This story might be interesting if you are from Michigan. It will take this state YEARS to improve after the mess I saw today. GM down 12% in December sales, Chrysler down 10%....the only bright spot was Ford, up 6% in December sales.
Now the Governor seat is almost going to be handed to the GOP.....more years of hell to come..
Lt. Gov. Cherry won't run for governor
Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau
Lansing -- Democratic Lt. Gov. John Cherry announced today he will not run for governor this year, putting an end to his campaign before it officially got started.
Cherry said in a prepared statement he couldn't raise enough money to be competitive.
"I believed that I had to secure enough money to make my candidacy fully viable. I was not successful in that endeavor to the degree that was needed," he said. "With that in mind, I have come to the conclusion that to wage a successful campaign will be difficult at best.
"I find this a disappointing circumstance for two reasons. First, a number of good friends stepped forward to offer their support, and they worked very hard to build a very impressive grassroots network. I hate to disappoint them with this news. Many of them also contributed hard-earned money to help support our efforts. That does not, however, diminish the effort that they and the campaign team made to build a successful candidacy."
Cherry, who had not formally entered the race, had been working the party base for more than a year and was seen as the presumptive nominee. His exit will throw the race for the Democratic nomination wide open. Early speculation focused on House Speaker Andy Dillon of Redford Township, who has said he'll decide whether he's in later this month.
Detroit News Story Link
This is the Michigan Democratic Party problems, in a nutshell......
Gov. Granholm got a raw deal but in the same aspect, she never made contact with the African-American vote in the state after she won the last election. Also, with losing on the Michigan Promise issue with the Republican Senate, it all but handed the GOP a victory in the 2010 upcoming state elections. Many, many, many people are downright PISSED about the Promise Scholarship being taken away. Thank God my daughter had the TIP Scholarship instead (which was funded from the big tobacco settlement about 6 years ago) and that money cannot be taken away or cut out of the budget....or I would be PISSED too.
In the same aspect, my son, who was not eligible for a TIP Scholarship and could have looked forward to a Promise Scholarship after completing his 60 college credits, but, this opportunity is all but done now. The $2400 over the last two years, would have help reduced his loan intake.
Now, the public schools are being cut to frankly non-existent images with the MAJOR cuts in K-12 State Funding. Teachers are being laid off left and right in the middle of the semester because the state senate and governor cannot manage to approve a budget for the next year, in July, like MOST OTHER STATES. Schools have to hope and pray they have a budget in line with the state funding, only to find out in October/November or as late as December that their state funding is being cut AGAIN.
I am a Left Lending Independent and at this point I would like the Governorship to fall in the hands of a Independent Candidate. No Republican or Democrat, IMHO. Both parties have taken this state to the brinks of hell with their continuing bad decisions in handling our state budget.