Tag: Prop 6

If it were YOUR business, monopoly, interest, etc..  What would you do?  What would be YOUR actions if the government came gunning for you and your interest in holding on to a business built both legally and with solid business acumen.  That is the point I have made many times before with regard to Moroun and the DIBC.

And Henry Payne makes a decent case for it as well a couple days ago, when he points out the hypocrisy of the media that decries Moroun's efforts:

"Take the Journal. It's the only daily newspaper in the state's capital. What if the governments of Canada, Michigan, and the US ganged up on the LSJ's "monopoly," and decided to publish a government-run newspaper to put the Journal out of business?

You don't have to endorse Moroun's over-the-top, misleading ads - or his ballot proposal - to know that is exactly what the Canadian government is doing to the Ambassador Bridge Company.

In a decades-long war with Moroun, the Canadian government has tried repeatedly to put the Michigan mogul out of business, jealous that a private company is making money on "their" international border crossing. What is dumb-founding is that it has found a Michigan governor and American government to ally with them to destroy a profitable, American business."

For years, the legislature has been reticent on taking action on a new bridge for a few reasons.  Not the least of which has been that very last fact.  The question begged by conservative Republican legislators, is "Why would we hurt an American business to give a benefit to the Canadians?  Short term gain as Payne alludes, is certainly ALL we get out of such a thing, and while there was a Democrat governor, resistance was easy for Republicans.

With the current governor, it suddenly makes it OK? Did Republicans leave their principles at the door when the majority changed?

Any of you who run a business that YOU BUILT, understand what happens when government grows to a point where they can use your tax dollars to abuse you repeatedly.  Crony short term gains by the actions and wishes of this governor, and his waiting-in-the-wings beneficiaries can all too easily be replaced by the long term losses more closely associated with American business failures due to external forces.

Forget about the new international bridge crossing costing, or NOT costing us a dime as the arguments are made.  Forget about traffic numbers being 45% of their once peak, or the other side's arguing for relief from backups that slow down economic activity.  Take away those arguments about whether 'infrastructure' should be owned by private enterprise, or whether its appropriate to destroy a business to correct the situation.

And just plain abandon those arguments for, or against, Ford's ability to import Chinese transmissions through the newest NAFTA super highway component.

All of those arguments have legitimate standing.  They also have placed good folks in opposition to other good folks argumentatively, frustrating conversation outcomes, and in fact causing minor political realignments. Perhaps causing a rift within the Michigan Republican party itself. Perhaps because some Republicans would not follow the lead of a moderate governor who decided to make his Democrat predecessor's goal his own.

But Rick Snyder was not supposed to be "political".  And we have now found out what that means.

Politics is indeed a game of give and take.  Building on goodwill, an elected leader can do much to move a personal agenda, but is limited to the prevailing common sense provided by greater numbers in leadership and historical precedent. There will be certain things that even the most skilled politicos will not be able to accomplish, as they are sufficiently questionable or in opposition to the values and principles of governing majorities.  There are some areas of 'principle', or simply hardened resolve that cannot be breached, no matter the personality or politics involved.

A politician who recognizes his or her limits within THOSE rules, will concentrate on efforts to maximize in areas of agreement, and use developed goodwill to work on the marginal things outside of those areas.  In some cases quid pro quo, and alternately, with others brokering for their own advantages.

But our governor has no use for that system.