G.O.P. EFFECTIVELY SETS DELEGATE SELECTION PROCESS; RHETORIC ON PRIMARY HEIGHTENS-
GONGWER-Michigan Republicans have set the rules for an alternate delegate selection process for the 2008 presidential nomination, but at the same time the criticism Republicans and Democrats have swapped over establishing a presidential primary has gotten more bitter.
On Thursday, Republican Chair Saul Anuzis charged in his blog that Michigan Democratic Chair Mark Brewer was being hypocritical in criticism the Democrats made on Wednesday of the GOP backup nominating process.
The Democrats charged that the GOP process for a convention was being done to favor former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and pointed to the party's hiring of Bill Nowling as its spokesperson as proof of that. Mr. Nowling came to the party from the Sterling Group, which has Mr. Romney as a client.
In his blog entry, Mr. Anuzis charged that Mr. Brewer was holding up action on a presidential primary and said that the fact that an "operative" for the campaign of former U.S. Sen. John Edwards worked for the Democrats was a "double-standard."
The blog further said the Democratic attack showed "the standard hypocrisy we have come to expect from Mark."
However, Jason Moon, spokesperson for the Michigan Democrats, said he was unaware for any person working for the party who would be considered an Edwards "operative."
The nastiness of the comments from both sides has caught some by surprise, since Mr. Brewer and Mr. Anuzis have maintained friendly relations all along and have been in negotiations on a 2008 presidential primary for months.
A source said that after the Democratic press release came out on Wednesday Mr. Anuzis emailed Mr. Brewer, but had not heard back from him yet.
Mr. Moon said that discussions between Mr. Brewer and Mr. Anuzis are continuing and have not been interrupted.
The blog and GOP press releases also said Mr. Brewer was the individual holding up action on a presidential primary, when other top Democrats have said they want a primary.
And Sen. Michelle McManus (R-Lake Leelanau), chair of the Senate Campaign and Election Oversight Committee, said with other states moving their primaries and caucuses ahead to earlier dates "it is absolutely necessary that Michigan move its primary to an earlier date than (the currently scheduled) February 26. By accepting the status quo, we risk taking our citizens and our issues out of the national spotlight."
Senate Republicans hope to be able to pass SB 624 and SB 625 when it returns next week. The two bills allow for primaries to occur on January 29 or February 5, but both bills also allow the parties to set an earlier date so long as they reach a decision by September 15. A source indicated that September 15 date may be pushed back in the bills, but officials still had to allow for the state to have time to set up a primary.
Democrats have said the bills do not now comply with Democratic National Committee rules and so they cannot support them.
In addition, Democrats are feeling pressed to take action to move up their presidential selection process to challenge the primacy of New Hampshire and other states that have moved theirs up.
Meanwhile, the Republican plan for an alternative selection process, should a primary not occur, was approved Wednesday night on a unanimous vote of its Policy Committee. The proposal still has to be approved by the party's executive committee, but that step is considered almost a foregone conclusion.
Under the proposal, GOP delegates will be selected at a convention held on January 25-26, 2008, and the delegates will be awarded to candidates in two ways: on a winner-take-all process by congressional district and statewide at-large delegates will be determined by the percentage of the candidate's raw vote total.
STATE OF MICHIGAN EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS AT 12 YEAR LOW-
GONGWER-The number of people now working in Michigan is at its lowest level since July 1995, figures show, and the state has lost some 9 percent of its total jobs since its peak level in June 2000.
According to unemployment figures released Wednesday by the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, the number of people working in the state totaled 4.269 million.
That is the lowest number of people working in the state since July 1995, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. That month the state showed that 4.266 million people were working.
The state's economy saw some of its most robust economic growth in its history during the 1990s.
That growth in jobs peaked in June 2000, when the state reported that 4.692 million were employed.
Since then the state has seen the number of people working fall by more than 440,000, about 9 percent from the June 2000 peak, SFA officials said.
