By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI –
Most of the declared candidates hoping to replace Governor Granholm say her final State of the State speech was underwhelming. And they say that the governor failed to directly confront the problems facing the state.
Republican state Attorney General Mike Cox is running for governor.
"You know, the governor talked about she doesn't have a silver bullet, the next governor doesn't have a silver bullet - and that's obviously the truth, but she hasn't talked yet about biting the bullet," he says. "And she hasn't talked yet about reforming state government."
Cox says the governor is relying too much on money from the federal government to turn the state around.
Oakland County Sherriff Mike Bouchard, state Senator Tom George and retired CEO Rick Snyder are also running for the Republican nomination for governor. All of them were in attendance for the State of the State speech, and had similar criticisms.
Democratic candidate state Representative Alma Wheeler Smith also attended the speech.