Watching the guv...

**rb336** · January-16-13, 07:46 PM

I keep expecting him to whip off his jacket to reveal an elvis costume...

**Gannon** · January-16-13, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

I keep expecting him to whip off his jacket to reveal an elvis costume...

I tried listening to him on WDET, but that voice of his is too strident for me to bear. And now I know for sure he's lying about everything, so what's the point?!

If only I had one of those voice synthesizers they use to disguise identities...bring him an octave down with a little reverb and he just might be bearable.

Cheers

**Wheels** · January-16-13, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

I tried listening to him on WDET, but that voice of his is too strident for me to bear. And now I know for sure he's lying about everything, so what's the point?!

If only I had one of those voice synthesizers they use to disguise identities...bring him an octave down with a little reverb and he just might be bearable.

Cheers

If you can't see his lips moving you can only assume he is lying!

**Pam** · January-17-13, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

I tried listening to him on WDET, but that voice of his is too strident for me to bear. And now I know for sure he's lying about everything, so what's the point?!

If only I had one of those voice synthesizers they use to disguise identities...bring him an octave down with a little reverb and he just might be bearable.

Cheers

I can't stand to listen to him either. I call him Gov. Helium.

**detroitsgwenivere** · January-16-13, 09:15 PM

Ever since the capital rammed through all of that right-wing legislation, everything coming out of Snyders mouth is on the defensive. He can barely mish-mash a sentence together.

**brizee** · January-16-13, 09:38 PM

It's sometimes hard to remember that he is NOT in fact a middle aged lesbian. He just looks like one.

**Jimaz** · January-16-13, 09:48 PM

Sneaky, sneaky Snyder.

**313WX** · January-16-13, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Sneaky, sneaky Snyder.

You mean Snydely?

**cla1945** · January-16-13, 11:29 PM

I am not his "customer". I am a taxpayer in Michigan. I pay his salary [[so to speak). Quit calling the citizens customers.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-16-13, 11:38 PM

Rick Snyder is "One Tough Turd"

**Gannon** · January-17-13, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Rick Snyder is "One Tough Turd"

Yeah, you just KNOW that smell is going to linger...long after he's gone.

**dmike76** · January-17-13, 09:34 AM

To what are you referring when you call Gov. Snyder a liar? I'm curious.

**Mikeg** · January-17-13, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by dmike76

To what are you referring when you call Gov. Snyder a liar? I'm curious.

I think they are just longing for the "good old days" when they could watch the previous guv and listen to her emote about cool cities and getting blown away and ....

**JBMcB** · January-17-13, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by dmike76

To what are you referring when you call Gov. Snyder a liar? I'm curious.

For some reason, when he said that right to work was "Not on his agenda," people took that to mean that he would never sign RTW legislation. Which, if you have a basic grasp of the English language, is not what he said and clearly not what he meant.

So when the unions tried to ram it into the constitution and it got shot down, the legislature cooked up the legislation and he signed it.

The ballot measure was an intensely stupid move by the unions - to cover this stupidity it's convenient to blame the governor.

**313WX** · January-17-13, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

For some reason, when he said that right to work was "Not on his agenda," people took that to mean that he would never sign RTW legislation. Which, if you have a basic grasp of the English language, is not what he said and clearly not what he meant.

So when the unions tried to ram it into the constitution and it got shot down, the legislature cooked up the legislation and he signed it.

The ballot measure was an intensely stupid move by the unions - to cover this stupidity it's convenient to blame the governor.

I wouldn't be surprised if they did a back room deal for the RTW legislation, which had nothing to do with the ballot measure.

I.E., Detroit's RTA and Lightning Authority [[which Snyder REALLY wanted) in exchange for RTW.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-17-13, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

For some reason, when he said that right to work was "Not on his agenda," people took that to mean that he would never sign RTW legislation. Which, if you have a basic grasp of the English language, is not what he said and clearly not what he meant.

So when the unions tried to ram it into the constitution and it got shot down, the legislature cooked up the legislation and he signed it.

The ballot measure was an intensely stupid move by the unions - to cover this stupidity it's convenient to blame the governor.

I agree, it was stupid of the unions to try to re-write the constitution. I still don't understand why Bob King isn't being lambasted for it, but that still doesn't absolve Snyder for his other dastardly deeds.

**brizee** · January-17-13, 12:32 PM

I read a rumor on another board that the space set aside for pro RTW demonstrators in the capital was reserved back in January.

