Question 1): Right now, groups backing half a dozen statewide ballot initiatives are preparing to collect petition signatures to qualify for the 2026 general election. The six proposals are 1) Invest In MI Kids aka “Tax the Rich,” which would sock those earning $500,000 or more annually with an additional 5% income tax; 2) Demanding voter ID at the polls; 3) Ranked Choice Voting aka “Instant Runoff” in elections, assuring that a candidate in a party primary or a nominee in a general election must accrue an actual majority of the votes cast (rather than just a plurality) in order to be deemed the winner; 4) “Ax MI Tax,” aka repealing all property taxes; 5) “Mop Up Michigan,” which would ban regulated utilities from donating to political campaigns; and 6) Repeal the recently enacted legislation scaling back a boost in the minimum wage for wait staff as well as an increase in paid sick leave.
Which ballot initiative is most likely to collect the necessary signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot — Ranked Choice Voting, minimum wage for wait staff, ID requirements for voting, Ax MI Tax, Tax the Rich, or Mop Up Michigan?
Answer 1): The easy answer would be the referendum on the new law that maintains Michigan’s tipped wage/paid sick leave. Referenda need only 223,099 valid signatures compared to the 446,198 for a constitutional amendment, which the other five proposals demand. However, the deadline for a referendum is 90 days after a legislative session ends, putting the deadline for “Voters To Stop Pay Cuts” at the end of March, 2026. If all six petitions succeed in getting on the ballot, that would be the most since 2012, when six proposals went down to crushing defeat after a well-financed campaign against them urged a “Just Vote No” verdict by the electorate.
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Semiconductor Plant For Mundy Township Scrapped
Question 2): We learned this past week that SanDisk, the semiconductor manufacturer that was exploring whether to build a microchip factory estimated to bring $55 billion in investment to Mundy Township (pop. c. 15,000), just southwest of Flint, has pulled the plug on the project. Company officials said they will not be moving forward with the plans here or anywhere else in the United States, citing too much uncertainty surrounding tariff rates and the ability to get steel and other materials needed to build the microchips. Gov. Gretchen WHITMER and Genesee Co. leaders, who envisioned the project bringing a new era of manufacturing to the economically depressed areas of Greater Flint, were extremely disappointed.
SanDisk emerged from Western Digitial to specifically build and sell computer memory products, including flash drives, SSDs, removable drives and related components for computers, automobiles and entertainment equipment.
Whitmer had hoped to persuade President Donald TRUMP to continue with the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act funding for projects like the proposed SanDisk site in Mundy Township.
Throughout the year, Whitmer has been urging officials to “work together” to become home to a semiconductor chip assembly plant –- known as a fab, short for fabrication facility –- which are considered the “most advanced factories on the planet.”
In the immediate aftermath of the SanDisk pullout, Whitmer claimed she’d talked with Trump to express her disappointment at the SanDisk decision and that he’d assured her that “something better” would become available to Michigan. Whether that proves to be true remains to be seen; if it does, it might not be in Mundy Twp.
Meanwhile, most Republican legislators in Michigan scoffed at the Mundy Twp project and contended that it was predictable that SanDisk would pull the plug and that, even it hadn’t, the entire Mundy project or anything else pushed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) or SOAR is a misguided attempt by state government to become involved in such escapades. Already, argued GOP leaders, millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted by the Legislature on buying up land in Mundy Twp and other “preparations” for a megasite that may never be filled. Furthermore, the proposal was revealed to be an overall $6.2 billion commitment by the state for up to 50 years.
So, is that the end of it? Will state government and the Flint and Genesee Co. Economic Alliance land another suitor for Mundy Twp? For that matter, will such ventures materialize anywhere else in the state, like GOTION near Big Rapids or the Ford enterprise near Albion/Marshall?
Answer 2): As Yogi Berra famously said: “It ain’t over till it’s over.” This debate isn’t going away — it will only intensify. Already local economic development mavens in Genesee Co. are defiant, dismissing the SanDisk disappointment as a mere speed bump. Indeed, they were hard at work this past week offering the Swartz Creek School District $40 million of taxpayer money to buy and tear down the 70-year-old Morrish Elementary School in Mundy Twp as they seek to complete their land acquisition.
