Go ahead.  We'll wait...

**twiddling thumbs**

**checking watch**

**looking out the window**

Oh, hi.  Welcome back.  

Howes wrote, in part:

The longer Public Michigan waits to reform the structure of government, to rationalize departments, to commonize retirement systems of public and school employees, to push consolidation of police and fire service among neighboring communities, the tougher the future will be. Ask GM.

Business knows this because successful business lives it, responding to changing conditions with dynamic management. Smart CEOs would look at the tale of GM, its predicament and see missed opportunities that, seized earlier, might have mitigated the today's pain.

Alas, smart CEOs have been in short supply in Michigan's executive office for the last six-plus years.  And if John Cherry's decision yesterday to duck the quasi-debate candidate forum up on the Island is any indication, the next two years won't bring us many bold or broad strokes either.  

But that's not to say there wasn't something worthwhile being discussed by the other candidates.  The Ivory Tower:

All five candidates said the tax structure of the state had to be reconfigured to make business taxes more fair, but only Cox said he would sign a pledge not to raise taxes.

"I wouldn't sign such a pledge," George said. "Because we don't know what the future holds."

I'd only reply that we DO know what the future holds should the current administration or the next raise taxes again.  We've experienced that nightmare before... and we're living through it now.