untanglingwebs
El Supremo
|
Tim Skubick: Gov. Rick Snyder dodges accountability with the best of them
Print Tim Skubick | Politics Columnist for MLive.com By Tim Skubick | Politics Columnist for MLive.com MLive.com
on April 07, 2013 at 6:58 AM
The very last thing politicians want to do is to be held accountable for their actions. And if they can find someway to wiggle out of that, they will wiggle.
Years ago when Democrat Jim Blanchard was running for governor against GOP gadfly Dick Headlee, the two appeared in a debate.
Mr. Blanchard was running on the theme "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" and whenever he could, he boasted he would create them by selling bonds. Fair enough.
So when it came time to be held accountable, the deft Mr. Blanchard dove for the high grass.
Debate question: How many jobs will your bond program create?
He’s now thinking, “I don’t want to answer that question because if I do, and don’t create that many jobs, I’m in trouble with the voters.”
So instead of a firm figure, he offered, "I don’t know."
Why don’t you know? asked the moderator, boring in for an answer.
“I don’t want to over promise,” he countered.
“Well then underpromise,” the moderator returned the volley.
The Republicans in the audience broke out in laughter and applause.
Suffice it to say Mr. Blanchard did not join in as he sat there steadfastly refusing to give an inch on the accountability inquiry.
Mr. Headlee in the same debate was proud of his distain of tax increases, yet his GOP President Ronald Reagan was at that very moment endorsing one.
Question: Mr. Headlee, do you support the president’s tax hike?
He’s thinking, "There is no way I’m answering that question because if I say yes, I’m no longer the champion of tax cutters."
He finally answered: "I have no position." The moderator wanted to know why not?
Thinking fast on his feet he joined Mr. Blanchard in the weeds with, “I don’t know, I wasn’t there.” The D’s in the audience hooted and howled, but Mr. Headlee just sat there with egg rolling down his face.
Which brings us to Gov. Rick Snyder, who claims he is not one of those career politicians. Claims.
When he proposed a huge business tax cut two years ago, correspondents wanted to know, "How many jobs will this create?"
It’s not an unreasonable question, but his answer was, “I don’t know.”
How dandy.
Since he never gives out a number, when he runs for reelection next year this question can never be asked: "When you cut business taxes you promised to create 50,000 jobs. Did you?"
See how it works. He gives no number and can’t be held accountable for fulfilling a promise. Pretty nifty, eh?
Fast forward to the Right to Work law and this will sound familiar. The governor is super confident this will also create jobs. He tossed out 43,000 that were supposedly created in Indiana, but far as anyone can tell, he never used a number that he could call his own.
And in a brilliant piece of subterfuge, he told an audience the other day no one will ever find out how many jobs can be linked to RTW because business will never provide that information.
Come again?
If you follow the governor’s logic he thinks it “would be dumb for business” to publicly admit that RTW was a reason for moving here. To do so would “simply make them a target in terms of people protesting them,” he said.
He’s right on the money and therefore, “you’re not going to see anyone stand-up and say they came for that reason.”
So when asked about specific job creations due to his John Hancock on that bill, he can again say, with a straight face, “We don’t know and I can’t tell you.”
Wow. That was easy and right out of the career politician’s play book on how to effectively dodge accountability for your actions.
Watch "Off the Record with Tim Skubick" online anytime at video.wkar.org
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
