Governor Granholm needs a hand. She needs to see that FUNDING for the State Fairs in Michigan should be privatized.

Change we can live with !

A suggestion. Where State Fairs and the like are being sacrificed for other budget priorities, I suggest these events be treated in similar ways as any Olympic Games or Superbowl. The States should 'sell the franchise' rights to private contractors and collect a percentage of profits as well.

I would think this could be a perfect opportunity for 'Six Flags' to come up with a corporate strategy to 'service' such events while using their larger market share of 'wholesale supply' purchasing power to bring costs down.

I mean after all, we need to know who can actually grow the largest watermelon, right? And what about those '4-H' kids and their prize dogs, cats, cows and horses. We can't let them down now, can we?



Granholm's State of the State speech a mix of cutbacks, 'green' initiatives (click title to entry - thank you)
Gary Heinlein / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
LANSING --Gov. Jennifer Granholm delivers her seventh State of the State address just after 7 this evening.
She is expected to call for downsizing state government, the end of the Michigan State Fair and the Upper Peninsula State Fair; a freeze on tuition at state universities; and a mini-moratorium on new coal-fired power plants.
And Granholm, aides say, will seek a 10 percent pay cut for elected state officials, and a moratorium on utility shutoffs.
Many of the governor's plans require legislative approval.
Her speech, televised statewide, will be delivered to a packed state House chambers, where representatives, governors, judges, top bureaucrats and guests will gather.
While focusing on government belt-tightening in tough times, the governor is expected to devote a third of her speech to proposals for "green" energy, with a plan to reduce the state's reliance on fossil fuels for energy generation 45 percent by 2020. It means some of the eight coal-fired power plants now in the pipeline will never be built.

YES !

And while that may be welcomed by environmentalists, the Granholm's plan to turn wetland regulation over to the federal Environmental Protection Agency has not been well received.
You can reach Gary Heinlein at (517) 371-3660 or gheinlein@detnews.com. You can reach Gary Heinlein at (517)371-3660 or gheinlein@detnews.com.

The RNC needs to stop their attempts to undermine the will of the American People.

The Primaries and the General Election is over and McCain and the RNC lost and they lost big. They need to join 'main stream' America to rebuild this country after the Republican reign under Bush raped its Treasury.

Perhaps McCain needs to realize how completely unpopular his ideas are. President Obama should not be distracted by this mess by the RNC in an attempt to provide "W"rongful guidance on the stimulus package now before the Senate.


ADAPT Activists Protest John McCain, RNC
Posted by Matt Ortega on April 29, 2008 at 06:10 PM
Folks from ADAPT, an advocacy group for persons with disabilities, is in Washington, D.C. this week for their 25th anniversary. According to attendee reports, about 100 people showed up outside the RNC because of John McCain's opposition to the Community Choice Act (CCA) (click here).

The RNC, now lead by John McCain, has been out of step with Main Stream America for a long, long time. The American People took the advise of Republicans following the tragedy of September 11, 2001. We 'bought' and 'went on vacation.' Boy, did we ever go on vacation. But, the point is the misguided ways of the Republicans have proved to be the worst strategies this country has ever seen.

I had to laugh the other week when Rahm Emanuel was asked by David Gregory how some of the stimulus was considered 'stimulus' when all was supposed to be 'shovel ready' jobs. That was never stated by the President even as President-Elect. The 'shovel ready' jobs was an expression of the fifty Governors of the country when they appealed to the then President-Elect to rebuild infrastructure lost under the shrinking federal assistance they were denied under the Republicans.

Everyone is 'putting' their own brand on this stimulus package and refusing to LISTEN to the President's focus to address the NEEDS of the USA.

The 'infrastruture' of America that direly needs to be rebuilt are in SOME instances construction jobs, large public spending bills, such as bridges. But, if the economy continues to fail as noted with 'car sales' reports today, there won't be need for bridges or roads.


Detroit car makers hand in steep U.S. sales drops (click here)
Toyota sales fall 31.7% as huge declines mount across the industry
By Shawn Langlois, MarketWatch
Last update: 4:09 p.m. EST Feb. 3, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - The auto industry's historic meltdown showed no signs of relenting in January, with Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and Chrysler on Tuesday posting U.S. sales declines of more than 40% -- below even the lowest of Wall Street targets....

Ford sales drop 40 percent in January (click here)
DEARBORN, Mich.
Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday its U.S. sales fell 40 percent in January, but the company said sales of its F-series pickup trucks and Fusion midsize sedan helped the company post its fourth consecutive month of higher retail market share.
Ford said it sold 93,060 light vehicles in the U.S. last month, compared with 155,832 in January 2008. Light vehicle sales exclude heavy trucks.
Ford estimated that its share of the market was 12.7 percent, up 0.3 point from a year earlier....

