We have a government sector with an unsustainable financial model. This mortgaged our children's future with over 54 billion dollars in pension and benefit liabilities. We have far too many young people who are not leaving school with the education they need to succeed in the future. We have an economic climate - it has left too many people unemployed, underemployed or forced to leave the state. Particularly our young people.

Okay, Rick mentioned the 800lb. gorilla in the room.  Unionized gummint workers, but never mentions actions to correct the problem.  And, we somehow have, as Snyder alleges, all these functional illiterates churned out of our high schools and colleges that are a problem.  Then he states that they're leaving the state.  As I recall reading figures on here somewhere not that long ago, 46% of all college grads are leaving this state not because they're "not leaving school with the education they need to succeed", it's because nobody in their right mind would create a business in this state and those that have a business were too fleeced by Lansing and can't afford to hire.  Sipping ahead...

We will not dwell on the past or the depth of our problems. The focus will be on agreed-on action, implementation, measuring results and continuous improvement We will not continue the fighting that resulted in rhetoric and paralysis.[Stop]

I agree to a point.  Can't change the past, so why live in it.  However, Rick played the latest buzzword, "rhetoric" to minimalize any opposition to his agenda.  The message was sent that if you don't run with his centrist/left leaning plan in his head you may face smearing or more likely, Ricks fall back during his campaign, dismissal, in the press by his surrogates.  Speaking as just a lowly voter, Rick can go f#@% himself.  I don't like his agenda already, and now I sure as hell don't like the Governors Office telling me how to think and how I must toss my Conservative beliefs in the gutter because that is just eeeevil "rhetoric" that is paralyzing.  Bullsh!t.  Rick better start dropping headlines that have "agreed-on action" of some of us "slash and burners" or the MI-GOP can kiss my vote goodbye as long as I live in this state.

Let me start with a new concept. We are creating a means by which to actually measure Michigan's progress. I find it curious that we've had State of the State addresses for decades. Yet I don't know of one where we actually had a report card to gauge our success.

Good God!  The Dashboard.  WTF?  The gimmickry of a Ford Motor Company quarterly Pulse Survey?  Look, if this is the kind of nonsense people in Michigan need in government to feel good, then I can understand why Gateway used cute little Cow Boxes to market their inferior product.  The bottom line of judging any administrations success is employment vs. those mooching off the gummint teat and how much gummint has taken from the workers that pay for the moochers through coercive taxes.  Grading expanding collectivism is merely like pushing a string.

We will present a two-year budget. The first is the legally required budget, the second's for planning purposes. Having a two-year budget will force tough decisions.

{Yawn}...  That'll work for the first budget.  After that, it'll all depend on his discipline to hold true to that plan for better or worse.

The old approach let the bureaucracy and special interests control the agenda too much.

**cough*MEDC*cough* uh, hum... **cough*U of M partnerships*cough*...

We need to insure the citizens are getting value for money. We need to show results for real people. Our budget will include the elimination of the job-killing Michigan business tax and replace that with a 6%... Thank you.

Thank you?  A lessor job-killing tax replaces Brian Calleys' massive job-killing tax and this is a success?  Hogwash.  Where's the budget cuts?  The MoleRattler expanded our budget a billion dollars a year in creating the MBT.  Where are the cuts to finally eliminate the tax?

We will also task our executive group on people with vigorously pursuing improvements in our health care system in terms of cost, quality and access.

Ah, the Liberal Utopia.  Look for your taxes to increase somewhere.

On our urban challenges, we are working in a partnership to create a new office in the executive branch. The governor's office has traditionally had a Detroit office, but we will do more. Thru this partnership, we will create an Office of Urban Initiatives to proactively address issues in Detroit and the rest of the urban areas.

WTF?  Create a whole new goddamn branch of gummint?  Talk about nibbling around the edges of a problem.  I can't wait to see how much this is gonna cost everyone else in the state to play Feng Shui with the deck chairs of Michigan's Titanic.  Detroit's chocolate Anderson Cooper is already skeptical...

Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh said he was pleased Snyder plans to create an executive Cabinet post for urban issues but he said he is concerned the governor called for a new system of state and city revenue sharing that would reward municipalities that consolidation services with other communities and adopt other efficiencies.

"Revenue sharing, that really could hurt if that's not done the right way," Pugh said.

ROFLMAO!  Pugh, it's been a one-way mooching street since the days of Milliken in Office.  It's about time to tighten your belt's in Detroit.  Oh, wait...

We will establish an exciting new initiative to encourage immigrants with advanced college degrees to come to Michigan to live and work. I've asked the Department of Civil Rights to work with the MEDC in this effort. We need to be a place that openly encourages innovators and entrepreneurs to come to our state. The evidence is clear that advance college degree immigrants make a tremendous difference in creating a positive economic activity environment that benefits us all.

