Gubernatorial debate was a 'complete failure,' League of Conservation Voters says
The Ann Arbor-based League of Conservation Voters and Michigan Environmental Council today criticized the moderators and candidates in Sunday's gubernatorial debate, saying they ignored sustainable jobs, the Great Lakes and the tourism economy.
Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder, left, and Democratic candidate Virg Bernero shake hands prior to their debate at the Detroit Public Television studios in Wixom on Sunday.
Mandi Wright | Associated Press
The lone debate between Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero turned out to be "another missed opportunity" for Michigan voters to learn more about their candidates, the two groups said, adding the complete omission of a single question on the environment or the potential of the clean energy sector for job growth in Michigan was a "startling oversight."
“Instead of talking about the 109,000 clean energy jobs we have in Michigan, and the ability to create at least that many more, the candidates were instead thrown softball questions like, ‘How tough of a nerd are you?’ and ‘How angry of a mayor are you?’” Lisa Wozniak, the LCV's executive director, said in a statement.
“This was the opportunity to see them actually debate an issue on which they are both knowledgeable and passionate. Instead, we got easily dodged questions, sloppy mudslinging, and a gaping hole in the conversation where bold visions for Michigan’s sustainable future belonged.”
Chris Kolb, president of the Michigan Environmental Council, agreed voters deserve specific answers and ideas.
"For once, Michigan’s economy is showing signs of diversification into solar energy, advanced batteries and wind turbine components," he said in a statement. “We need to know what they candidates plan to do to keep these positive trends going, and their plans for the future.”
Michigan LCV’s Education Fund hosted a forum for the gubernatorial candidates on conservation issues on May 12, before the primary election. The video of the forum is now being rereleased in an edited format that highlights only Snyder and Bernero’s responses.
It is available here on YouTube, as well as on the LCV's Education Fund website.
Last week, the LCV asked both Snyder and Bernero in open letters to address eight questions on the environment. The LCV said today that concerned citizens across the state now will be bringing the questions to town halls for both candidates to put their positions on the record.
A partial transcript of Sunday's debate is now posted on the Detroit Free Press' website here. The Free Press also has posted a graphic showing the most-used words during the debate.
Snyder said the word "jobs" 41 times, compared to Bernero's 39.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Yousef Rabhi
Wed, Oct 13, 2010 : 10:50 p.m.
Bernero did say: "I think manufacturing was a great part of our past and also a vibrant part of our future, the green automotive future, the green technology, wind turbines, you name it, we can be in the business of manufacturing, we can win."
West Upper Peninsula
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 10:09 p.m.
I live up here where there are many trees and wildlife. I am wondering what is going to happen to our Great Lakes if Kennecott Eagle Mines in Marquette Mi.? They have NEVER had a safe mine that doesn't pollute, they pay the State Governments to change the laws to suit their pollution levels in the area being mined. we are concerned about the environment, the proposed rock to be mined is under the Salmon Trout River which is 1 of the 3 rivers where the Coaster Brook Trout spawn. When this type of mineral touches air and water it turns into sulfuric acid. We have been fighting this Mine for 8-10 Years and they have $$$ in everyone's pocket I hope the new Governor will do something about this!!!!! for more information go to Save the wild UP.com
snapshot
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 7:41 p.m.
Joelbatterman, it seems you missed the "context" of Snyder mentioning the new bicycle bridge as a "misallocation" of scarce resources when another bicycle bridge was located just 1/2 mile away from the new one, while the Stadium Bridges are falling down. Your dissappointment seems directly proportional to your economic ignorance. As far as the debate being a waste of time I say it solidified that Snyder is the solution and Benero is the problem who just nit picks. Folks who think otherwise are not business people who depend upon their expertise and production skills to earn a living instead of feeding at the public troth.
Peacemaker
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 4:03 p.m.
Yes, although it ws hardly a "debate", it did give viewers an opportunity to observe the disparate character and personal qualities of the two candidates. And character and personal qualities are of prime importance in choosing a leader.
Epengar
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 12:13 p.m.
Stanton and Franklin are over-simplifying. In Michigan, the environment is an economic issue. Tourism is vital to the state's economy, tourists spend billions in Michigan every year. Most of that tourism is based around outdoor recreation, so clean air, clean water, and healthy natural areas are very important for Michigan's jobs and prosperity.
michiganpoorboy
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 11:51 a.m.
