|
|
budget 
Sun Mar 27, 2011 at 19:35:04 PM EDT
|
(The Party of Ideas at work. - promoted by Eric B.)
Remember how the governor put so much emphasis on attracting immigrants to the state as a way to kickstart the economy? (Never mind that we have apparently given up on trying to make it attractive to those of us who actually grew up here.) Based on his budget proposal, though, one might get the impression that his priorities, shall we say, lie elsewhere... Synder's proposed budget has REAL financial consequences to our schools: ... Eliminates the total funding for the bilingual education grants - $2.8 million
Not a very auspicious start. And the legislature hasn't exactly put out the welcome mat either with its own version (HB 4305) of Arizona's harsh anti-immigrant law. Somehow, I doubt foreign entrepreneurs will flock here in the droves Snyder seems to hope for.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Wed Mar 23, 2011 at 16:47:14 PM EDT
|
(I'm busy this morning ... talk amongst yourselves. - promoted by Eric B.)
I was at home in Grand Rapids this afternoon when I got an anonymous robocall from Zeeland that said I should contact my State Senator Jansen and urge him to vote for the Governor's pension tax plan. The actual wording was quite a bit different than that. It was something like, "now some pensions are taxed and some are not and the Governor's plan would make it fairer for everybody" Does anybody know what are the rules about identifying your organization for an issues call?
|
|
Discuss
:: (14
Comments)
|
|
Sat Mar 05, 2011 at 11:22:38 AM EST
|
|
There's a lot of ways to be petty and cheap and stupid, and a lot of ways to stick it to a program you don't like, and by extension, the clients of that program...and this week the House Republicans have embarked on an effort to combine the two into one petty, cheap, and stupid way to stick it to the clients of Social Security and the workers who administer the program.
They're going to sell it to you, if they can, as a way to "lower the deficit", or words similar...but what this is really about is making the actual Social Security program work less well-because, after all, if a program is popular today, the best way to make it less so is to apply a bit of "treat 'em like their cars were impounded" to every interaction customers have with the system.
And what better way to make sure that happens...then to aggressively demoralize everyone who works down at the ol' Social Security office?
|
|
There's More...
:: (1
Comments, 630 words in story)
|
|
Sat Feb 19, 2011 at 10:36:34 AM EST
|
(From the diaries! - promoted by Eric B.)
It seems our Republican governor uses the same playbook as embattled Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Step 1: create (or in our case, worsen) the budget deficit by giving tax breaks to businesses. (Freep) Gov. Rick Snyder uncorked a radical new budget plan today that he says will stimulate new jobs by slashing $1.8 billion from business taxes statewide.
Step 2: use the deficit as an excuse to cut everything else. (Freep again) ...cutting wide swaths through state spending, including money for schools, communities, universities and prisons.
(Michigan Radio) Governor Rick Snyder has asked the Legislature to reverse an employment panel's decision to allow un-married state workers to claim their live-in partners on their benefits. ...
[The governor's chief of staff] says the new policy would cost the state millions of dollars during a budget crisis. "It's not fiscally sound, and right now we just can't afford to do it."
And just so we're clear: | We Can Afford | We Can't Afford |
|---|
| $1,800 million in new tax cuts for businesses | A few million dollars for equal benefits for the rest of state employees | | Current levels of K-12 and university funding | | Revenue sharing to local governments for public safety (which now will be paid for through higher local taxes anyway or through poorer response times) |
Oh, and retirees? The $1 billion that he wants to raise by taxing your pensions won't be enough to cover those business tax breaks either.
Sorry, Governor, your math just does not add up.
|
|
Discuss
:: (3
Comments)
|
|
Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 14:40:17 PM EDT
|
(The state's disinvestment in Michigan will continue until further notice. - promoted by rich)
So this week Governor Granholm unveiled her plans to close the deficits for the current budget year (as in, the one that is already 90% over) and for the next year. Cue Senate Republican obstructionism in 3... 2... 1...
"I've been at this for four years, and this is a lot closer" to mutual agreement than in the past, said Matt Marsden, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop. "This is do-able."
Could it be? Did someone finally see the wizard and get a heart?
But this year, Bishop said he was "encouraged" by the governor's proposal, especially because there were no tax increases.
