Political meddling is OK though as long as it backs Democrats.  Hopefully this ridiculous decision will be reversed before it ever has a chance to go into effect.  And turn about being fair play, the commission's timing could be as bad as it could possibly be what with all the talk in the regressisphere about a potential right-to-work ballot initiative.  This is just the sort of issue that would play well in TV ads.  "Do you want your tax dollars funding extreme left wing campaigns?"

If, and that's a big if, the initiative does happen and does make the ballot it might make for a crowded couple of pages what with all of the other initiatives in the works these days.  According to the Detroit News:

The Board of State Canvassers voted 4-0 to approve the part-time Legislature petition, which calls for a constitutional amendment that would slash the legislative session schedule from year-round to four months, reduce lawmakers' salaries and limit their benefits...

The amendment calls for a March-to-July annual session with allowances for up to 20 special session days. Lawmakers' salaries would be cut from $79,650 to $40,000 a year with a 1 percent penalty for each session day missed. Legislators would not get retirement or medical benefits after they leave office.

That's the big one but there's also a chance we'll see a proposal for glorified Hillary-Care ("universal" taxpayer funded health care... think Granholm would be able to keep her "no new taxes pledge?) and the legalization of herb.  Talk about a fun November and an interesting combination.  In one fail swoop the voters of Michigan could decide to legally use tax dollars to purchase marijuana for glaucoma sufferers.  Glaucoma sufferers who'd like to keep their jobs but would rather not be in a union.  

Sadly there are a few hundred Michigan workers who don't have that choice this week.  They may still be in the union but according to the Ivory Tower they don't have their jobs anymore.  Looks like Chrysler is going to lay off several hundred workers by tomorrow.

"The company's initial plan is for the layoffs to occur before the holidays," UAW Local 412 Unit 1 Chairman Rich Harter warned his members in a recent letter. "International is attempting to delay any cuts until after the new year and continue discussions in an attempt to stop them altogether."

He said one estimate was that the layoffs could affect more than 250 people. Another person familiar with the plan pegged the number around 200.

Michael Norscia, chairman of Local 412's Unit 80, delivered a similar warning to his members via an e-mail obtained by the Free Press.

"I have just been informed by Chrysler Labor Relations Mike Ellison that our Unit 80 will be effected by a volume-related layoff," Norscia said. "He did not give me any headcount numbers but will give them to us as soon as possible."

Talk about rotten timing.  The weekend before Christmas?  Not an easy situation.  

Oh, and I did a check... nowhere in the article or anywhere else in this morning's fishwrap does Governor Granholm comment on the matter the way she did earlier this week when we learned the State might get 500 new jobs over 5 years.

Here we're losing 250 jobs in one day and immediately but not a peep.  And her honorary press spokesman Tom Walsh, nary a peep from him either.  

But hey, the press, they're not biased.  And Jennifer Granholm... not a political opportunist at all.  Although I guess the only other conclusion would be that she's cold and callous to the plight of the jobless.  Has to be one or the other although I suppose it could be both.