A Q&A with Rick Snyde

Three years ago, businessman Rick Snyder was a virtual unknown in the political world. When he first decided to run for governor, his standing in the polls was so low that taking the margin of error into account, he theoretically could have had negative numbers. Political pundits said there was no way he could compete against the better known field of experienced political rivals.

The pundits were wrong.

Snyder – who built Gateway into a Fortune 500 company as its CEO -- won in a landslide victory after running as "One Tough Nerd" ready to make the tough decisions career politicians refused to make. The tactic led one particularly snarky pundit to quip "I guess nerd tested better in the focus groups than dork."

As a candidate, Gov. Snyder pledged to eliminate the job-killing Michigan Business Tax and replace it with a flat, 6-percent corporate income tax that is simple, fair and efficient. He pledged to structurally balance the budget without using accounting gimmicks or quick fixes. He pledged to create an environment where small businesses can grow and create jobs.

The businessman-turned-politician has delivered. Working together with lawmakers, the governor eliminated the state's $1.5 billion deficit and produced a budget surplus. And in stark contrast to the partisan fighting that led to two government shutdowns under his predecessor, Gov. Snyder got the budget done by the earliest date it has been completed in 30 years.

The Forum spoke with the Governor recently about his record, and how the lessons he learned as the Chief Executive Officer in the private sector apply to his current role as the Chief Executive of Michigan.

- See more at:http://www.riponsociety.org/forum132rs.htm