To give you some additional background: For example: About half of the startups in Silicon Valley have a foreign national as a founder. Immigration made us a great state and country. It is time we embrace this concept as a way to speed our reinvention.

Foreign Nationals?  If that isn't a goddamn slap in the face to every taxpayer in this state and nation.  And, Silicon Valley?  That bubble burst a long time ago.  Matter of fact, the whole state of Mexi, err, California is on the verge of a bankruptcy that is gonna make Spain look like pikers in comparison.  And, if that isn't picking winners and losers... I've got this bridge I'd like to sell you.  Oooops!  Snyder did that too.  Oh!  At "no cost to Michigan taxpayers" too.  Dat's right, Snyder is using Obamas' stash for the DRIC.  God help us.

Michigan 's 1970 vintage item pricing law is exhibit A. Revitalizing our economy demands that we should weed out needless regulations that cost consumers and throw up barriers to competition. Michigan is only one of two states that requires almost every item on the store shelf to be individually labeled with a price tag. In today's world of scanners, bar codes and automated inventory systems, we are simply placing an undue burden on retailers and consumers. A recent economic study that said requiring these stickers over other forms of marketing costs our economy over $2 billion a year. That's no bargain. It's bad for business, it's bad for consumers. Let's embrace technology that saves consumers time and money while still protecting them. Let's make item pricing one law that's out of stock.

Mmmmmm, not so fast Nerd boy.  I happen to agree with Mrs. Dzwonkowski.  I can't tell you how many times I've caught the bar code price being different from what is marked on the self, the product or sale items, and oddly enough the bar code always is a higher price.  Now that verification needs to be removed?  Bullsh!t.  The herd may think computers are the end all be all, but I want indisputable hard copy.  Removing this law allows stores to more easily play the gas station game of jacking around pump prices of the gas that they already paid a price for, on the expectation of what their next shipment might cost.  It's a shell game.

Today I asked the Legislature to make an important step that will enable agriculture to thrive. In addition to making agricultural processing eligible for 21st Century Jobs Fund, I'm requesting that lawmakers strengthen the Michigan Agricultural Assurance program to make it a seal of assurance so that farmers who run environmentally sound operations can be protected from unnecessary regulations and frivolous lawsuits.

Really have no objections with freeing farmers from additional regs and suits.  The following I do...

Sixth, I urge the prompt passage of a capital outlay bill that implements the recommendations of the Natural Resources Trust Fund. From the greatness of the land and the resourcefulness of the citizens of the Upper Peninsula to the unquestioned beauty and economic engine of the Great Lakes, natural resources and recreation have always been among our strongest areas. The Fund's board of trustees has recommended 117 recreation and land acquisition projects totaling $100 million.

These projects will positively impact every corner of our state, from Iron County in the Upper Peninsula, to Traverse City , to Luna Pier in Monroe County. Also included is a significant expansion of the William G. Milliken Park on the Detroit riverfront.

Abso-fugging-lute bullsh!t.  How much more money is gonna be funneled into that abject failure of a Liberal social experiment City before it's enough?  And, when was it a brilliant idea for gummint to get into the real estate business?  For chrissakes, the House Republicans are trying to sell off some of the land grab that BJ Clinton went on to reduce our national deficit (see: Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion total savings.) and Snyder wants to spend a $100 million buying more while running about $2 billion in the hole?  F#@%! Me!  That's long-term insanity.

The seventh item is international trade. To achieve success in today's world, it requires that we look beyond our borders. We must open ourselves to the promises and potential of the global marketplace. We must increase exports from Michigan farmers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs.

Last year, Canada was the top market for our products.[stop]

Yada, yada, yada.  Nibbling at crumbs, again.  Historically, trade with Canada has been a loser.  More of our money leaves the State of Michigan to Imports than any so-called gains from Exports as it does nationally.

Global demand for our ports of entry is expected to increase steadily with no signs of slowing.

Oh?  Is that because of Corporate Offshoring?

To satisfy growing demand, we must move forward towards building a bridge, a new bridge from Detroit to Windsor, The Detroit River International River Crossing.

Ah, the NAFTA Bridge.

Now I ask you to forget everything you heard in last year's debate regarding the proposed Detroit River International Crossing. We will present a totally revamped and highly attractive economic development proposal including a recent agreement from Washington.

Forget everything?  It's no different.  Taxpayers are gonna pay for this boondoggle.

Private sector investment will be used to build the bridge itself. Canada has generously offered $550 million for the construction of the U.S. portion of the road system to connect the bridge - part of the public-private partnership for the entire project. Their investment will be fully recouped from toll revenue. During a visit last week to Washington, ... a unique agreement with the Federal Highway Administration to use the $550-million investment in our infrastructure towards the matching funds required for all federally funded highway projects across our state.

Poof!  PFM!

And I assure you that Michigan taxpayers will not take on any debt related to this project.

And I assure you that if you watch Snyder long enough... a monkey will fly out of his ass too.