Worse, nobody seemed to have much of an idea about what needed to be done to pull Michigan out of the morass it finds itself in. Various candidates for governor -- including Republicans Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Attorney General Mike Cox and Democratic Lt. Gov. John Cherry -- were working the crowd with an odd mixture of the energetic and the anxious.

This is surprising. Mike Cox outlined many conservative core beliefs during his announcement the day before the Policy Conference. If the GOP candidates stick to our core beliefs, they would have a good starting place to get Michigan back on track.

I posted a Michigan Is Open For Business Strategy, that uses conservative principles such as:

    * Cut corporate taxes
    * Push to make Michigan a Right To Work State
    * Push For School Vouchers

If the GOP gubernatorial candidates need some other ideas, here are a few more:

    * Rescind Granholm's 45 by 20 plan that would require 45% of Michigan's electricity generated by `green' sources. Aside from the unreliable nature of windmills and solar panels, this will make electricity very expensive. If you think your home electric bill will become expensive, imagine what commercial rates would look like. A small machine shop today can easily have a $2000 / month electric bill. And when we have to pay for all that green energy, those increased overhead rates will go straight to the shops bottom line.
    * Pass legislation that reaffirms our state's sovereignty. Considering today's Washington is rapidly expanding their power, this would be a good idea.
    * Rather than shuffling departments and calling it streamlining government, cut the actual size of government by 15%.