Tag: George

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.

Pete Hoekstra will be there.

Terri Lynn Land will be there.

Tom George will be there.

Mike Cox will be there the day after officially announcing his candidacy along with a pledge to cut taxes on Michigan residents by a full $2 BILLION!

Heck, even radical pro-abortion candidate Alma Wheeler Smith will be there representing the Democrats.

Cherry... not so much.

Then again, if I were a part of a Democratic administration that was responsible for the largest tax hike in Michigan history, chronic budget "deficits" and thorough economic stagnation I'd probably duck a debate in front of the state's most prominent business leaders, too.

Why give voters... ANY voters... any extra opportunity to examine the goods... so to speak?

At first I thought we were looking at a case of abject political cowardice but I've since mellowed.  I hadn't considered the alternative.  

Read on...

In 2010 just about everything is up for grabs in Michigan.  We've got the Governor's race, the AG, the Secretary of State, the entire State Senate, the whole House, every member of Congress including Mark "I swear I won't run for Congress" Schauer and Yooooooooour (former) Lottery Commissioner Gary Peters... Supreme Court seats... the list goes on and on.

So what's the buzz around the convention thus far?  

That's the tricky part.  Let me be frank... if I wanted to play the part of Tim Skubick I could give you a dozen and a half early campaign announcements and rumors.  And not just today or this weekend but for the past months.

But I'm not Skubick.  I'm not a reporter.  I'm a conservative who blogs and I count a lot of the men and women bouncing around this convention floor as friends... if I hear something specifically off the record or can't track down the candidate him or herself (or a top staffer) to verify it then I'm going to shut my yap.

I know.  I'm lame.  

But that's not to say there aren't some rumors that I'm able to substantiate.  So here's the latest and greatest from MRP Convention Day 1:

In the 19th District Special Election its Mike Nofs or bust.  The man has locked up support in and around the convention and was getting his name dropped by activists from across the state.  This is going to be a national race and expected to see an infusion of millions of Dem dollars so watching the Party rally around a candidate with broad bipartisan cross-over appeal is exciting.  Mike Simpson and Marty Griffin, look out.

More below...

"The Michigan automotive supply sector is struggling because of the failed business policies of the state, and as a result, thousands of Michigan jobs are in danger," said state Republican Representative Kim Meltzer.  "More Michigan workers are employed in the supply industry than direct auto manufacturing, but many suppliers are on the verge of bankruptcy. Times are tough, and if we are to break out of this current economic slump, we have to eliminate such impediments to job expansion."

Meltzer, along with Democrat Rep. Mark Meadows and Republicans John Proos and Sen. Jason Allen, today introduced a bipartisan six-bill package to create accountability for the auto industry by:

• Eliminating permanent recording on tooling: Under the current acts, tool and die companies are required to permanently record on all of the tooling it designs.  

• Reducing the 90-day waiting period to 30 days: Current law requires companies to wait 90 days to issue a lien if payment has not been received.  A full three months is a long time for a tool and mold builder to bear the financing cost for a design, fabrication and manufacture of the tooling while the customer is allowed to continue using the tooling.

• Grant immediate possession and enforcement under general motion practice: The acts grant the lien holder the right to possession of tooling and to enforce their right to possession by any "available judicial procedure."

• Allow for the assessment of interest, damages and attorney fees: Tool and die companies are forced to spend thousands of dollars on attorney fees, court costs, etc. to enforce the lien under the acts.

• Includes language regarding the waiver of a mold builder's rights under the lien act and the application of the law of another state: Prevents any contract language that attempts to waive a mold builder's right under the lien act.

"This is a multi-billion dollar problem across the state," Meltzer said. "But it's also a fairness issue - businesses aren't living up to their contractual obligations and these poor business practices will force Michigan suppliers to close their doors."

On the other side of the Capitol, a big local event was added today to next week's schedule.

Read on...