Michigan Liberal had a live blogging of this event this afternoon- nice job Lucy!
Detroit - Governor Jennifer Granholm and her Republican challenger Dick DeVos shared a stage in front of Michigan's most influential business audience Thursday - The Detroit Economic Club. Each spoke for 15 minutes, Granholm going first.
She outlined six steps she says her administration has taken to achieve what she's called the most aggressive economic development program in the country. DeVos spelled out 10 action steps he said would improve the state's sagging economy. DeVos said "We'll make more change and get more done in the first 45 days than Governor Granholm's done in 45 months."
A point of contention was DeVos' plan, revealed in Tuesday's debate, to eliminate the state's personal property tax. The tax, paid by businesses on their assets and equipment, brings the state $1.7 billion dollars distributed to schools and cities. The governor called on DeVos to outline "today" how he would replace those funds.
WZZM has the videos up.
Granholm speech here.
DeVos speech here.
Dick apparently is going to cut all the taxes, but yet somehow increase spending on schools, public safety, business development, etc., and so on. Oh, and Dick is going to fire everybody. He must have been a real swell guy to work for. Guess all the stories are true.
Quite frankly, dragging Ricky Holland into this to score political points(?) is one of the lowest things I've ever seen- but I knew it was coming.
This is one bad, bad man who will scrape the bottom looking for mud to throw.
Granholm, on the other hand, has a solid plan AND a way to pay for it. The crowd was definitely on her side, and I noticed the applause when she mentioned that some in Lansing now think that canning the SBT the way they did was not such a good idea.
I'm sorry that she had to sit and listen to Dick say all those horrible things about her and our state. It can't be easy.
EDIT 10/13: From Peter Luke's column today- apparently I was right.
Staring icily at him from the dais at Cobo Hall as DeVos read off the names of dead children, Granholm appeared to take it personally.
"When you go on personal attacks like that, that may be an indication that people are not listening to his (economic) message," Granholm said after the speeches. "Using human tragedies for political benefit is a sign of desperation."
I am so sorry Governor. This man is pond scum. I'm embarrassed that he is from my hometown.