What did Gov. Jennifer Granholm accomplish?

**Mikeg** · June-09-10, 01:35 PM

In a recent public opinion poll, Granholm got a negative job rating from 71 percent of the respondents. I didn't know that there were that many card-carrying Republicans in this state.

The fact that Granholm has not been rewarded by Obama with a job in DC speaks volumes about her "accomplishments".

**Detroitnerd** · June-09-10, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

Far from it, in fact I usually like your jokes. I'm just sick of the Granholm bashing on this site. Why start a new thread for more of the same as the other thread?

I'm asking what she did. I welcome any information that shows she has done good works in office, because, frankly, I can't really think of any great accomplishments.

Originally Posted by Pam

No, I don't assume that. I know you aren't a Republican. However, the alternative if she had lost would have been a Republican. I think the choices there were worse, so I don't regret voting for her.

It's not the lesser of two evils, it's the evil of two lessers: If our choices are people whose words we like who lack resolve, or people we hate who get things done, we are taking baby steps toward oblivion with every election.

**Pam** · June-09-10, 01:41 PM

It's not the lesser of two evils, it's the evil of two lessers: If our choices are people whose words we like who lack resolve, or people we hate who get things done, we are taking baby steps toward oblivion with every election.

So what's the answer? Are you throwing your hat in the ring?

I'm asking what she did. I welcome any information that shows she has done good works in office, because, frankly, I can't really think of any great accomplishments.

I tried to answer that. If you were really interested in knowing, you could have looked up info. yourself. Instead it seemed like you'd rather go for more cheap shots.

**MCP-001** · June-09-10, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I would read her book. Unfortunately, I'll bet that, like her, it'll have no spine.

Ugh!

**Detroitnerd** · June-09-10, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

So what's the answer? Are you throwing your hat in the ring?

Pointing out the dysfunctionality of the two-party system is something that should probably happen more. If you'd like to have a discussion about plural politics, that's fine and dandy. Or would you rather scold a person by asking them to take on the entire system by running a quixotic campaign?

Originally Posted by Pam

I tried to answer that. If you were really interested in knowing, you could have looked up info. yourself. Instead it seemed like you'd rather go for more cheap shots.

Thanks for helping to form an answer. I could look things up myself, but, you see, a discussion with plenty of people who all feel differently is much more productive, and rewarding. For those who feel comfortable debating something, that is. Perhaps you'd rather start another thread, entitled: "No jokes, no humor and no disagreement: Jennifer Granholm has been great for Michigan."

See how long that lasts, OK?

Oh, and by the way, thanks for alienating a potential ally. Good job.

**Pam** · June-09-10, 01:59 PM

Pointing out the dysfunctionality of the two-party system is something that should probably happen more. If you'd like to have a discussion about plural politics, that's fine and dandy. Or would you rather scold a person by asking them to take on the entire system by running a quixotic campaign?

It might be dysfunctional, but meanwhile we have an election looming. We will still be voting for the lesser of two evils again. I wasn't "scolding", just wondering what your answer is to improving things.

Oh, and by the way, thanks for alienating a potential ally. Good job

Why are you alienated? You can't handle one disagreement from me in the nearly five years I've been posting here? I didn't know you were so thin skinned. I usually enjoy your posts. Sorry, I haven't made that known apparently.

**Detroitnerd** · June-09-10, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

It might be dysfunctional, but meanwhile we have an election looming. We will still be voting for the lesser of two evils again. I wasn't "scolding", just wondering what your answer is to improving things.

Well, better rush right out and vote for the lesser evil. Sigh ...

Originally Posted by Pam

Why are you alienated? You can't handle one disagreement from me in the nearly five years I've been posting here? I didn't know you were so thin skinned. I usually enjoy your posts. Sorry, I haven't made that known apparently.

Who was the one lobbing accusations, hurling imprecations and making snap judgments about the purpose of this thread again? Oh, yes. That must have ALL been me. Double-sigh ...

**Pam** · June-09-10, 05:47 PM

Well, better rush right out and vote for the lesser evil. Sigh ...

Well, the system won't be reformed between now and November, so yes I will.

Who was the one lobbing accusations, hurling imprecations and making snap judgments about the purpose of this thread again? Oh, yes. That must have ALL been me. Double-sigh ...

Please accept my humble apologies. I will be more careful in the future, now that I know you are sensitive.

**shovelhead** · June-09-10, 06:47 PM

Pam,
Not to throw gasoline on a fire, but if Republicans are so bad, what was wrong with Bill Milliken?
Seems like he was and still is revered as a compassionate person who was truly interested in his fellow Michganders.

It's not the party, it's the candidate and the candidate's mandate. And the quality of both Democrats and Republicans is severely lacking.

That being said, I am a registered Republican since '72 and voted for Governor Granholm the first time around. Seeing jobs evaporate left and right, hearing her prattle on about "Cool Cities" and how this would keep the young in Michigan, I said "Say wha?" At the time my line was jobs will keep people here, not park benches and trees.