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Question 3): Could there be any impact on Michigan’s 2026 election by the national commotion over the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files?
Answer 3): Next to none.
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Question 4):. What is the takeaway from the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce last week endorsing Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s independent candidacy for governor in 2026?
Answer 4): It was entirely predictable that the Detroit Chamber would endorse Mike Duggan — they love him and believe he’s “moved the needle” in turning around the beleaguered city during his 11 years as mayor. The only question is whether this endorsement came too early in the process? The answer is NO. His rivals are naturally angry about this development, but will voters care next year WHEN anybody was endorsed, whether in July of this year, or in 2026? Of course not. and it gives Duggan an extra boost in fund-raising over the next 15 months over all his Democratic and Republican rivals. His obvious challenge is to raise his name ID and favorability ratings beyond the Metro Detroit area. If he does that, he’s on track to being elected Michigan’s first Independent Governor.
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Question 5): Two weeks ago, U.S. Rep. Zach NUNN (R-Iowa) backed off his 2026 gubernatorial aspirations in the Hawkeye State, saying that after talking with President Donald TRUMP he will run for re-election in his swing Congressional district. In response, Trump heralded Nunn on social media as being “100 percent MAGA” and an incumbent who has his “complete and total endorsement.” Is it better than even odds that the same thing could happen to U.S. Rep. John James (MI 10), who has announced he’s giving up his Congressional set to run for Michigan Governor?
Answer 5): Probably. This past week, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-2) backed off his plans to run for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat after getting the Nunn “treatment” from Trump. Trump immediately endorsed Huizenga for re-election to his U.S. House seat and also endorsed former GOP Congressman Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate. Trump has already said publicly that he wants James to stay put in his 10th CD seat in the U.S. House and not run for governor. James has done virtually nothing in his putative gubernatorial campaign since he announced, except to raise fungible money. If he gets a clear signal from Trump that he can’t count on the coveted Trump endorsement he’s had in his previous campaigns and, worse, that Trump will endorse someone else, he should definitely pull out of his gubernatorial bid.
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Question 6): What stands out about the emergence of Amir HASSAN, the first Republican to announce in MI-8, the seat held by U.S. Rep. Kristen MCDONALD RIVET (D-Bay City)?
Answer 6): It would take a perfect storm for Hassan even to win a Republican primary, and he would have zero chance of beating Rivet in a general election. Hassan moved back into the district only a month ago — that presents a significant hurdle. Plus, he’s a Black Republican from Flint running with a Muslim name. Hassan is going to have a tough sell with the MAGA crowd as well as the unjustified biases against people of non-white culture in a CD where that predominates, except in Flint.
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Hey Bill, busy since you been back 🙂
Wrt Q#1: Unless the MIGOP can come up with some real coin and effort, ala, “Just Vote No”, I see Caesar running the floor with a six pack of wins. Personally, I’m kinda meh on the whole group. Nibbles around the edges although I’d be happy to take my cut of the property tax repeal even though it’s a real gimme to the rich.
Wrt Q#2: Another chance for the Dems to double, triple, quadruple down on their pet schemes. While Michigan’s budget goes blurb, blurb, blurb as the Dems drain the coffers fearing a Duggan win.
Wrt Q#3: I was over Epstein when the Dems wanted to implicate Trump just because Clinton was.
Wrt Q#4: My experience with Michigan politics is the early birds get the June Bugs. We cut the campaigning time too close to the general election which is just as well because Michigan’s version of the MSM is woefully wanting and getting real political info is non-existent (TBR excluded, of course).
Wrt Q#5: Yeah, probably. Rep James is having to spend too much time in DC. Who does that put up front? Nesbitt? Cox? Rinke? Flip a coin, or a 3-sided die, although I suspect some TBR respondents will have some real opinions here.
Wrt Q#6: My experience with the Bay City area finds them quite progressive although with a funky conservative lean. I don’t particularly know any reason he can’t win although he’d better not fall into the typical MIGOP lethargy.
Whew, Bill, I had my doubts when I saw 6 questions, but thanks to you for keeping them simple and straight forward for spuds like me . . . Toodles.
Good color Royal
Aric Nesbitt is the top GOP fundraiser in the governor’s race.