If true, reserving space a year in advance for bullshit known to be introduced in the last days, it's really scummy.

**poobert** · January-17-13, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

For some reason, when he said that right to work was "Not on his agenda," people took that to mean that he would never sign RTW legislation. Which, if you have a basic grasp of the English language, is not what he said and clearly not what he meant.

So when the unions tried to ram it into the constitution and it got shot down, the legislature cooked up the legislation and he signed it.

The ballot measure was an intensely stupid move by the unions - to cover this stupidity it's convenient to blame the governor.

"Right-to-work is an issue that is a very divisive issue… we have many problems in Michigan that are much more pressing… I don't believe it is appropriate in Michigan during 2012."

Okay, aside from jumping up and screaming "I absolutely will not sign a RTW bill this year!" there is very little in his words to suggest he would have supported and signed the RTW legislation.

The ballot measure was absolutely stupid - all of them were. I'm not a union guy, either. However I don't see any other acts of political vengeance against the anti-tax fanatics or the Marouns, who also attempted to gang rape our Constitution.

He is indeed making things easier around here for businesses. However I'm not sure that's really translating into a better anything for anybody else. I think this really hits the nail on the head:
http://www.freep.com/article/20130106/OPINION01/301060159

To me, Snyder really seems unconcerned with the quality of life of the average Michigander, but totally in favor of catering to businesses. Businesses are then supposed to magically dole out good-paying jobs to us, but I'm quite skeptical of that idea. Of course in exchange for all these perverted favors to the corporate world, we kick a bunch of people of welfare and slash funding to education. Judging by the misspellings and incomplete sentences of his supporters around here, the last thing we need in Michigan is less education.

This has nothing to do with Granholm, either. Yeah, she was ineffectual. Michigan politicians are, as whole, generally shitty. As much as she didn't accomplish, I feel I could trust her as least as far as I could throw her. I feel like if I turned my back on Snyder he'd sell me into slavery to make Michigan "more business friendly."

Cut this customer shit. I'm a citizen of a democratic Republic, this isn't fucking Starbucks. Somebody needs to remind asshats like Snyder and the rest of you Randians that our rights and values are not a commodity to be bought and sold.

**michimoby** · January-17-13, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

To me, Snyder really seems unconcerned with the quality of life of the average Michigander, but totally in favor of catering to businesses. Businesses are then supposed to magically dole out good-paying jobs to us, but I'm quite skeptical of that idea.

Do you expect jobs to simply be created out of thin air?

This is why it rankles me when RTW, Snyder, etc. are bashed for being pro-business: trickle-down, despite its criticisms, is far more effective than screaming and hollering at RTW being passed in the first place. We've encountered incredible amounts of stagnation in this city, and it's only because guys like Gilbert are trying to build up an effective business climate that anything's changing.

That approach only works with highly-educated workers...at the moment. Critical mass opens the doors for more vocational and minimum wage jobs to be opened up. Business begets business.

**poobert** · January-18-13, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by michimoby

Do you expect jobs to simply be created out of thin air?

This is why it rankles me when RTW, Snyder, etc. are bashed for being pro-business: trickle-down, despite its criticisms, is far more effective than screaming and hollering at RTW being passed in the first place. We've encountered incredible amounts of stagnation in this city, and it's only because guys like Gilbert are trying to build up an effective business climate that anything's changing.

That approach only works with highly-educated workers...at the moment. Critical mass opens the doors for more vocational and minimum wage jobs to be opened up. Business begets business.

You really just made a case against your boy. Dan Gilbert isn't stumping around screaming about unions like you folks. He isn't bitching about government or taxes. He has a knowledge and information-based, diversified corporation. Would I like to work for Quicken? Hell yes. Would I like some freakishly unreliable assembly line drone job, always in fear of losing it to some Mexican? Fuck no. You couldn't pay me twice what I'm making for that bullshit. And I'd rather be set on fire than work some slave labor retail crap.

Basically Michigan can go in two directions. It can be like a place like Massachusetts, or a place like Mississippi [[the right-to-work paradise that it is). In doling out proverbial blow jobs to businesses and completely ignoring/slashing education, human capital in general, and shafting municipalities [[personal property tax - I don't see Gilbert complaining about the price of his office chairs), the Snyder 1.0 is setting us down the Michissippi path. You guys can keep your moronic "make things better for corporations and sit back and hope for mediocrity" junk. I'm out.

