MIRS.

The problem is Snyder doesn’t want informed voters.