His campaign has raised $2.3 million and he has $1.9 million in cash on hand.
Some counter-points:
(A) regarding the John James candidacy for governor – GOP activists are receiving fundraising e-mails – an d have been for weeks – that tout John James candidacy – but do not mention the office he is running for – furthermore, at the opposite end of that spectrum, Casey Armitage of Vassar Township is actively campaigning for John James’ seat in Congress even though she does not as of yet live in the 10th District, and so is Robert Lulgjuraj, as assistant prosecutor from Macomb County – and many GOP leaders have stated the John James’ withdrawal rumor from the governor’s race is a red herring and James has every intention of running for the governor’s seat;
(B) Amir Hassan’s candidacy is not affected adversely by “the black with a Muslim name” argument – Obama proved the argument to be specious. He is a former ICE agent with military experience and could draw votes if he receives campaign finance backing from GOP heavyweights and obtains a Trump endorsement;
(C) the Mike Rogers receipt of Trump’s endorsement has virtually locked up nomination for the GOP in the 2026 U.S. Senate race;
(D) my opinion from speaking with numerus Wayne County residents is that Michael Duggan’s candidacy is likely to draw significant voters in that county – which has 2 million residents – in my opinion, he is a FAR bigger name in Wayne County than Jocelyn Benson and his independent candidacy will DOOM any chance she has to be elected governor;
(E) IRV – Instant Runoff Voting is something that is anathema to the GOP leadership in Michigan and they are making it a top priority to see it fail in 2026
Nice article, Bill.
QUESTION 1: Good points, Bill.
As for #1, with the recent school scores published in Bridge Magazine, methinks that the proponents might have a wee bit of trouble on this one. We spend bunches of money and get diddly squat for results. The absenteeism rates and new hires in administrators are dreadful. I would not like to try and defend this proposal as a means for improving those dreadful numbers, and I don’t think they can make an argument that the new monies raised would do that.
As for the others, #2 won’t see the light of day. Ranked choice voting is simply a bad idea. If they want real electoral reform, use what I call a modified Louisiana model. No primary election, all candidates – regardless of part – run in the general election and if no one gets a majority of votes cast, the top two run in a run-off that I would hold the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. This is easier, and simpler, than ranked choice voting which is a backdoor way for fringe candidates (or Lisa Murkowski) to get elected. #4 is a delusional fantasy for the no-taxes crowd. Unless replaced by an income tax or other tax, the monies lost will not miraculously appear like Manna from Heaven. And should the bloody pass, buy lots of guns and ammo. #5 is a good idea, but an even better one is to get our Public Service Commission to actually regulate the industries they are supposed to regulate. Dear God in Heaven we could sure use a Tom Greene or Lou Gordon to report on this stuff. #6 is an attempt to fix a SCOMI (Supreme Court of Michigan, I really want this acronym to take off) mistake. When they ruled the legislature’s actions to adopt and modify the minimum wage in order to keep it off the ballot, the solution was to put it back on the ballot. No fuss, no muss, the people speak. What a novel concept! But I suspect you’re right, none will see the ballot.
QUESTION 2: Ah, a Yogi Berra quote. And the Tigers broke their losing streak today as well. Maybe one from Casey Stengel next week?
Well, in today’s Freep, John Lindstrom says there is enough blame for everyone, not just Donald Trump. I believe the bottom line is that SanDisk wants more money. I say this as they did not say what country they have decided to move to, though I suspect the California based folks who run SanDisk are not planning to decamp to that country, renounce their American citizenship and become citizens of whatever country gives them what they want and lets them run a sweatshop. One thing this has shown us is that the libertarian/right-wing idea that low taxes and deregulation is what works to attract businesses. It doesn’t, hasn’t and won’t. As noted in this weekend’s “Off the Record”, state senator Cherry ran off a list of entities that have set up in states where they have been properly “incentivized” to locate there. Though businesses say they like low taxes and deregulation, they like extorting more money from governments at all levels more. And they like both even more.
I have a bonus comment on this topic at the end of my usual comments.
QUESTION 3: Yup. As a matter of course, the Epstein “files”, or whatever they are, should be released. The only block might be from the 11th US Circuit of Appeals which – I understand – has more stringent restrictions on releasing Grand Jury info. I’d release it anyway.