Oh. Wonderful. The Democrats have figured out that the easiest way to end a disagreement is to just completely give into the other side.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 09:29:42 AM EST
|
|
You probably remember the bomb that Speaker Andy Dillon dropped earlier this year with talk of consolidating the benefits for over 400,000 public employees including emergency personnel, public school employees, and current and retired state employees, in the form of House Bill 5345. The East Lansing-based polling firm EPIC-MRA ran a poll regardless, and released the staggering results earlier this week. Only 22% of those surveyed would support such a measure if enacted. This is in addition to an additional poll that MRG came out with in September showing virtually the same thing - opposition was strong at 57 percent to 37 percent, and within that, 72 percent of GOP voters opposed the bill. (Which is further interesting, particularly if rampant rumors of a possible Dillon gubernatorial run as an independent.) According to Roger Martin, speaking for the group Citizens for Accountability in Reform, hearings in the state House on HB 5345 have stalled and key witnesses have been not been allowed to testify. “House Bill 5345 is viewed as bad and risky public policy by Michigan voters, and legislators who support it will find it to be toxic in 2010 and beyond,” said Roger Martin, spokesman for Citizens for Accountability in Reform, a growing coalition representing taxpayers, police, firefighters, teachers, insurance companies and others who are concerned House Bill 5345 doesn’t provide the reform it promises at a price taxpayers can afford. Martin noted that a House committee holding hearings on the bill has announced that today’s scheduled hearing will be the last for possibly months, even though 10 more bills were introduced late last week to implement the $4 billion to $5 billion state government health plan. “With an election year just around the corner, given Michigan voters’ overwhelming opposition to this legislation, it’s no wonder the committee doesn’t want to hold more hearings,” Martin said. “During the hearings over the past two months, so many witnesses have either voiced opposition or raised serious concerns, opposition to the legislation among voters has skyrocketed.”
|
|
There's More...
:: (5
Comments, 174 words in story)
|
|
Tue Nov 03, 2009 at 16:42:31 PM EST
|
|
This column has been written about already here, but Jack Lessenberry completely misses the point in faulting Governor Granholm for signing a bad budget to prevent a government shutdown. The only thing worse than a bad budget would be a complete shutdown of Michigan government.
Think of the consequences -- and imagine what people like Lessenberry would be saying had the Governor refused to sign a budget and let the state shut down, in the ultimate Halloween nightmare. No Medicaid reimbursement. No inspections of Michigan agriculture. No pay for tens of thousands of state employees, who count on a regular paycheck to take care of their bills and families. Doing more damage to Michigan's credit rating. Adding uncertainty for businesses looking to locate here or that do business with the state. Limited state police protection (just imagine if something awful were to happen as a result).
Does Lessenberry really think these were viable options for the Governor? There's wide-spread agreement that we need to make long-term changes to the way Michigan does business. Lessenberry inaccurately states that the Governor "didn't make the faintest effort to move this state to a graduated income tax." However, just this March the Governor floated a graduated income tax to replace the Senate Republican-designed MBT surcharge - an idea Lessenberry wrote about at the time and supported!
Lessenberry's missing the point. Andy Dillon and Mike Bishop spawned this terrible budget, and left the Governor and the people of Michigan with no options with their eleventh hour nonsense. Lessenberry quotes Dillon as calling this year's budget "child's play" - with the damage they've done to our state already, we can only be thankful for one sane leader in Lansing... Jennifer Granholm.
He is right about one thing, though. Citizens should get vocal about this year's budget, and should contact their legislators (particularly obstinate Senate Republicans) to demand a budget that protects Michigan's future.
It's far past time to stand up and fight - and to place the blame squarely where it belongs, on Bishop and Dillon's "deal".
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Thu Oct 15, 2009 at 18:44:47 PM EDT
|
(Happy viewing! - promoted by LiberalLucy)
Until Friday at noon, consider this post just a teaser, but a tasty one at that. Once it goes live, you can watch it online here or check your local PBS listings.
The dapper Tim Skubick was kind enough to have us back, and I was joined by Mitchell Rivard from the MSU College Dems who blogs both here and occasionally at BFM, while Wes Thorp and our very own frequent commenter, Republican Michigander represented the Right. We discussed the underage drinking by College Republicans provided by the Mike Cox, Mike Bouchard, and Bill Schuette campaigns up at their latest conference on Mackinac Island, and Republican Michigander was able to provide us with a first-hand account since he was in attendance. It also brought up an interesting discussion about the role of bloggers vs. journalists in reporting information, which I'm sure Eric B. would have a thing or two to say about it, given his career. Other fodder included the budget currently being held hostage by Mike Bishop (R-Hair Gel) and it inspired a lively debate about the legislative process, and the legitimacy (or not) of what Bishop was doing, and the roles that Governor Granholm and Andy Dillon play in it all. We ended the segment with a talk about the upcoming gubernatorial race. Personally, my favorite part was the mention by both Republican Michigander and Wes that the leading Republican candidates are just one giant mess. Wes mentioned Mike Cox's well-known martial infidelities, and the problems Bouchard (and the rest of the lot) has on name identification, and Hoekstra, well he didn't even really come up. Either way, we all had fun with the lively debate, and I hope that it entertains and informs those who watch. Many thanks to Tim Skubick for having us on once again!
