Michigan News Summary on August 18

Mark Schauer is no chicken. As comparisons to generic farm animals go he would have to be considered one of the braver ones. Perhaps he is the red-hating alpha bull. Or, maybe he is that very confident and well-bearded tom turkey that spent much of its time strutting his stuff in testosterone charged circles just out of my reach during my recent visit to Oklahoma City.

No, Mark Schauer is unafraid. One could say he epitomizes American masculinity and bravery. And unscaredness. Did I mention Mark Schauer is unafraid?

U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer held five face-to-face town hall meetings on health care with constituents in July.

Schauer, D-Battle Creek, insists there is no connection -- none -- between the raucous crowds greeting some of his colleagues in August and his decision to switch to telephone town halls for the rest of the summer (along with one-on-ones with constituents).

But that hasn't stopped some citizens in his mid-Michigan district and around the country where telephone town halls are proliferating from asking: "Why not do the real thing? What're you afraid of?"

Hey, I don't blame the guy for not wanting to crash headlong into a sea of angry constituents. However, this appears to me as a way for Schauer (and others) to easily advocate for a progressive government controlled health care plan without having to listen to a contrary viewpoint.

Yelling is the natural outcome of politicians systematically ignoring the wishes of constituents. Well, sometimes I guess it results in crates of tea being thrown into Boston Harbor. The point is that the more our brave politicians retreat from their first job of listening to the people the more demonstrative the people will become.

Luckily we have more than one Michigander who is unafraid of tackling the mean issues of our day.

Yesterday Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm made quite a splash when she submitted an entry over at the Huffington Post. Now, as some of you are aware, I am not a huge fan of the governor and have taken a number of shots at her for being the poster child of the clinically obtuse. I thought, to be fair and balanced, I would reprint some of the comments that others, more supportive others, made about our dear leader after her entry.

From the Huffington Post:

Gov Granholm has done an excellent job for Michigan - not her fault that the big three took down the economy and kudos for the best job training program in the country.

and...

Thanks for the great job you're doing in helping to turn our state around, Gov. Granholm. It's going to take time -- and lots of it -- to turn it around all the way, but you're getting us a good running start.

and...

Gov. Granholm has been inspiring. What she inherited was a nightmare, compounded by the auto-centric economy that has been headed downward for years. Blame the Republicans? Sure. It was their folly, mismanagement, and blindness that carried the state into the abyss. At least now there is well-grounded hope. I much prefer someone who is substantive, hopeful, and efficient - to someone who is Pretty in Pink.

And in the comments of an article at M-Live that reported the posting:

Most who post here are pure partisan buffoons.

They NEVER mention the domestic auto industry when they are critiquing the governor’s performance over the past 6 years. And they NEVER offer up any specific things the governor did or did not do to hurt the economy of this state during that time. I often challenge them to give specifics and nobody ever offers up much more than the bipartisan tax increase of 2007.

I'm guessing many of these Granholm bashers are men who NEVER got any attention from the pretty girls. And they see an attractive Ivy League educated successful woman (who has achieved way more than any of them could fathom) who doesn't represent their party and it's just more than they can take.

and...

Ok , you idiots , which governor is doing a good job with this depression on us ??? Lets all put all of our retirement money in the stock market , aka your great leader Busssh suggested . Where would we be if that fool idea would have passed . You idiots probsbly wanted it . And as far as welfare you beter hope that we don't stop paying people that or they will be climbing in your back window SOON !

Hey, I'm just trying to be fair.

From our hugely popular governor I will jump to the hugely popular (and successful) city of Detroit where bad winds could be blowing at Robert Bobb.

When a projected $259 million dollar debt is considered a great improvement the average casual observer might pick up on a slight hint that things may be just a wee bit out of adjustment. As a public school educated person who proudly graduated in the top 90% of my class, even I picked up on it.

However, it appears that the reassuring and familiar comfort of miserable failure is more appealing to the Detroit school board than actually, you know, educating kids.

In a move that has to appear stunning to anyone unfamiliar with the DPS, the Detroit school board has sued Robert Bobb for overstepping the authority granted to him by the Governor to clean up that hell hole. Those who are more familiar with the situation might not be so surprised because the DPS did not reach the absolute apogee of failure without a lot of well rehearsed practice.

And finally, researchers at Michigan State University feel they might be closing in on a discovery that wise men of the ages thought was impossible--figuring out what to do with the lowly rutabaga.

The researchers believe that rutabagas, since they aren't nearly as popular a food source as corn or soybeans, could present a huge biomass without the inconvenient complication of starving millions of third world children. One has to wonder though about any unintended consequences that could result should millions of acres of farmland be diverted from corn and soybean crops into flowering fields of high paying rutabaga. As always, I'm certain a free market completely unencumbered by bureaucrats and lobbyists will be allowed to sort it all out.

Sadly, many a childhood Christmas has been nearly ruined by the cooking odor of that pungent root permeating an otherwise peaceful and hopeful Yuletide home. For all these years I thought rutabagas were grown to be thrown directly into the garbage.