QUESTION 4: It was something to be expected. Whether it’s too early or not, time will tell.
QUESTION 5: Unlike Candace Miller who was truly homesick, James was an Army officer and businessman. He’s used to being in charge. Being a low senior member of Congress is like being a simple infantryman or factory rat. It is not something he likes or is comfortable with. That said, seeking re-election to Congress might open up more money for his campaign. Leanne’s comments on the lack of specific office he is seeking in his recent mailings indicates that he is leaving himself an exit ramp from governor. Arik Nesbitt, Mike Cox and Tom Leonard (and others) are hoping he decides Congress ain’t so bad and decides to follow Bill Huizenga’s lead.
QUESTION 6: Right now, who else is running on the GOP side? I freely admit I have no idea who Amir Hassan is, what he has done so far, what he plans to do, or how he plans to unseat a sitting Congresswoman. Leanne does, so I defer to her knowledge. That said, it is best to get out early. If Rivet does something incredibly stupid, he’s available to lay into her. Anyone else getting in afterwards could be seen as a mere opportunist. As the Rutles told us once , “All you need is cash”.
BONUS COMMENT: As promised, my bonus comment on the loss of the Sandisk Fab Hub plant (Question #2). And I am sure that within thirteen seconds after posting this, I will want to add stuff to it. And keep in mind two points: one, this is being written WITHOUT the benefit of AI or alcohol; and two, I am NOT a Duggan fanboy (even with the benefit of alcohol).
This is an opportunity for Mike Duggan. And if you’re reading this Mike, this idea is NOT copyrighted or trademarked, so feel free to use it. But there is one small caveat, Zohran Mamdani must be elected mayor of New York to make it work.
Assuming Mamdani’s election as mayor, the Big Apple will have elected a self-styled “Democratic Socialist” whose past comments on such things as “seizing the means of production” and “globalizing the intifada” are a wee bit too close to the thoughts of Stalin and Trotsky to be comfortable for sane people. With him in office, it might get more than a wee bit uncomfortable for NYSE, NASDAQ and the folks of Wall Street. And I have a solution. Move to Detroit and occupy the Ren Cen!
Now hear me out. Mayor Duggan, working with the Detroit Regional Chamber (which recently endorsed him), Mary Barra, Dan Gilbert and possibly Bill Ford the Younger, can probably get the entire Ren Cen made available for them. All of it. BUT HE HAS TO GET STARTED NOW! The office space should be sufficient (and there is a great view of the Detroit River and Windsor) for their needs, and they would have several advantages here that could be had for far fewer $$$ than we were trying to bribe – I meant encourage – SanDisk to move to the Flint area. GM wants to leave the Ren Cen, Wall Street would be a welcomed new tenant. Or owner. Their choice. Make it easy for them. The new building Gilbert’s people are putting up on the old Hudson site might get additional tenants and added incentive to get built. ON TIME OR SOONER! As a semi-lapsed Democrat, if Duggan can get government to work (get stuff done ahead of schedule and under budget) all of this is good news. And it is something he will get credit for though he will try to take most or all of the credit.
Here are some of the other advantages for the Wall Street folks to consider that Duggan is perfectly capable of providing:
#1. The cost of space in Detroit is much cheaper than in New York, and not just in office rentals. The ancillary businesses that are connected to Wall Street (banks and the like) will also benefit from cheaper rent. Partnering with existing banks is always an option which will benefit both parties. Imagine CNBC working with WDIV staff downtown. Fox Business getting WJBK (which I believe is owned by Fox) to open a downtown office. ABC’s business folks working side by side the WXYZ’s staff in their downtown space. Hell, even the CBC might want to try and upgrade their facilities in Windsor to cover Detroit. And when Mark Carney wants to visit his money, their new Prime Minister can hop over to Detroit from Windsor.