|
|
Discuss
:: (2
Comments)
|
|
Wed Sep 30, 2009 at 20:25:40 PM EDT
|
|
See these two men? 
They’re the ones responsible for the chaos unfolding at the Capitol. This is the second time in three years that our state has been thrown into chaos thanks to their leadership on our state's budget. Don’t let those who like to go on about the True Bromance between Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) and Speaker of the House Andy Dillon (D-Redford) fool you. If these two men knew what they were doing, we wouldn’t be at the point of shutting down the government right now. Feel free to caption this photo however you want in the comments.
|
|
There's More...
:: (5
Comments, 220 words in story)
|
|
Thu Jul 16, 2009 at 08:01:00 AM EDT
|
|
Truer words were never spoken (via the Freep): House Speaker Andy Dillon dropped a policy bomb Wednesday on Lansing to cut the cost of public employee health care and help the state address a whopping $1.7-billion deficit.
'Bomb' about sums it up. Dillon's plan may sound good, but once you get past the sparkle and glamor of the term 'statewide health plan' it's apparent that this just another case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, or is it robbing Peter to help Andy get elected? *cough, cough* Regardless, Dillon announced his plan yesterday with a full court press, pulling out the stops in the usual fanfare that we've all come to expect. The fact that some of the state's largest unions were barred from the press conference and had to wait to find out from the media themselves after the conference, is if nothing else, disconcerting. Under Dillon's plan, public service employees, everyone from teachers to firefighters to police officers, to legislators and even the Governor, and their retirees, all told more than 400,000, would be swept into one massive health plan. He claims that it would save the state $900 million. Well that sounds all fine and dandy, except when you consider that a move like this would essentially neuter any of these groups, particularly the unions, from being able to effectively engage in collective bargaining, a backbone that has ensured fair pay and labor practices, all things that these deserving folks might normally be blocked from. Also worth mentioning are the very strange bedfellows of the plan. Starting with the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) who's clashed with the teachers unions more than once, and ending with the very guy who tried to recall Dillon not that long ago - Leon Drolet.
|
|
There's More...
:: (37
Comments, 372 words in story)
|
|
Fri Jul 03, 2009 at 14:40:42 PM EDT
|
|
While Republicans appear to be running rampant with burning torches and pitchforks chanting "Slash and Burn!" through the state's budget, it might be worth their while to pay careful attention to a recent poll released last week. Cut early childhood development and education funding and consider yourself on the chopping block. From Monday's subscription-only MIRS- Three-quarters of voters say it is personally important to them to protect early childhood development and education from funding cuts, with 44 percent saying it is extremely important to them and 31 percent saying very important. At least six out of 10 voters across demographic and political subgroups say it is extremely or very important to protect early childhood development and education from funding cuts.
A majority of voters say they would cast their vote depending on a candidate's position on this issue. Fifty-four percent of voters say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who came out in favor of maintaining funding for early childhood development and education, 31 percent were much more likely; 10 percent less likely; 32 percent no difference. Additionally, 54 percent of voters say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who came out in favor of reducing funding for early childhood development and education, 38 percent were much less likely, 15 percent more likely and 26 percent no difference.
Of course this comes on the heels of last week's axing of the Michigan Promise Grant by the Senate Republicans, but only a handful of the caucus are facing re-election. The rest are termed out, allowing them to show their true colors, i.e. kids be damned, or something to that effect. So while they keep the slash and burn mentality, the rest of us are left repeatedly hearing news like this alternative high school that's being forced to close, providing a much-needed second chance for teens. The Legislature is out for the summer recess, but between this poll and the findings of the Cherry Report in '04, you'd think that sooner or later that the Republicans would wise up when it comes to cutting off funding for education. That is, if they ever hope to gain power or seats again.
|
|
Discuss
:: (1
Comments)
|
|
Thu Jun 25, 2009 at 09:34:15 AM EDT
|
|
In the small chance you've been off the Tubes of the Internets for the last 48 hours, chances are you've heard a whole lot of noise about how the Senate Republicans slashed the state's Higher Education budget yesterday, which included the Michigan's Promise, the $4000 scholarship for Michigan students, which 96,000 students in our state receive and depend on. As a geek, I love the online organizing tools -- but as a citizen, this is a great way to send a message that we won't stand for breaking Michigan's promise. From subscription-only MIRS Minutes before the vote on many of amendments that attempted to restore the Michigan Promise Scholarship, Lt. Gov. John CHERRY, who was presiding over the Senate was sending out messages on Twitter telling his followers to use an online tool to write local newspapers to stress why cutting the scholarship was wrong.
