During her embarrassing visit to the Mackinac Policy Conference, Terri Lynn Land sat down with MLive for an interview and was asked the question:
“Can you describe some concrete policy ideas to address Michigan’s chronic poverty problems?”
Land’s answer was about as empty and void of “concrete policy ideas” as they come:
It’s about good paying jobs. I mean that’s really the key here. If we have good paying jobs, um, and give folks the skills — we just talked about it — um, to do those jobs and have the opportunity to go to college if that’s what works for them, that’s gonna rise them out of poverty. Um. We understand, you know, that, at some point in your life you may need some support and we wanna be there for folks who need that. But the idea is it isn’t long term, it’s more that you can work with them, help them get those good paying jobs and work with businesses so they can have them. So you don’t have overregulation, high taxes and you can grow the economy and grow jobs.
Let’s break down her answer and see if we can find a nugget of a good idea or a tidbit of something other than conservative talking points.
It’s about good paying jobs. I mean that’s really the key here. If we have good paying jobs, um, and give folks the skills … to do those jobs and have the opportunity to go to college if that’s what works for them, that’s gonna rise them out of poverty.
Jobs. Skills. College. Great buzz words, Terri. Way to completely ignore the “concrete policy” part of the question. How do we get those things? You’re against raising the minimum wage, that much we know.
We understand, you know, that, at some point in your life you may need some support and we wanna be there for folks who need that. But the idea is it isn’t long term, it’s more that you can work with them, help them get those good paying jobs and work with businesses so they can have them.
Again, we have no “concrete policy ideas” to work with here, just more empty rhetoric. And what does she mean by “support?” Free or reduced school lunches? Social security? Lumbar-support chairs? Or just free Internet? We want specifics, Terri.
So you don’t have overregulation, high taxes and you can grow the economy and grow jobs.
And we’ve come full circle! It only took 114 words (including the “ums”) to get right back to where Land is comfortable: Saying nothing specific. What better way to help poor people than deregulating and cutting corporate taxes, right? Wrong.
The only thing that’s concrete about Terri’s answer is that she has no solutions or ideas about how to help struggling Michiganders.
She doesn’t make a move without first checking her script with Devos, Koch, or the Mackinac Center loons. That is more than obvious especially after her fiasco meeting with the press. She is a Romney/Snyder clone and that is extremely bad for Michigan. Vote Blue 2014 and elect Gary Peters and Mark Schauer. They will stand for ALL of Michigan not just the 1%.