Monday, while working Michiganders struggled to make ends meet, Gov. Snyder was being wined and dined at a luxury steakhouse in Beijing. Meals on Snyder’s China junket have lasted three hours and included everything from eel to white chocolate flower petals that blossomed when marinated in hot chocolate.
In the background of this video, you can hear Gov. Snyder say “look at that” and “wow.” It must be nice living the lifestyle of the rich and elected. Unfortunately, most Michiganders don’t have the luxury of sitting down for a 12-course, three-hour meal. No, most Michiganders have much more plebeian concerns like how they’ll manage to put food on the table, or where they can find a second job to help pay for their kid’s college.
While the average per capita income in Michigan is $23,482, Gov. Snyder appointee Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr pulls down $275,000 while his assistants make a cool $225,000. Apparently, the lifestyles of the rich and elected transfer to political appointees and Kevyn Orr has taken full advantage, ordering crab cakes and calamari from his penthouse suite.
Meanwhile, Michigan retirees whose average pension totals $18,000 per year are told to expect a hair cut and anything more would be greedy. Maybe if retirees blossomed when marinated with hot chocolate Snyder would be more inclined to pay attention to their concerns, but until then working Michiganders will continue to pick up the tab.
I don’t think articles like this really do much to advance the argument that he’s detached, or living the high life. Every politician that is touring other areas on junkets to work new deals is wined and dined. What you need to point out is how long he’s gone and how little he comes home with. Granholm toured other countries and had something to show for it.