Taking Candidates to School LANSING, MI (MPRN) -

A group of Lansing insiders representing both major political parties has developed a primer on state government for candidates for governor.

The group includes advisors to governors, former cabinet officials, lobbyists, and a university president. Their document runs 21 pages and has more than 200 questions on issues they say the next governor will have to address.

The 25 categories include education, labor, agriculture, and taxes.

Rick Cole was the chief of staff for Governor James Blanchard. He says the document is a learning tool for candidates and the public to use before the launch of the campaign season next year.

"Hopefully, every candidate, not only for governor, but for legislative offices and others, will take a look at this and realize that running state government is an extremely complex set of challenges and they really need to gather all the facts before they need to express and opinion on everything, and I think this will help do that," says Cole.

Cole says the document is not a candidate questionnaire. He says its purpose is to help prepare whoever wins next year to begin governing on January first-2011. There is also a web blog where members of the public can add their questions. The Michigan's Next Governor Project and Blog can be found at: http://michigansnextgovernor.wordpress.com/ © Copyright 2009, MPRN