Ann Arbor's Rick Snyder sworn in as Michigan's 48th governor at inauguration ceremony
Rick Snyder gives his inaugural address today on the steps of the Capitol building in Lansing. Snyder was sworn in today as Michigan's 48th governor.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder was sworn in as Michigan's 48th governor today, signaling the start of what he says will be a new era of innovation and entrepreneurship.
The former president of Gateway Computers used his 15-minute inaugural address to lay out a vision for an improved Michigan, calling for setting aside political and geographic divisions.
"I wasn't hired to just be the governor of the state government. I was hired to be governor of the entire state of Michigan," he said. "We must all come together to achieve success. It is time to stop fighting among ourselves. It is time to solve problems and to create opportunities."
Speaking from the steps of the state Capitol building in Lansing, Snyder, a Republican, told a crowd of several hundred people to look to husband-and-wife Mike and Stacey Marsh as an example of the kind of entrepreneurial spirit Michigan needs to embrace.
Snyder told of how the couple started a business called Flatout Bread in the 1990s as an outgrowth of an Ann Arbor sandwich shop. The Saline-based business is now a multimillion-dollar venture, he said.
"They started as entrepreneurs. They opened two sandwich shops in the Ann Arbor area … and they were successful," he said. "But they had high expectations, they didn't stop there. When they looked at their sandwich business, they realized there was an opportunity to innovate — with bread. So they not only made sandwiches, they started baking bread."
Setting — and delivering on — high expectations was a theme that carried through Snyder's address. The "old unbelievable" needs to become the "new achievable," he said.
"I've been cautioned by many that expectations are already too high," he said. "We shouldn't walk away from high expectations. It is time to deliver on high expectations."
Inheriting a state with a 12.4 percent unemployment rate and a projected budget deficit of $1.8 billion for the coming fiscal year, Snyder acknowledged his job won't be easy. But he assured the audience he has a bold vision and a concise plan to reinvent Michigan.
He said it's not just about Lansing and state government.
"We must do more than just ask our government to do things a new way. We must also ask our people to be part of the solution," he said. "Lansing and state government will not be the solution to all our problems. Ten million people working together is the key."
Snyder highlighted four key objectives: make Michigan a globally competitive leader in innovation, create more and better jobs, craft a brighter future for young people, and work together without leaving anyone behind.
"We must create more and better opportunities and jobs for the underemployed and the structurally unemployed," he said. "The reinvention of Michigan must not leave anyone behind."
In a gesture toward bipartisanship, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, a Democrat, served as the master of ceremonies for today's event. Bing offered few remarks, but said he looks forward to working with Snyder toward his goal of reinventing Michigan.
Outgoing governor Jennifer Granholm and former governor John Engler both were in attendance, as were several state officials. Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell gave the invocation and said a closing prayer.
It was a festive event under sunny skies, kicked off with a band concert put on by the Michigan Army National Guard's 126th Army Band on the Capitol Lawn. Snyder was greeted with a standing ovation when he emerged from the Capitol building at noon — one of many rounds of applause he received during the two-hour event.
In addition to Snyder, several other state officials were sworn in during today's ceremony, including Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, Attorney General Bill Schuette, justices of the Michigan Supreme Court, judges of the Court of Appeals and new university and State Board of Education members.
"A new team has been hired. Now it is time to deliver. Now it is time to build a new Michigan," Schuette said in his speech, calling for less government, less taxes, less spending, more paychecks and more freedom.
"We have the leadership to do what needs to be done, to cut costs, to hold government accountable to the people it serves," Johnson added.
Calley noted the inauguration came on the first day of a new decade.
"And with it comes renewed opportunity to change the course of our state," he said. "In the past, it's been too easy to place our faith in government. That was a mistake. We have the people, the innovators, the entrepreneurs to bring about a new era in Michigan — not through government direction, but through the creation of an environment conducive to job growth."
Snyder's speech was short on details of what he plans to do in office and to address the $1.8 billion budget deficit for the coming fiscal year. It's likely he'll get more specific in his upcoming state of the state address. He plans to introduce a two-year budget by March.
