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

Quote of the Day

“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you are going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go into your library and read every book.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

hat tip: http://progressconservative.com/

The Day After Tomorrow

The fact is, the American story is not just the story of limited governments; it is the story of limited but energetic governments that used aggressive federal power to promote growth and social mobility. George Washington used industrial policy, trade policy and federal research dollars to build a manufacturing economy alongside the agricultural one. The Whig Party used federal dollars to promote a development project called the American System.

Abraham Lincoln supported state-sponsored banks to encourage development, lavish infrastructure projects, increased spending on public education. Franklin Roosevelt provided basic security so people were freer to move and dare. The Republican sponsors of welfare reform increased regulations and government spending — demanding work in exchange for dollars.

Throughout American history, in other words, there have been leaders who regarded government like fire — a useful tool when used judiciously and a dangerous menace when it gets out of control. They didn’t build their political philosophy on whether government was big or not. Government is a means, not an end. They built their philosophy on making America virtuous, dynamic and great. They supported government action when it furthered those ends and opposed it when it didn’t.

If the current Republican Party regards every new bit of government action as a step on the road to serfdom, then the party will be taking this long, mainstream American tradition and exiling it from the G.O.P.

That will be a political tragedy. There are millions of voters who, while alarmed by the Democrats’ lavish spending, still look to government to play some positive role. They fled the G.O.P. after the government shutdown of 1995, and they would do so again.

Read More - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/opinion/14brooks.html?_r=1&ref=davidbrooks

Tea party takeover

The Republican Party wrapped up its polarizing primary-season purge Tuesday by nominating conservative tea party candidates in Delaware and New York.

The most disappointing result was Christine O'Donnell's triumph over Rep. Michael N. Castle (R., Del.) in the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Delaware. Castle, one of the most decent and thoughtful public servants around, was beaten by a candidate who has trouble telling the truth about her credentials.

more: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20100916_Editorial__Tea_party_takeover.html