| I have to wonder whether these people really do want less government, or if they're just shouting to oppose people they don't like? The smallest government entity in Michigan is the township. Not surprisingly, townships are also the most efficient. In the township where I reside, there are no taxpayer-funded pensions that are inherently unsustainable. And no layoff notices during tough times either. Liberals do not like the 6 mile by 6 mile townships however, opting instead for cities that are largely union-dominated with unsustainable benefits and wages. During this time of recession, their idea is to do away with the efficient townships and fold them into the bloated, union-dominated city government. From The Grand Rapids Press via MLive: Townships offer simple, affordable lifestyle, but are they an antiquated form of government?
If by efficient, he means hundreds of little fiefdoms spread across the state that rather than spending tax dollars doled out to them by the state instead expect county government to provide services like public safety and planning and zoning, then I guess he's got a point. Me, I call that leeching. There is the flip side to this, which is that even those townships that have their own zoning and planning hired a different consulting firm to put it together than neighboring governments, which means that the patchwork of local governments also gives you a patchwork of different zoning ordinances which often conflict with ordinances across the street and use different languages. Thanks to that, businesses that want to expand or relocate have the privilege of hiring attorneys and other experts to sort the mess out. But, I suppose making it easier for businesses to relocate and expand is a small price to pay for the privilege of maintaining another layer of government that was more relevant back when people still mostly lived, worked, and recreated within 10 miles of home. P.S. Everytime I go visit the Blogprof, I'm reminded of the time when he referred to this site as the "Soros-funded Michigan Liberal." Note to George Soros: I'm still waiting on that check. |
