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by Tim Skubick
June 12, 2009

There was a buzz in the Michigan Senate that night in 2007. Fears that state government would shut down engulfed the town. Senate Republicans were fixin’ to “embarrass” Lt. Governor John Cherry by forcing him to break a 19-19 tie to raise the state income tax to avert the shutdown.

Cherry knew if he voted yes, the GOP would use that against him if he ran for governor in 2010, but he decided to do “the right thing,” as he put it.

As he walked into the Senate chamber, he was flexing the index finger of his right hand…the one he uses for voting. “Just getting it in shape,” he joked. Later that night his index finger imposed an income tax hike on the entire state of Michigan.

Could history repeat itself? Is there another shutdown and another revenue increase scenario unfolding in this town?

At this read, the answer is no to the shutdown and yes to a revenue hike. Nobody wants government to close again. Last time it became comic fodder for the Jay Lenos of the world. (It’s not a threat now with the way replacement Conan O’Brien is going.)

While there is no budget deal to avert another closing, the October 1 deadline is eons away.

Nonetheless, the same dynamics as in 2007 are in play.

The governor can get Democratic votes for slicing a percent off a bunch of tax loopholes. Her problem, as it was two years ago, is Mike Bishop.

The Oakland County Senate GOP leader is talking out of both sides of his mouth again.

Bishop wants nothing to do with any revenue increases, but concedes that “everything is on the table,” just as he said about the previous income tax boost.

Remember that in 2007 Bishop did the right thing when he eventually permitted a vote on the income tax hike. As he runs for state attorney general, he is taking some flak from his GOP opponent, Bill Schuette, who is reminding voters Bishop was “responsible” for the higher income tax hike.

That, of course, has nothing to do with being attorney general, and shame on Schuette for pandering. He should know better.

Bishop and his GOP gang are currently in a negotiating mode. They are tossing cold water on raising more money right now because they want to squeeze more budget cuts out of the governor before they talk about new revenue. Rest assured, that talk is coming, but not in the near term.

Another similarity to 2007 is the stance of House Democratic Speaker Andy Dillon. He is again saying that if he has enough time, he can bring Bishop along on the revenue issue.

Adding to the intrigue this time are a series of more visible budget cuts that the governor has announced.

Laying off state troopers, moth balling state prisons, turning off the lights in the Secretary of State offices for six days is getting the usually inattentive and disinterested citizenry’s undivided attention.

It won’t be long before Mr. Recall, Leon Drolet, shows up again with his big pink pig to threaten recall for revenue raising lawmakers. Mr. All Talk and No Action went zero for 12 with his hollow threats two years ago — and that history will repeat itself as well.

So the stage is being set again for another budget showdown…without a shutdown. And as for Mr. Cherry, you gotta wonder how his finger exercising is going. He may need it again.

Tim Skubick is Michigan’s senior Capitol correspondent and has anchored the weekly public TV series “Off the Record” since 1972.

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No Experience Required

If you want to be an accountant, you better know something about numbers. If you want to be a governor, you better know something about running a government.

Rick Snyder would agree with the first assertion but not the second. And since he will likely run for governor, you should reflect on his thinking, as he ponders his bid for the GOP nomination, that his lack of experience in Lansing is actually an asset.

Snyder is, of course, the whiz kid business guru who made his first million in the computer biz and now has the bug to transfer what he learned there and apply it to Lansing.

Some would say it is presumptuous for an outsider to even consider becoming governor without any elective office background.

Not Mr. Snyder. “I think that’s a good thing. We need a breath of fresh air.”

But don’t you have to have some political experience to run a government?

“I don’t think so.”

Isn’t that sorta like saying you can drive a car, but you don’t know how to pump the gas into the tank?

Snyder thinks not.

“I’ve successfully organized a multi-billion-dollar company,” he recounts.

But in Lansing you have a board of directors of 148 lawmakers.

“I’ve run a company with thousands of shareholders,” he retorts. But how about a reality check: that is not the same as having 148 ego-driven lawmakers telling you what to do.

Snyder is unflappable. “Lawmakers don’t tell you what to do. As governor you’re supposed to be partnering with them. I have confidence I have those skills.”

So here we go again with the business model of running government.

Dick DeVos tried it and lost. But businessman Dave Bing tried it and became mayor of Detroit.

As for Mr. Snyder, don’t count him out. Like he says, his lack of government experience is a good thing.

Agree?

Man the Life Boats

So much for the nation healing after the last presidential election. Any notion that our red and blue state thing would peacefully blend into a purple nation was a nice, yet unrealistic, prayer.

To wit, the latest batch of political bumper stickers floating around the Internet.

There were two that were actually kind of funny: “Honk If I’m Paying Your Mortgage” and “Please Don’t Tell Obama What Comes After A Trillion.”

But after that, the humor seems to be overwhelmed by the anger, resentment and fear expressed by those who would slap this stuff on the rear of their car.

“Did You Vote for Obama? Thanks A—hole.”

“Don’t Blame Me. I Voted For the American.”

“I Will Give Your President the Same Respect You Gave the Governor of Alaska.”

“I’ll Keep My Money, Freedom and Guns. You Keep the Change.”

And based on the following, it appears as though we are headed for another round of anti-welfare bashing.

“Vote Democratic. It’s Easier Than Working,” or “Why Work When You Can Steal Money From Those Who Do,” or “Work Harder. Millions on Welfare Depend on You.”

This type of rhetoric is not unusual when economic times threaten the very foundation of our way of life, but it does not reflect the sentiment that both the president and Michigan’s governor have expressed, i.e. we are all in this together and as one goes, so go the rest.

Instead of the rancor of these bumper stickers, it might be refreshing to see this: “Man the Life Boats and Have A Seat Next to Me.”