Granholm's state address optimistic without the details

Maybe we should nickname our illustrious governor "Jenny Blue Skies." It seems to her that if Michigan residents can be as optimistic as she is about our state's future that everything will fall into place and make Michigan's economy rebound. Yeah, and if ifs and buts were candies and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas.

She threw out a lot of dollar figures when talking about ambitious new programs. She didn't say how a struggling (projected budget deficit in 2008 of $3 billion, yeah that's billion) Michigan economy was going to provide the revenue necessary to run these fun sounding programs.

What I liked about her speech:

• A commitment to quit plugging holes in the budget by cutting school funding.
• Requiring cities and townships to consolidate purchasing/services with other local municipalities to receive increased revenue sharing payments from the state

Wow. I thought there would be more points that I liked, but after reading through the text that was all I could honestly come up with. There was a lot of talk and optimism, but not much at all in the way of facts to back up her accusations and financial solutions.

Her proposed state budget makes its debut tomorrow. It will be interesting to see her "tax boosts" and what will be cut in order to balance the budget.

I guess I just expected more in the way of hard numbers. Optimism is great, but optimism without facts to back up your reason for being optimistic is like skipping dinner and eating a sugary sweet dessert instead. Sure it tasted good, but it usually leaves you feeling sick and empty when you're finished.

See for yourself. You can read the text of her speech at the Lansing State Journal.

Rotten news for Michigan on a Monday morning

Boy, I don't know which is worse. The fact that Michigan gas prices are up to a $2.21 average when just a few weeks ago we were under $2, our state budget crisis, or the fact that in a Detroit Free Press/Local 4 poll 46% of those polled would vote for Hillary Clinton. What a crummy start to the week.

We need another Clinton in the White House like we needed another Bush in the White House. When will America learn that one family member in the White House is enough?

On a lighter note, our state is in some serious fiscal shape (catch that wonderful sarcasm?). We are up the proverbial creek without the use of a paddle. Have no fear, though, my fellow Michiganians.

Our illustrious governor will be letting us all in on her great plan during her 5th State of the State address on Tuesday night. Remember last year's address? That was when she made fodder for Dick DeVos' television campaign with the infamous line - "and in Five years, you're going to be blown away!"

I hope she wasn't off by a decade or two in her prediction of when Michigan's economy will rebound.

Woohoo! For those of you wondering what wonderful sound bites she will have this year - stay tuned. I will have my thoughts on the address posted sometime on Wednesday.

Ouch! State budget panel recommends raising Michigan's taxes

The Detroit News is reporting that a 12 person budget panel that includes former Michigan governors' James Blanchard and William Milliken came to the conclusion that in order to erase our current and future budget deficit our state needs to raise taxes. No specifics were given on what taxes and who (individuals or businesses, or both) would foot the bill. Here we go. Funny (not really - actually this ticks me off) how Granholm had to of known of this (budget crisis) last fall, but failed to mention anything to the public until after the fall elections. Not that I am 100% sure that this information would have caused Dick "I don't act like I really want to be Governor" DeVos to be elected.

Now before you accuse me of being some "black helicopter spotting conspiracy theorist" just think about it for a minute or two.

Logically, there is no way that this current budget crisis just came to light. They've been crunching these numbers for at least the past six months (most likely much longer).

And the government wonders why we don't trust politicians?

If they (politicians) would start being the duly elected representatives of the people that they are and quit being politicians maybe that trust could be built up and maybe, just maybe, our great state would not find itself in its current economic condition.

Grrr! :(

The 2007 Michigan Notable Books list

I love to read. I go through at least one book a week over numerous topics. The state of Michigan releases a list of books by Michigan authors (or that cover Michigan-related topics) every year through the Library of Michigan. There are 20 books in the 2007 list. It looks like there are books for all age groups to enjoy. I didn't know this, but they have been putting an annual list together since 1991.

The Michigan Notable Books list tries to be "reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience."

