The Centrist read a fairly decent Op-Ed piece titled " Engler:Michigan Should Swing For the Fences’ by Nolan Finley of the Detroit News. The Centrist is not in agreement that the last 6.5 years would have been different if an Engler style culture and leadership would have been running the executive branch of the state. The editorial states Engler’s response to a headline grabber: ’He suggests committing to a zero high school dropout rate. Every child gets a diploma, no matter what it takes.
The Editor of the Detroit News says ‘A more highly skilled work force would serve as a magnet for jobs and investment. Furthermore, he states ‘erasing the dropout rate would sharply curb the two most voracious consumers of budget dollars — Corrections and welfare. Most of the inmates in state prisons and the bulk of the welfare caseload are dropouts.’ (end quote)
The Centrist responds to the editorial by Nolan Finley.
The former Republican Governor John Engler and his two term successor, Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm did not commit to real and non-gimmicky structural in government while in office. The beginning of the national recession was December 2007. The recession in Michigan preceded that by about 8 years. Both the Democratic and Republican governors have failed in creating structural reform such as downsizing government as Michigan experienced and continues to suffer from dramatic population loss. This loss is especially prevelant with young college educated professionals and their families. These professionals are highly skilled AND THEY ARE LEAVING and taking their tax base and payroll checks and all things revenue out of the state.
The domestic auto companies have been losing market share for decades but have only been undergoing massive restructuring since 2000. Gov Engler was in office while the domestic auto companies where losing market share. But did he have effective initiatives to diversify the state away from auto. Failed on that count. Did he improve or otherwise have initiatives to improve labor relations in the state? Nope, failed on that count. So was Gov. Engler MIA on placing Michigan as a magnet for jobs and investment other than manufacturing?
With a rapidly shrinking auto base of jobs and a term limited Republican Governor what did the blue collar, labor intensive electorate of Michigan do next. Elected a lawyer who promised to transform Michigan and move it away from automotive. Has she failed in her committments. She failed miserably. Like John Engler, she has failed in creating structural reform in government for Michigan.
Now to my headline that is ripped from the real life business world outside of Michigan. This headline is extremely applicable to Michigan and shows that a Republican Governor can partner with a Democratic party stalwart to create real change and real jobs.
Please read my extensive post on the headline that should have been made in Michigan.
The Centrist wants to compare investment announcements by two governors in two distinct auto companies. One announcement actually created jobs to create a green, high tech auto that even a Nobel Prize Winner would love. The other announcement ’saved’ 1,200 jobs in a state that is the armagedeon of the economy where everyone has been blown away by false promises and non-delivery over the last eight years. We can all be thankful for both announcements that jobs were ’saved or created’ as team obama loves to say. It is a Wonderful World when jobs arent lost.
The next ‘headline’ that Michigan should see is that the college students, workers in career transition and college educated professionals rise up and vote for real change in Michigan. Demand and elect representation and leadership that makes Michigan a headline grabber that could offer a culture where politicians can move the state forward like Al Gore and Gov. Jindal did in Louisianna. Michigan residents have to ask themselves why not here. Why LA and not MI for new high-tech, green jobs in transportation and manufacturing. Michigan residents should feel not only insulted but shamed that $72m was spent in LA to create 1,500 new jobs in LA while $1B in tax incentives was provided to save 1,200.
So Michigan, demand that the next Headline Grabber be. Michigan families tired of leaving the state. Michigan ‘Right-To-Work’ culture will be a magnet for jobs and investment. If a Republican and an Elephant can bring change to LA then they can bring it and bring it hard to Michigan.
Via Detnews
July 2, 2009
Nolan Finley
Engler: Mich. should swing for the fences
If you buy the Democratic libel that a rapacious John Engler laid waste to Michigan, you probably should stop reading right here. The rest of this column is only going to make you cranky, and who needs that on a rainy summer day?
I’m a big Engler fan and have thought often during the past six-and-a-half years that Michigan wouldn’t be drifting through this crisis if it still had a governor with his my-way-or-the-highway style of leadership.
I talked with the former governor when he returned to Detroit recently, not to critique the performance of the state since he left — he won’t do that — but to get his ideas for what we should do next.
His response: Michigan needs a big play — one headline grabber to scream real change.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm wanted to make that Hail Mary pass by doubling the college graduation rate. She got off to a good start, increasing the merit scholarship grants and imposing a rigorous high school curriculum to better prepare students for college. But the effort stalled.
Engler advocates picking one thing and sacrificing everywhere else to come up with the resources to make it happen.
He suggests committing to a zero high school dropout rate. Every child gets a diploma, no matter what it takes.
That’s a goal with multilayered benefits. A more highly skilled work force would serve as a magnet for jobs and investment. And erasing the dropout rate would sharply curb the two most voracious consumers of budget dollars — Corrections and welfare.
Most of the inmates in state prisons and the bulk of the welfare caseload are dropouts.
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