Gift of wine for passage of emergency manager legislation doesn't thrill Ann Arbor lawmaker
It's customary in Lansing for a lawmaker to send colleagues in the Legislature a gift from his or her district after getting a first piece of legislation passed.
So it came as no surprise today that state Rep. Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville, followed through with a special bottle of wine delivered to the offices of fellow state House members, including those who voted against his controversial emergency financial manager legislation.
This bottle of wine was delivered to state Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, after passage of the emergency financial manager legislation.
"Dear Colleague," reads the note from Pscholka that came with the gift. "In case of an Emergency, enjoy some wine from District 79."
State Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, confirmed Pscholka sent him a bottle of Starry Starry White from Karma Vista Vineyards in Coloma, Mich. No tax dollars were spent on the wine, Pscholka's office said.
"I think it was meant to be sassy," said Irwin, who opposed Pscholka's bills. Irwin said he appreciated the joke, but added that he bet if Pscholka had a child in a classroom with 60 students like under emergency financial manager Robert Bobb in Detroit, "we'd be hearing about sour grapes."
"He's obviously trying to make a joke about our opposition to the bill and that's fine," Irwin said. "I appreciate a good joke, but there's a serious side to our work as well. There's nothing funny about 60 kids in a class."
Pscholka said the gift was meant to be all in good fun.
"It's a tradition that we give a gift, and a lot of folks on both sides of the aisle came up to me and said, 'You better do something good,' so I decided to come up with some wine from my district and a clever saying," he said. "Hopefully they didn't take it the wrong way."
Few issues have caused as much controversy in Lansing as the emergency financial manager legislation that was signed into law last week by Gov. Rick Snyder.
The new law changes the way the state can declare financial emergencies in school districts and local governments, and it grants broader powers to emergency managers appointed to address them. The debate around those newly expanded powers has pitted Democrats against Republicans, and union loyalists against perceived union busters.
Irwin said he's still strongly opposed to the new law. He said it remains to be seen how the governor will use the new powers, but opening the door was a mistake.
Ann Arbor Democrat Conan Smith, chairman of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, has come out in support of the new act, saying it's sorely needed to help municipalities and school districts confront the financial problems they face.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.
Comments
ChelseaBob
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 1:22 p.m.
why is this a story worthy of posting?
Jeff Irwin
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 1:13 p.m.
Just to be clear, I liked Rep. Pscholka's note. While the GOP proposes sharing almost all of the sacrifice with our public education system, any sort of humor is sorely needed and much appreciated.
Joel Goldberg
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 12:35 p.m.
No offense to other commenters who clearly haven't tasted any of Michigan's better wines in the last decade, but the state industry has come a long way. Riesling is the state's signature grape, and Joe Herman (who owns Karma Vista) is one of the better grape-growers in the southwest region. Whether or not you concur with the legislation, the gift is apt.
rusty shackelford
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 1:24 p.m.
I've had MI riesling. It's disgusting. The tasting notes for this wine tout how well it goes with "American Pie." Let's face it, we just don't have a good viticultural climate here.
johnnya2
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 1:10 a.m.
Seems to me that is a form of bribery. You will get a gift IF you pass my legislation? I guess the old boys network is still alive and kicking. If I were Irwin I would send it back and tell him that crappy wine from his district is no gift. He can get vinegar at Kroger cheaper.
David Briegel
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 12:11 a.m.
Jeff, we need a wine tasting! The TeaPublicans can have their whine tasting!
rusty shackelford
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 11:25 p.m.
It's drinking Michigan wine that's liable to cause emergencies. Seriously, try to drink the stuff without either choking on it or involuntarily spitting it out on your dinner partner.
1bit
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 11:15 p.m.
Joel: It's a Riesling blend: <a href="http://www.karmavista.com/starrywhite.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://www.karmavista.com/starrywhite.htm</a>
Joel Goldberg
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 11:05 p.m.
Details, please, Ryan. What varietal was the wine?
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 10:29 p.m.
"Hopefully they didn't take it the wrong way." Well, I guess they did. Remember, no good deed goes unpunished. Class act, that.
Cash
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 9:15 p.m.
Maybe it's about time traditions changed. We are in a state of disaster....both financial and politically so it's time to.................grow up legislators!! There's nothing funny about any of this. It is tedious and has begun to control this website. It's simple. If you love Snyder and what he's doing do nothing. If you do not like what's going on sign the recall petition on July 1st. No one here has changed anyone's mind. And the comments are regurgitated on each article. It's really become ridiculous.
Cash
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 9:04 a.m.
You didn't change my mind Stephen and I didn't change yours. That's the point. There are FIVE different articles on the lead page about Snyder and the same posts over and over. Like what he's doing, that's fine. Don't like it, recall. Simple.
Stephen Landes
Tue, Mar 22, 2011 : 2:23 a.m.
Gee, after all the years of Jennifer-speak and no action you might want to think about a different way of doing business. If you don't like what the Governor is proposing please come up with something useful as a counter proposal. So far all I've read and heard amounts to whining that the status quo has changed and you want to recall the Governor. I have yet to hear or read a solid comprehensive alternative proposal. Personally I think it is time to change the way we do business in this state and I am in favor of the Governor's plan.
EyeHeartA2
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 10:30 p.m.
@bugjuice; I mentioned this a week or two ago and our department of cross border propaganda in Canada deleted the comment. I see yours is still up. It must have made it past the censors.
Cash
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 9:31 p.m.
Linda So I am not alone eh? CNN website has been my home the past few days.
Cash
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 9:29 p.m.
Bwahhaaa....Good idea bugjuice. I'll take #2 as my own okay? that's perfect!
bugjuice
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 9:26 p.m.
I ran out of clever quips a long time ago. I suggest we list and number all the most common quotes so when someone wants to say Snyder is a jerk, they can say #1 or if someone likes tax giveaways to the rich on the backs of pensioners and poor they can say #2... and so on.
Linda Peck
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 9:21 p.m.
Thanks, Cash, as usual you are hitting the mark!
Greggy_D
Mon, Mar 21, 2011 : 9:09 p.m.
Could State Rep. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, be any more uptight? Sounds like he needs to open that bottle of wine ASAP.