Here are some that I am adding to my reading list -

• Death's Door: The Truth Behind Michigan's Largest Mass Murder - Steve Lehto This book explores the enduring mystery and drama surrounding the 1913 Christmas Eve tragedy at Italian Hall in Calumet. After a still-unidentified man falsely cried, "Fire," more than 70 people, many of them children, were crushed to death in the stairwell amidst the panicked crush to flee the building. The author expertly analyzes the objectivity of the local newspaper coverage, the coroner's inquest, and the mystery surrounding the doors (did they open inward or outward?), and reaches several thought-provoking, startling, and controversial conclusions.
• So Cold a Sky: Upper Michigan Weather Stories - Karl Bohnak From the first European explorers to pioneer settlers to modern-day Michiganians, the Upper Peninsula's inhabitants have faced weather's most devastating challenges: extreme snowstorms, heat waves, floods, fires and more. Combing historical accounts from as early as the 1600s with personal tales from U.P. residents, this narrative peppered with weather maps, nature photos and snapshots offers an in-depth look at the region's most severe weather.
• Taking Care of Cleo: A Novel - Bill Broder Set in Prohibition-era Charlevoix, and complete with booze, bootleggers, and the Purple Gang, this engaging novel with a strong historical sense of place details the lives of the Bearwalds, the only Jewish family in this small Lake Michigan resort community. Rebecca dreams of attending the University of Michigan to escape "taking care of Cleo," her autistic older sister. After Cleo stumbles across a beached yacht full of contraband liquor, she renovates the boat and recruits Rebecca to help sell the booze, leading to a case of mistaken identity and run-ins with Detroit gangsters.
• An Unquiet Grave - P.J. Parrish In this suspenseful thriller, Florida PI Louis Kincaid, a native of Detroit, is called back to Michigan by his foster father, who needs help with a personal situation. As events unfold at a notorious sanitarium, modeled after Eloise, Kincaid learns of a dark conspiracy and troubling revelations, not just about his foster father's situation, but also about himself.

See the full list.

Want to see last year's (2006) list? View it here.

Group wants to raise Michigan's gas tax by $.09

Here we go again. Our roads need fixing and our budget needs balancing. Hmm, what to do? Oh yeah, lets have a tax increase!

But, it's for the good of the people.

Really.

The Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association wants to keep us driving and help out Michigan's economy (how generous of them). Therefore, they have proposed that we pay another $.09 in taxes at the pump.

Oh, and they also would like to see an increase in vehicle registration fees. It is reported that the MITA could raise them by as much as 50%. The Free Press reports - "the average vehicle registration in Michigan is $110; MITA’s proposal would raise that to $160."

From what info I could find, it appears we already pay $.352 (I think that includes federal taxes, but I can't say for sure) in taxes on each gallon of gasoline plus the state sales tax of 6%.

Lets have some accountability here with the state's spending before we get more money taken out of our wallets. Why is it that the government raises taxes before really making any extensive cuts?

Sure, they'll raise our taxes on fuel "temporarily" and when it comes time to decide on renewing the tax or not it will be renewed because the funds raised by the tax will have been "temporarily" diverted to fund some other piece of our bloated state government. See for yourself in a 140 page PDF (warning - this could take a while to view with a dialup connection) of the Fiscal Year 2007 state budget.

From a business standpoint it is actually a triple whammy.

First, our customers will have less money in their pockets. Second, when we order products to make our gift baskets we will pay more in freight charges. Third, our shipping costs will go up with more fuel surcharges (yes, UPS already hits us with fuel surcharges - what can brown do to you, eh?).

The last two items above would most likely lead us to raise prices (oops, we're up to a fourth whammy) on our gift baskets and/or shipping prices as well. This becomes another strike to the customer who already has less funds available due to the gas tax increase.

I don't like this idea on multiple levels.

Here is a crazy idea - lets cut spending and quit funding our state's governmental excesses on the backs of businesses and taxpayers.

Read the full article at the The Detroit Free Press website.

Pfizer sales pfizzle and Michigan loses more jobs

Pfizer sales suffered in 2006 and the result is that Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo residents lose places of employment while the state loses another 2,410 jobs. Pfizer is looking to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide by the end of 2008. This makes the Michigan cuts alone nearly 25% of their planned total job cuts. This might hurt on a state level, but the real pain is in the communities of Kalamazoo/Portage and Ann Arbor.

There is a great quote from Tom Watkins, former state school superintendent, in the Free Press article -

Michigan adds jobs in tear drops, like Google, and loses them in roaring tsunamis.

Too true.

It's like we are a ship taking on water and we are bailing it out with a teaspoon.

What is our esteemed Governor's plan?

We’re going to have a whole ‘Stick Around Ann Arbor’ campaign for these employees, because we want them to stay here,” Granholm said.

I don't fault Granholm for Pfizer cutting these jobs. The blame lies with Pfizer - if you want to blame someone. They're cutting costs to raise their bottom line and keep the shareholders happy.

Granholm's position as governor of Michigan is to work with the state legislature and formulate a plan for job growth. Pfizer didn't cut these jobs because Michigan's tax rates were unfair or they didn't like the mole on Granholm's face. They are looking after their bottom line as do all major corporations.

Our state needs some serious fixing - any solutions?

Read the Detroit Free Press article

Read the Ann Arbor News' take on the Pfizer closing