Comments on: Column: Rick Snyder Can Carry a Tune

By: Lorie

Lorie — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:22:35 +0000

There are two comments that had actual questions:

1) What are Mr. Synder’s positions on social issues?

2) Where is the data on how we compare to other states on Taxes…

I don’t care who is the media arm of what or if they are.

I do care that those questions get addressed in some sort of way.

Can you, the Chronicle ask Mr. Snyder and complete the reporting on his positions and present some data?

I ask because I’ve found the reporting on City Counsel to be great. I’m looking for a similar approach on governors race?

oh, and, isn’t Alma Wheeler Smith (another local) running too?

By: Howard Lovy

Howard Lovy — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:52:40 +0000

Just to clarify: “Media arm” is a little misleading, since we were always completely independent of Ardesta, editorially. Ardesta supplied the startup funding, but we were never a mouthpiece for them. We were supported, after initial funding, by traditional ad revenue. In fact, Ardesta jokingly complained sometimes that we covered them very little. We went out of our way to be independent in our reporting. Anyway, ancient history. I left Small Times’ staff in 2004 and, soon afterward, Ardesta sold the magazine to PennWell Publications. Media investments, as everyone in my profession painfully knows, have fallen out of favor.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:40:12 +0000

I personally found the article very informative and did not perceive it as an endorsement piece in any way. Snyder’s background and motivations are clearly a local interest story given that he is from this area. Thank you for the article.

By: Alan Goldmith

Alan Goldmith — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:17:57 +0000

It’s not ‘hard hitting journalism’. But it was an interesting article and someone I’ve been very curious about. The social issues are important, and you aren’t going to hear Snyder talking to a writer for an Ann Arbor publication in the same way (if you google it) about ‘family values’ that he he does to Republican wingnuts. And that, ultimately, is what is going to do him in. He’s running as a Republican and they have very strict moral and political standards (lol)in the state party.

If Snyder were smart (and I assume he is) he would run to the center and let the other wingnuts split the vote in the Republican Primary. But he needed to start addressing social issues and this article would have been better if the had been addressed.

By: Howard Lovy

Howard Lovy — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:32:02 +0000

Actually, I’ve never been the “media arm” of anybody. Small Times always acted independently when I was there. In fact, my own independent reporting got me into some hot water when I was there. My 20-plus-year record as a fiercely independent journalist speaks for itself.

By: mike

mike — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:34:56 +0000

Sure, Howard…even you have to admit, as the former media arm of Ardesta, this is hardly hard hitting journalism.

By: Howard Lovy

Howard Lovy — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:52:46 +0000

Well, just for the record, there is a difference between accurately reporting on a candidate’s viewpoint and endorsing it.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:17:20 +0000

This might be a good time to ask the Chronicle management for a policy statement on how they plan to handle political campaigns. I know that this was labeled as opinion, but it was rather startlingly promotional for a political candidate. (As well as for a political viewpoint.) Are similar columns welcomed for all candidates? Will the Chronicle be endorsing and/or promoting candidates?

By: Lorie

Lorie — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:16:57 +0000

I’m not convinced that Michigan is such a bad tax state as compared to other states. Where is his data? Show me how we are worse than Ohio or worse than Pennsylvania or New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Wisconsin, Illinois…prove it.

Also, I am all for significant business turn over. We have coddled and enabled an under-performing big business leaders in this state for far too long. GM, Chrysler, Ford, Visteon, Delphi, American Axle, Lear, … I mean really. I don’t think giving big business more money is going to improve the economic reality resulting from the poor strategic thinking and terrible foresight and just plain poor management practices that our current “business leaders” exemplify. Turn it over.

Let the market do its thing.

By: Howard Lovy

Howard Lovy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:11:49 +0000

With Michigan suffering the nation’s highest unemployment rate, I frankly do not see very many significant stories in this state that do not have something to do with business.