Michigan voters need to know how gubernatorial candidates propose to fix state's problems
Political pundits are predicting the fall campaign for governor is going to look a lot like the nasty 2006 race between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and West Michigan businessman Dick DeVos.
How depressing.
You'll recall Granholm sent DeVos packing, in part by ruthlessly attacking him with misleading claims that he outsourced jobs to China while running the family business, Amway Corp., earlier in the decade.
Her assault worked so well that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Virg Bernero and his henchmen likely will be blasting the airwaves with similar charges against Republican rival Rick Snyder.
Just hours after winning the Democratic primary on Aug. 3, Bernero, the mayor of Lansing, accused Snyder, a former Gateway Inc. computer executive, of "offshoring the American dream."
And in an election night letter to supporters, Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer said, "Rick Snyder is 'Dick DeVos, Jr.', though his record is actually worse than DeVos'."
More than any time in recent history, Michigan voters need to know how the candidates for governor propose to fix a truckload of problems that threaten the future of this once economically thriving state.
How do we craft a tax system that welcomes jobs and business investment while generating enough revenue to fund roads, schools, environmental protection and other quality-of-life investments?
How do we deal with the skyrocketing costs of Medicaid, health care benefits for public employees and pensions for government-sector retirees?
How do we maintain the excellence of our community colleges and universities while also making them more affordable?
How do we restore the viability of our major cities?
How do we retain and attract young people, particularly those who are well educated?
How do we create a safety net and an effective retraining system for those who've been displaced in a changing economy?
Voters care a lot more about the answers to these questions than they do about whether Snyder outsourced jobs to China and other Asian countries.
If I'm wrong about that, we're in deeper trouble than we know.
Whether Snyder outsourced jobs is a fair issue. But it shouldn't be THE issue of the campaign.
I get the demonization of China. It's a Communist country. It offers cheap wages for low-skilled labor. It doesn't always play by the rules. (Neither does the United States.)
But bashing Snyder for outsourcing tells us virtually nothing about how he would govern Michigan.
What's he going to do--relocate the Michigan Economic Development Corp. office to Shanghai?
Hey, maybe that's not a bad idea. Michigan needs to engage more fully in the global economy, not run from it.
Granholm repeatedly said she'd "go anywhere and do anything to bring business investment and jobs to Michigan." As long as it wasn't China.
But China is coming anyway. Its businesses are quietly investing in Michigan, acquiring companies such as General Motors Co.'s Nexteer Automotive steering gear operation in Saginaw.
China just passed Japan as the world's second largest economy behind the United States. Its rapid economic rise poses both challenges and opportunities for its trading partners.
How can Michigan ride China's economic wave and not get swamped by it?
Our state would be far better served if Bernero and Snyder engaged in a serious debate on that question instead of waging a tiresome battle over outsourcing.
E-mail Rick Haglund at haglund.rick@gmail.com
Comments
talker
Sat, Aug 21, 2010 : 2:40 p.m.
Speechless brought up some excellent points. Virg Bernero does have plans to create jobs in Michigan and the trillion or so dollars spent in Iraq reduces Michigan's accessibility to Federal dollars from our income tax and employment taxes. Speechless also brought up the important point that Virg Bernero has experience managing a government budget,which Snyder doesn't have. While Snyder was an executive with a company, the company saved money by taking jobs away from Americans and funding production in Asia. With that approach to Americans' jobs, Snyder isn't the jobs creator Michigan needs. Virg Bernero has created jobs in Michigan for Michigan residents.
Speechless
Fri, Aug 20, 2010 : 11:45 a.m.
"... How do we craft a tax system that welcomes jobs and business investment while generating enough revenue to fund roads, schools, environmental protection and other quality-of-life investments?" Uh, Rick, you accomplish this by taxing the wealthy the way we oughta. When Michigan shows the political will to close 'fat cat' tax loopholes (as Jeff Irwin and other officials have suggested), and its voters give approval to a graduated state income tax, then not only will the state once again have the means to adequately fund state services, but it could also opt to lower taxes on business — especially for small businesses, where it counts most. Taxing the well-to-do was good enough for Eisenhower in his day. Let's do that again. Beyond this, Bernero has supported setting up a publicly-owned state bank, which can help Michigan facilitate economic redevelopment and fight recessions, while also contributing some of its surplus to the state budget. And Michigan, as well as every other state, will benefit when our federal government no longer underwrites pointless, trillion-dollar wars overseas or spends untold billions every year to arm various Middle Eastern countries. Maybe one day all that money will instead be redirected back to the states.
Veracity
Thu, Aug 19, 2010 : 10:53 p.m.
