Question: Who will control the State House and Senate in January?
While looking for answers to this question I found this article. Currently, the GOP holds 58 seats in the house and Democrats 49 with 3 vacancies. The article doesn't offer much in the way of facts besides a little history and then some he said/she said quotes from Dianne Byrum and Craig DeRoche. The Republicans have been in control in the 110-seat House since 1997-98. This article by the same reporter does a little better at talking about the real chances of a change in the party controlling the state legislature- not much. The Republican redistricting did a good job at creating many non-competitive districts leaving few areas where Democrats have a chance to pick off the seats they need to retake the House. Meanwhile, the State Senate is in control of the Republicans by a count of 22-16 which means a swing of 3 seats to the Dems could put Lt. Gov. John Cherry in a tie-breaking role should he and Governor Granholm win a second term.
For all the election talk this season I find it odd that there is little discussion of what the state legislature will look like in January. I also wonder why part of Granholm's strategy hasn't been to go after DeRoche and Ken Sikkema more as they stood in her way in order to pave the way for Dick DeVos' challenge. She could have seriously changed the complexion of the race and her party's chances to take over in Lansing in January. As it is, the Dems are close and could pull it off but the deck remains stacked. It would be nice if the media and the pollsters bothered to cover state politics regarding the legislature as much as they do the Governor's race. While the Governor is the CEO of state government, the legislature is where the sausage gets made and the rancid meat being forced up on the people of Michigan over the last several years has left me wanting to cleanse the palette.
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17 comments:
Pol...astute observation on how DaRoach and Sick-e-ma drew a bye from the gov in this election. Kenny boy has been in the legislature for a generation now (27 yrs)and was key obstructionist on all Michigan progress. He and heir apparent DeRoche had but one agenda these past four years...and that was to stop Granholm from making any progress. When it was apparent the Dems were going to get the minimum wage issue on the ballot, they both snapped to attention and pre-empted the proposal with hasty legislation of their own which they had to go back after the bill became law and correct some problems with it. The same could be said of the sunsetted Single Business Tax, doomed to go away in a couple of years, but like a miracle, after being around since the 1970's was elevated to "job killer" status and became their election year mantra. They offered up no way to offset the lost income. Granholm grabbed onto the lost income part but failed to cite the legislature's leaders as the perps of this self-destructive policy.
Actually all three vacant districtc are safe Democrat..Making the divide 58-52 In favor of the GOP. 4 seats can make the difference in the House.
Both the House and Senate in the state are in play since the infusion of Stryker money.
There are newspapers that do cover the legislative races but here in boonieville the Banner doesn't even report on what our own state legislators do other than show up for an ocasional photo-op
So far DeVos, Sikkema and company have blown a typical Radical Right Wing Republican 3 Billion Dollar hole in the budget with only a 'trust me until after the election' answer to the question of where is the money comming from?
A fine reason to vote YES on 5. So it might cost 567 Million for education. Hell these guys can throw BILLIONS around with a shrug.
There are so many business in Michigan getting a free ride and state aide...it is about time they paid their FAIR share and quit trying to destroy public education and any sense of security for Michigan workes who Betsy DeVos says make too much money anyway
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I think the mere mention of a Republican by Jen raises their value by a few votes. I would like to see more DemSpin on their DemOpponents, but perhaps like in Barry Co. nobody is running.
The lights are on, but ....
Hey, PolGuy!
I'm trying to decide on a parting shot for the Banner.
How about starting a thread with the words "...and the County Board adjourned into closed session again to discuss the purchase of (even more) real estate".
The speculation might be as popular as the lottery.
Is it possible that a relative of a Board member has a listing on a property with a small option held by a popular local citizen pending sale to the taxpayers at an inflated price?
Again?
Good thought el grillo....although it migh require some investigative journalism. You know. some old fashioned probing among sources that are quoted...or even at Richies...
