Governor Granholm's address (GLR)

[Psycho Penguin]

If you missed, and how could you, Governor Jennifer Granholm's address at the Great Lakes Regional it is:

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, MI 48909

or fax: (517) 335-6863

Remember to write and tell her how dissapointed you were that she didn't show.

[Bduggan04]

For those of you who didn't attend the Great Lakes Regional, our governor, Jennifer Granholm, has continually stressed the importance of getting kids involved with math and science. Someone on her staff mentioned FIRST robotics to her and the people who organized GLR (Did a fine job I might add) extended an invitation to her which she proceeded to decline. Mr. Costang made gave us the homework to write Jennifer Granholm and ask her why she was to busy to support her own goals by attending and supporting the FIRST Robotics competition.

[Ashley Weed]

This could be an excellent example for all of us to follow in our respective states/provinces. How many of us know our "political figures" views on science, technology, and education in general? I think it would be interesting for all of us to contact individuals on the local, regional, and state level; and furthermore finding out why they don't attend or support FIRST if their 'stance' believes in the progress of science in technology?

.... I'd be interested in hearing if anyone gets a response from their government leaders.

[Mark Pierce]

In my opinion, Mr. Costang didn't go far enough in what he asked us to write. I would encourage you to remind our governor that although she missed the largest, most established regional in Michigan she still has two opportunities left: Detroit and West Michigan.

I would like to be able to say that the West Michigan is often a more exciting regional, but I'm afraid that I can't imagine that being possible this year.

[Roland]

Is this the gracious and professional thing to do? I mean, she declined the invitation. Deal with it.

[Swan217]

Originally Posted by Roland

Is this the gracious and professional thing to do? I mean, she declined the invitation. Deal with it.

You don't know our governor like we know our governor, but you're coming from Terminatorville, so you're forgiven

Jenny Granholm is famous for encouraging technology and education here. Yet, we're in a financial crisis similar to CA's, so she's been cutting state funding to schools, state schalarships, etc. All in all, quite hypocritical.

A FIRST Team even got invited to Lansing to receive the Gov's praise, yet when Francois talked to her people, they said that she has never heard of FIRST. Francois Costang is one of the biggest inflouences in FIRST on this side of town (he's up there with Dean, Woodie, and Dave Verbrugge), and so if he approves gubernatorial harassment, than I don't see a problem with it

Originally Posted by Roland

Is this the gracious and professional thing to do? I mean, she declined the invitation. Deal with it.

I'm going to go ahead and point out the obvious here, but one of the things an elected government official is supposed to do is follow through on promises they made to the voters, and Governor Granholm apparently isn't following through on her promises. I'm actually planning on writing a letter to her even though I'm from Indiana to express that her turning down the invite was a big mistake. If she does respond and attends a regional later in the year, this will be a big victory for FIRST and Public Schools in Michigan. I think everyone needs to send a letter to your governor asking them to come see what FIRST is all about. For example, here in Indiana our former governor (who passed away last fall while serving his last year in office) was informed about FIRST because of the work of Libby Ritchie from Team 393. She made the governors office aware of what FIRST was, and a couple years ago FIRST started helping with the Governor's widow's program "Indiana 2016" which basically is going to help improve education standards in the classroom including better science and technology curriculum. Teams have done demos for her program at the State Fair the last few years and is really starting to get the FIRST name out here in Indiana. I stress the importance of this and request that everyone invite their governor to come and if they don't come, have teams flood them with letters. The children of the future will thank you.

[Gadget470]

Originally Posted by Roland

Is this the gracious and professional thing to do? I mean, she declined the invitation. Deal with it.

The request was not to write the Governor to insult her or to be otherwise rude and unprofessional.

Letters to elected officials often are not read by the actual official. More often than not, they are read by the underlings of the official (assistants, secretary, someone else, that guy at the coffee shop, etc.). Rarely does 1 person ever request an action and recieve the desired response. At the end of the day, the official's mail reader writes up a summary of the letters to the official and delivers it. Basically, the Governer would be briefed on what John Doe has said. From there, the Governor chooses to act.

However, there are enough people within the state of Michigan capable of writing a professional letter (correct grammar, format, spelling, etc.) which asks the Governor graciously to not make false or otherwise hypcritical claims. Someone said "she never heard of FIRST" ... well, then someone needs to let her know who FIRST is, and why FIRST should be listened to.