Not too long after I saw the tweets from the Lt. Governor, I clicked on one and was taken to the website from A Whole Lot of People Supporting Cherry, his exploration committee, asking me to make sure our state is 'Keeping Our Promises' by visiting an entire section of his website to take action on this one singular issue. Now that might not seem to extraordinary, but if you visit the page, you're apt to be a little more impressed. The page includes a You-Tube video, a petition to sign directed at the Senate Republicans, a link to the Facebook group for the issue, a link to a tool that allows you to automatically send a letter-to-the-editor about this particular issue (with suggested text), a "tell-a-friend" tool, and lastly a link to the news page with all of Cherry's press releases. From an online organizing/get-out-the-vote (GOTV) perspective, that's pretty sweet. To be fair, the Senate Democrats have done an impressive job of also using some of these very same online tools to keep folks informed and engaged through their website, blog and Twitter, and Facebook accounts, and have one of the most active and updated YouTube channels, with over 75 videos to date. On top of all of that, Cherry started using a new online petition tool, http://act.ly, the Twitter Petition, that just launched within the last 72 hours, to also drive the subject. Obviously the Obama campaign set the bar pretty high last year for similar online action, but this early in the 2010 game it's pretty impressive. As someone who makes monthly student loan payments equivalent to what some pay for a mortgage, I appreciate the fight that the leadership of Cherry and the Senate Democrats are taking on with this issue. As a giant geek, I think it's great to see public officials really grabbing this online technology by the horns and using it for a very worthy cause.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Sat Jun 13, 2009 at 10:06:07 AM EDT
|
I don’t know if you’ve been thinking about it, but the costs of long-term care have been on the mind of some friends of mine lately.
For reasons that we won’t go into here, they are in the process of pricing long-term care at care facilities…and yesterday afternoon, we had a chance to have a look at the “menu” of services (the facility's term) that can be purchased at this particular location.
If you are facing this issue in your own family, if you are a taxpayer thinking about how we plan to fund long-term care in the future…or if, one day, you expect to be old yourself…this conversation will surely matter.
|
|
There's More...
:: (5
Comments, 1788 words in story)
|
|
Thu Mar 26, 2009 at 15:35:39 PM EDT
|
Yes .....CSI-Michigan-Asbestos....it is time to bring in Jerry Bruckheimer to talk about the future of Michigan cities, towns as crime scenes and sites of emergency, acute and chronic asbestos contamination and human exposure with adoption of the Fiscal 2009-2010 budget removing all asbestos inspections and enforcement against asbestos emissions.
The only problem is that under Jennifer Granholm's budget, the crime scene investigators get axed before the television
series gets off the ground....too bad, I had really looked forward to seeing Granholm in full asbestos HAZMAT drag.
|
|
There's More...
:: (0
Comments, 792 words in story)
|
|
Mon Mar 23, 2009 at 16:56:52 PM EDT
|
We’ve heard it all before: President X proposes Y and Z in his (or hers – future tense, people), and sometimes even A in the proposed budget. But what we haven’t heard before, however, is words of encouragement from a leader who actually seems like he might be on the level.
Obviously, we’re talking about President Obama, and more specifically, referencing his proposed 2010 budget. In this landmark document, the prez has allotted significant funding for little things like, oh, let’s see, health care reform, job creation, new energy investment, and tax cuts for the middleclass. It’s the usual stuff, but it’s done in the most unusual way: with a certain degree of transparency, Obama has allowed the American people to see just exactly how the budget is going to work and to understand the very specific ways in which they will be helped by the programs the budget is set to cover.
Now, we probably don’t need to explain why these things would be so important for Michigan. Here in the Great Lakes state, it’s almost beyond debatable that we’ve suffered more under the economic downturn than almost anyone else. Our foreclosure rate is through the roof, “record high unemployment” is starting to become a staple phrase of any and all local TV, and our health care system is little more than an unfunny joke to millions of struggling Michigan families.