A lot about Environmental but fact has it God can clean up anything in an instant so for christans this is alot about nothing. What about babies humans not ducks and fish. You people are foolish.
Chase Ingersoll
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 9:47 a.m.
Am I the only one who thinks Rick Snyder sounds like Kermit the Frog? Debate: all it was, was a regurgitation of bullet/talking points that can be found on their website. China: Mary Sue is bringing in 1300 Chinese a year to the engineering school because they are paying $40k in tuition. These students return to China, not to practice a Michigan brand of union socialism, but to work for Corporations throughout China and Asia that are 100% Capitalist. Michigan's regulatory/tax structure and workforce with expectations of high wages/benefits cannot produce products for export that can compete with the prices of goods of equal quality produced in China and other countries around the world, or even states like Ohio and Indiana. And it is not just the taxes and regulations, what I was told by a headhunter when I first moved to Michigan was that she could not place anyone from Michigan with a company from another state because the perception of employers in other states was that Michigan workers expected to be paid 20% more and receive fringe benefits than similarly qualified prospects from other states. Many Michiganders have an "attitude of entitlement" to forever be the beneficiaries of a higher standard of living that was afforded by Michigan being the primary location of the development and production of the combustible engine.
RobRoy
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 8:40 a.m.
Our state faces some of its biggest challenges and all we get is one debate? How stupid
clownfish
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 8:25 a.m.
@INSIDE-The people are tired of BS groups trying to impose their will on the rest of the us. What is being imposed upon you that you find so distasteful? Requiring investment banks to be better capitalized? Requiring insurance companies to cover children? Keeping hundreds of banks open for business, instead of letting them fail and bringing down the entire economy? Not allowing Frito-Lay to continue to fatten the populace, leading to an epidemic of obesity and childhood diabetes? The hidden costs of health care for the uninsured, Jackson hospital wrote off $30,000,000 in 2008...YOU paid for that BTW. Are you opposed to that being a known cost, rather than hidden? Maybe you are opposed to cutting entitlement programs via oversight of waste? Or, maybe it is the attempt to get Medicare to establish a program that pays for results, rather than services? Whew, just like Nazi Germany or Pol Pots Cambodia, ain't it! But, luckily gay people are kept in their places, out of the military and out of the divorce business. And it is good to know that the MI Senate knows better than OB/GYNs about the health of mothers. Otherwise we might say the govt is taking our rights, and we could Whine some more.
Steve Pepple
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 7:28 a.m.
A comment was removed because of name-calling.
JSA
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 7:24 a.m.
Just a bunch of one issue children whining because their issue was not center stage.
glimmertwin
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 7:18 a.m.
After listening to parts of the "debate", I think I should move to Lansing. It sounds like a great place where there is no crime and everyone has their choice of any type of job they want.
TT
Tue, Oct 12, 2010 : 4:26 a.m.
Has anyone noticed the real elephant in the room? If you can stomach the openly twisted morals of Verge Bernero and the foul garbage he wishes to inflict upon the families of michigan, I guess you can stomach most anything. You WILL get what you vote for. If you think the most important issues in this election are the economy, tourism, or even jobs, you are sadly mistaken. This guy will take Michigan children and families to hell(and I mean that literally) in a handbasket.
Speechless
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 10:57 p.m.
The environment is always important, regardless of whether or not people want to acknowledge it at a given moment in time. It's not terribly rational to wait until clean air, water and land are gone before deciding that maybe it's a major public issue after all. The absurd problem with the debate was that it allowed slightly less than one hour to cover every possible meaningful topic for the State of Michigan. It was like watching a tonge-in-cheek stage troupe performance where one or more of Shakespeare's plays has been condensed to 10 minutes or less. The more sensible approach spreads a number of topic areas over four or five separate debates lasting 60-90 minutes each. It looks like this format will not be possible this year due to Snyder's strong desire to duck public debates.
DonBee
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 9:30 p.m.