#2. Housing is way cheaper, even in our toniest suburbs. The folks coming in will find that they can get almost twice the house (or more) for less than half the money. Enough extra money so they can own a nice second home or summer cottage/estate on a lake. If they are ostentatious, one of the Great Lakes. If they wish to look humble, one of our inland lakes. Houghton Lake could become Wall Street’s movers and shakers second home. The nearest hospital is a U of M affiliate, MyMichigan Health West Branch (formerly Tolfree Hospital), so they have access to the U of M Hospital and doctors system. Higgins Lake is nice, and Torch Lake is said to even better. Plus, there are many, many others that would be more than financially comfortable for them. With Engler’s Proposal A on the books, their property taxes would be substantially lower than what they are paying now in New York, probably lower for two Michigan homes than just one in New York. And this is true not just for the high rollers and fabulously wealthy, but for the folks who are paid less as well, though they may not get a second house a lake.
This might drive up the cost of housing overall, but it would provide an incentive for communities to build more houses and provide more tax revenue for the communities they move into and the school districts that serve those communities. This means more work for construction-related trades and would provide an incentive for school districts to resurrect industrial arts classes and put some of our unemployed to work. Who knows, to stick it to the Big Apple, Trump might just grant an immigration waiver to get immigrants with construction background to come here and force Archbishop Weisenberger of Detroit to say something nice about him. Once. Maybe.
#3. Taxes are lower here. As David Waymire has pointed out in previous TBR comments, the Tax Foundation ranks Michigan’s state and local taxes as fifth lowest in the nation. Income, sales and property taxes are all lower. Even throwing in Detroit’s non-resident or the resident City Income Tax, their overall tax burden will be markedly lower.
#4. Well rated public schools and private schools (Northville and Birmingham) will see increases in enrollment, though I suggest they do not read the recent Bridge Magazine stories on our schools. For the public school, this means more state money. And what school board turns that down? An added benefit is that the legislature would have a significant incentive to get the school budgets done by July 1st.
#5. Metro is a nicer airport than either Kennedy or LaGuardia. And if they move into northern Oakland County to live, they will find that Bishop is more than adequate as an airport for their needs. As they and their customers will have to trave sometimesl, having a nice airport – or two – is always a good thing.
#6. If additional space is needed either for the Wall Street folks or the ancillary businesses, banks and services that accompany them, the State could make Cadillac Place (the old GM Building) available. When I retired in 2019, Marge Bustillo and her staff did an excellent job keeping the building up, so it should be in reasonably good shape, especially since it has a 40% current vacancy rate per a recent Detroit Free Press front page story today. As Gov. Whitmer is getting increasingly creative in trying to avoid saying how many state workers now work from home as opposed to coming into the office, getting folks to take over the Cadillac Place fixes a problem or three. It has amenities the Wall Street folks would like. It’s close to the Ren Cen; freeways; Henry Ford Hospital Main Campus and the new cancer center they’re building; it’s near the stadia for the Tigers, Lions, Wings and Pistons; the Fisher and New Center Buildings, Fisher Theater and the Hilberry Theater at Wayne State; restaurants (though they could use more and some upgrades); Belle Isle; Milliken State Park; the various Metro Parks; Maybury State Park (40 minute drive); and a nearby US Post office on Milwaukee Street. As for Cadillac Place and the Ren Cen, they are literally a few minutes away from a foreign country – Canada – which will benefit as well. Gilbert owns two of the parking structures (Cass and Lothrop) near it, so they can handle parking. The “Q” line can take them downtown (though it will have to run more frequently than it does not). It’s close to Wayne State (imagine the fun their business school could have with increased enrollment) and it might just get the Board of Governors to behave themselves – or get removed by Gov. Whitmer. The Ross Business School at U of M (I believe it is now called Michigan Ross) can get in on the fun as well. Imagine them putting a school or school annex Downtown. Who knows, maybe the University of Toronto will see fit to put a business school annex in Windsor so Prime Minister Carney has an excuse to visit his money. All of this would attract more retail outlets as Wall Street pays its folks a lot more than the State does. And if Gov. Whitmer needs office space in Detroit for state workers, the old Executive Plaza Building (another former state office building that I worked in) is still there and vacant. Or it could be an annex of sorts for the New Wall Street. And it has facilities for the State Police. Not as nice as Cadillac Place, but close to John King’s Used Books and Most Holy Trinity Church. As for Most Holy Trinity, can you imagine the Wall Street types joining the politicians at the sharing of the green Mass on St. Patrick’s Day? Boy the fun the late Soapy Williams (may he rest in peace) would have as an usher and the collection basket if he had the business section. Monsignor Kern (of blessed memory) would be ecstatic.
