It seems Gov. John Engler is confused. In his final State of the State address Wednesday evening, the Republican leader said, “Our state is strong. It is rock solid.”
He may be right - if his definition of “rock solid” mirrors quick sand.
While painting a beautiful picture of a high-tech Michigan future, it seems Engler forgot about the state’s economic woes.
He acted as though he couldn’t see the $1.3 billion budget deficit staring down state lawmakers.
Engler, who will leave office Jan. 1, delivered his last State of the State as Michigan is experiencing its first recession in a decade.
The unemployment rate hit the state’s highest level in eight years in December - 6 percent.
Engler cannot seek re-election because of term limits.
We do praise the governor for supporting the construction of a Rare Isotope Accelerator on MSU’s campus, pitching his HiSpeed Internet plan and calling for support of fuel-cell technology, which promotes energy efficiency by reducing auto emissions.
But these are steps he should have taken years ago.
None of these issues are new to the state - in fact, MSU has been lobbying for some time to be the site of the Rare Isotope Accelerator.
Aside from calling for the state income tax cut scheduled for Jan. 1, a balanced budget that will allow a single business tax cut to take effect and an increase in unemployment benefits, Engler left most Michiganians to wonder about the stability of their economic future.
The governor also said little about education, aside from his feelings that its progress is better than 10 years ago.
He said nothing about how pending budget cuts might affect schools.
It seems Engler used his final address before both Legislative chambers as an opportunity for his big goodbye.
There is far too much work to do for him to be waving farewell.
His words were those that imagined a bright future and ignored grim realities. But the future cannot be planned by ignoring the present.
In his final words, Engler said, “I will not leave to the next governor the mess that was left to me.”
For all it’s worth, that statement was true.
The next governor could stand to inherit a different mess.