Lost manufacturing jobs account for more than half the total job loss, officials said. As of last month, more than 289,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost since June 2000, nearly 32 percent. In June 2000, there were more than 904,000 manufacturing jobs in Michigan.
The job loss figures are "extremely disturbing," one official said.
In the May revenue estimating conference continued job losses were anticipated through 2008, but there is some concern that the ongoing losses may outpace what had earlier been forecast.
The July unemployment rate was unchanged from June at a seasonally adjusted 7.2 percent.
Those people with jobs, however, seem to be doing quite well, which helps explain why income tax revenues are up for the 2006-07 fiscal year. SFA officials said companies are reluctant to hire new workers out of fear over the continuing economic slowdown, they said, so their workers are being paid higher wages.
BISHOP SAYS GRANHOLM REMOVED FROM BUDGET PROCESS, TAX HIKE 'INEVITABLE'-
GONGWER-Governor Jennifer Granholm chides the Legislature on not being at work because she is so far removed from the budget talks that she doesn't know what kind of work is being done, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) charged on Wednesday. But he also said during the radio interview that a tax increase is now "inevitable."
Talking with WJR's Frank Beckmann, Mr. Bishop said, "She is absolutely detached from the process," and Ms. Granholm doesn't give him and House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) the credit due in working together on the budget.
Earlier this week, the governor told reporters the Legislature had to stop talking and start acting when it comes to the budget slated to begin October 1 (See Gongwer Michigan Report, August 14, 2007).
She criticized Senate Republicans for not passing a single budget, though officials with both legislative bodies say budgets will be moving next week.
Mr. Bishop said he believes Mr. Dillon is a "reasonable and pragmatic leader" but that he is worried the governor's pressure over a tax increase may be too much for Democrats to thwart.
"She has put us all in the position now where a tax increase is inevitable," he said, but a tax increase "will be left at the feet of the administration."
House Democrats and the governor have been unified for several months that a "cuts, r
eforms and revenues" solution is needed for the 2007-08 budget that is $1.8 billion in deficit.
Governor Granholm in Sweden and Germany beginning Monday. Article in the Detroit Free Press sums up her itinerary as she works to 'drum up business'.
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GONGWER-Michigan Republicans have set the rules for an alternate delegate selection process for the 2008 presidential nomination, but at the same time the criticism Republicans and Democrats have swapped over establishing a presidential primary has gotten more bitter.
On Thursday, Republican Chair Saul Anuzis charged in his blog that Michigan Democratic Chair Mark Brewer was being hypocritical in criticism the Democrats made on Wednesday of the GOP backup nominating process.
The Democrats charged that the GOP process for a convention was being done to favor former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and pointed to the party's hiring of Bill Nowling as its spokesperson as proof of that. Mr. Nowling came to the party from the Sterling Group, which has Mr. Romney as a client.
In his blog entry, Mr. Anuzis charged that Mr. Brewer was holding up action on a presidential primary and said that the fact that an "operative" for the campaign of former U.S. Sen. John Edwards worked for the Democrats was a "double-standard."
The blog further said the Democratic attack showed "the standard hypocrisy we have come to expect from Mark."
However, Jason Moon, spokesperson for the Michigan Democrats, said he was unaware for any person working for the party who would be considered an Edwards "operative."
The nastiness of the comments from both sides has caught some by surprise, since Mr. Brewer and Mr. Anuzis have maintained friendly relations all along and have been in negotiations on a 2008 presidential primary for months.
A source said that after the Democratic press release came out on Wednesday Mr. Anuzis emailed Mr. Brewer, but had not heard back from him yet.
Mr. Moon said that discussions between Mr. Brewer and Mr. Anuzis are continuing and have not been interrupted.
The blog and GOP press releases also said Mr. Brewer was the individual holding up action on a presidential primary, when other top Democrats have said they want a primary.
And Sen. Michelle McManus (R-Lake Leelanau), chair of the Senate Campaign and Election Oversight Committee, said with other states moving their primaries and caucuses ahead to earlier dates "it is absolutely necessary that Michigan move its primary to an earlier date than (the currently scheduled) February 26. By accepting the status quo, we risk taking our citizens and our issues out of the national spotlight."