#7. Let’s face it. Michiganders are nicer people than New Yorkers and I suspect our weather is better than theirs. They’ll love it here. They may even start referring to the U of M as the University of Michigan, and not SUNY Ann Arbor.
#8. And Duggan has other things going for him. On April 7, 2025, Jordyn Hermani reported in Bridge that he and Speaker Hall were working on an idea to divert some sales tax monies to fight crime. This could exacerbate the split in the GOP between the populist (or Trumpian) wing of the GOP and the traditional-business (or Bush-Romney wing) of the GOP by showing his desire to make the New Wall Street relatively safe or crime-free. As Ms Hermani notes in her story: “REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER ON THIS,” DETROIT MAYOR MIKE DUGGAN SAID MONDAY IN A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH STATE HOUSE SPEAKER MATT HALL. “SO, IT’S TIME FOR SENATE DEMOCRATS TO GET ON BOARD AND LISTEN TO THEIR LOCAL POLICE AND SUPPORT FUNDING FOR OUR POLICE.”
THE PLAN WOULD DEVOTE 1.5% OF ANNUAL STATE SALES TAX REVENUES TO THE NEW PUBLIC SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUND – LIKELY MORE THAN $150 MILLION A YEAR – STARTING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2026. THAT MONEY WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO COMMUNITIES BASED ON THEIR LOCAL CRIME RATES.
IF CITIES FAIL TO DECREASE THEIR CRIME LEVELS, THE DOLLARS COULD BE REDUCED AND GIVEN TO OTHER COMMUNITIES UNDER A BIPARTISAN PACKAGE SPONSORED BY REP. ALABAS FARHAT, D-DEARBORN, AND REP. MIKE HARRIS, R-WATERFORD TOWNSHIP.
Mike Duggan, crime-fighter and bipartisan dealmaker. All good names for a candidate for governor.
And this will help him against the Democrats in the general election. Of those he could face, Sheriff Swanson seems more inclined to wind up a Lt. Governor candidate. The current Lt. Gov, Garlan Gilchrist, II, has done exactly what in eight years? Yeah, that’s what I thought. As for SOS Benson, the redistricting fiasco does rest a bit on her shoulders. Who recommended or hired the experts who helped the citizens draw lines that violated Federal law and needed Federal judicial correction, something our hyper-partisan legislators managed to avoid? That was on her watch. Her forays into the world of computers and websites have been as successful as the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. Back on May 25th, the issue of TBR notes: “MICHIGAN SECRETARY OF STATE JOCELYN BENSON HAS HIT A ROUGH PATCH IN HER NASCENT CAMPAIGN TO BE THE STATE’S NEXT GOVERNOR. HER BUNGLING OF THE OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE/TRANSPARENCY WEBSITE FORCED THE PASSAGE OF EMERGENCY LEGISLATION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR OFFICIALS TO REPORT, AND SHE’S BEEN ROUNDLY CRITICIZED, EVEN BY MEMBERS OF HER OWN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, FOR MISHANDLING IT. THEN ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA NESSEL TOOK A SWIPE AT BENSON FOR USING A STATE OFFICE BUILDING TO MAKE HER ANNOUNCEMENT FOR GOVERNOR, ALTHOUGH NESSEL DECLINED TO PROSECUTE. Advanced thinking by Studebaker anyone?
This particular observation on her performance in office is a bit personal. SOS Benson’s most recent foray (though some of the blame belongs to DTMB or whatever their new acronym may be) deals with redistricting. The state senate seats in the Detroit area have been redistricted due to the Agee v. Benson court case. I was moved from the 13th district (Rosemary Bayer) to the 5th district (Dayna Polehanki, my pre-redistricting state senator). I know this because my City Clerk has sent me a new voter’s registration card informing me of this. However, I wasn’t moved according to the State. When I checked the various state websites, I am still in the 13th. Whether it is the SOS website, the state senate website, they still have me in the 13th district under the Linden Plan. I was finally able to find my new district when I typed in Agee v. Benson into Google and got the district from The American Redistricting Project (and I do not know who they are). MI_122-cv-272_184.pdf. I am a techno-idiot. But even I know that this is really a modified cut and paste issue. You cut out the old district and paste in the new one. If The American Redistricting Project can do it, so can the state. If I know this, why not the Secretary of State? And if Benson can’t handle this, what makes anyone think she could be governor?