At the time, it seemed her efforts were all geared to the youth, and not much to older [[40 and up) workers that were being displaced. And I said here and on other forums, Mickey D's can only hire so many. The mantra was "keep the young here". And I suppose ignore the older workers.

And no, I have been very fortunate in my employment, unlike many of my friends and business associates, so it's not sour grapes on my part.

In the Kwame affair, well she came from the same Wayne County Democratic machine as he did, along with many others. It seemed like she was doing the minimum that she could do not to upset the apple cart. Not to harm her future chances maybe?

And with the Obama administration, well she aligned herself with Hillary early on, that may have harmed her future aspirations even though her candidate was given a job. Remember Don Corleone's line, "Keep your friend's close, your enemies even closer."

Our Governor spent the first four years blaming John Engler for everything. At least this term we do not have to listen to that anymore.

Oh yeah, feeling "Blown Away" yet?

**Pam** · June-09-10, 07:44 PM

Pam,
Not to throw gasoline on a fire, but if Republicans are so bad, what was wrong with Bill Milliken?
Seems like he was and still is revered as a compassionate person who was truly interested in his fellow Michganders.

He was before my time, but it seems that everybody agrees that the Republicans have moved much farther right since those days.

At the time, it seemed her efforts were all geared to the youth, and not much to older [[40 and up) workers that were being displaced.

There was this program. I don't think it had an age limit:

http://www.michigan.gov/nwlb

**Novine** · June-09-10, 08:03 PM

"At the time, it seemed her efforts were all geared to the youth, and not much to older [[40 and up) workers that were being displaced."

A lot of Republicans bashed Granholm's efforts to move Michigan beyond the auto industry-centered job focus. But what were their alternatives? If Dick DeVos had been Governor for the past four years, what difference would that have to the hundreds of thousands who lost jobs in the auto sector? They couldn't all go to work for Amway.

Republicans claim that its taxes and regulations that led to the loss of jobs. But if you accept that the auto sector couldn't sustain the workforce that it had at the start of the 2000s, what are the jobs that those people would have been doing today as their jobs were eliminated by the Big Three and companies that did work for them?

**shovelhead** · June-09-10, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

He was before my time, but it seems that everybody agrees that the Republicans have moved much farther right since those days.

There was this program. I don't think it had an age limit:

http://www.michigan.gov/nwlb

That program did not start until 2007, we started the downward slide before that IIRC. I still stand by my statement that she cared about young workers more than old.

Anytime you put all your eggs in one basket, you better not drop that basket so to speak.

**shovelhead** · June-09-10, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

"At the time, it seemed her efforts were all geared to the youth, and not much to older [[40 and up) workers that were being displaced."

A lot of Republicans bashed Granholm's efforts to move Michigan beyond the auto industry-centered job focus. But what were their alternatives? If Dick DeVos had been Governor for the past four years, what difference would that have to the hundreds of thousands who lost jobs in the auto sector? They couldn't all go to work for Amway.

Republicans claim that its taxes and regulations that led to the loss of jobs. But if you accept that the auto sector couldn't sustain the workforce that it had at the start of the 2000s, what are the jobs that those people would have been doing today as their jobs were eliminated by the Big Three and companies that did work for them?

I agree, but the majority of effort put forth was for hi-tech jobs. And I also still stand by my statement that if all your efforts are focused on one area, you are more prone to problems like the dependency on the auto industry. Who is going to retrain a worker for example in his late 50's for a hi tech job. At that point in his career he is planning for retirement, not working for another twenty years or so. I'm in that category and I am sure not looking at working for another twenty or so years. I could not physically do it.

I don't have all the answers, but maybe a experienced businessman like DeVos would have been better than a career politician like Granholm in attracting and developing businesses to our state.

**Novine** · June-09-10, 08:44 PM

"I don't have all the answers, but maybe a experienced businessman like DeVos would have been better than a career politician like Granholm in attracting and developing businesses to our state."

What businesses could have come to Michigan to fill the jobs lost by men and women in that age range and with that work experience?

I know that some of our Republican friends are going to trot out "right-to-work" and "cutting taxes" as the answers. When you do, tell us how the poster child for that approach, South Carolina, is doing these days. They have Mr. Conservative as their Governor and his conservative solutions for their economic woes don't seem to be doing much better than Michigan.

**Philbo** · June-09-10, 09:56 PM

LOL- Check out Indiana before you bash right to work and lower taxes. Republican governor Mitch Daniels was able to retain his manufactoring industries and attract new businesses while Michigan was losing thiers big time. I'm not saying right to work and lower taxes are a cure all, but they sure as hell help.

**Jimaz** · June-09-10, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Philbo

LOL- Check out Indiana before you bash right to work and lower taxes. Republican governor Mitch Daniels was able to retain his manufactoring industries and attract new businesses while Michigan was losing thiers big time. I'm not saying right to work and lower taxes are a cure all, but they sure as hell help.

