Frankly, taxing plastic water bottles is probably not the most interesting idea in the history of government finance theory, though you can certainly make the case that it bears thinking about.
Nor is it interesting because it might become law. In fact, it has no chance whatsoever to be passed, especially not this year and especially not because it might make John Cherry look good.
The main reason the bottled water idea is interesting is because it illustrates the terrible dilemma the lieutenant governor is facing, and will continue to face. He has to try to define himself as his own man, to carve out an identity separate from that of the governor.
If he doesn’t do that, he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in a foundry of surviving an election. For Jennifer Granholm is terribly unpopular. She may be the most unpopular chief executive Michigan has had in my lifetime. To be fair, a lot of that is due to circumstances that aren’t her fault and which are beyond her control. The national economy, in other words, and the collapse of the auto industry. To be sure, there is also a perception that she has failed to be an effective or consistent leader.
Whether you agree with that or not, every poll shows the voters will be more than happy to be rid of her. And just about the only thing most people know about John Cherry is that he is her deputy.
Lieutenant governors, like vice presidents, have a hard time getting elected even when they follow popular governors. For some reason, they generally get saddled with all things people didn’t like about their administrations while getting none of the credit.
Cherry is not stupid, and knows he needs an identity of his own. So last Friday, he announced this proposal. He will ask the legislature to pass a law assessing a dime-a-bottle tax on the state’s major water bottling firms, principally Nestle.
Those firms were all screaming bloody murder about this yesterday. Now, Cherry served in the legislature and knows there is no way the Republicans would ever pass his proposal.
What he wants, is for the public to get behind it. He wants to campaign for governor next year as … “the man whose brilliant idea would have saved the Michigan Promise Scholarship!”
“Except, however, that those skinflint Republicans denied your little Johnny or Susie the help they need for a college education.”
If it works, that’s not bad politics. Indeed, the Republicans appear tone-deaf to public sentiment on this issue. However, Cherry made one telling little misstep that shows how desperate he is to be seen as his own man. He told reporters that he hadn’t even told the governor about his idea, something that seems hard to believe.
And within hours, there was Granholm, facing the cameras, stealing his thunder, brightly chirping that she supports taxing bottled water too. Politically, the governor and lieutenant governor are as tied together as conjoined twins. Over the next seven months, it will be fascinating to watch John Cherry continue to attempt to break free.
It really is simple. If the bottled-water tax is a serious idea, deserving of consideration on its merits, the GOVERNOR, not the Lt. Governor, ought to be leading the charge. They can both take credit, they can both go on the speaking tours, etc. But for Cherry and Granholm to be trading statements in the press tells us that nobody is serious about it except as campaign rhetoric.
And yes, if Cherry is serious about wanting to distinguish himself from the legacy of Jennifer Granholm, let's hear from him on what he agrees with and what he has disagreed with, over the last several years.
What other taxes, besides a bottled water tax, would a Governor Cherry ask for? What current taxes would he increase? Are there any taxes he would reduce? What sorts of budget savings will Cherry demand from state and local government? Will he stand up to the public sector employee unions? Will Cherry support Andy Dillon's plan to streamline public employee healthcare administration, despite the fact that union leaders don't like it? Where does Cherry stand?
So yeah, you can say whatever you want to, for or against John Cherry; just please don't say that this particular episode is anything other than politics as usual.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 15, 2009 at 08:25 PM