According to Tim Skubick, "some theorize" that Dick DeVos is instructing Craig DeRoche to block the deal that would fix the minimum wage/overtime law and give college students $4000 for the Merit Scholarship just to deny Granholm a "win". If this is true, that means that DeVos is willing to hurt both business and college students for his own personal gain.
Given Dick and Betsy's past history of playing games with the legislature for the sole purpose of attempting to thwart Granholm, this would come as no surprise. They did it with SBT reform last year, they did it with welfare reform this year. The legislature is apparently intimidated enough by the DeVos' that they bow to their every wish; one wonders if their constituents ever factor into the equation.
For this latest attempt, let's go to the video tape.
Skubick: The fly in the ointment apparently is the Republican speaker, who is reluctant to make a deal. He says he's open to it, but hasn't signed off yet. Some theorize that the Republican candidate for Governor has told the Republican speaker to block the deal because it gives the Governor a win.
Granholm: You mean like he did on the SBT?
Skubick: Are you saying that he did on this? Governor? Hello?
Granholm: (walks away) No, I don't know.
Watch the clip for that interesting exchange.
Some back-story to set the stage. April 13th, when the flaw in the minimum wage bill was "discovered"-
Ari Adler, spokesman for Senate Republicans, said it's not certain that the new minimum wage law will require overtime pay for now-exempt workers. But he added, "If it's interpreted differently and it becomes an issue, then we'll look at addressing it."
House Republicans were aware of the bill's impact on overtime -- business groups quietly cautioned them -- but they decided to pass it quickly and deal later with fallout, said GOP spokesman Matt Resch.
Republicans knew the flaw was there, and ignored it in their haste to eliminate an issue that would drive people to the polls for a ballot proposal.
Granholm has been calling for a raise on the Merit Award Scholarship for quite some time. When it came up in June, Republicans had this to say-
"The governor's proposal is not acceptable and needs more discussion," Sikkema, R-Wyoming, said in a statement. "I'm willing to work with her on this, but we haven't made any progress because she has yet to find a way to pay for it or address the other problems."
Matt Resch, spokesman for Republican House Speaker Craig DeRoche of Novi, called the Granholm plan "irresponsible" because it is too expensive.
Giving kids more money for school? Irresponsible. But cutting $2 billion out of the budget without a way to "pay for it"? Not a problem.
Only in DeRoche Land does that make any sense.
A week later, Sikkema offered up the scholarship raise as a trade for cutting off the poor and an adjustment to teacher's health benefits.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema said Wednesday he would consider approving Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to give college students $4,000 scholarships if she would agree to a limit on welfare benefits and a change in health care plans for teachers.
No dice, obviously, and an insane proposition in the first place. Sikkema knew this wouldn't fly; why did he even bother?
By Aug. 10th, Ken was ready to "be bold" and cut a deal.
Bumping up college scholarships and offering an earned-income tax credit would hit the state budget, Sikkema said. But he added in a statement: "I am willing to put them forward because both have enormous potential. Let's be bold and move our state forward."
Sikkema is ready to go, DeRoche is holding up both money for college kids and a solution to a problem that he created in the first place.
The question is- is he doing it under orders from DeVos? Although Skubick presents this as a "theory", Dick's past behavior would indicate it is a very real possibility.
And, if this is true, then once again the lives of the people in this state are not a concern for DeVos or the Republicans. College students, business owners, and the poor are nothing but cannon fodder for those who would use them for their own egotistical power grabs rather than having consideration for the well-being of ordinary citizens and the progress of our state.