[The Homogenizer]

Originally Posted by Bhaalspawn

So, Rick Snyder, "one tough nerd", stomped Bernero in the gubernatorial election and the Republicans also took the state House and Senate.

Now what? What kinds of changes do you think they'll make to the State of Michigan and will they actually be able to improve Michigan's economy and job market? Realistically, what do you think they'll be able to accomplish?

Discuss.

He's the Messiah of Michigan.

He is in touch with a different kind of political knowledge or awareness that we've never seen. Who's heard of a Republican talking about mental health services being restored and improving prison release programs? Facilitating co-op city services? Mentorship programs?

The economy is a product of the culture and government. He's going to move the obstacles which are within the control of government that prevent Michiganders from making action happen and he's going to give the culture the spark that lights the economic fire and he's going to do this while letting Dems take credit for their pets and Reps their pets. He'll meet little authentic resistance.

This guy's something else. He has "it".

[scolls]

It's just amazing to me that while Snyder was chairman of Gateway they outsourced jobs and ran the company into the ground before selling out to a Taiwanese company and he is suppose to be some messiah job creator for Michigan?

[The Homogenizer]

Originally Posted by scolls

It's just amazing to me that while Snyder was chairman of Gateway they outsourced jobs and ran the company into the ground before selling out to a Taiwanese company and he is suppose to be some messiah job creator for Michigan?

As FDR said,"To catch a thief, set a thief." If you want Michigan to stop practices that make it profitable to outsource, ask a guy who's outsourced.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by scolls

It's just amazing to me that while Snyder was chairman of Gateway they outsourced jobs and ran the company into the ground before selling out to a Taiwanese company and he is suppose to be some messiah job creator for Michigan?

Originally Posted by The Homogenizer

As FDR said,"To catch a thief, set a thief." If you want Michigan to stop practices that make it profitable to outsource, ask a guy who's outsourced.

You two should really spend a few minutes checking the timeline that the outsourcing took place and when Snyder was in charge. The outsourcing took place when he was a board member, not the CEO. Just 30 seconds on Google will show that.

[The Homogenizer]

Originally Posted by Bydand

You two should really spend a few minutes checking the timeline that the outsourcing took place and when Snyder was in charge. The outsourcing took place when he was a board member, not the CEO. Just 30 seconds on Google will show that.

I didn't say he did.

[scolls]

Originally Posted by Bydand

You two should really spend a few minutes checking the timeline that the outsourcing took place and when Snyder was in charge. The outsourcing took place when he was a board member, not the CEO. Just 30 seconds on Google will show that.

I never said he was CEO. Just 30 seconds of reading my post would've shown that. In fact, you are the only one to mention CEO

[Jwo85]

Originally Posted by scolls

It's just amazing to me that while Snyder was chairman of Gateway they outsourced jobs and ran the company into the ground before selling out to a Taiwanese company and he is suppose to be some messiah job creator for Michigan?

Snyder, 52, joined Gateway in 1991 as an executive vice president and served as president and chief operating officer before leaving management in 1997.
During that time, Gateway grew from a few hundred employees to more than 10,000.

Democrats and Snyder's opponent, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, focus on what happened next, while Snyder was no longer a Gateway officer but remained on its board of directors.

The company whose success was built on low-cost computers suffered under fierce competition.
It axed thousands of jobs and moved manufacturing overseas, closing its stores in 2004.
Gateway's stock, which peaked at $82.50 a share in 1999, sank to $1.21 by 2007, when it was acquired by Taiwan-based Acer Inc.
Snyder says he opposed the outsourcing as a director but wasn't able to stop it, though he has not released board minutes to support his claim and the documents are not public.
During a brief return to management as Gateway's interim CEO in 2006, Snyder reported to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about overseas outsourcing, but says he also brought jobs back to North America.
Can Snyder take credit for Gateway's successes when he was a manager but avoid blame for its failures as a director?
The answer is a qualified "yes," said Larry Ribstein, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law and an expert on corporate governance.
"Directors are only supposed to monitor and oversee operating officers, while operating officers make executive decisions about running the company," Ribstein said.
Directors set general policies, but "if they don't like what the operating officers are doing, they can fire them," Ribstein said.

From The Detroit News: Gateway failure doesn't fall on Snyder | detnews.com | The Detroit News (http://detnews.com/article/20101027/POLITICS02/10270344/Gateway-failure-doesn%E2%80%99t-fall-on-Snyder#ixzz14HhYGQD4 - broken link)[/LEFT]

[scolls]

He was still a chairman when Gateway sent away jobs. Not sure where you and bydand are getting this CEO bit.

[JimmyInGreatLakes]

Originally Posted by michigan83

You know what hasn't really been tried? Cutting taxes AND spending. Reagan didn't do both. Neither did George W. Bush.

I don't know if we'll ever find out what happens when taxes are cut AND spending is cut. I'm not sure if politicians from either party are capable of doing that. That's why government growth needs to be opposed at every turn. Once it grows, it's almost impossible to shrink it.

Totally agree. Once the beast (Government growth) is out of the cage, it's tough to get it back in. We are taxed and the money is redistributed in so many ways that aren't even visible to us. We don't pay much attention to the surcharges on our utility bills and within the actual rates we get charged for gas/electricity is built in at LEAST $90 million that gets redistributed to "low-income" folks for "energy efficiency". A family of four near or below the poverty line gets about $400/month in free food which is more than I budget for my own family of five. Subsidized rent/subsidized utilities. The Earned Income credit is an incredible cash cow for low income folks with one or more kids.

E.G. a family of four making $20,000 is below the poverty line in Michigan and will pay NO federal taxes. They get $4,800 in food money, $3,000 back from the Earned Income Credit, another $2,000 from the Child tax credit and probably a good $1500 in utility credits along with an untold amount (depending on their health) in subsidized health insurance. They are now basically "making" over $31,000 thanks to government programs but the news flashes keep emphasizing "below the poverty level". It's a crazy system.

[stanman13]

Originally Posted by scolls

Guess what administration last had a balanced budget? You guessed it, the fiscal conservative Bill Clinton.

If I recall correctly, the Republican controlled congress shut down the federal government in the effort to force that balanced budget.