Amy: You are correct with one of your statements:"Before you choose on election day, please do your research and choose wisely." However, I hope that you do not consider every "career" politician to be corrupt and incompetent. If you have evidence impugning Virg Bernero then you should post it as a public service. Many of our most distinguished and revered Presidents held other offices and therefore qualify as "career" politicians. Would you revile Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy, and Reagan? I hope that you did not want the City of Lansing to refuse Federal Recovery Act Funds, especially to repair sewers. Of course you may have proof that the sewer system was in excellent condition and did not need repair. And are you suggesting that the Mayor was responsible for any safety issues at the construction site? I agree with you about the mounting number of round abouts being installed. In my opinion, the rotaries are frequently placed where they are not needed nor helpful. However, most are built by federal funds and create jobs. Again if you blame the Mayor of Lansing for accepting federal money to build round abouts who do you suggest that I should blame for the two round abouts already constructed in Ann Arbor (on Maple Road and on Nixon Road) and several more being constructed on Geddes Road at US 23? I agree with you also that educators often receive overly generous retirement benefits which warrant review and revision. However, I question some of your other payment issues. In my opinion, many excellent teachers are under-paid while poor teachers are over-paid. Merit pay would be a solution if it could be done fairly without partisanship and preferential treatment. I do believe that both governor candidates want excellent education with reasonable cost. I think that your opinion that all state employees do not work is unjustified and insulting. If you know of any state employees who are shirking their responsibilities then you would provide a public service by reporting them to their supervisors. Finally, I agree that Michigan's educational system should be improved. Many students do obtain excellent educations, graduate, attend respectable colleges and then obtain worthwhile employment. The problem is that the number of these successes is too small. Socioeconomic factors participate in many educational failures. Success in school is often linked to early childhood development and the home. More resources need to be directed toward improving the pre-school experiences of our children as well as family and individual student support for our students. Finally, I do not understand what you mean by "typical bait and switch tactics."
Amy
Thu, Aug 19, 2010 : 6:57 p.m.
Virg Bernero is a career politician. The City of Lansing took Federal Recovery Act funds for the Sewer Separation Project and made crossing the street unsafe for everyone. The crosswalk timings now violate the American with Disabilities Act and drivers have been given illegal priority, not to mention all of the circular round abouts that have been installed, supposedly to improve the flow of traffic. It is stupid to put a stop sign, followed within 5 feet of a yield sign for the round about. Might as well have a four way stop! The education system has been destroyed by the Legislator's greed, not to mention the special treatment they get. I would love to work part time, have multiple homes, fully funded health benefits and a retirement that I don't even have to contribute to. Plus, I'll get $1,000.00 a month for spending on what ever I choose. Who wouldn't want that job? I wouldn't even be required to vote on a salary increase, it happens automatically. State employees whether unionized or not are tired of being the legislature's piggy bank. They should look in the mirror before picking on the people who actually work for a living. People are leaving the State because our children aren't educated properly, they can't get a job, and couldn't afford higher education anyway. This is typical political bait and switch tactics. Before you choose on election day, please do your research and choose wisely.
talker
Thu, Aug 19, 2010 : 6:12 p.m.
I have a better picture of how Virg Bernero would govern than I do of how Rick Snyder would govern. I'm confident that Virg Bernero connects with the people and concerns of Michigan and work with industry to create jobs here. Confidence that Michigan is a state that celebrates stem cell research and has support and facilities for stem cell research will thrive as long as we elect Virg Bernero. Rick Snyder may be a nice guy, but he opposes stem cell research. Regardless of personal preference, stem cell research is a source of skilled jobs. Frankly, as long as he needs the support of the Republican Party, he will favor policies that I believe are bad for Michigan. Number 1 is the Republican continued preference for trickle down economics and the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest. That money is needed to help make a dent in the trillion dollars of the deficit due to the Iraq war. It doesn't matter what Snyder's position was then. What matters is whether he is separate enough from the Republican Party to reject failed policies. I think that the reason some Democrats crossed over to vote in the Republican Primary is because they didn't want to take a chance that someone even more doctrinaire could become Governor of Michigan. I would appreciate reading balanced reporting by AnnArbor.com. This is Washtenaw County, not Kent County and one sided political reporting will aggravate more customers than management may think.
Veracity
Thu, Aug 19, 2010 : 10:34 a.m.
Rick Haglund continues the annarbor.com support for Rick Snyder. Rick Haglund is trying to discredit Virg Bernero by speculating that he will use unsavory tactics such as highlighting Rick Snyder's outsourcing issue. He compares Virg Bernero to Jennifer Granhom who purportedly won election by emphasizing outsourcing by DeVos. The election was won on more than that issue. Rick Haglund does raise important and pertinent questions to pose to each candidate and hopefully some of these questions will generate responses in print and during the upcoming debates. While many positions on specific issues remain unclear for both candidates, voters can evaluate Virg Bernero on his governmental performance as Mayor of Lansing. Rick Snyder's governmental managing abilities remain unknown. In regards to accomplishments translatable to the Governor's office, Virg Bernero balanced Lansing's budget, eliminating a $40 million deficit. Has Rick Snyder ever managed a governmental budget? (SPARK and MEDC are not comparable.) While Virg Bernero is in office, the Lansing area experienced a 3100 job increase in the most recent year of the recession. How many new jobs in Michigan has Rick Snyder facilitated in the past very challenging year? On economic issues both gubernatorial candidates want to reform taxes and attract business to Michigan. Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero share other similar economic views as well. However, I suspect that both differ on regulation changes and will define governmental inefficiencies differently as well. Voters need to have both candidates be specific. The one issue that really distinguishes Virg Bernero and Rick Snyder is their positions on reproductive rights. Virg Bernero is a proponent of women's rights and would veto any bills restricting those rights (as did Jennifer Granholm in 2008). On the other hand Rick Snyder can be expected to readily sign bills that will, for example, limit the availability of the morning-after-pill and likely the availability of contraception education as well. Rick Haglund does not discuss this subject for reasons that I am sure are quite obvious to the readers. Rick Snyder:"I will insure that NO state funds be used to cover abortions." (Really, Rick? Not even for rape or incest or the life of the mother?) (from http://www.rickformichigan.com/michigan-talks/campaign-news/06-09-2010-icymi-rick-snyder-says-good-economy-will-reduce-abortions-gr) (IMHO)