Two seemingly unrelated bits of information arrived in my mailbox today — one via snail mail, the other electronically. The first was a notice from the Michigan Department of Treasury informing me that “Public Act 94 of 2007 raised the income tax rate to 4.35 percent effective October 1, 2007.” Hmmm, that’s an interesting way of putting it, kind of like “mistakes were made.” Funny that the letter didn’t say “Governor Granholm, with the bipartisan support of the legislature raised the income tax rate.” Isn’t she proud of this accomplishment if says so much about who we are and what our vision is for Michigan?

The other bit was an email from do-not-reply@jennifergranholm.com. I guess that’s the governor’s email address, but it sounds kind of forbidding. Anyway, this note is all about her husband’s column on leadership, Reading for Leading. I have no idea why the governor would think I might be interested in signing up to receive the First Gentleman’s missive “free of charge” each week, but to my surprise a few lines did catch my attention. Mr. Mulhern talks about the importance of having an inspiring personal vision statement and that you really need to understand the context in order to truly appreciate it. Mulhern cites the example of two young women he recently had on his radio show whose personal vision statements inspired him and concludes with these words:

With vision and purpose of their own, they don’t have to wait for others, blame others, or even follow others. They have a direction of their own and can lead.

Obviously, Governor Granholm is proud of her husband’s work as a leadership coach, but by the standard he sets above, she doesn’t measure up. Look at the ongoing budget mess in which she waited and waited and waited and blamed and blamed and blamed. Michigan still doesn’t have a solution. This is leadership? Not in Mulhern’s book, and certainly not in mine.