Tim Skubick

So who has the toughest job in Lansing?

Nope. Not the governor.

Nope. Not the guy who parks cars for lawmakers. (Gotcha. There is no such person.)

If you picked Winnie Brinks you’d be right for the purpose of this installment.

But points off if you are going, Winnie who?

Winnie Theresa Brinks is the first female leader of the Michigan senate in state history and the first Democrat to run the joint since 1984. It is true that Sen.Gretchen Whitmer was a senate leader but she was minority leader and not Majority leader which is the title the 57 year old Spanish major from Calvin college holds.

If you pay attention to this stuff, she has become a household name thanks to the House GOP Speaker Matt Hall who has blasted her relentlessly for her alleged inability to lead and a host of other complaints that would fill the rest of these column inches.

But that’s not the reason she has one of the toughest assignments in our town.

The reason is she has to serve two “masters.” The one who sits in the governor’s seat and the 19 Democratic state senators who elected her to the top senate job.

Suffice it to say keeping both “bosses” happy is no stroll through the park. Believe it or not Democrats do not walk in lock step on every issue. In fact one of the story lines has been that many of the senate D’s are at odds with their governor and perhaps vice versa.

Almost by definition every governor wants her troops to fall in line and honor their requests and sometimes demands. But at the same time, governors know there were opponents even in her own party. And at the end of the day in the past senate leaders have more often than not sided with the folks who brought the leader to the dance rather than waltz to the governor’s tune.

Part of her tough job is at times she has to get her hands dirty by taking on the Speaker.

To wit as this new year begins, there are no hats and horns as the Democrats are united in their budget battle vs. Mr. Hall et.al. who took $645 million state dollars away from a variety of Michigan non-profits and others without a vote of the full house and senate nor a sign off from the governor. Mr. Hall say it was all legal.

No it wasn’t ruled Democratic attorney general Dana Nessel who tagged the speaker with using veto power to stop spending, a power that she opines belongs only to the governor.

Mr. Brinks concurs taking a whack at Mr. Hall for a change and if you think she is some sort of West Michigan shrinking violet, think again.

She called his actions “unscrupulous (and) unconstitutional” and on top of that, check this out as she critiques Mr. Hall’s conduct as leader.

“He’s been unconventional…it’s been an interesting approach,” as she warms to the subject.

“He certainly does not respect the institution or the rules of the game as they’ve been worked on by previous legislatures” including those under Republican control.

But wait, there’s more.

“So it’s been dismaying to see him try to break the institution rather than work together in the best interest of the people of Michigan…He is choosing to do this in a very reckless way rather than a positive way.”

Asked if that made him a legislative bully? she quickly responded, “those are your words but I certainly think there is a more positive approach he could be taking

Unless someone can prove other wise, this analysis from her is the harshest to date and when the speaker was asked for a response, he offered this.

He argues she and her Lansing insiders are “addicted to pork spending. And like any addict, they lash out when they don’t get their fix” while adding, they are ‘furious that I’m holding them accountable for their waste, fraud and abuse.”

As for her charge regarding how he allegedly does not “respect the rules of the game,” he reflects that citizens “are sick and tired of politicians treating this like a game. That’s why they send people like me to Lansing” as he describes his mission to “upend politics as usual and make government finally work for the people.”

The legislature did adopt his oversight, accountability, and transparency bill called HEAT and he alleges the majority leader, “is mad because I’m stopping years of shady backroom spending (and) giving taxpayers better value for their tax dollars.”

Looks like between these two, peace is not at hand.