First, I hold a brief press conference thanking Governor Granholm for the opportunity and make it very clear that Lansing is going to get its act together.  With this declaration for real action, comes a real expectation as I promise I will have a budget to sign by Memorial Day.

Second, I call for an immediate meeting with Senator Bishop and Speaker Dillon.  At this meeting, I make it very clear that the first priority is the remaining $686 million budget deficit.  I tell Speaker Dillon that while I understand his party would like to deal with that deficit as well as the projected deficit for the next fiscal year, time has simply run out for that type of a solution.  I also point out that his own caucus (Rep. Miller) is not in favor of tackling the problem in that way.  I promise the speaker that the next year's budget will be dealt with (including an SBT replacement) in due time.

Third, at that same meeting, I discuss with Senator Bishop and Speaker Dillon the Senate Republican plan that solves the budget deficit with all cuts and recommend that it pass the legislature.  While I recognize the cuts are damaging to local communities and public schools, it is a "cuts first" solution, which everybody seems to agree needs to be the answer to the immediate budget shortfall.  Since I know Speaker Dillon is not going to pass the plan through his chamber, I discuss with him and Senator Bishop ways to make a deal.  If that means passing some legislation from Democrats that Republicans would normally thumb their nose at, so be it (a revised version of the House Democrats Tort Reform rollback bills and landfill tipping fees come to mind).  Of course in a perfect world we get through this without any of these business-killing bills, but Lansing is far from being a perfect world.

Fourth, I broker a deal with Bishop and Dillon structured in a way I just described above.  I meet with and involve key legislators in the process as the budget is being approved by the legislature so that they understand what the thought process was when Bishop, Dillon and I came to an agreement on the budget.  I also make all members of my administration immediately available to speak with the legislature and immediately testify before appropriations sub-committees, if needed, in each chamber.

Fifth, I sign the budget passed by both houses of the legislature and thank Bishop and Dillon for their cooperation (this happens on May 24, just before Memeorial Day).

Sixth, I do not commission a study or a task force on possible savings if government were to privatize services.  Why?  Because it is pointless to do so.  Plenty of case studies from municipal Michigan governments (ask Mike Bouchard) and other states (see Texas) already exist.  My administration takes a look at these possibilities for savings, consults the appropriate people and contacts legislators to draft the appropriate legislation so that government can contract out what services it can and save money.  This is what I would classify as "real reform".

Seventh, while the reform bills are floating through the legislature, I (and my treasurer) am tirelessly meeting with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce about their SBT replacement plan, the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce about their plan, the Detroit Regional Chamber and business associations (NFIB, SBAM, MMA, etc.) of Commerce on their take of the plans that exist, appropriate Senators about the BEST plan, and former Granholm administration officials (mostly Bob Kleine) about the MBT.  There is no need to establish a task force to tell me what I should do; since I just got done talking to all of the people would likely would have been on that task force anyways.

Eighth, I use the knowledge I gained from my marathon meetings, consult with my state treasurer, budget director, HFA and SFA and propose my own SBT replacement plan.  Generally, the plan flattens the base of the tax, lowers the rate of the tax and brings in approximately $1.7 billion worth of revenue (a cut of about $200 million from today's SBT).

Ninth, I revisit the "real reform" legislative package and meet with appropriate legislators to get it passed.  Since Speaker Dillon is worried that passing these bills would infuriate labor unions' support for Democrats and refuses to pass it, I work with him and Bishop on a compromise and give the Dems something (limited ergonomic requirements legislation comes to mind).

Tenth, the package passes the legislature, I sign it, and the state begins to reap the windfall of savings from privatizing various services.

Eleventh, I take $750 million from the 21st Century Jobs Fund (which isn't creating jobs anyways) in order to begin a fix on the 2008-2009FY budgets.  This money, along with the SBT replacement plan, which I get passed by promising Dillon and the House Dems a small increase in the beer and liquor taxes, provides the state with $2.45 billion to plug the gap.  And this is not to mention the savings realized from privatizing services.  Suddenly, we have a surplus.

Twelfth, the surplus is used to immediately restore funding to public schools and local communities that were cut under this year's Senate Republican plan.  The remainder of the surplus is allocated to the state's rainy day fund.

WOW!!!  That's exhausting and probably gets some of my Republican friends angry with me.  But then again, that's what leadership should be all about right Governor Granholm?