Thousands rally in Lansing against Snyder’s budget plan

Yesterday, thousands of people gathered in front of the Lansing state capitol for yet another rally against the budget proposals and anti-worker policies of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.

Like previous rallies there were scheduled speeches outside to get the crowd excited, while others went into the building to make noise. Those in attendance were mostly from organized labor, with some representation from student organizations, NGOs and the Democratic Party.

The speakers addressed mostly the issues at hand and roundly condemned the austerity measures that Snyder has been pushing for since taking office in January. Lansing Mayor and former gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero also addressed the crowd but avoided talking about his failed candidacy or even mentioning Snyder. Instead, Bernero talked about unions and about the need to save the middle class.

I spoke with several people from around the state about their feelings on the direction that the Snyder administration is taking the state. I asked Dan, a teacher from the Detroit area, what he thought about Snyder’s notion that what he is asking people of Michigan to do is to engage in shared sacrifice. Dan said that he felt that “teachers have been making sacrifices for years in terms of wage and benefit concession.” He also said that he could accept the idea of share sacrifice if there was evidence that “the wealthy business sectors were also making the same kinds of sacrifices.”

Shirley, a retired UAW worker from the Lansing area shared the same sentiment. She said, “What the hell kind of sacrifices are the rich making in this state? Snyder wants to tax more of my pension and things are already tight for me and my family.”

I also said to people that when Snyder was in Grand Rapids on Monday he said he believed that most Michiganders were in support of his policy proposals. Most people laughed when they heard that this is what Snyder believed. Mel, a sheet metal worker from DeWitt said that he doesn’t know anyone who is happy with what Snyder is doing. “Everyone one at work, all my neighbors and friends all say the same thing……they are either angry or afraid of what is going to happen to them if Snyder gets his way and takes more and more from working people.”

At one point I asked to speak with organizers of the event to talk with them about short term and long term strategy they have to oppose Snyder’s policies. I was told that it was not possible to speak with the event organizers. I also asked how it was decided who got invited to speak at these rallies, but was told that I would have to speak to the event organizers to get an answer to that question.

In many ways it seemed frustrating that there was little discussion or indication that the growing opposition to Snyder’s policies would be encouraged to engage in a direct action campaign and try to shut down the state government. The comes from the speakers and several of the tables at the rally yesterday seemed to indicate that people can either join a Recall Snyder campaign or get ready for the 2012 elections. None of the people I spoke with at the rally suggested that people should occupy the capitol building as a next step in the opposition to Snyder’s policies and no one was advocating for a general strike or even debating it like they have been in Wisconsin.

However, I did get a sense that many people were frustrated with these rallies in that there was no clear plan of action beyond announcing when the next rally would be. As one nurse from Kalamazoo said, “we can’t put our hopes in just rallies, we need something else that will send a message to the Governor and the Legislators that we mean business.”