I'm disappointed with some of his moves, but I still think I'll vote for him (against my better judgement). I rarely vote Republican, but Snyder has done more for Detroit than any governor in my lifetime. Detroit is on a strong rebound, and while the reasons for its decline and rise are complicated and go much deeper than any one politician, I think his head and heart are in the right place and that he has helped to clear a lot of the historic roadblocks to progress. A Democrat would never have taken some of the measures he has, because they don't want to alienate their core inner city constituency. Snyder has never worried about it, because he never had a prayer of doing well there. Thus, not having to worry about vote grabbing has enabled him to make tough choices, such as sidelining the mayor and city council in favor of a managed bankruptcy. It was a bold move whose consequences were unpredictable, but that looks really solid at the moment. This one thing, to me, trumps all the negative stuff. I didn't vote for either guy in the last race, because I wasn't convinced by them. I don't have anything against Schauer, but Snyder earned my vote. Not such an easy thing to do. All this said, taking a "stand" against Tesla is moronic and must be some kind of power play before the election. I don't understand it, and I think it's bad PR, bad policy, and bad economics. GM and Ford can stand on their own two feet, and if they can't the fuck 'em (and I say this as a guy whose lifestyle is propped up in a major way by the Big Three). Snyder has been in a weird place often in his tenure. He doesn't really get a long with either party, so he often does stuff against his own good judgement just to get allies for his own ends (right-to-work was one of these things). I'm sure he shuddered at signing this, but maybe he thinks it's a way to get road funding legislation passed, something desperately needed that the GOP keeps blocking at every turn.
I just got a hilarious response from his office. Here's my letter: I am writing you in regards to HB-5606. I urge you not to sign this bill, as it will ultimately reduce competition and innovation in the State of Michigan. Our industries must feel these pressures and adapt now. Those states that protect industries against the tides of change pay a greater price in the end. The response: Thank you for your recent correspondence sent to Governor Rick Snyder. I have been assigned to your correspondence and am responding accordingly on behalf of the Governor. Governor Snyder has a strong vision to create opportunities, networks, programs, and environments across Michigan that will both retain and attract great talent to our great state. It appears you have much to offer and I hope your pursuit for Michigan employment is successful. All civil service employment opportunities are regularly updated at Michigan's Career Center website of www.michigan.gov/mcsc<http://www.michigan.gov/mcsc>. Please submit your online applications for the job opportunities most suitable for your chosen career path. Thousands of other jobs are also available at our job portal website: http://www.mitalent.org<http://www.mitalent.org/>. Again, thank you for your recent correspondence. Should you have any further questions or concerns regarding this or any other state-related matter, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Sincerely, Ryan Studley
Constituent Relations Division
Executive Office of the Governor, Rick Snyder Awesome.Dear Governor Snyder,
Dear Mark Katakowski,
The real question isn't why are they keep Tesla out, but why does this law exist in the first place? Couldn't traditional manufacturers make more money by cutting out the middle man? Edit: Here is a good summary of the history and reasoning. It seems like dealers were a good way to do things back when communications were slow and payment was difficult. Now they're just entrenched, and immovable because of their power. Big Three couldn't fight them if they wanted to, because the dealers would just stop selling their cars to squeeze them, so they have no choice but to support the status quo. Apparently GM sells some models direct in developing markets, and of course it makes their cars more affordable and more profitable. Go figure.
Snyder's so called "tough choices" (raising taxes on pensioners, eliminating tax benefits for lower and middle class families, and various cuts to schools) are simply GOP party line stuff. More over mysteriously his cousin George seems to be making money from government contracts. Oh and Michigan still owes Detroit 220M dollars last I heard. He also voted in the Public Employee Domestic Partner Benefit Restriction Act until a federal judge told him "no you aren't allowed to do that". I am sorry if this seems cynical, but I don't buy the tough nerd stuff, it seems like the toughest decisions are never from the left side of things and always from the right.