George Weeks: Bruising setback for Snyder

George Weeks

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Weeks

October 23, 2011

By George Weeks, Syndicated columnist ---- The Record Eagle Mon Feb 20, 2012, 02:24 PM EST

It used to be that when Republicans controlled a legislative chamber in Lansing, the most influential special interests were statewide business interests.

A classic was Michigan's 1959 cash crisis and state government's payless payday, when the business-friendly Senate and Democratic Gov. G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams failed to reach agreement on a funding plan.

The Michigan Manufacturers Association wired GOP senators: "You have Soapy over a barrel. ... Keep him there until he screams 'Uncle.'"

Over the decades, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce has effectively exercised enormous clout. But not last week.

The state Chamber, the Detroit Regional Chamber and the auto industry -- with assorted allies, including, in this instance, major labor unions -- lost a big battle to a single business entity: the owners of the Ambassador Bridge.

They poured money into lobbying, political donations and TV ads in a successful effort to zap, at least temporarily, Senate passage of a public Detroit-Windsor bridge called the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) downriver from the existing bridge.

"It was amazing to watch," said Rich Robinson, executive director of the watchdog Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN), of the money spent by the Ambassador Bridge Co.

"... A monster has been created here" Robinson said.

I called Robinson for specifics after reading repeated downstate press accounts of unspecified "millions" spent by the Ambassador Bridge folks for anti-NITC television ads that have aired heavily in northern and other stations.

Robinson's beef is not so much the $500,00 in contributions reported so far to lawmakers, or the $4.7 million in TV spending on the issue as of a few weeks ago that he has ferreted out so far by calling around to TV stations (he expects the total will exceed $6 million).

What most grieves Robinson -- as it has over the years -- is how long it takes under existing law for citizens to learn who spends what on political campaigns to influence them.

As I noted recently, MCFN said that 2010 state political campaigns "set a record as the least accountable campaigns ever for the major statewide offices."

Last week, two attempted votes in a Senate committee dominated by Republicans failed to produce enough support to send to the floor the NITC bill touted by Gov. Rick Snyder and supported by Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, R-Monroe.

Richardville carried the ball in the Senate for the new bridge, but was unable to move it out of the Senate Economic Development Committee, let alone the full Senate, where GOP lawmakers hold a 26-12 majority.

After the defeat, Richardville told the Detroit News that if there is to be another bill, "It would have to start all over again in terms of a different model."

Snyder will be working with Canadian officials and others in crafting the model.

The News reported Saturday that Snyder is expected to meet with Canadian Transport Minister Denis Lebel in Ottawa in two weeks to work on "other options."

Canada has offered to front $550,000 for the bridge, and is opposed to the Ambassador Bridge's proposal to build a second one next to the current one because the approach would go through a congested area that would require numerous stoplights.

Canadian officials, and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley in a recent trip Up North, have emphasized that a second bridge would help facilitate exports of northern Michigan products. They cited the amount of Canadian investments on both sides of the bridge.

Calley, in a phone chat during his northern travels, criticized -- justifiably in my view -- "exaggerations" in the TV ads.

In Washington, there has been much controversy about federal funds going for "a bridge to nowhere" in Alaska.

In Lansing, a hot issue is a bridge to where in Canada?

Congressional watch

Fourth District U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland, is a top leader on Capitol Hill -- serving as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and one of 12 lawmakers on the Joint Select Committee on Debt Reduction -- the so-called Super Committee.

An Oct. 15 National Journal article called him one "the traditional lions of budget policy" in Congress.

Congressional clout translates into campaign kitty clout.

In Michigan, he's also the top campaign fundraiser among the 15 members of the U.S. House, and according to the Federal Election Commission, has $2,892,270 in "funds available." That's $1 million more than any other member of the state's U.S. House delegation, even though he has no serious re-election threat. Camp also was the top fundraiser -- at $704847 -- for the third quarter that ended Sept. 30.

In a potentially competitive northern Michigan race, 1st District Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls, reports $171,587 available and $162,363 raised in the third qurter.

A Democratic challenger, ex-Rep. Gary McDowell, of Rudyard, reported $154,213 available and $156,674 raised in the third quarter.

Another recently announced Democratic contender is Derek Bailey, chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, headquarted in Leelanau County.

The other northern congressman, Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, of the solidly Republican 2nd District, reported $208,633 available and $211,881 raised in the third quarter.