Hightower Lowdown

If hypocrisy was a gas, Republican Governor John Engler of Michigan would be the Goodyear Blimp, because he's full of it. Engler is one of the self proclaimed "conservative" governors in various states who are always on their high horse about bringing power from Washington back to the local level. That's a good principle, but for Engler and his ilk, "local level" means the state government, where corporate lobbyists run the show.

What if unruly citizens at the real grassroots level take things into their own hands?

Well, Engler is trying to put the lid on local control in Michigan over passage in Detroit and Ypsilanti of "Living Wage" initiatives that require corporations getting city contracts or subsidies to pay workers a wage that is above the poverty level—in Detroit, the wage is $8.23 an hour, plus health insurance. Detroit voters approved this initiative last year by a 4 to 1 margin.

Oh, how the corporations howled, running to Engler's office and demanding that he squelch this outbreak of local democracy and allow them to continue getting taxpayer's money while paying poverty wages to workers. Sure enough, Governor Goodyear is backing state legislation that would prevent local governments from setting wage standards. And, just for good measure, the legislation also would prohibit municipalities from regulating billboards more strictly than the state does, from passing no smoking ordinances, and from enacting strong consumer, environmental, job safety and other laws that the people want—but that the corporate powers oppose.