John Engler appeared on the Jansing and
Co. Show on the MSNBC Network as part of a panel, discussing Governor
Snyder's decision to put Detroit into bankruptcy. In my opinion,
Engler was just following the party line, which attacks the middle
class and openly supports the upper 2%. These policies and the bad
press that have result from them have made the people from Michigan
look like ignorant Rednecks and drugged up gang bangers. .
The Emergency Manager is a prime
example. Upon taking office. Snyder increased the scope of the
position and activity started usurping the voters' rights. So far
none of the cities with managers have recovered; however Snyder did
give the public park land that the Ann Arbor City Council was
protecting to the Whirlpool family for their golf course. During the
last election, the people of the state voted to eliminate the
Emergency Manager legislation. Within weeks, Snyder and the
Republicans circumvented the public's will and reinstated the
Emergency Manager legislation in such a way that that the citizens
could not once again vote it away.
Snyder has made claims of creating
jobs. It is an exaggeration. What few jobs his policies are
responsible for creating are low paying without benefits. At the
same time he has does his best to chase away two industries that
bring with them new money and good paying jobs. The Entertainment
and the Green Industries can't be out sourced and they pay living
wages with benefits.
Within two years, the film industry
went from a 2 million a year industry to over 600 million, It created
thousands of good paying jobs not only for actors and tech people,
but also for electricians, carpenters, drivers and office support
staff along with all the jobs created by the production companies
renting locations, rooms, car rentals, and buying meals for their
cast and crew. This list doesn't include the jobs created by
shopping the cast and crew did on their off time. Nor does it take
into account the increase tourism that the films provided when their
work was seen by the national and international audiences. Snyder
attacked the film incentive when he came into office and within a
week the state lost four big budget films, equaling hundreds of
millions of new money and thousands of good paying jobs.
But more than just the money and the
jobs, Snyder cost Michigan its reputation. The original agreement
with the film industry was that it would have five years to establish
itself. It actually had only two. Breaking the agreement make
the state look unreliable as a place to do business. What industry
would risk bring their business into a state that will not honor its
contracts and obligations? What investor would risk their funds on
such a state? Not many and the list is getting shorter all the time.
Who would be willing to trust a person, company, or state once she
or he had seen she, he or it screw over another?
On the last state ballet, the voters
were given the opportunity of supporting green technology. However,
the well funded misinformation campaign defeated the proposal, which
would have held down the utility costs to a 2% increase a year and
activity supporting wind, solar, geothermal technologies. Not only
would it have lowered costs in the long run, but the industry also
immediately created good paying jobs. Most new industries have start
up costs, The misinformation campaign focused on how much a kilowatt
hour would cost using only the start up figures. It ignorant the
fact that once the systems were in place the wind and the sun
supplied unlimited, healthy, and clean energy for free.
Republicans say can't afford to
subsidize private industries, The oil and gas companies continually
make billions of profits a year, yet they still receive billions in
state and federal subsidies. What's the difference? Oil and gas
primary support Republicans candidates. Therefore the Republicans
protect their cash cows by suppressing industries that create
competition in the marketplace and present alternative ideas. The
Entertainment Industry leans is more likely to support progressive
thinking and causes, by supporting change and innovation. Green
Industries threaten the fossil fuel companies' bottom line. Back in
the 1970's there was a cartoon in the local paper, which had five
panels. The first three panels proclaimed the profitability of oil,
natural gas, and coal. Each time the man bragged that he owned them.
In the fourth, he said solar power. In the fifth, instead of saying
and we own the sun, he declared that solar power was impossible.
Today Snyder started the bankruptcy
process for Detroit. Although there have been great stride in the
area, Snyder and his Emergency Manager made the area sound like a
lost cause. It is in their best interest to do so. By devaluing the
area and the people, they reinforce their power over them. It also
opens the door for quick, cheap land deals, low paying jobs, and the
displacement of the current population. The film industry could been
a major saving grace for Detroit. It brings in new money and good
paying jobs, while keeping the innovated people here and helping
those who left to return. The wind, solar, and geothermal industries
also could have brought new money and new jobs that could not be
outsourced. Yet they were both activity attacked because they
interfere with Snyder's and many other Republicans' agendas.
