Michigan Governor Rick Snyder shows impressive bipartisan Integrity.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder shows impressive bipartisan Integrity.

I had to pass along this Detroit Free Press article from today 4/23/12 which I find extremely positive and refreshing. I commend and respect our Governor for standing firm in his commitment to the promise of Embryonic Stem Cell (ESC) research, and upholding the state constitutional amendment brought about by Proposal 2. Mr. Snyder has proven his personal integrity by separating from the Social Conservative Republican party line, and proving that it is in fact possible to hold and administer a policy of fiscal conservatism and budget reduction, while rejecting the social conservative movement that would outlaw critical life saving research.

As some of you may be aware, parts of the Michigan Legislature have maintained a constant, somewhat quiet, somewhat clandestine effort to ether overturn or seriously impede the exceptional ESC research currently underway at The University of Michigan as a result of Prop 2. Starting in January of 2010, the Health Policy Committee, chaired by Republican State Sen. Tom George, proposed a six bill package SB 647-652 which would have rendered ESC unsustainable in Michigan under draconian restrictions. This failed to pass the House, and Governor Snyder threatened a veto. In April of 2011, the Higher Education Subcommittee, with social conservative majority, attached onerous ESC reporting language in the Higher Education budget bill in complete disregard to Gov. Snyder's budget recommendations. This boilerplate language eventually passed through the legislature, and Gov. Snyder could not affect a veto without rejecting the entire budget (no line item veto).

Now the State Legislature is attempting to further restrict ESC through denial of Performance funding to U-M which would equal 270 million dollars......no small potatoes! Truthfully, I simply cannot make sense of denying one of the top rated University Medical Research Centers in the world, state appropriated funding because a clear minority (as represented at the polls in 2008) of citizens hold it morally superior to discard an embryo into the dumpster rather than use it for lifesaving research. But then maybe I have not had my head inserted inside my rectum for the last decade, which is the only rational I can perceive for such a perverse attitude.

Fan of the Governor or not, one must admit that it is a bit refreshing for a politician to cut the extreme partisan BS and make decisions based on practical, pragmatic, thought and not extreme ideology. I believe I will email and call the Governor's office and thank him for his position, courage and integrity. I would invite anyone who shares my opinion to do the same.

Thanks,

Gene Miller

By David Jesse April 23, 2012
Detroit Free Press Staff Write

Republican Michigan legislators who are trying to force the University of Michigan to provide details on embryonic stem-cell research have a big hurdle to overcome: Gov. Rick Snyder.

Snyder, also a Republican, remains convinced that the Legislature cannot force U-M or other universities to answer questions about stem cells included in budget bills, his spokeswoman told the Free Press.

"We remain consistent with the language on the stem-cell issue that we used last year where we took the position that the boilerplate language that was included in the current year's budget is unenforceable and unconstitutional if sought to be enforced," Snyder spokeswoman Geralyn Lasher said in a Friday e-mail. "Our legal counsel wrote a letter to legislative leadership to that effect, and it remains our view at this time as well."

U-M is glad to have Snyder's support, spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said Friday.

"It's encouraging that the governor is being consistent," Fitzgerald said. "We continue to work with the legislators in the appropriations process. We have a lot of time to address this and other issues."

Snyder's reluctance is likely to be a major weapon for U-M as it fights the Republicans on the issue.

http://www.freep.com/article/20120423/NEWS06/204230337/1001/rss01