DRIC bridge is the highlight of a SOS filled with vague generalities

We waited a year for this?

New Michigan Gov. Rick “Chief Executive Outsourcer” Snyder has been very vague on how he plans to reinvent Michigan since he launched his campaign last year with an expensive Superbowl ad, and people were hoping they would finally hear some actual details when he gave his first State of the State address Wednesday night. Instead, we got very few details and a very general plan that included more corporate buzz words like “dashboards,” “road maps” and “gardening.”

The speech was so general that lawmakers from his own party were wondering and wanting more specifics. Still, it was nice to hear he appears to be a moderate Republican instead of the nasty extremists who hijacked the party, and there may be some common ground to keep the recovery moving in Michigan. There were some great things in the speech, and the most hearting was his support for entering into a public-private partnership with Canada to build the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) bridge. That move drew praise from both sides of the aisle.

“This is the right move for Michigan," said Republican Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson. “If we all don't stand together behind the DRIC project now, we will all be standing in Buffalo in a few years watching them cut a ribbon on their new bridge to Canada."

The bridge will bring more than 10,000 new jobs to the state. The only cloud on the horizon is that every single Republicans voted to kill it last session, and a camera shot of the crowd when Snyder spoke about DRIC showed the right aside of the House chamber sitting on their hands while Democrats stood and cheered. That could mean a major campaign funding source for state Republicans could be lost in the form of Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun.

More disturbing was in lack of detail on how he plans to close the estimated $1 billon General Fund budget deficit. Senate Republicans are floating a plan to close it on the backs of state workers, but we have heard nothing from Snyder. Even more disturbing was his plan to kill the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) and replace it with a flat 6 percent corporate tax. That will increase the deficit to $3 billon.

Also unsettling for consumers was the proposal to gut Michigan’s item pricing law. Retailers would no longer have to place the price of the item on each individual item. That will require consumers to place their trust in the scanner at the retail outlet and cost consumers millions of dollars.

It will be an interesting year in Lansing.

Another ‘Music and Meander’ on the Capitol steps

LANSING – You call this a tea party?

Tonight’s farce as the Governor gives her final State of the Union speech reminds me of the first one I saw here in Lansing. The only difference is that there are a few more people this time, courtesy of the student groups who were protesting the loss of the Promise Scholarship, that is our economic future, and another group protesting forecloses, which caused the recession we are in.

Coincidentally, that first mockery occurred this very month last year, and I called it then the “Music and Meander" or "Mega Bust.” Tonight’s effort can be called the same thing. Back then it was called the "Chicago Tea Party" protest based on the over-the-top, unprofessional rant by CNBC's Rick Santelli on the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to protest President Obama's economic stimulus package, that, by the way, is lifting us out, slowly, out of the Bush recession.

The 10 minutes I wasted there were useless; I could not understand the speech, but it would not mattered much because it has all been said before. They had the usual signs and flags. Tomorrow the teabaggers will tell you thousands of people were there. Don’t believe them. I did notice a few State Troopers at this farce.

I’m having a hard time understanding what the “cut spending signs” I saw were there for. The Constitution requires Michigan have a balanced budget, and we have cut spending for the last six years. The only reason I can think of for the fringe Republicans known as teabaggers to be there is that they hate the Governor and Democrats.

I was a little surprised to see them on the Capitol steps because they did not have a permit for the steps. The one interesting thing that occurred was when I walked toward the steps, some guy handed me a paper pamphlet. I thought it was a pocket Constitution until I got into the light and looked at it.

Not surprisingly, it was from Republican House Policy Committee and U.S. Rep. Thad “Mad Thad” McCotter, R-Livonia, known for his over the top rhetoric. It was called “We the People: Wide Awake for our Birth of Freedom.”

It’s not surprising that McCotter is a teabagger and that teabaggers are a fringe of the GOP. The problem is the fringe runs the GOP now.

Republicans play to teabaggers with committee hearing

With all the people in Lansing tomorrow to both hear the Governor’s final State of the Sate speech and protest it, you might want to come early and take in a couple of interesting committee meetings.

In fact, at least one may have been scheduled with that in mind as teabaggers trickle in to protest on the Capitol lawn. The newly formed Senate Reform and Restructuring Committee will hold a hearing at 11 a.m. Wednesday after the Senate session on the anti-union and anti-public employee bills disguised as the Senate Republican’s idea of government reform.

The so-called government reforms the Senate Republicans introduced were nothing more than pay cuts that will kill collective bargaining in Michigan, and this is the second hearing of this committee. The hearing will be held in the Senate Hearing Room in the Boji Tower. It’s not hard to miss; it’s the tallest building In Lansing, and it’s located right across from the Capitol. The meetings are public, but if you can’t be there it will also be broadcast live on the Senate web site.

