Governor decorates for GM bankruptcy by painting Michigan a new shade of green

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm spent the weekend preparing for GM’s bankruptcy by painting her state a new shade of green. In her radio address, on her blog, in a speech to the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, and in a guest column at the Huffington Post she announced Michigan is leading the charge against global warming. “That’s right,” she said, “Michigan.”
The so-called “rust belt” state that has been putting cars, trucks, and SUVs on the road for over 100 years is putting the pedal to the metal on making the U.S. less reliant on fossil fuels….
Out with the old gas guzzlers of the past. Out with the old thinking of the past. Out with the old politics of the past. Out with the old rust belt.
May was the first month of the New: new technology, new ideas, and a new era of cooperation that will purposefully drive Michigan and America into the new clean-energy future.
But why was May the month of the New, with a capital N, when Granholm has been governor since 2002? If Michigan had put the pedal to the metal seven years ago, would it be such a car wreck today? Does any of the rusty old political thinking belong to Granholm?
In 2002, Granholm’s environmental agenda included such uniformly popular ideas as eliminating toxic chemicals, taking better care of fish and wildlife, stemming the flow of trash from other states to Michigan landfills, but she didn’t challenge the auto industry on fuel efficiency standards either during her campaigns or as governor. And that would have been just a baby step toward reshaping the auto industry in a form that’s economically and environmentally sustainable.
Admittedly, the auto industry is very powerful in Michigan, too powerful for local politicans to mess with, just powerful enough to drive itself out of business.
Note the switch to passive voice as Granholm says Michigan is leading the charge against global warming, but that Michigan “has been ground zero for the nation’s economic crisis.” Really, it seems the other way around. Michigan led the charge to economic crisis by making huge, gas guzzling, smog producing cars, and Michigan is now at ground zero of the effort against global warming because President Obama put a gun to its head: go green or go to hell.
It’s nice that green is Granholm’s new favorite color, but did she have any choice? In her radio address on Friday Granholm said, “Today, we’re changing the color of rust – to green.” Today. Better late than never? If Michigan is leading the charge, expect the calvary to arrive when the battle’s over.