Straight Talk About Michigan

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastside Republican Club"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B> </B></FONT><B>  | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Eastside Republican Club</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Straight Talk About Michigan</B></div> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Congressional District News</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="east_lansing.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan GOP Convention 2010"><U><I><B>2010 Republican Convention</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_testimonials.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Theyre Saying About Us"><U><I><B>Read what they've said about us</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="top_of_page"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I><U><IMG SRC="1ae5d67e0.jpg" border=0 width="214" height="382" ALT="Nolan Finley of the Detroit News" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="6"></U></I></FONT></div> <div> <I><U>Finley to the ERC Forum</U></I></div> <div> <B>Expect an Honest Budget</B></div> <div> <B>From Governor Rick Snyder</B></div> <div> Speaking February 15 to the Eastside Republican Club Forum, Nolan Finley presented a stark comparison between the federal budget just offered by President Obama, and the plan due later in the week from Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.</div> <div> “Obama's proposed budget was an out and out fraud,” charged the <A HREF="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=OPINION0305" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/sec"><U>editorial page editor and columnist for </U></A><A HREF="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=OPINION0305" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/sec"><U><I>The Detroit News</I></U></A></div> <div> He challenged, “After Thursday, compare that to Rick Snyder's budget--that's what a leader does, he is willing to take the heat.”</div> <div> Finley, speaking with the authority of one who has interviewed Snyder and administration leaders on the subject, promised his Forum audience that Snyder's first budget would address “every chronic problem.”</div> <div> Showing disdain for recent Michigan budget proposals, he added, “It will be the first time in a long time that we will see a budget you can sign your name to without fear of going to jail.”</div> <div> Of the state's current fiscal status, he said, “It is grave. We owe a lot of money. We have to face it.”</div> <div> Finley explained to his Grosse Pointe War Memorial audience, “We are suffering the consequence of bad decision-making over the past eight years.”</div> <div> <I><B>Snyder's Proposed Budget</B></I></div> <div> He speculated that the Michigan document would offer incentives encouraging municipalities and school districts to institute fundamental changes.</div> <div> Finley said, “Our leaders must set priorities, and govern on behalf of all the people, not special interests.”</div> <div> “If Snyder does his job right, by Friday everybody will be moaning!” he said.</div> <div> He predicted the legislature would be pressured to moderate and “go along” with business as usual. Then added that he even expects some in the press to vilify representatives who come out in support of the budget.<IMG SRC="1ae95e000.jpg" border=0 width="350" height="256" ALT="Nolan Finley at the February 15, 2011, Forum with ERC members Krista Haroutunian, Kate Barr, and Marie Hackleman" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="6"></div> <div> Finley said, “Republican representatives need to know that voters expect them to lead on this.”</div> <div> Besides, he observed, Rick Snyder and Michigan are competing with other states in the upper Midwest to make the innovative changes that will attract new jobs.</div> <div> In the final analysis, he said, the Snyder budget “will lead to a more prosperous future.”</div> <div> <I><B>National Spending</B></I></div> <div> Looking at the national picture, Finley said, “People went to the polls angry about runaway spending.”</div> <div> He noted, “We were headed to a very bad place as a country. You can credit the TEA party Americans across the board who rose up and said, `That's not who we are as a country.'”</div> <div> In Finley's estimation, we have a nation that is “dead broke” and borders on being dishonest about that reality.</div> <div> Calculating the GOP's proposed $100 billion federal budget cut amounts to a three percent reduction, he contended, “That is too timid!”</div> <div> Referring to the proposed three percent federal cut, he said, “It doesn't satisfy me! I had enough government with spending at 2008 levels, and people are willing to sacrifice to put this country on the right path.”<IMG SRC="1ae7d6510.jpg" border=0 width="214" height="337" ALT="ERC chairman Jenny Nolan welcomes editor Nolan Finley of the Detroit News to the ERC Forum" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="6"></div> <div> As a news professional, he noted that too many reporters are merely parroting news releases they are handed by the government without asking the hard questions.</div> <div> He cautioned, “Be worried, because while government is getting larger there are fewer reporters serving as watchdogs for the taxpayer.”</div> <div> Finley closed by fielding audience questions.</div> <div> In response to one questioner asking about recent reports of extensive fraud, Finley simply reasoned, “The government is inefficient at any level, so why make it bigger?”</div> <div> <I><B>Watch Noland Finley on Television</B></I></div> <div> In addition to writing for the newspaper, Finley shares his views on his PBS television show, “<A HREF="http://www.dptv.org/news/ongoing/amiright.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.dptv.org/news/ongoing/amirigh"><U>Am I Right, or Am I Right</U></A>?” where he debates issues with co-host Debbie Dingell.</div> <div> The televised half-hour editions provide rapid-fire commentary from conservative and liberal perspectives on politics, current events, and pop culture. Weekly episodes examine issues such as public school funding, taxes, crime, politics and business development.</div> <div> The show airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET, on WTVS Detroit public television, 56.1 - DPTV (high definition), and any time for one week after broadcast to Comcast Digital “on demand” customers.</div> <div> At the newspaper, Finley directs the expression of editorial position on various national and local issues, and writes a column in the Sunday newspaper. Prior to that, Finley was the newspaper's deputy managing editor, directing the newsroom. >><A HREF="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/nolanfinleyblog/index.php" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/nolan"><U><I>Read Nolan Finley's Blog here</I></U></A>.</div> <div> The journalist previously served as<I> Detroit News</I> business editor, and in various editing positions on the paper's city, state and metro desks. He was also a reporter, covering Detroit City Hall during the Coleman Young administration.</div> <div> Finley has been with <I>The Detroit News</I> since 1976, starting as a copy boy in the newsroom while a student at Wayne State University. He is a graduate of both Schoolcraft College in Livonia and Wayne State, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in journalism. In 2001, Schoolcraft named him its outstanding alumnus.</div> <div> He is a native of Cumberland County, Kentucky.</div> <div> The Eastside Republican Club Forum is normally held on the third Tuesday of the month from September through June. Admission is free and the public is always welcome.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Straight Talk About Michigan"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>