Snyder readily admitted there are no magic solutions to the state's problems, and the road ahead won't be easy. He said Michigan has suffered from decades of decline, and it will require shared sacrifice to move the state forward and "many of us will have to take a step back in the short term to move us all forward together in the long term."
He noted Michigan has become a poorer state in relationship to the rest of the country. In 2000, Michigan ranked 18th in per capita income in the nation. It now ranks 37th.
Snyder also shared a piece of family history. He said his maternal grandfather, Charles Howell, once took a position working in the state Capitol during World War II.
"He was the custodian. He ran the elevators. He was in charge of putting the flags up and down," he said. "So it is with pride that our family has another member going to work in this institution."
Plymouth attorney Mark Koroi, a Republican, was one of many residents from throughout the state who made the drive in for today's event.
"I was surprised seeing all the Democrats out there," he said, noting several who were in the audience. "And I was impressed with the governor's speech about inclusion. I was impressed that he had a Democratic mayor up there, Mayor Bing, as his master of ceremonies."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Roadman
Tue, Jan 4, 2011 : 5:56 p.m.
I find it interesting that Chase Ingersoll and Rick Snyder by virtue of becoming candidate nominees of the Republican Party in the 2010 electoral primary, now are both ex-officio members of the Washtenaw County Republican Party executive committee. I do not know if Mr. Snyder will have the time or inclination to attend any monthly executive committee meetings.....
bruno_uno
Mon, Jan 3, 2011 : 9:43 p.m.
AAFish, like the word modicm, I might use it in the future!!! go Rick, let the fight begin, the strongest union in the nation will make or break you buddy, hope for the former but we know the history of teachers in michigan
DonBee
Mon, Jan 3, 2011 : 8:34 p.m.
@Speechless - Ever shop at Wal-Mart, Sam's Club or another part of the Wal-Mart empire? If you have you have helped export jobs. Congratulations! Wal-Mart actually has a group that helps people move manufacturing to lower cost areas so that Wal-Mart can offer lower prices. They are only the most aggressive company in this regard. Almost every retail store wants to offer what customers want - lower prices. By shopping for the lowest price, we the consumers drove manufacturing jobs off shore. Consumer "Happiness" => Lower Prices => Lower Costs => Lower Wages => where we are today. Repeat until no one can afford anything!
AAFish
Mon, Jan 3, 2011 : 7:55 p.m.
@Alpha -- Yes, the ATC strike in 1981 was illegal. No one disputes that. But -- so was the Solidarity strike in Poland later that same year. But did Reagan say that THEY should all be fired? No, he said something like, "We should all light candles in their honor," or something insipid like that. (This occurred during the Christmas season.) So -- an illegal strike in the U.S. was bad, but an illegal strike in Poland was -- somehow -- good? Not that I ever expected much logic to come from Reagan. He was the beginning of the end of Republicans as even remotely quasi-rational people. And -- he didn't care how much the ATC system was disrupted (and it was -- a LOT) by the controller firing. I was an airline pilot at the time, and well remember the chaos. No, better to make an ideological point (even a really stupid one) than to actually try to FIX a problem. (And the PATCO controllers had plenty of legitimate grievances, that the Reagan Administration chose to just blow off. Hiding behind the "illegal" shield was indeed a major cop-out.) @Bruno -- Yep, clearly the biggest threat to the future of Michigan are those bad, ba-a-a-ad, teachers. Imagine -- having the audacity to fight for at least a modicum of dignity and a comfortable living. For a doing a job that is, despite the silly blathering of their detractors, not at all easy. Who do they think they are, anyway??
bruno_uno
Mon, Jan 3, 2011 : 2:40 p.m.
Ricks tenure as governor will be based on his fight against the strongest union in the nation, the teachers in michigan, good luck in your fight Rick!!!
jns131
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 1:22 p.m.
What really upset me was the fact that channel 7, 4 and 2, the local stations did not carry this address. PBS stations did. Tells me the local stations cow tow to the parents. Sad. I watched the whole thing with my family and I still like his one statement, this is not going to be an elevator ride. Reminds me of the ride at Disney. Tower of Terror. Good luck to our new governor. I think he will do better than that witch who sat on her throne remodeling the mansion.
kramera
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 12:02 p.m.
