Granholm in Review; Synder in Reflection
January 3, 2011 § 1 Comment
For the past six years, at least, Michiganders have lived under the same mantra, election after election: Jobs. Economy. Autos. Jobs. Detroit. Jobs. Jobs. Economy. Jobs. Is there anything that makes this year different? I would contend that there most certainly is; its high time for change because the old administration just isn’t getting it.
Former- AG Mike Cox made himself evidence of the need for fresh leadership at now- incumbent AG Bill Schuette’s Morning in Michigan breakfast (see photo of Schuette below).
As I alluded in the opening sentence, Michiganders are mostly concerned with money– how to get it, where its going, what we are going to do with it—so when Cox started harping about the resiliency of the Michigan people, I tuned into what Mr. Cox had to say.
And then I tuned right back out. Frankly, resiliency in hard times is a message for the first years of the recession, not a plan for the future. And I am certain most Michiganders would concur. Allow me to repeat: resiliency is not a future. It only gets us so far, and it seems that this fact has slipped Mr. Cox’s mind. Moreover, resiliency is neither in Michigan’s future, nor has it really been in our past. According to the Detroit News, Michigan has lost 465,000 people since 2001; or in other words, the populations of Grand Rapids, Sterling Heights, and Warren combined (source). This 9 year exodus is certainly not demonstrative of any sort of resiliency.
Mind you, this is not any failing on the part of the Michigan citizenry. The fact of the matter is, good public policy cannot be founded on the tough skin of constituents. Such policy does not create an attractive industrial, economic, cultural, or residential environment. This is common sense– a lesson which Mr Cox seemed to have missed. But, you know, it isn’t just Cox. He is just one of many Michigan politician who has fallen out of the loop.
The all-too-apparent truth is, Cox just happened to reveal the fatal flaw in the Granholm administration as a whole– and furthermore, what makes the future of the incoming Synder administration so optimistic.
The problem with the Granholm era is that it was always looking to promote Michigan’s future by salvaging the past– what can we do with the automotive industry? How to we continue to use our industrial resources?. For the longest time, Granholm pursued left-field, and costly endeavors that were germane to Michigan’s saving industrial base, but neglectful of Michigan’s readily available resources. Does any one remember the promise of windfarms in northern Michigan? I do. Did anyone see results? I surely did not. Or how about the unions which were allowed to tyrannize GM and gut it from the inside out, while legislators did nothing? Did they not realize that unions are outdated and their incessant demands crushed the budding innovative technology coming from GM partnerships like Delphi?
In a brief, Granholm policies spent so much time looking backward, they bumped into every possible obstacle as they progressed.
But what about this guy?
What sets him apart in the wake of the Granholm disaster?
As I listened to now- Gov. Rick Snyder’s inaugural address, a single portion of his speech stood out to me. Snyder spoke of Michigan’s prosperity in terms of phases. There was fur- trapping, then there was farming and fuel, then there was autos, and now we embark upon a new phases. We are no longer the people the Granholm administration imagines, who who are on the losing end of a failing economy, and must grin and bear it to get through. No. To this new administration we are craftsmen and women who hold, not remains, but the raw materials we need to launch Michigan into its new phase. Michigan (especially Detroit, whose mayor, Dave Bing, was notably the master of inaugural ceremonies) requires, more than anything else, a compelling and universal attitude shift. No extra taxes, no wacky imported industries, no bailouts or extra federal grants.
We are on the verge something great, and those wise enough to see that opportunity, not despair, is on our horizon remain. They remain, and they call themselves Michiganders.
Miniskirt Not Included: 
Governor Snyder is a visionary and this is not something you see in politics often. Historically politics and business in Michigan has been about playing it safe and maintaining the status quo. This type of thinking put Michigan in its current crisis. Politicians, the Detroit 3, Michiganders in general became complacent and simply wanted to maintain Michigan’s glory days. Obviously, this attitude of only maintaining what we had slowly eroded Michigan’s economic prosperity. Governor’s Snyder’s message of Reinvention resonated with the public because the public finally understood that the old ways of politics and business cannot continue if Michigan wishes to be an economic player in the global economy.
His campaign never focused on the beliefs of his opponents. Rather, his campaign focused on a vision that includes ushering Michigan into a new era and removing this culture of simply trying to maintain what we have. I agree with your optimism. Governor Snyder has the right ideas and because he ran a clean campaign that appeals to both sides of the aisle, I believe his administration will be able to implement these correct ideas and policies.