Pick-up truck sales indicate a growing infrastructure of people that 'work' and 'play' in areas that require such vehicles. The Ford Fusion is the 'new hope' for 'energy conscience' Americans (click here) as a Midsize answer for American familes. Detroit is answering the call for Americans. They are looking at the demands by Americans for a change in transportation and are making vehicles available that will address the 'prestige' of the NEW American road.

BUT, the banking industry, the Republican bastion of hope for any economic up-tick, is still failing the American consumer and there aren't loans for Americans to purchase cars of any kind. Not only that, but, there is an increase in the number of cars repossessed by banks. Why? Do banks actually believe repossessing cars is any different than homes? If they work with car owners to continue to finance rather than repossess cars they might find they have a better cash flow. Basically, the monies that SHOULD already be in the banking sector for loans for these auto makers is still absent from the economy of the USA. Detroit can build cars, but, they can't get financing for their customers. It would seem the 'Bush Bail out' of the banks was and is a complete waste of money.

David Gregory cited a stimulus to NOAA for its programs as something NOT worthwhile as a 'shovel ready job.' Jobs that contribute to the tax base of the USA come from all sectors of our country. Why should scientists be out of work as opposed to construction workers? Bush believed in concrete proliferation as a way to economic success and it collapsed the economy when a glut of houses and buildings replaced the beauty of our country's wilderness. What makes anyone believe that construction is an answer when real estate is still selling for low market prices?

You all need to get over yourselves !

America needs to go back to work. It needs to go back to work in ALL sectors of our country, including, scientists that monitor the Earth's troposphere and monitor species survival. How, as a country are we to know that our strategies to lower carbon dioxide are working? How are we to protect our nation from loss of species across our country and in the wilderness of the Arctic and Antarctica?

The USA, under Republicans, have grossly neglected the natural world and our nation's parks, what makes anyone believe that putting Park Rangers back to work is a bad idea? With National Parks and natural areas of this country protected and well researched, it brings people to tour this country and every dollar spent on our natural world is returned a hundred if not a thousand fold when tourists can appreciate the great benevolence of the USA.

Within the 'benevolence' of the 'economic stimulus' that President Obama put forth there exists the future to the youngest of our citizens. We need to retool this country to answer the need for energy and transportation. THERE IS NO QUICK FIX in this stimulus, but, hope and incentive to rebuild this country for the future of our children. The Republicans didn't care about 'the silent vote' of our children. They cared about their bankers and their stockholders and their oil wars, but, they didn't hear the 'silent vote' of America's children. The Democrats DID and are acting to insure the futures of our children NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES.

The Democrats are NOT ABOUT 'government as usual.' It is about 'change' and the long anticipated NEW direction of our nation. As we wind down from the "W"rongful invasion of Iraq, the military budgets will decrease as well as when Russia and the USA find new in roads to peace and nuclear non-proliferation.

I have said from the beginning of the Bush administation's 'redirection' of the efforts to stop terrorist networks that such 'W'rongful strategies into Iraq would bring about spending in other countries as well as the USA in Cold War Technologies.

The way to economic stability is not through war economies but through peace economies. Besides, war isn't supposed to be AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS. War is supposed to be a defense of this country. When will people that hold such strongly negative opinions of PEACE and CHANGE in government stop being stupid and longing for 'Economic War Stimulus' rather than 'Economic Stimulus' that fights the 'Good Fight.' That good fight is to insure the well being of our children on a shrinking planet that is growing dangerously warm by the day.

Honestly.

It is unfortunate that there are some nominees from the Obama Transition Team that aren't measuring up the way everyone had hoped, but, that is simply a new President making the best effort at change that was expected of him. No one has demanded that President Obama be perfect, now are they? I am, however, demanding that HE KEEP HIS WORD.

If those around him fail at proving they are worthy of a place in his administration then so be it. We want NEW government without corruption, without regrets and while Republicans seek to tarnish President Obama's victory and the victory of Democrats that are intent on turning the corner on America's failing while lead by Republicans, we won't give up. We want the change President Obama promised and we know he and his majority House and Senate can deliver it. We look forward to it and patiently await an administration worthy of President Obama's 'hope' and 'ideals' for this country.

Frankly, I think he's doing a great job. I hope his administration continues to grow in expertise and productive directions for our country. Barak has a huge task ahead of him. He has to RETURN the country to Americans after years and years of Republican exploitation.

Oh, yeah, the McCain 'Stimulus?' He isn't elected and there is plenty of PORK within its content !