It would be nice if we could let Mr. Snyder start with a clean slate. Why bother arguing over who kicked the dog 5 yeas ago. Was it Englers fault or Grandholms, corporate Michigan, the unions or all the civil servants? At this point it just doesn't matter we are where we are at. The starting point for Mr. Snyder is now.
LBH
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 12:01 p.m.
Have to agree with Edgar R Murrow's Ghost. The Republicans in Lansing spent the entire Granholm administration purposefully keeping things from getting done, griping about her ideas, and offering no alternatives short of cutting taxes and killing regulation. Their "Let's make Michigan cheap and easy" approach may attract business, but for how long and at what actual cost? At some point people need to realize that A) trickle down does not work, never did (much as folks in the higher income brackets love to tout its merits) B)Reducing taxes is all well and good, but you need to then reduce services. Republicans need to tell the whole story for a change because the people they somehow managed to convince to vote for them are, in large part, the people who can least afford their agenda. I hope Snyder can walk the tightrope between the out of touch zealots from both sides of the aisle and the fiscally responsible thoughtful public servants.
AlphaAlpha
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 8:33 a.m.
"...the Reagan White House busted up the air traffic controllers..." Irrespective of whether the law was just or not, the ATC strike was illegal; any President would likely have asserted their authority in a similar fashion.
Speechless
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 12:45 a.m.
"... I hope he receives more constructive help from Democrats in the legislature than Governor Granholm received from Republicans in the legislature...." Since Republicans consistently controlled at least a portion of the state legislature during all of Granholm's years, and since Democrats have now been reduced to a clear minority in both chambers, the comparison is much less apt. As constructive cooperation, the best that state Dems may do is solidly back up Gov. Snyder with their votes if or when he shows backbone by choosing to veto a lunatic bill approved by legislators from his own party. Perhaps the more savvy players in Snyder's administration can somehow forge an informal majority coalition in the legislature by combining the Democratic minorities with some number of centrist-leaning Republicans. I'm rather doubtful, though, since GOP backbenchers historically show less independence from party leadership than their Democratic counterparts.
Speechless
Sun, Jan 2, 2011 : 12:21 a.m.
"... If we all keep talking about classes of people, we will all end up with a caste society that is more deeply rooted than India...." So no one should ever raise their voice to point out the giant elephant in the room? (Pun intended.) Since the Reagan White House busted up the air traffic controllers a generation ago, an ongoing class war has been in full session. It's quite unrelenting, and is championed by a powerful corporate aristocracy. It's aided by their press mandarins, along with a fan base of ill-informed members of the middle classes, who function as useful idiots. The residents of Michigan long ago became poster children representing the national victims of class warfare. In 1973, at the height of the U.S. middle class, this state had what was easily one of the highest living standards in the country. So our local corporations moved as much work as they could to near-slave labor conditions elsewhere in world. It's like a reform movement going in reverse, and Wall Street has cheered this loudly for decades now. The federal government could have arrested offshoring through high tariffs and enormous financial penalties for overseas relocation, but failed to act. The skepticism over Snyder's rhetoric of "working together" has much to do with the standard unwillingness of corporate interests and the wealthy to part with even a dime in the interests of benefiting the larger society. They usually don't share or concede a single thing without a big fight. Someone — often a social movement — must apply pressure, forcing them to behave. Snyder has enough wealth to purchase for himself the pole position in a statewide election, yet it remains unclear if he'll stand up to reactionary political forces far wealthier and more connected than even himself. Last, except for Rachel Maddow and (occasionally) Keith Olbermann, MSNBC is pretty milquetoast and centrist. Further, to 'balance' Maddow, the larger network has twits like Mad Money's Jim Cramer, a Wall Street cheerleader whom Jon Stewart picked apart.
David Briegel
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 11:33 p.m.
DonBee, Your ideals are noble, They just don't address the issues that were raised. Does "and justice for all" have any meaning in our nation? It seems that every time issues of inequity are raised, the issue of class warfare is raised as though that is not exactly what has occurred in our nation. Several others have raised the point that America already has a caste system. The Conservative Chase raises an excellent point. The only problem seems to be that Mich can't ship our Govt jobs to China!\ AAFish, You are so correct. Our corporations have not exactly raised the level of our society. And my daughter lives in Az which has a crumbling economy! A typical Republican State. Calley was absolutely correct when he said that we were wrong to put our faith in govt. Especially this govt!
