By Rob South, WKAR News
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Lansing, MI –
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Polls suggest many Democrats still have not decided who they want to nominate for governor. State House Speaker Andy Dillon is facing Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero on the primary ballot. Dillon is a centrist known for cutting deals with Republicans that other Democrats don't always like. By contrast, Bernero says he is the true Democrat in the race who would be a champion of Michigan workers.
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Bernero established a solid liberal record while serving in the Legislature, and he says he's carried those sensibilities to the job of Lansing mayor and the campaign for governor. Bernero favors abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research. His Democratic primary opponent Andy Dillon opposes both. Bernero supports gay rights. His brother died of an AIDS-related illness 20 years ago. Bernero has rallied against cuts in state funding to cities. And the son of an auto worker says he is the true representative of the working class in the race.
(TV interview): "I'm sorry, it's wrong we're setting up a race that the Americans cannot win..."
In the winter of 2009, Bernero went national with his message to save America's working class. Bernero was quickly dubbed "The Nation's Angriest Mayor."
TV interview): "We are suffering from the free trade policies that both Democrats and Republicans..."
That kind of rhetoric won Bernero the affection of many auto workers and the endorsement of the United Auto Workers and the AFL-CIO among other unions.
But Bernero's relationship with Lansing city employees has been frosty at times. City workers say he's cut salaries and privatized services. But Bernero says he's just getting the job done, and, overall, he's worked well with his city's employees.
"We have been blessed to not have to lay anybody off, even after five years," Bernero says. "I did issue some pink slips once, that we were able to rescind after we got negotiations up again. So, knock on wood, we've been able to keep everybody on board."
But some workers say that claim relies on gimmicks. For example, Stan Shuck says he and other employees were laid after the city privatized its non-emergency hotline and re-classified them as temporary workers who did not need to be pink-slipped before losing their jobs. He says other employees saw their hours slashed with a 10 percent cut in pay that hit some households pretty hard.
"It's the difference between groceries and not groceries, medicine and no medicine, vehicle or no vehicle," Shuck explains. "It's a huge impact."
Bernero's also had a difficult relationship with the Lansing City Council. He was challenged for reelection last year by the council president.
Inside Michigan Politics newsletter editor Bill Ballenger says Bernero's in-your-face style may be appealing in a year when people are looking for big changes to fix Michigan's problems.
"A lot of people are looking for someone who is bold and aggressive and say what they mean and try to do what they say and they get tired of all of these nifgnawing, will-nilly, namby-pamby politicians," Ballenger says. "Well, that's not Virgil Bernero."
"Democracy is a rough and tumble business and you don't have unanimity," says Bernero.
Bernero says there's nothing wrong with bringing passion to the job, and being ready to confront adversaries -- and sometimes allies - when necessary.
"You have robust discussion, debate, some times heated," he adds. "You know, I get upset on occasion, when somebody's trying to throw up road blocks to my proposals to what I consider progress."
Bernero has not been shy about confronting his rival for the nomination. He's called Dillon "the Speaker of the Mess" among other names, and blames him for frequent gridlock in the Legislature, and bowing too often to Republican demands.
Bernero says he's not as angry as he's been portrayed. But he says voters are angry, and he's counting on that anger to pay off for him on Election Day.
Election 2010 - WKAR
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