Stryker, a Michigan company that delivers good news

Stryker Corp. just announced a 65% surge in first Quarter earnings. Net income rose to $243.5 million for the three month period of January through March. At the end of the day Wednesday, Stryker was trading at $69.10 per share which was down from the $70.06 it opened the day at.

It sure is nice to see a Michigan based company that issues good news.

The state of Michigan should learn from the Detroit Tigers

Daniel Howes' article on how the Detroit Tigers have a lesson for all of us has inspired me to show what Michigan and its' leaders could learn from the Tigers. The Tigers suffered through 12 straight losing seasons. In 2003 they even tied the record for most losses ever in a single season with 119. The players were known throughout baseball to have horrible attitudes and a work ethic to match.

Just three years after their 119 loss season the Detroit Tigers won 95 games in the regular season and made it to the World Series.

How did they rise from the depths of despair and what lesson(s) can Michigan learn from them?

1. Leadership - Owner Mike Ilitch, GM Dave Dombrowski, Manager Jim Leyland, and the players themselves all exhibited excellent leadership skills.
2. Management - Jim Leyland's no nonsense, grind it out day-to-day, forget yesterday and focus on today management attitude was a large part of their renaissance.
3. Performance - Jim Leyland and the Detroit Tigers players performed well above anyone's wildest expectations.
4. Jim Leyland's Mantra - There are NO short cuts - you have to work at it.
5. From the Detroit News (regarding Jim Leyland and his leadership) - "when things go right it's not all about him and when they don't, he doesn't look for the five closest people to throw under the proverbial bus. Sound like any leaders you know -- or not?"

Lets compare the 5 winning examples from the Detroit Tigers to Michigan. The part of Jim Leyland will be played by our governor, Jennifer Granholm. The players will be played by our elected legislature.

1. Leadership - Our bipartisan legislature (the players) does their own thing. Our Governor says one thing and then does another. No one wants to put politics aside and create a winning plan for the residents (the fans - sticking with the baseball analogy here). Is it any wonder why the fans (Michigan residents) are leaving the ballpark (Michigan)?
2. Management - Jennifer Granholm could take a lesson from Jim Leyland (whom Tiger fans wanted to vote in for governor last year) and develop a no nonsense "buck stops here" attitude. No more passing the buck and blaming our state's failures on the Engler administration. You are in your 5th year as Governor of Michigan. Show us something.
3. Performance - We are facing a multi-billion dollar budget deficit in the coming years. Businesses continue to leave and layoff. Here we are at the end of April and the Democrats and Republicans just don't seem to have a sense of urgency about stopping the bleeding and creating a workable plan that won't have the burden (tax increases) placed on Michigan residents.
4. No Short Cuts - Rather than really trying to find areas to cut, state lawmakers are proposing tax increases to plug the holes in the budget deficit.
5. "When things go right it's not all about him and when they don't, he doesn't look for the five closest people to throw under the proverbial bus. Sound like any leaders you know -- or not?" - No Comment.

Low Lake Superior levels means lighter loads for Great Lakes freighters

Folks along Lake Superior are seeing land where there used to be water. "Islands" are popping up as water levels continue to drop among all of the Great Lakes. This creates problems in harbors where the freighters plying the Great Lakes with loads of iron ore, grain, and coal must lighten their loads for safe passage. The Mining Journal reports that "For every inch the lakes recede, ships must reduce their loads between 50 and 270 tons." Last shipping season those lighter loads meant that "ships lost about 8,000 tons per trip."

Visit www.boatnerd.com for more information on the freighters that run the Great Lakes. My favorite feature is the "Vessel Passage" that has a map of the Great Lakes with data points showing the locations of ships.

President Bush might be visiting west Michigan this week

Channel 3 News is reporting that President Bush might pay a visit to west Michigan later this week (perhaps Friday). There are tentative plans for the President's visit to occur on Friday. The exact location of his visit and further details of his plans for the trip will be made available later in the week. He is planning on a speech with the war in Iraq and the war on terror featuring prominently.

Michigan legislators will pay Apple back for 'free' ride

The Detroit News is reporting that the two legislators who had at least part of their California trip paid for by Apple are planning on paying Apple back. They want to "end this public perception that something is misguided," said Rep. Tim Melton, D-Auburn Hills." Um yeah, why did it take public outcry to make you realize how foolish this makes you and the state of Michigan look? I just read in the news today that Gov. Granholm will cut school aid funding as much as $125 per pupil if the legislature doesn't come up with a way to balance the state budget soon.

Hmm, that's funny that Granholm is threatening school aid cuts. Look at what she said 2 1/2 weeks ago.

An article in the Detroit Free Press dated March 27, 2007 quotes Granholm as saying -

"I urge you to suit up, jump in, fight like the future of Michigan depends on you," she said. "They need to hear how it's going to affect local schools."

This was in response to state Republicans wanting to cut school aid funding by $34 per pupil to help erase the state's budget deficit.

She further said -

"For those of you who have already looked your legislators in the eye, I need you to do it again," she told a group of more than 200 educators gathered at the Lansing Center. "Write letters, send e-mails. The kids need you, the state needs you."

Where is the anger from Granholm about slashing state aid by up to $125 per pupil?

Still want to spend that $38 million on iPods?

Perhaps we should all write our governor.

Michigan man receives court settlement in pennies

Bob Wilson received his court ordered settlement of $350 in pennies. That's 35,000 pennies for those of you are playing along at home. Wilson won his case in small claims court against Karl Stephen, owner of NSK Motorsports in Fowlerville. Wilson had repeatedly taken a dirt bike in to NSK Motorsports and it was never fixed properly and it sat unfixed for a few months.

Stephen paid the settlement in pennies to "show his contempt for Wilson." He did pay in legal currency - there is no law that says you can't use pennies.

Now, I have heard in the news where folks that are unhappy with their traffic tickets try paying their fines in pennies and are told by clerks that paying in pennies is an unacceptable form of payment. They paid their fines in legal currency too, right?