When I graduated from U-M, Hillary Clinton was our commencement speaker. I don’t recall there being protesters outside, but she wasn’t a popular choice. There was quite a bit of debate on campus after the initial announcement, and, then, during her speech, which was delivered in the U-M stadium, I remember that there was a plane flying overhead, dragging along a banner saying something about abortion. I can’t remember the exact phrase, but it was something offensive. I think it may have been something like, “How many babies have you killed, Hillary?” This would have been in 1993.
Well, today, the University of Michigan announced their Spring 2011 speaker, and, again, it was a somewhat polarizing political figure. This time, we were told, the person addressing the new U-M graduates would be none other than Governor Rick Snyder, a three time U-M graduate himself. (Snyder has an undergraduate degree, an MBA, and a Law degree from Michigan. He will be receiving an honorary doctorate at the ceremony, alongside U.S. Rep Vernon Ehlers, Spike Lee, Bill Ford Jr. and U-M donor Stephen Ross.)
Given his controversial budget proposals and the national attention that he’s been garnering of late with regard to the whole “financial martial law” thing, the news, as you might expect, wasn’t greeted enthusiastically across the campus. Among other things, a student by the name of Rick Durance started an online petition asking the University administration to reconsider their decision this afternoon. As of a few minutes ago it had already been signed by close to 2,500 students, faculty and staff members. Furthermore, a group has formed on Facebook to promote a rally on the Diag scheduled for Wednesday, March 16 at 1:00 PM. So far, 628 people had RSVP’d to say that they’d be attending.
Personally, I rather like the idea that he’ll be speaking. I think that universities should be the kinds of places where people of different political persuasions (within reason) come together to discuss opposing views. And, to his credit, I like that Snyder has agreed to come and talk to the University community after making it clear that he intended to cut the State’s education expenditures even more drastically. And, personally, I’m curious to hear his sales pitch to students as to why they should stay here in Michigan after graduation and help rebuild the state. At the same, though, I’m also looking forward to seeing what kind of organized protest he’ll meet at the stadium. I don’t suspect that we’ll get anywhere near 80,000 people, like they just did in Madison, but it would be great if people turned out in big numbers to express their opposition. And that wouldn’t happen if we had someone like an astronaut delivering the speech. I guess you could say I just like seeing Democracy in action. And, from what I can tell, things are lining up to make April 30 a pretty significant day in that regard.
Here, for those of you who are curious, is the text of that petition I mentioned earlier.
Whereas: The Governor has had a position on reducing higher education funding to public schools, including primary, secondary, and post-secondary,
Whereas: the Governor has made a controversial decision about authority of elected officials affecting a number of Michigan residents, including University of Michigan students,
Be it therefore resolved that we feel that Governor Richard Snyder should not be the commencement speaker for the graduation ceremony on April 30th, 2011.
Be it further resolved that we feel we should consider other speakers including Anderson Cooper, who publicly defended Michigan Student Assembly President Chris Armstrong, or Shelton “Spike” Lee, who is receiving an honorary degree from the University.
Be it finally resolved that the University of Michigan Regents and President should consider beginning a policy of not inviting sitting elected officials to speak at graduation ceremonies in order to reduce conflicts among the graduating seniors.
39 Comments
Apologies if this is off topic, but here’s Michael Moore’s call to protest in Lansing on Wednesday:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/letter-to-my-fellow-michiganders
“Sara Wurfel, a spokeswoman for Snyder, said in an e-mail: ‘The governor appreciates and strongly respects this exercise in democracy. But he’s also committed to forging ahead and tackling misinformation and the tough issues, like he said he’d do, and building a solid and strong Michigan that works for everyone [who makes over $300,000 per year]. The proposed budget and tax plan is based on fairness and preserving core safety net services while improving and strengthening our economy so ALL [corporations] can prosper and benefit.’ “
By the way:
Rick.Snyder@michigan.gov
wurfels@michigan.gov
Even the students (well some of them) don’t want him there:
https://www.msa.umich.edu/upetition/p/ReconsiderRickSnyder/
Apparently Rick is also running a TV commercial that shows Pure White Children–to the sound of cute muzak–begging their grandparents to not fuck them over. “Please, gramma, support Governor Snyder, so we can have a future . . .”
We should have a competition to come up with a good slogan to fly behind the plane during the commencement.
THIS GOV BRAKES FOR PAYOFFS
Here’s the letter to which Jim was referring.
