Tag: Bernero

Those were the days.

Back when you knew where people stood.

Ya know?

Eric Bolling, filling in for Beck tonight introduced the Lansing mayor Bernero as his "dear friend" before crushing the standard socialist fare with an observation about what Bernero is doing to deal with a deficit in Lansing.  Bernero ackowledged the tax increase he had asked for was turned down by the taxpayers, and that he must lower wages.

Only eight weeks from today here in Michigan we will head to the polls and elect a new Governor and Lieutenant Governor, a new Secretary of State, a new Attorney General, an entirely new state House and Senate, members of the Michigan Supreme Court, members of boards of education and boards of regent and local office holders across the state.

Everything is on the table and up for grabs and the differences couldn't be bigger between Republicans and Democrats.

We've got a choice for governor between Rick Snyder and America's angriest mayor, Virg Bernero, a man whose platform seems to consist of three plank--shout louder than anyone else, do everything under the sun to empower Big Labor and set up a state-run bank (because state government seems to run everything else so well).

We've got a choice for Secretary of State between Ruth Johnson and Jocelyn Benson, a near carbon copy of Jennifer Granholm.  The only difference real between Benson and Granholm is that Benson is significantly more liberal.  

And then there's the choice for Attorney General between Bill Schuette and David Leyton, a county prosecutor in Flint where violent crime has skyrocketed on his watch.  David Leyton seemingly never saw a violent crime case he wouldn't plea bargain. Sure, maybe you plea bargain some first offenses to keep the courts from clogging up. But when you're the Prosecutor in the most violent city in the state -- a city on track for a record setting number of murders this year -- business as usual is not good enough.

Leyton has been such a failure that this past year community leaders in Flint have called for the National Guard to be deployed to curb the continuing violence.

Three choices.  Each of them no choice at all.

And with the Governor, the Senate and the Supreme Court handling redistricting that will go a long ways to determining control of the legislature for the next decade, the stakes this year couldn't be any greater.

But you know all of that.  The question for each of is is what are we going to do about it?

It's going to take our combined effort again this year to make sure Michigan turns the corner away from the Democrats' record shattering tax hikes, nation's worst unemployment rates and big-government liberalism.  

Pick a race.  Blog about it.  I'll pledge here and now to do that myself.  You can expect to see me here every single week between now and the election talking about the critical races facing each of us.  I hope you'll join me.

And then call one of the campaigns and get involved.

Let's show the Democrats-- who've given us more dangerous streets, higher unemployment, higher taxes and bigger government-- that enough is enough.

(Saul Anuzis is the Michigan Republican National Committeeman and the immediate past Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.)

People are starting to wake up to the fact that the MEA represents the fourth highest paid teachers in the country. (in a state that ranks near the bottom for average wages otherwise)  Further, that the current contracts are time bombs.  Add to this, the public realization of what the MEA "re-packages" as insurance is  merely a BCBS policy with a 25% profit for the union built in reinforces a growing sentiment that this public sector union in particular is bad business for Michigan.

And THAT is bad news for the MEA.

So bad, they need a plug to stop the inevitable leak in the money pipe from Lansing to the highly paid MEA infrastructure.  Bad enough to look for a place to put a controlling hand that nods his head, and makes him bow, and has him sign on the dotted line when told.

How much more of a problem, then, if the men and women drowning their sorrows in the middle of the day are the folks voters elected and sent to Lansing specifically to FIX this state's problems?  

This Thursday morning, while moms and dads across Michigan tighten the family budgets, hunt for jobs and worry about how they're going to put food on the table, 2010 Gubernatorial candidate and current Lieutenant Governor John Cherry, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and state Senator Hansen Clarke will be taking "unbelievable," "inappropriate" and "tone deaf" to disturbing new levels.

The Lansing Democrats will be getting liquored up with special interest pals and high-dollar donors at an open bar event they are describing as a "Mid-Day Fun-Raiser."  Support a "two hour moratorium on dry political fundraisers," they encourage via an email invitation obtained by RightMichigan.com.  

The event is scheduled to begin thirty minutes after the Michigan Senate is gaveled into session this Thursday.  

We've already learned this week that tens of thousands of Michigan jobs will disappear and Friday stands to be one of the most important days in the history of Detroit's automotive industry.  No sense letting THAT stop a good time when there are lobbyists to schmooze and martinis to sip, though.

So many questions come to mind.  

Will Lieutenant Governor Cherry and Senator Clarke register their attendance in the Senate during roll call and then make their way over to the open bar?

Will Cherry and Clarke return to the Senate chamber after having spent the morning and early afternoon imbibing with lobbyists, special interest friends and big dollar donors?

Will John Cherry and Hansen Clarke be driving themselves or are they planning on using a designated driver?  And will the taxpayers foot the bill?

Which other House and Senate members, staffers and Democratic Party big-wigs will be inebriated by half-past one in the afternoon?

And maybe most importantly the day before General Motors submits to the government a last-gasp reorganization plan with hundreds of thousands of Michigan jobs on the line... In what freaking universe does the state's number two guy, a candidate for the highest office in the land, think it's a good idea to waste away the work day partying, booze in hand with lobbyists?

At the helm, on the clock and getting hammered.  If THAT doesn't scream "leadership" I don't know what does.