Later in the day at 3 p.m. the Senate Health Policy Committee will hold a hearing on Senate Joint Resolutions K and R. These two show resolutions are almost identical, and they do little but play to the fringe of the Republican Party in an election year. It’s no coincidence that one of the sponsors is running for the U.S. House.

The useless resolutions would amend the Michigan Constitution and states “that no federal law shall compel any person, employer or health care provider to participate in any public or private health care system.” The resolution also says “the purchase or sale of health insurance or coverage in private health care systems shall not be prohibited by federal law or rule.” It will also be in the Hearing Room in the Boji Tower. As of now it is not being televised.

We have seen this kind of theatrical performance legislation by Senate Republicans, and it never goes anywhere, nor will these resolutions.

The liberal media promotes teabagger SOU watch party

You simply cannot buy this kind of earned media, and I’m beginning to wonder what kind of connections a Hartland Township resident and tea bagger named Wes Nakagiri has with the management of the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus.

Last month the paper highlighted his blog, and his teabag misinformation on the health care bill, and this month they are promoting his State of the Union watching party in Hell, here in rural Livingston County. As a former reporter, I can tell you the most coveted spot in the newspaper is on the front page above the fold, and that’s because the story can be seen and most of it actually read in every single newspaper box in the county. That’s exactly where this story ran in the print edition today.

Why the fact that some tea bagger in conservative Livingston County hates President Obama and loves the huge profits insurance companies are making on health care is front page news is beyond me.

Just last month the newspaper chose to do an entire story on the fact that this guy started a blog on the fake, Astroturf tea party movement. It appears, at least on the surface, that this might actually be a grassroots effort unlike the tea parties promoted over the last year by rightwing Washington, D.C. lobbying groups, but I doubt it. However, you won’t have to pay $550 to attend like you would at the tea bagger convention. But if you must go, I hope you spend some money in Hell in Putnam Township to support a local business.

As for health care, Dateline NBC put a real face on the problem last night. It’s worth watching, especially if you believe the tea bagger lie that the government gets between doctor and patient.

If you want to watch and actually hear the first of President Obama’s eight State of the Union Addresses on Wednesday instead of carrying racist and insulting signs, I would invite you to a State of the Union watch party sponsored by the Livingston County Democratic Party. It will be held at 7 p.m. at Memories Lounge, 1840 S. Old U.S. 23, Brighton. The speech begins at 8 p.m., but come early and you can order off the menu and then watch President Obama on big screen television. I attended a debate watching party there last year, and the food and the atmosphere were fantastic.

Come out and enjoy the evening with some friendly, respectful people and support a local business.

What this proves is there is no such thing as the Liberal media.

What: State of Union Watch Party sponsored by the Livingston County Democratic Party
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 27.
Where: Memories Lounge, 1840 S. Old U.S. 23, Brighton
Why: Watch President Obama with friends and respectful people and enjoy good food and perhaps an adult beverage.

Governor conspires to steal spotlight from L. Brooks

Those of us who follow Michigan politics are aware of the ego of Republican Oakland County Executive Brooks Patterson, but the flap over the State of the State Address is surprising.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced last week that she will give the annual State of the State address on Feb. 3, but apparently, Patterson had also scheduled his state of the county in Pontiac on the same date.

The same thing occurred last year, and both speeches were held on Feb. 3. Granholm chose that date last year to ensure it did not conflict with the President’s State of the Union. It appears that date may have been chosen again this year for that reason. The State of the State is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 2.

But Patterson’s response is really outrageous. He is accusing the Governor of trying to upstage him. He told the Detroit News she did it on purpose. After all, the world revolves around Patterson.

“I’m not going to accuse the governor of picking the same date, but to quote Bogart ‘of all the gin joints in town.’ ” Patterson said the Detroit News.

I, and the Governor's scheduler, were unaware they had to run her schedule through Patterson’s staff.

You will also recall last year that the state’s most powerful radio station, WJR in Detroit, declined to carry the State of the State address in favor of Patterson’s speech. It could be forgiven if the great conservative voice of the Great Lakes had chosen to air the Wayne County State of the County speech over the Governor because the station is actually located in Wayne County, and it’s the largest county in Michigan. The problem there and the reason why that will never happen are because Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano is a Democrat.

It makes no sense that WJR does not have a single non-conservative voice on air despite broadcasting in one of the most Democratic cities in America from a state that has been blue since 1992.