AlphaAlpha
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 10:41 p.m.
Good point DonBee. The illustration was made merely to acknowledge there is remarkably little difference between the two major US political parties today. Many would passionately assert otherwise, ignoring actual events. Let us work together whenever possible. Nothing in nature states we must maintain a high standard of living. It's something we all must strive toward.
DonBee
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 10:24 p.m.
If we all keep talking about classes of people, we will all end up with a caste society that is more deeply rooted than India. We need to figure out how to work together, if we don't we might was well move to someplace else. Governor Snyder crossed a lot of bridges today by having the Mayor of Detroit a Democrat play a large roll in the ceremonies. We can either climb out of our FOXholes and MSNBCHoles to work together or we can keep shooting at each other until nothing is left.
David Briegel
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 10:06 p.m.
Alpha, the Centrist Clinton did so with huge campaign contribution "incentives"! What a noble patriot! He got a second term. And BOTH parties allow the "cheap labor" the illegals provide to the ruling class. To suppress wages. If minorities were breaking our laws by hiring illegals, our prisons would overflow. Just can't jail White people. After all, they're Christians! Imagine if all the illegals could unionize!!!
Chase Ingersoll
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 9:53 p.m.
Okay, what if he runs the State of Michigan like a corporation.....like Borders, GM, Chrysler...etc.
AlphaAlpha
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 9:41 p.m.
Oddly, a democrat president advocated for, and signed, NAFTA and WTO trade laws which allowed greatly expanded outsourcing and offshoring. Imagine that.
AAFish
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 8:33 p.m.
Afraid I can't be too optimistic here -- Why do people continue to insist that it would be a good idea for government to be "run like a corporation?" Corporations are run from top-down. The top dictates, the peons meekly comply. They are -- NOT -- democratic institutions. Rather anti-democratic, in fact. Ideally, democracies are run from bottom-up. (I realize, quite painfully, that this ideal model often isn't realized in fact. But we can keep hoping, and working on it...) I worked for a large corporation before I retired. Fortunately, I had a rather strong union representing me. And as a result, I have a rather comfortable retirement, financially. [And -- to all you all-too-numerous union-bashers, No, I did NOT work for an automotive manufacturer, whose unions it is fashionable to vilify these days, and whose unions' only crime was to obtain good pay and benefits for its members. (Horrors!) I worked for an airline.] Anyway -- it's hard to conceive of any Republican, even a smiling, feel-good, type of guy such as Snyder, to be interested in doing anything that would truly benefit any but the ultra well-to-do. David Briegel, you have it nailed down very well, (As you invariably do.) But -- did you HAVE to mention that silly old bat, Jan Brewer? I have several relatives who live in Arizona, and they're all aghast at what has transpired under her watch. (I was just about to eat my dinner.)
David Briegel
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 7:22 p.m.
Whatever you do, don't harm the "prison industrial complex" that protects the privileges of the powerful who you clearly represent! Don't become Michigans Jan Brewer!
glacialerratic
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 5:14 p.m.
Hired? Hired?? Snyder was elected to be executive of "the executive and administrative offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive branch of state government." The Michigan constitution's not a particularly inspiring document, but it does define the authority of the executive branch rather clearly. Snyder's persistent use of "hired" is both fatuous and irritating. This is a state government, not a corporation.
Bear
Sat, Jan 1, 2011 : 4:35 p.m.
I didn't vote for Rick Snyder, but as an independent voter, I feel obliged to give him a chance and see what comes of it. Hopefully something good. And as far a Schuette goes, keep your friends in ALEC at bay, especially the Corrections Corporation of America. I'd rather not see the type of dirty deal being done in Michigan that was done in Arizona. When you write a law that has nothing to do with protecting borders and everything to do with providing new 'clients' to a private prison corporation, I begin to question your ethic and morality. But as far as the state goes, Snyder, you've got a free rein, let's see how you handle the horses.