[sic] The dirty little secret is that "right to work" states suffer from spontaneous strikes -- sometimes in extremely expensive ways. As a result, management there gets suddenly caught off guard in a way that they would rather not. There's an additional cost, a cost management plans to bill to their employer.

**shovelhead** · June-09-10, 10:36 PM

Novine,
What is your answer on how to deal with the older displaced workers, go live under a bridge or move in with relatives? I don't have an answer, if I did I would run for office.

It seems that in the mid 90's the "answer to all our problems" was for the U.S. to become a information and technology society, and let less developed countries do the manual work. Hence our manufacturing would go to China, Mexico, and similar places. Didn't someone somewhere EVER THINK that this would backfire someday? I said at the time that NAFTA was a mistake.
We saw trucks being manufactured in Mexico and being sold for the same price as trucks built at Pontiac East and Fort Wayne. They didn't have a sticker amending the price to reflect the cheaper labor rate if I remember correctly.

We can point fingers all day long, but government surely helped up go down the slippery slope.

Our Governor is the consummate politician, what did she accomplish in the "real world"?

And why were we laying off 100 state troopers due to budget constraints, but in the early budget, after the State Fair closing was announced, a "spare" 7.5 million was put in for another year of funding. That got pulled out after it was publicized in the news.

Why did the "First Gentleman" have two or three staffers to manage his affairs and still have a presence on the State of Michigan website? If I am wrong, please correct me, but I do not remember Michelle Engler having a similar scenario while John Engler was in office.

And was it not Candace Miller that decided that the Secretary of State offices did not need to have her name on the signage, that it was a waste of money to change them after elections? And is she not a Republican?

Just some random thoughts.....

On taxes, how many times was the SBT and the hacked together replacement for it cited as being anti-business? Ask a business owner. While I was never a business owner, I have dealt with many small business owners in my vocation and they cite the tax climate in this state as being anti-business. Government cannot create wealth, only redistribute it.

**reddog289** · June-09-10, 11:39 PM

She was the first woman Governor in the State of Michigan.I will end it at that.

**Novine** · June-10-10, 05:43 AM

"Check out Indiana before you bash right to work and lower taxes."

Indiana's not a right-to-work state.

"On taxes, how many times was the SBT and the hacked together replacement for it cited as being anti-business? Ask a business owner. While I was never a business owner, I have dealt with many small business owners in my vocation and they cite the tax climate in this state as being anti-business."

Businesses complain that the MBT is a mess. But it's a mess of their own making. The business groups had a chance to work with the legislature to create a new business tax and the MBT is what resulted.

**Awfavre** · June-10-10, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by Mikeg

.... and it will have been ghost-written for her by the UAW, proof-read by the MEA....

Actually, Mikeg, she hasn't done a thing for labor, & most unions don't like her, the MEA especially. As I posted on the other thread, she's done many things to alienate labor unions in all sectors.

Now, back to the original question: what positive things has she accomplished for this state? I can't identify many from either the other thread or this one.

**milesdriven** · June-10-10, 09:25 AM

She helped secure a revenue stream for the state by attempting to drive all smokers to the casinos at the expense of small business owners, and has saved my employer about $700 so far since May 1st that would've been spent on hotel rooms in Michigan when I just decided to drive home so I could smoke and do my many hours of paperwork.

**Pam** · June-13-10, 07:49 AM

http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7...8497--,00.html

In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today said Michigan is becoming a center for advanced battery production, a result of continuing efforts to diversify the state's economy and create jobs........

"We now have 16 advanced battery companies building facilities in Michigan and hiring people in Michigan, representing $5.8 billion in capital investment and projected to create almost 62,000 new jobs."......

The advanced battery industry is just one example of what we're doing to diversify Michigan's economy," Granholm said. "We're also targeting solar and wind manufacturing; life sciences; homeland security and defense; advanced manufacturing; film; and tourism. For Michigan to be competitive globally, we have to continue diversifying our economy and educating our citizens."

**East Detroit** · June-13-10, 08:39 AM

Thanks to Blanchard for Granholm being elected. He split the vote three ways in the Democratic primary.

Otherwise, it would have been Governor Bonior.

**daddeeo** · June-13-10, 09:42 AM

It wouldn't have made any difference. The economy is so dependent on the national economy anyway.
The do-nothing legislature would have stymied Bonier or anyone else. Face it, Engler got away with murder when the economy was humming along and he let the roads go.
Fat John and his buddies got theirs and left the clean up to whomever was next in line.

**Pam** · June-15-10, 01:26 PM

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...te-11-000-jobs

A state authority this morning approved tax credits for 10 companies -- including Detroit Diesel and Ford Motor Co. -- expected to keep nearly 10,000 jobs in Michigan and create more than 1,000 new ones.
The expansion and brownfield redevelopment projects are expected to generate $382.5 million in private investment.