Senate Republicans hope to be able to pass SB 624 and SB 625 when it returns next week. The two bills allow for primaries to occur on January 29 or February 5, but both bills also allow the parties to set an earlier date so long as they reach a decision by September 15. A source indicated that September 15 date may be pushed back in the bills, but officials still had to allow for the state to have time to set up a primary.
Democrats have said the bills do not now comply with Democratic National Committee rules and so they cannot support them.
In addition, Democrats are feeling pressed to take action to move up their presidential selection process to challenge the primacy of New Hampshire and other states that have moved theirs up.
Meanwhile, the Republican plan for an alternative selection process, should a primary not occur, was approved Wednesday night on a unanimous vote of its Policy Committee. The proposal still has to be approved by the party's executive committee, but that step is considered almost a foregone conclusion.
Under the proposal, GOP delegates will be selected at a convention held on January 25-26, 2008, and the delegates will be awarded to candidates in two ways: on a winner-take-all process by congressional district and statewide at-large delegates will be determined by the percentage of the candidate's raw vote total.
STATE OF MICHIGAN EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS AT 12 YEAR LOW-
GONGWER-The number of people now working in Michigan is at its lowest level since July 1995, figures show, and the state has lost some 9 percent of its total jobs since its peak level in June 2000.
According to unemployment figures released Wednesday by the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, the number of people working in the state totaled 4.269 million.
That is the lowest number of people working in the state since July 1995, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. That month the state showed that 4.266 million people were working.
The state's economy saw some of its most robust economic growth in its history during the 1990s.
That growth in jobs peaked in June 2000, when the state reported that 4.692 million were employed.
Since then the state has seen the number of people working fall by more than 440,000, about 9 percent from the June 2000 peak, SFA officials said.
Lost manufacturing jobs account for more than half the total job loss, officials said. As of last month, more than 289,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost since June 2000, nearly 32 percent. In June 2000, there were more than 904,000 manufacturing jobs in Michigan.
The job loss figures are "extremely disturbing," one official said.
In the May revenue estimating conference continued job losses were anticipated through 2008, but there is some concern that the ongoing losses may outpace what had earlier been forecast.
The July unemployment rate was unchanged from June at a seasonally adjusted 7.2 percent.
Those people with jobs, however, seem to be doing quite well, which helps explain why income tax revenues are up for the 2006-07 fiscal year. SFA officials said companies are reluctant to hire new workers out of fear over the continuing economic slowdown, they said, so their workers are being paid higher wages.
BISHOP SAYS GRANHOLM REMOVED FROM BUDGET PROCESS, TAX HIKE 'INEVITABLE'-
GONGWER-Governor Jennifer Granholm chides the Legislature on not being at work because she is so far removed from the budget talks that she doesn't know what kind of work is being done, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) charged on Wednesday. But he also said during the radio interview that a tax increase is now "inevitable."
Talking with WJR's Frank Beckmann, Mr. Bishop said, "She is absolutely detached from the process," and Ms. Granholm doesn't give him and House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) the credit due in working together on the budget.
Earlier this week, the governor told reporters the Legislature had to stop talking and start acting when it comes to the budget slated to begin October 1 (See Gongwer Michigan Report, August 14, 2007).
She criticized Senate Republicans for not passing a single budget, though officials with both legislative bodies say budgets will be moving next week.
Mr. Bishop said he believes Mr. Dillon is a "reasonable and pragmatic leader" but that he is worried the governor's pressure over a tax increase may be too much for Democrats to thwart.
"She has put us all in the position now where a tax increase is inevitable," he said, but a tax increase "will be left at the feet of the administration."
House Democrats and the governor have been unified for several months that a "cuts, r
eforms and revenues" solution is needed for the 2007-08 budget that is $1.8 billion in deficit.Governor Granholm in Sweden and Germany beginning Monday. Article in the Detroit Free Press sums up her itinerary as she works to 'drum up business'.
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