The fact is that Michigan's unemployment rate is at 8.9%. That's the exact same place it was at a year ago. Helluva job he's doing.

**dmike76** · January-17-13, 12:52 PM

I'm waiting to hear to what some of the earlier posters are alluding. Bridge...check....RTA....check....making the state easier for business...uh huh. I'm not a union guy so the RTW doesn't bother me and he definitley did not lie about it. I agree that if the unions hadn't pushed prop 2 then things would be different. I realize that his speech last night contained some typical trumped up successes, etc but Snyder has done a great job so far. He hasn't been perfect....I wasn't a fan of him wanting to jack up car registration and gas tax, but he is right. WE ARE CUSTOMERS. We elect [[hire) someone to do a job and we expect it to be done in at the very least a satisfactory manner.

**ElbertHanks** · January-17-13, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by dmike76

I'm waiting to hear to what some of the earlier posters are alluding. Bridge...check....RTA....check....making the state easier for business...uh huh. I'm not a union guy so the RTW doesn't bother me and he definitley did not lie about it. I agree that if the unions hadn't pushed prop 2 then things would be different. I realize that his speech last night contained some typical trumped up successes, etc but Snyder has done a great job so far. He hasn't been perfect....I wasn't a fan of him wanting to jack up car registration and gas tax, but he is right. WE ARE CUSTOMERS. We elect [[hire) someone to do a job and we expect it to be done in at the very least a satisfactory manner.

No one likes higher taxes but indexing gas taxes to inflation in some manner is about the only solution that I've heard anyone propose for transportation funding. You can't build new infrastructure or keep what you have from crumbling if your funding mechanism guarantees you less money over time. We have the same problem at the Federal level. Federal funding in real terms has been decreasing for years. Good old Alaskan congressman Don Young proposed indexing the federal gas tax back when he was transportation chair. Of course, for Don that just meant more pork. You can guess where the proposal went in a Republican dominated house caught up in no new tax rhetoric. Instead, when oil prices shot up the cry in Congress became lets suspend the tax. Nevermind, that would mean eliminating the funding source for the highway trust fund.

What a wonderful world we live in.

**Eber Brock Ward** · January-17-13, 02:55 PM

To me, Snyder really seems unconcerned with the quality of life of the average Michigander, but totally in favor of catering to businesses.

Do we accept as a premise that businesses and capital tend to flee toward lower-costing and less regulated areas, provided the workforce is either capable or trainable? [[I think we should. Look, for a very recent example, at how CAW lost the Camaro's production to the US and UAW because costs were too high in Oshawa, Ontario.)

Operating under that premise, and that borders are more open than they have ever been, you have two choices:

[[1) Reach out to businesses with stuff like the tax code rewrite and RTW, even if you have to hold your nose when you do it, so the state actually has jobs.
[[2) Keep doing the same-old, same-old and watch jobs continue to flee the state.

So it's a rock and a hard place issue, but I think most people would rather see more lower-paying jobs than fewer higher-paying jobs, given our unemployment rate right now [[8.9%, I believe).

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-17-13, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by Eber Brock Ward

Do we accept as a premise that businesses and capital tend to flee toward lower-costing and less regulated areas, provided the workforce is either capable or trainable? [[I think we should. Look, for a very recent example, at how CAW lost the Camaro's production to the US and UAW because costs were too high in Oshawa, Ontario.)

Operating under that premise, and that borders are more open than they have ever been, you have two choices:

[[1) Reach out to businesses with stuff like the tax code rewrite and RTW, even if you have to hold your nose when you do it, so the state actually has jobs.
[[2) Keep doing the same-old, same-old and watch jobs continue to flee the state.

So it's a rock and a hard place issue, but I think most people would rather see more lower-paying jobs than fewer higher-paying jobs, given our unemployment rate right now [[8.9%, I believe).

You try raising a family on 8-10 dollars per hr, and see how far you get. RTW will create more menial jobs that most families can't survive on. All Snyder wants to do is create low paying minimum wage jobs, so he can take the credit in Michigan's "so called" turnaround. B.S. If anything, more people will be leaving Michigan.

**Eber Brock Ward** · January-17-13, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

You try raising a family on 8-10 dollars per hr, and see how far you get. RTW will create more menial jobs that most families can't survive on. All Snyder wants to do is create low paying minimum wage jobs, so he can take the credit in Michigan's "so called" turnaround. B.S. If anything, more people will be leaving Michigan.

Totally agreed that it's very difficult.

But it beats the alternative of "no job".