Although I personally feel that it is nothing more than a Photo-Op for a Governor, or any official, which is not directly involved with the fundings or inner workings of an event its participants, it is still good to know they are taking the time out of their schedule to visit something they claim to believe in.

If she's smart, she'll be at Detroit or West Michigan

[Bduggan04]

I don't think she realized that everyone but this year's freshman and the younger family members are going to be eligible to vote when she's up for re-election. Not that I'd vote for her anyway, but I would think more highly of her than I do currently. As a registered voter, student and a taxpayer, I wish that she would back up the things she claims important.

[Dan Richardson]

Its upsetting that she could not attend an event, and it might be important to find out why she may have not came. But Governers and elected officials are people also. I understand that she has promoted first ( I have the video somewhere where she is presenting the HOT team an award or something ) but, there may have been something else that day that she had to deal with.

So I strongly encourage you just as some others, to be graciously proffesional when writing these letters, don't be insulting. Especially if what you are saying is true and she does not recall much about FIRST. You don't want stuck in her memory " Ohh those 1000 bratty kids who wrote me those nasty letters because I didn't come to their little competition. " That is an adverse reaction which would I would cautiously try to avoid.

Worse comes to worst you can always move to Florida. :-) Warmer :-) Winters lasts like 2 weeks :-) and Jeb Bush ( our governor ) stopped by to give a shout out :-)

Dan

[Gabriel]

That does seem a little strange. Usually with a big event if the Governor declines an invitation he or she will send a representative like the Lieutenant Governor or at least write some sort of letter. However, MI is a big state and people do get busy. Also, remember that she didn't accept the invitation and not show up, she simply declined it which is her right. I once asked Woodie Flowers to come and give a talk at my college to help promote our FIRST team, he declined, that doesn't mean he's a phony or that he doesn't care about FIRST.

Having said that asking an elected official "why she was too busy to support her own goals" isn't the best way of going about it. Its partisan, accusatory and somewhat rude and I doubt it will get you results. I would strongly suggest describing FIRST, talking about how FIRST has effected your life, talking about how FIRST and its role in Michigan match what the Governor is interested in, expressing your disappointment that she didn't attend the regional and inviting her to the next one.

[Gadget470]

Originally Posted by Gabriel

That does seem a little strange. Usually with a big event if the Governor declines an invitation he or she will send a representative like the Lieutenant Governor or at least write some sort of letter. However, MI is a big state and people do get busy. Also, remember that she didn't accept the invitation and not show up, she simply declined it which is her right. I once asked Woodie Flowers to come and give a talk at my college to help promote our FIRST team, he declined, that doesn't mean he's a phony or that he doesn't care about FIRST.

Inviting an organizations National Advisor, whom is also a College Professor, to give a speech in order to promote one team... I can understand why he wouldn't. There are 900 teams, if he goes to visit one just because they ask, everyone will know about it and send in requests to him. For a governer of a state, to decline a visit to a well established competition within the state, for an organization which expresses many of her campeign promises.. that's a whole 'nother bag of marbles.

[Beth Sweet]

Originally Posted by Stud Man Dan

I have the video somewhere where she is presenting the HOT team an award or something

That was actually not Governer Granholm, it was Senator Nancy Cassis, a long-time supporter of FIRST who truly follows through on her promise and commitment not only to FIRST, but to all of the kids in her district.

PS. Team HOT will be sending a letter or two...

[Gabriel]

Originally Posted by Gadget470

Inviting an organizations National Advisor, whom is also a College Professor, to give a speech in order to promote one team... I can understand why he wouldn't. There are 900 teams, if he goes to visit one just because they ask, everyone will know about it and send in requests to him. For a governer of a state, to decline a visit to a well established competition within the state, for an organization which expresses many of her campeign promises.. that's a whole 'nother bag of marbles.

Actually, I miswrote. The intention was to promote FIRST in Western Mass. The total number of teams in MA is either shrinking or staying the same and the best place for growth seems to be Western MA which is not as high-tech but has very few teams.

My point was that just because someone decides not to attend an event doesn't mean that they are hypocritical. However, I don't know Gov. Granholm.