Happy New Year!

Optimism. The breakfast of champions. Let's start the new year off on a positive note, shall we?

The Freep bids adieu to 2009 and wishes us all a better year ahead, reminding us to look to the reasons why we love this state.

Maybe it's the lure of the lakes. Maybe it's in the changing of seasons or the hands-on work ethic. Maybe it's just about the quirkiness of living on a peninsula, a little off the beaten path, surrounded by sweet water stretching beyond the horizon. Maybe it's just about being home. Whatever generates that feeling for Michigan, you can find it in the global reach of its colleges and universities, and in the gentle pull of its cities and towns

There is a strength in these deep feelings for Michigan.

Exactly. Time to tap that strength and use it to restore some pride. There are good things happening here, let us focus on the positives so we can continue to nurture that new growth that is occurring.

The GR Press also acknowledges the difficulty of the past year, and opts to look at the bright side of the lessons we have learned as we look forward to the future.

Hope drives us and sustains us. If there’s a glass left nearby, left over from the toasting, call it half full — not half empty — and raise it to hope.

Here’s to better times ahead.

Cheers. And there are glimmers of hope on the horizon...

A survey of hiring managers and human resource directors at CareerBuilder.com tells us that 20% of employers are looking to hire in 2010, up from 14% a year ago. Even better, only 9% will make cuts, down from 16%, showing that most employers will at least maintain the staffing level they are at now.

"There's definitely an uptick. The number of employers who say they're going to add full-time workers is up from last year, and that is very good news," said Michael Erwin, senior career advisor at CareerBuilder.

Yes indeed. We still have a long way to go though, and yet another bruising budget battle ahead....

The LSJ breaks down the numbers on state revenue as compared to 2001, and comes to this conclusion:

So, are Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop and his Republican caucus of the view that Engler was a spendthrift? He wanted a nearly $10 billion general fund budget. If Michigan holds itself to the money it collects with its existing tax structure - which has been the proclaimed view of Senate Republicans - the next general fund budget will be $6.6 billion.

That would be a 30 percent drop, in a decade.

And we have basically the same number of citizens, right around 10 million. Look for the calls of "more tax cuts!" to ring out from the Republicans though, as the battle to see who can be the best "Bush-league" politician he can be dominates the debate on the right...

Me-ow! The cat fight continues between Hoekstra and Synder over the exploitation of terrorism, as Twitter Pete spokesman John Truscott displays some of that famous charm that made Dick DeVos so appealing...

Truscott said it’s unclear how many people donated to Hoekstra’s campaign based on the solicitation Hoekstra’s campaign e-mailed to supporters Monday.

“People are responding very positively,” Truscott said. “A lot of people are citing their support for Pete because of these attacks by Rick Snyder.”

Well, good. We all love that wingnut-on-wingnut action. See? Plenty of hope for the New Year.

Keep thinking positive thoughts, lend your strength to the Democrats who will obviously need it, and to your state, which obviously deserves it.

Make it a great 2010!