GOP Gov candidates respond to Granholm’s final State of the State

It didn’t take long for two of the leading GOP candidates for governor to sound off about Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s final State of the State speech Wednesday.

Mike Bouchard, who is the Oakland County Sheriff, posted a release to his website and Facebook about 9 p.m. In it, Bouchard claims many of the Granholm’s reform ideas “mirror” his own while still criticizing the governor. From his release:

Restoring Michigan’s financial footing requires a comprehensive strategy, Bouchard said. Curtailing state government spending is essential, Bouchard explained, but creating an economic climate that encourages job creation and expansion will be the engine that drives Michigan’s recovery.

“We heard little from the governor about bold, innovative ways to replace the tens of thousands of jobs lost during her administration,” Bouchard said. “While cuts in government spending are necessary and overdue, we also need to focus on tax relief and ways to more effectively target our limited resources. Our state can turn the corner but only if we fix Lansing and get Michigan back to work.”

He then laid out his own plans, including pursuing public-private partnerships, providing tax incentives for remodeling and new home building, competitively bidding food service contracts in the prison systems, and reforming the “way Lansing does business.” No mention, by the way, of his plan to privatize rest areas to shore up the budget deficit.

Meanwhile, Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder sent out his own statement shortly after 8 p.m. From that release, which was more about Snyder’s resume than plans, he says:

“Unfortunately, we’ve heard happy talk from the Governor for seven years and the only thing that has been ‘blown away’ are jobs, young people, tax dollars and the state’s economy. We’ve been through years full of promises without results. We have had two government shutdowns in three years, faced tax hikes without structural reforms, and Lansing policies still stand in the way of economic growth. It’s not time for incremental solutions, it’s time for us to reinvent Michigan.”

He then directs folks to his website where they can read his ten point plan.

Meanwhile, Congressman Pete Hoekstra’s website shows no response to the speech; and Mike Cox, the attorney general, had a special invitation only webinar event.