For Duggan, on the other hand, a willingness to cross the aisle to work for the greater good is a nice way to campaign. Imagine the slogan, “OTHERS TALK ABOUT DOING THINGS, MIKE DUGGAN ACTUALLY DOES THINGS”. Has a nice ring to it.
Now there are some downsides to this for Mike.
First of all, the entire Democratic Party in Michigan will be giving him the RFK, Jr. and Dean Phillips treatment even if he brings Wall Street to Detroit. Every nasty thing that Charlie LeDuff has ever said about him in his No BS Newshour shows on Duggan or in his books will be aired. If his divorce was acrimonious, those records will certainly be more than fully aired. They will play the type of hardball on him that he played on others whether it was as prosecutor, Ed McNamara’s guy, a hospital exec or mayor. It will show if he can receive as well as doling it out. We may hear a lot of the late Warren Zevon’s Boom Boom Mancini during the campaign. (The lyric I am referencing is this: (SOME HAVE THE SPEED AND THE RIGHT COMBINATIONS, IF YOU CAN’T TAKE THE PUNCHES, IT DON’T MEAN A THING).
Some things will need to be done in Detroit that many “activists” will not like, but this is more of problem for his successor. Whoever is elected as the next mayor of Detroit, crime prevention will be jobs 1, 2 and 3. Period. This means a larger police budget and more cops. A police precinct at the new Wall Street at the Ren Cen and sub-precincts at other sites that they will be using will be a must. These will have to be fully staffed. If the City cannot handle it, Wayne County Sheriff’s deputies or State Troopers will have to be there. This will be an “all hands on deck” situation. That may offend folks who are excessively suspicious about non-Detroiters interfering with Detroit, but it will have to be done, and they will have to get over it. The part of Detroit that will be the New Wall Street (we will have to think of a new name for them after they leave Manhattan and I am open to suggestions) will have to be one of the safest – if not the safest – places in the country.
They will need fire stations with EMS staffing. The EMS staff may need to be on site with ambulances that are fully staffed and equipped. An infusion of State money will be needed, but much less than the State was willing to give SanDisk. It is doable and should have bipartisan approval. This is where problems may arise for Speaker Hall. This will have to get him out of his comfort zone and realize many of his political positions are just that, political positions and not religious dogma from on High. Can one imagine Speaker Hall – who is a more corporate/establishment/business Republican than he is a populist – saying no to Wall Street in Detroit? Or putting it all at risk trying to extort something from the governor? Is he really that stupid? The money that will ultimately pour into the State coffers from the new Wall Street will be huge and after a wee bit, then he can begin to wonder which taxes to cut. But he will have to spend some money first and that means a tax hike of some sort. If he says no, what will happen to the GOP in the next election cycle if they are the party that said no to Wall Street and all those jobs and money that we could get? Something not very nice I suspect. And they will have earned it.
As for the rest of Detroit, the improved public safety and services directed towards the new Wall Street will spread to the rest of Detroit as money comes in to fund it. Eventually. It will just be a matter of time. And sound governance by city government. This will require close state oversight. Michigan must make sure there is not another Kwame Kilpatrick allowed to run amuck.
There will be problems for the governor as well. To bring Wall Street here means actively helping Duggan – running as an independent and not a Democrat – to replace her. This is something that SOS Benson, Lt. Gov. Gilchrist and other elements in the Democratic Party will not like. At all. The resultant political consequences for her may mean that she needs to find a new industry besides politics to work in, but the history books might, just might, write glowing things about her two terms, especially since she has not done much about stemming our population loss, improve education or grow our economy. She just won’t get Christmas cards from Benson or Gilchrist.
And who knows, with the new Wall Street in Detroit, the SanDisk honchos in California might want to reconsider their decision not to build near Flint. And they might not get all the money that Whitmer was going to give them in the first place. Vengeance for Whitmer (and possibly a new book) and satisfaction for us. Not a bad deal.