HITLER HEARTS IZOD
IT TAKES ONE TOUGH NERD TO STRANGLE THE MIDDLE CLASS
ROVE WANTS 2 BONE U
BONO ISNT SURE
ARDESTA HEARTS DACHAU
MY WIFE IS SUSAN
MY BOSS IS SATAN
SECRETLY MOVING TO DEXTER ASAP
IM MADOFF AS HELL
ONE LOUCHE FUCK
ARI WONT FRIEND ME
SAIF AL-ISLAM CALL ME
MY KIDS HEART MOVEON
LINE OF KOCH ANYONE
EMF 4 EMU BUT BFF W/ MARY SUE
MICHIGAN WAS RICKROLLED
MY SHAMAN DRUM IS CABELAS
2 ME THE UP MEANS UNDEMOCRATIC PILLAGE
I guess the real lesson here is that when a politician is vague about what their plan is once they are elected it doesn’t mean that they don’t have a plan. It just means that they know they won’t be elected if they give the details.
This is the mistake of the left. Everyone deserves to be heard. I love you Mark, but would you still wait to hear my viewpoint if I opened the conversation by lighting my poop on fire and throwing it at you?
I just can’t support giving dishonest and disingenuous people equal time.
Someone on AA.com made a good observation.
ALL YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BELONG TO US
GREEN HILLS AND BLACK WATER
Okay, enough of my airplane banners. Here is this from Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/15/956708/-Michigan-activists-plan-to-keep-Capitol-open-all-night
FYI
There is a facebook group organized by students, protesting the choice of Snyder for commencement speaker.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200770226608152
Maybe I’m naive, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing for him to speak. First, I don’t think he’s going to convince anyone to change sides. And, second, the way I see it, it’s a great opportunity to bring together those who, like me, disagrees with quite a bit of what he’s doing. People have over six weeks to organize, and I have every reason to believe that the protest, if done right, could really help turn the tide in the right direction.
And here’s my submission.
NERDS DON’T DEFUND EDUCATION
I think he’s a good choice. Personally, I tire of rightists who continually claim that Universities marginalize Republicans and Conservative views.
Everyone needs to be heard. Noone has to agree with anything he says.
The banner could simply say, “Psst…. He’s raising your tuition.”
From the Michigan Messenger:
Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed budget contains even deeper cuts in state funding for public universities than he had mentioned when he announced the plan a few weeks ago.
The Detroit News reports:
University officials are upset a projected 15 percent cut in state aid is really much more — and some say Gov. Rick Snyder misled them.
As colleges poured through the fine print of the budget plan released two weeks ago, they discovered the cuts will be an average 21 percent — possibly the biggest cut ever to higher education in the state — and range from 23 percent for Central Michigan University to 19 percent for Eastern Michigan University. Since 1979, the largest cut in state aid was 8.5 percent, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency . Snyder told lawmakers there would be an across-the-board 15 percent cut to Michigan’s 15 state universities. He also recommended $83 million in “tuition incentive grants” accessible to universities who hold a cap on tuition hikes. But universities have learned the incentive is more stick than carrot: If they hold tuition hikes at or below 7.1 percent, an incentive grant will reduce their cut to 15 percent.
http://michiganmessenger.com/47382/snyder-college-cuts-higher-than-promised
Would love to see our town at tomorrow’s EMU demo.
Sometimes it is MOST important to take stand, decorum be damned.
The egomaniac that is Slick Rick needs to get the message that he cannot soft peddle his union-busting, 100% increase in tax to the elderly, increase in tax to the working poor. And this is not just “we don’t like you Slick Rick”. This is serious life threatening stuff. Anyone catch the piece on Channel 7 news showing the elderly man with colon and liver cancer who had just had his car repossessed because his payment was 15 minutes late? This is a human being that Snyder wants to hit with a 100% tax increase so he can hand it over to major corporations.
This is a threat to quality of human life for many elderly. Why would you invite a person who does this to speak at a graduation of any sort? He should be on the campus “banned” list.
The UM Student Assembly had voted in support of having Snyder be the commencement speaker.
http://michigandaily.com/news/msa-votes-against-resolution-opposing-rick-snyders-commencement-address
The Board of Regents agreed, making it official yesterday.
They’ll do whatever it takes to ensure he chops as little as possible from UM budget. But as others have already disclosed, he’d told Mary Sue Coleman a while ago that he intended to cut most from CMU, EMU, and Wayne–UM not really his priority. Does this suggest racism? I think so. But more important, it suggests Snyder’s waging, above all else, class war.