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With $10 billion in new federal coronavirus relief assistance flowing into state coffers, would it not be ironic if a hunting trip turned out to be the element needed to end a feud between the governor and the Republican-controlled Legislature on spending this cash?
Even if you've only been half awake these past few months, you must have bumped into this ugly back-and-forth going on in our town.
The governor hangs on for dear life to her emergency powers to curb the spread and spiraling death count of the virus, while the GOP-dominated Legislature scratches to get a seat at her table when those monumental and life-changing decisions are being hatched as lawmakers try to prove they are the "voice of the people."
There have been court battles, a war of words through press conferences and news releases, and, now, the threat of another lawsuit from the state Senate Republicans, where the name Gretchen Whitmer triggers anger and, recently, a possible fist fight was contemplated on the front lawn of the Capitol by the Republican Senate majority leader, Mike Shirkey.
The special interest groups, anxiously lining up at the trough to swallow all that federal cash, are getting worried that the family feud could jeopardize the drinking.
Enter Dave Massaron.
Dave who?
He's the governor's new budget director, who has been slogging away, trying to forge a real working relationship with two key Republicans who hold the $10 million purse strings.
"I've started to develop a good relationship with both chairmen. We share the same end goal," Massaron tries to positive-spin a negative story.
The fact of the matter is, as the governor likes to say, her budget guy has not had an honest-to-goodness, sit-down, toe-to-toe budget negotiation with state Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, chairman of the state Senate Appropriations Committee, and state Rep. Tom Albert, R-Lowell, chairman of the state House Appropriations Committee.
Sure, the trio has talked, but talk is cheap, and, at the end of the day, the two Republicans have made many budget decisions without any significant input from the administration.
They are squeezing him out because they hope that will force the governor to relent and share some of her power with them.
So far, she has not folded to the pressure tactic.
So it falls to Mr. Massaron, the son of a former and widely respected leader in the UAW labor movement, to find a way to bridge that gap and forge that working relationship with the two lawmakers.
That is going along pretty well, regarding Mr. Massaron and Sen. Stamas. They are not drinking buddies, but it appears there is some rapport that could provide the foundation for serious budget talks.
The Massaron/Albert duo is another story. It's a work in progress and has not reached that plateau the budget director longs for.
"We both have young families. We're both outdoorsmen. I'm hoping that he'll invite me hunting so that we can further build that relationship as we move forward," the guv's guy announces on statewide public TV, hoping you-know-who is watching.
His father undoubtedly taught him that winning the political game is all about trust and relationships built on mutual respect, and, maybe, hunting would unlock that door?
The budget director knows that $10 billion challenge with the R's will be "a very rough process that will take time," but, putting on his best Mr. Rogers positive attitude, he assures the two Republicans: "I'm going to try to be optimistic we can be able to work together to get this done, (and) it's time we all got to the big boy table and actually try to get results for people who live in the state."
That "amen" you hear is from the people in this state who should be sick and tired of this internal power struggle that has a stranglehold on bipartisan cooperation.
Maybe a walk in the woods with rifles at their sides on a Pure Michigan morning is just what is needed now more than ever?
Mr. Massaron sits by the phone, waiting for the invite to see if that's possible.