One can dream, or hallucinate, depending on your point of view.
Tim/
I applaud Mayor Duggan for his candidacy – and more activists in the Democratic Party need to join his campaign.
Progressive elements in the Michigan Democratic Party have largely been abandoned by current leadership. Dana Nessel has been a prime example of someone who has failed grassroots Democrats.
Mayor Duggan has a proven track record of commitment to black and Hispanic communities in Detroit – Ms, Jocelyn Benson does not.
I agree with Royal and Leanne-the referendum and petitions will all go down with a majority of no votes
If you take the overall view of the people of Michigan, one would think we will elect someone with a statewide perspective – who can bring people together and that is not Mike Duggan.
I was surprised and gratified with the 2,000,000+ that Nesbitt was able to raise in six months. Don’t tell anybody but kudos to a young brilliant man named Kyle Vickery
There must be personal and political growth on the part of Nesbitt, but he has the intelligence, the energy and the temperament to go all across the State and gather votes. If he wins the Primary he will be looking real good.
Tomorrow noon,July 28, Nesbitt will speak to the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce and we will look forward to him honing a substantive, business economic message. Surprisingly, there are already 100 reservations and I will be there at Crystal Gardens in Southgate.
Let us all know how the Aric Nesbitt speech went.
I met Finance Director Kyle Vickery and his family in Plymouth several weeks ago during the campaign swing for Aric Nesbitt. .
Sandisk was regurgitated from Western Digital in February. The newly independent Sandisk conducted a review of all their programs, commencing in March, and decided that they had to pay strict attention to costs. Electricity is the single highest cost in chip fabrication. The Sandisk review concluded the Mundy Township site was uneconomical.
The reason Sandisk pulled out is the cost of electrical energy in Michigan. Typical chip fabs consume 150 – 250 kWh of electricity per square centimeter (about one-hundredth of a square inch) of wafer produced. A modest sized chip fab facility in operation will require 200 MW of available electricity, and use far more power than the large AI computing centers which are already a drain on the power grid..
The Mundy Township megasite is in Consumers Energy’s service territory. Consumers has been jacking up electricity prices, using green RPS legislation and generation closures as hammers in MPSC rate increase applications. MPSC, a wholly owned subsidiary of DTE and Consumers, has given their masters carte blanche to screw Michigan electricity consumers. Michigan industrial consumers used to be able to wheel in cheap power from Ontario, but Consumers got that spiked by the Legislature – except for government entities – back in 2015.
High electricity prices are a major factor in Michigan’s recent industrial decline. Southwestern U.S. wholesale electricity prices are the lowest in the United States. Half of ours, which are reported by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) at the Indiana Hub. Peak wholesale electrical rates at the Indiana Hub have increased FIVEFOLD over the last five years, the time frame this deal was under development. This is a direct result of Consumers and other MISI utilities putting their customers on an energy diet to jack up prices. The U.S. DoE publishes ‘Wholesale Electricity and Natural Gas Market Data – 2025’. Compare “SP15 EZ Gen DA LMP”, the Southern California Hub, to the Indiana Hub. Cheap wholesale electricity is the only reason Southern California has any industry left.
Whitmer must have planned special legislation to allow Sandisk to wheel in power from Ontario, but Doug Ford’s 25% surcharge in response to Trump’s tariffs killed that – and the Mundy Township chip fab as well.
The $ 55/63 billion dollar investment number was aspirational, not real. The actual initial Sandisk investment would have been about $ 20 billion, and might have reached $ 55 billion cumulative over 25 years of operation. Chip fabs get their existing machinery replaced with new machinery every six years or so.
The subsidies offered by Governor Whitmer amounted to $ 6.24 billion, about one-third of the actual investment.
Two typos:
Second paragraph: ….square centimeter (about 15 one-hundredths of a square inch)
Fourth paragraph: …other MISO utilities…, not MISI (MISO is the Midwest Independent System Operator, responsible for coordinating electrical supply for most of Michigan’s industrial heartland.)
“MPSC, a wholly owned subsidiary of DTE and Consumers, has given their masters carte blanche to screw Michigan electricity consumers.”
MEGA Dittos!!!