Bill Ballenger of Inside Michigan Politics says Dem control may happen in the State Senate, especially with the influx of Stryker cash in the mix put up against Toy, George, VanWorkom, and the open seats of the 13th & 32nd. 17 GOP seats, 5 toss-ups, 16 Dem seats. GOP gets 4 of the 5 and they keep majority. Tough task ahead.
Hey, Pat!
I talked to a citizen today who knows the actual piece of property the County is planning to buy with your tax dollars!
I'm not even an investigative reporter!
Must be there is a surplus in the Budget big enough to support Charlatan Park for a long time!
If they pay cash, they won't need permission from the taxpayers, will they?
Vive, Cone Zone!
For more info on this topic, check out the Lansing State Journal's political blog at...
http://noise.typepad.com/election_countdown/2006/11/roll_call_upgra.html
Here's the gist:
Control of the Senate looks like it's coming down to four races, each currently held by a Republican:
Sen. Tom George vs. Rep. Alexander Lipsey (Kalamazoo area)
Sen. Laura Toy vs. Rep. Glenn Anderson (Westland/Livonia)
Rep. Roger Kahn (R) vs. Rep. Carl Williams (D) (Saginaw)
John Pappageorge vs. Andy Levin (Royal Oak)
Democrats need 3 of 4 to get a tie (broken by the Lt. Gov), 4 of 4 for a win.
Control of the House is a much tougher thing. Insiders say Democrats may lose former Rep. Herb Kehrl's seat, but should pick up Rep. David Farhat's. Beyond that, who knows?
As I've been saying, look south. If either party wins 3 out of the LSJ political blog's 3 target seats: the 67th (South Ingham County), 64th and 65th (Jackson County), they would almost assuredly win control. But polling in House races is very tough, and there's not much of it outside of internal polls. Anything could happen.
I agree with polwatcher that almost anything can happen. There are always unexpected wins and losses that gum up prognostigations.
ElGrillo, PLEASE bring us up to date on the secret County Commission plan to buy even more property to lie fallow. Specifics please!
In kalnbach vs calley, i've been told doug has worked hard in ionia county. has he made any inroads on that fanatical bunch up there. I knew the anti zoning bunch were against calley as a commissioner. they supported reynolds in the primary. is it enough to tip? kalbach should consider garnering 40% a democratic victory.
Pat,
While the musicians fiddle, the Phoenix turns to ashes.
I will do investigative journalism when we run out of investigative journalists that get paid for listening.
Suffice it to say that you won't find out much about Barry County on this blog. The topic is about some obscure and irrelevant State wide candidates heading to a larger trough.
Now now El Grillo....YOU said you knew what all the secret meetings by the County Commission for 'the purchase of real estate' was target at purchasing.
So Tell Us!
Pat,
My concern was that the secret meetings were for some purpose other than buying a specific piece of property. I'm still not sure a general real estate discussion qualifies as an excuse for a closed session, however in doing some amateur "investigative journalism" a "citizen of interest" (not a Commissioner or Administrator) assured me that a very specific property would soon be purchased for some undisclosed purpose. By now, speculation should be rampant, however it seems more exciting to see who will become Official Dogcatcher of Macomb County.
Perhaps Bob Van Putten has an architectural rendering of an expanded Animal Shelter.
When the "whole truth" emerges, please post it.
I bet its an assisted living community for ex County commissioners, state cops, and ex reps/senators?
el grillo, with only a 36% voter turnout, you want us to further ignore state issues? Its ez to focus on local politics, but Barry county is not the center of the universe. What happens in washington and in lansing affects us in lil 'ole Barry county too. We must all be diligent in ensuring our taxes are spent wisely. Lets face it, on a total tax basis, the county tax constitutes an extremely small percent of the taxes we pay. Yet, it seems to consume 100% of your political interest. In reality, we should all be more participatory in the school board.
Actually, in Barry County there are about 11 school boards that influence the education of our kids.
We have the ability to influence the County government, but all that gets done above that is wasteful spending to get re-elected and a lot of whining.
The center of the universe is here in Costa Rica, which explains some of the dizziness up there.