It’s unclear if they will carry Patterson’s speech instead of the Governor’s State of the State this year. Last year they had an extra incentive to carry Patterson’s speech. Less than a month earlier in January 2009, Patterson announced he was a Republican gubernatorial candidate. He has since dropped out of the race, so we shall see if they air Patterson’s speech again over the State of the State.

Rightwing WJR declines to carry SOS address in favor of State of Oakland County address

I will be watching Governor Granholm's State of the State address on PBS at 7 p.m. tonight, but if you are not fortunate enough to be close to a TV, try listening to it on NPR.

Amazingly, you will not be able to hear it live on Michigan's most powerful and most rightwing radio station, WJR. The great conservative voice of the Great Lakes is unbelievably carrying the state of the county address of Oakland County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Brooks Patterson. Yes, you heard it right: the most powerful radio station in the state is carrying Patterson's speech on airwaves owned by the public instead of the Governor. Unbelievable. If there ever was a reason for the Fairness Doctrine I can think of no better illustration as this outrage as the reason why.

Even funnier is the station's management reason for it? Get this: Patterson had is hand up first.

It never ceases to amaze me that WJR continues to cling to its rightwing lineup despite broadcasting from a state that has been blue since 1992 and located in one of the most Democratic cities in America. Did they not see the result of the last election?

The have all the national hatemongers on the air, like Rush Windbag, Sean Haity, "Dr." Laura and Mark Levine, and the local line-up is also rightwing. Paul W. Smith subs for Windbag on occasion; I can't believe this guy is from my hometown of Monroe. Bill O'Reily wannabe Frank Beckman was voted one of the most biased reporters, columnists and commentators in Michigan.

But I almost fell out of my chair when I read the headline from Detroit News columnist Neal Rubin: "WJR: No vast right-wing conspiracy." He was correct, however, when he said "WJR-AM (760) leans so far to the right it almost topples over."

Really? If there is no conspiracy then why are there no non-rightwing voices on the station? Rubin falsely claims "Liberal equivalents have historically struggled." That’s' because they are not on as many stations as rightwing tools. When they go head-to-head liberal formats do as well or better.

The likes of Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, Randi Rhoades and Thom Hartman are very successful, and I will put them up against anyone.

Let's let WJR program director Steve Stewart how insane it is to bump the Governor for the head of just one of Michigan's 83 counties, and while you are at it, also ask him why there is no balance on WJR.

You can call them at (313) 875-4440 or toll free at (800) 859-0957; email them via their web site at http://www.wjr.net/contactus.asp or even snail mail at
News/Talk 760 WJR
3011 West Grand Blvd.
Suite 800
Detroit, MI 48202

GOP response to SOS promises cooperation

Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester sounded a note of harmony and future cooperation in his response to Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s State of the State address Tuesday night.

The leader of the Senate Republicans chose to make the response himself this year instead of a member of the caucus as in years past, and it was a short and sweet speech. I a year filled with partisan bickering and fighting that led to a historic but brief shutdown of state government that led the public to give the state Legislature one of the lowest approval ratings in state history, Bishop acknowledged that fact and promised to foster bipartisanship.

“We recognize our citizens are frustrated with their elected officials after last year's budget battle and what will go down as one of the most tumultuous years in the history of the Michigan Legislature,” he said. “Tonight, the governor outlined her blueprint on ways we can work together on such things as energy policy, health care reform, education, the environment, road infrastructure and all those things that have historically defined our state's priorities and contribute to our everyday quality of life.”

Bishop still managed to get in a dig at Democrats and the governor over the tax increases enacted in October that are still being felt politically in the form of ongoing recalls of Democratic lawmakers who voted for the increases.

“We must send a clear message that we - Republicans and Democrats- will do everything we can to pursue common sense public policy with the sole objective of making Michigan competitive in the 21st century,” Bishop said. “That objective has become much more attainable with the governor's recent pledge not to raise taxes in the coming budget cycle.”

The governor announced two new initiatives to grow new jobs in Michigan: the Michigan Job Creation Tax Credit -will cut or altogether eliminate taxes for a company that creates jobs and the Michigan Invests Fund that will give high-growth companies the investment capital they need if they invest it in Michigan.

Bishop’s equal time response was short on policy details, but indications are it may be Republican-controlled Senate. Many bills sent over from the Democratic-controlled House have stalled in the Senate.

“This is also a good opportunity for the governor to show restraint and good judgment and not call for new programs that the state and its residents cannot afford,” Bishop said. “Michigan residents expect their leaders to speak directly to the heart of our economic problems and offer specific, concrete solutions.”