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I'd have to disagree Kit.

UCF College of Engineering has a luncheon for all of it's technical community advisors/supporters each year. The college invites the local legislators and the governor and I'm sure they accept the invitation each year because the luncheon involves the most influencial people in the central Florida technical business community. My sister is one of those engineers.

The college has chosen to schedule this luncheon to coincide with the FIRST regional each year. It is a tremendous opportunity to promote FIRST with people who would otherwise have no idea what it's about - you know how anyone who has attended a competition gets hooked. Reps from each FIRST team are invited to attend the luncheon as well.

Would you expect the governor (or any politician) to come to the campus to talk to the technical community and not stop by the event and show support? It's a big thrill for students to see and/or meet the governor of their state - whoever he or she is - because of their office not because of their politics.

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You don't seem to know very much about history.

Government is the mechanism of the people to effect change and has served a valuable purpose in American history. The implementation of better government is really the only reason this country and all that it affords you exists at all.

Democracy was and continues to be a great experiment. It allows you the right to whine about those people and policies you dislike, but it also gives you every opportunity to change them.

Your free to let the Governor use the event as a political soapbox as you've suggested she's done just as you're free to communicate with her to ensure that more comes of her visit. If you think she was there only for political capital, follow up with her office and show them that FIRST is paying attention. Demand results. Get your friends to do the same.

Whether or not you voted for them, you employ public officials and they are accountable to you. It's one of the job responsibilities that come with being American.

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what results are you talking about? Money? Money does not make a FIRST team, 1549 proved that this year. We were #4 in GLR and we used kit everything except for a pair of snowblower tracks that i picked up for $50 in a small engine junkyard. Everything else was made by students by hand on the machienes. Nothing CNC'd, nothing custom

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I have no specific result in mind. Rather, you seem upset that nothing will come from the Governor's visit when you have the power to change that by communicating with her office about the things they may do to help. What results do you want for FIRST in the state of Michigan? The Governor's office, if they see incentive for change in the form of an outspoken populace, will work for FIRST.

Do you want more money? You can have it. Do you want a FIRST team in every high school in the state? You can have that, too. You just need to work at it with your elected officials rather than complain about how they're unable to divine what it is you'd have them do.

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Hmmm... our robot went out and shot at the control table across the field from the judges, but I do not think it shot at Granholm. We trained it not to do that and for good reason.

Later on, autonomous worked for our bot, so I've made a conclusion that our robot had the butterflies when operating with the Governor watching. :D