Mike,
Your assumption is that in some way the Barry County Board of Commissioners has actually formed a group consensus on a matter of “policy”.
If that were in fact true, the policy,or policies, would be recorded in writing someplace. If, however, it is not true, then what we have is an oral tradition of opinions that have not been written down, but have been passed down through the generations dependent upon a “good ol' boys (and girls) network”, with no accountability.
There is a “Personnel Policy”. It is written and kept in a notebook. This proves that the Board has progressed beyond grunts and gestures, and actually is capable of written language. Beyond this one “policy” manual, there is no policy decision record of any kind. Lacking written direction, an Administrator has very little authority to administer anything other than personnel.
Beginning with the very elemental issue of finance, what is the Board policy regarding the use of public funds? Obviously, there is none, or the Board would not be approving the purchase of more real estate with grocery money while hungry mouths are asking for a second mortgage.
What is the Board policy on Budget oversight? Again, there is none, or there would be a logical process that every Board member participates in and approves. The current process spelled out in the Budget documents is contradictory and subject to the random whim of administrative fancy. Standing Committees no longer have a part in the process, except to wield the power of the rubber stamp, as a Committee of the Whole. If this is not to be changed, then there is little merit to justify the Committee structure which is currently a sham. The County Administrator will continue to behave as a County Manager and the Board will continue to shield his policy-making from the public. “Department Heads” will continue to cower on the 3rd Floor and continue to avoid the Mezzanine.
What is the Board policy on “Incarceration”? Again, the closest the Board comes to policy-making is the seasonal concern over mildew at the County Jail. Perhaps there is a policy that prefers incarceration to rehabilitation, or perhaps societal intervention over torture, or merely the establishment of concentration camps over genocide. Where might I find this illusion of “Board Policy”? Enough of the policy regarding Law Enforcement & Courts.
The difference between the City of Hastings and the other villages and township population centers, and the County of Barry is the area of Human Services. What policy guidance has been given the County Administrator regarding human services. Do the people of Nashville get the same degree of attention as the people in Prairieville? Who are the gatekeepers? How knowledgeable is the Administrator regarding the inner workings of the human services bureaucracy of the State and Federal governments? Does he agressively pursue every possible grant and expert assistance available as a result of our tax dollars, or do the large Counties like Wayne and Oakland suck up the gravy and leave the dregs to the less organized. What is the policy of the Board regarding grants?
I suppose a case might be attempted to describe the allocation of limited resources as a “policy” and the annual Budget as the “written policy” of the County Board. If this idea has any merit, then it must be that the Board has a comprehensive understanding of each of these accounts. We would assume that there must be an annual investigation, evaluation and report from each of the “departments” and other line item issues to the full board or some groupings of Board members. We certainly know this is not the case. The Board is kept in ignorance, while the Administrator is allowed to intimidate and manipulate with the favors of the taxpayers. Only a few Board members have ever fully understood the individual importance of millions of dollars in the Special Revenue Fund accounts. Those few have been politically assigned to the Finance Standing Committee.
It would be a valid request to expect the County Administrator to hold formal training sessions on a regular basis with all incoming new Board members to explain how limited their role will be in the policy-making arena, and to persuade them to conform to the system that favors his power and control. Without this indoctrination the new Commissioners are likely to ask some hard questions and demand to represent the people who elected them. We can't be allowing open debate over serious issues. It has been frequently repeated in Board meetings that, “We can disagree in private, but when we meet in public we must be unanimous!” Perhaps this constitutes a “Board Policy”.
I nearly forgot to mention the all-important role of Facilities & Property. Lacking any serious thought-provoking activity demands on their time, all of the Board members should be assigned to this critically important Standing Committee. With proper scheduling, part of every meeting could be devoted to raking leaves, polishing floors and emptying waste baskets. This could be the very next “policy” established by the Board. It would save money, reduce labor benefited employees, and demonstrate the concern the Board members have for maintaining things in a tidy, and unchanged, condition.
Com mucho gusto,
Tomas
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