Green Jobs? Michigan? No where in Michigan made the GreenTech Media list of cities that are top in Green Jobs. None. Most of the awards went to the West Coast. If you want Green Jobs LCV and you want companies to invest here, you need to get better PR. Right now most of the Green Jobs are on one or the other coast, according to GreenTech. Until you show people there is a reason to put Green Jobs in Michigan, they will not come. We need Venture Capital, Enough other green companies so that people feel they have a peer group, PR, Consulting Support, and other things that are missing. Spark did a good job starting this for some tech communities, but right now, the support is not there for green companies in Michigan when you talk to even battery companies, as I did today. They want to know they are coming to a place that will support them in the intangible ways. LCV will you publish a green newsletter? A Michigan Green Jobs Help Wanted Site? Sponsor round tables for Green Company Founders and others? Help move ideas from the U of M to private companies? Last year I offered to sponsor 2 different Graduate Students on a set of wind turbine projects at the U of M. Paying the whole cost of materials, and providing input. No professor in the Engineering Department that they were able to approach was willing to support the work. I was disappointed. Very disappointed.
InsideTheHall
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 9:06 p.m.
Well cry me a river. The people are tired of BS groups trying to impose their will on the rest of the us. That changes November 2nd from DC to Lansing! The fact remains many of those technologies cannot survive without government subsidies....just look at Spain.
treetowncartel
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 8:40 p.m.
The bike lane over US-23 is a waste of money. If they were going through that much trouble, they should have made it a span for automobiles with a bike lane on the side. That is like putting up a four foot privacy fence, or pouring a six foot basement.
Joel Batterman
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 8:11 p.m.
Given Snyder's stated support for "green infrastructure" and "walkable cities," it was disappointing that he'd cite a local bicycle-pedestrian bridge as an example of wasteful transportation spending: transportmichigan.org.
AlphaAlpha
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 7:25 p.m.
"...what will be next?" Cheap cheap Carp d'Asian sushi.
graceekerr
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 7:02 p.m.
the zebra muscles are destroying our inland lakes, what will be next?
graceekerr
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 6:59 p.m.
did either of them promise to blow us away?
michiganexpats.com
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 6:31 p.m.
"complete failure" is a bit harsh. I think it was a good debate, although I wish there were more specific questions. However, not sure that would have made it much better. I'm glad they at least had at least one debate.
David
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 6:26 p.m.
Heh. I misspoke, but the point is the same. The LCV shouldn't be sending out such press-releases when the vast majority of voters aren't even taking the environment into consideration this cycle.
graceekerr
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 6:25 p.m.
Why is it we get to choose from 50 women for Miss America and only 2 for governor?
DBH
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 6:19 p.m.
I disagree with David Franklin. I think (especially given the 3% result reported by Mr. Stanton) that the voters almost COULDN'T care less about the environment. And for Mick52, I think the concern is about Asian carp, not African.
Mick52
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 5:52 p.m.
Good point David Franklin. I was thinking the same thing and wondering why this story was even printed. I suppose teachers, cops, firefighters, and construction workers all feel it was a fail too. I do want some opinion on the African carp thing since nobody else, state or fed seems to give a hoot. If the LCV/MEC want another debate they can try to get one. One debate only is a bad reflection on
Ryan J. Stanton
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 5:48 p.m.
A new poll released Sunday by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA showed 58 percent of voters ranked "improving Michigan's economy and creating jobs" as their top concern among a list of nine of the state's problems or issues. Education was second at 12 percent, followed by reducing state government spending at 8 percent. Way down the line, ranking 8 out of 9, was "protecting our air and water" at 3 percent.
treetowncartel
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 5:14 p.m.
I think the participants should have used hyperlinks to other sources for the information people wanted. Oh wait, this blog already has that slant covered. I think an interesting thing to do, would be to have individual business and government leaders from other states watch the debate and give their commentaries on the two leaders we are stuck to chose from.
David Briegel
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 5:13 p.m.
Can you imagine a real forensic debate between two politicians?? Imagine? They would be exposed for the empty suits they are!
David
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 5:09 p.m.
I agree with Briegel and Sillytree. The entire "debate" felt like one long advertisement. I don't find it surprising that the LCV found the debate to be a "complete failure," but for a different reason. Their issue is the environment, and frankly, a vast majority of voters could care less about the environment right now. The economy is #1 in all polling.
SillyTree
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 4:46 p.m.
I don't know any more after the debate than I knew before. It was a big ad.
David Briegel
Mon, Oct 11, 2010 : 4:41 p.m.
That is because it is not a real debate. Neither party would agree to a real debate. They stand there and spew talking point lies and half truths. Who cares? It sells ads and creates sound bites and controversy for our lame media!