And that’s why this groundbreaking budget could not come at a better time for us. More now than ever, Michigan needs the helping hand – the life preserver, if you will – that it can find in President Obama’s budget.
However, in order for this proposal to transition from paper to reality, several things need to happen, but one in particular takes the form of Senator Debbie Stabenow. It goes without saying that Sen. Stabenow has been a longtime advocate of the president’s. She is also an esteemed member of the Senate Budget Committee, and ergo holds the ability to move Obama’s budget along to fruition.
So, there you have it. In order for Michigan to start reaping the sows of this historic proposal, we need one of our best voices in Washington to speak up and take action. You can do as much today – urge Sen. Stabenow to speak out, that is – by going to http://progressmichigan.org/obamabudget.
Time, as usual, is of the essence. Speak out today, and tell Sen. Stabenow to support Obama’s budget through the Senate Budget Committee! The hardworking people of Michigan are counting on you.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Mon Oct 27, 2008 at 01:53:00 AM EDT
|
When last we met, Gentle Reader, we were talking about more or less $150,000 in clothing and beauty services that had been purchased mostly for Sarah Palin’s use by the Republican National Committee.
Since then, we have learned that John McCain himself once tried to outlaw the very type of contribution that led to this situation, we’ve heard McCain’s campaign offer a very non-maverick-y denial...and we’ve learned that the highest paid member of the McCain campaign staff—the person who presumably has the magic touch needed to turn this thing around—will be working her magic with a makeup brush.
As we discussed yesterday, I think I could have dressed Palin for 1/3 of what the RNC paid. Yesterday we “purchased” five of the outfits I think she needs...and with half the shopping done, we’re $670 over budget.
Can she be dressed for a mere $43,000?
Let’s see if we can pull it off...
|
|
There's More...
:: (3
Comments, 1459 words in story)
|
|
Thu May 15, 2008 at 09:40:57 AM EDT
|
|
WILS 1320 am host Jack Ebling talks with Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, on Lansing's budget agreement and some lingering issues, including a veto of one appropriation. Bernero also talks about urban-suburban conflict and the city's parking gestapo. Listen Here
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 23:26:35 PM EDT
|
(From the diaries - promoted by lpackard)
WILS talk host Jack Ebling recently talked with Lansing Mayor Verg Bernero about the city's upcoming budget battle. Jack also gets some interesting insight from Bernero about former state government collegue and current Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Jack also talked to Cooley Law School professor Mark Dotson about Motown's Mayor and the upcoming legal battle in Wayne County.
|
|
Discuss
:: (0
Comments)
|
|
Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 10:45:00 AM EST
|
|
This time of year, there's one thing that really scares me - driving. It's not the snow, the sleet, the ice, the deer/turkey/wildlife that always seem to aim for my car, or even my fellow drivers who seem to lose all of their driving skills as soon as the weather drops below 40 degrees. It's all those blasted potholes. This year it's gotten even worse. With all the heavy weather, road commissions are running out of salt and picking and choosing which roads get treated. I think about the cost of alignments, new tires, struts and shocks, and the ever expensive axle rods and I feel a financial panic attack coming on. There's no such thing as a cheap auto repair, it's just the nature of the business. Media outlets always seem to budget time and staff towards covering the craters in the road, and some even sponsor "find the biggest pothole contests'. It's a smart tactic actually, slow news day, go for the potholes. They always unite people in their anger and frustration and it's the classic us v. them example. We all fall for it, because, well, who really likes potholes? People blame the weather, blame the law of physics, blame the government for under-funding MDOT and all of the above. To a certain extent, it's all true. DriveMichigan, a group that is made up of various construction trade associations, MDOT, chamber of commerces, and labor unions, would like to see that changed.
|
|
There's More...
:: (5
Comments, 712 words in story)
|
|
Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 13:07:01 PM EST
|
|
The glow from the Governor's message of bipartisanship has faded sooner than anticipated with a new series of budget-busting bills sponsored by the Senate Republicans. In an effort to undermine what had appeared to be a somewhat smooth process, the Senate passed SB 1053, SB 1054 and SB 1058 on Thursday. So what's wrong with a couple of bills to "help business"? Well, according to subscription-only MIRS: ... Department of Treasury Legislative Liaison Scott SCHRAGER ... said SB 1053 "essentially puts a neon sign outside the Farnum Building that says, 'Tax shelters available here.'" Blind support for bills pushed by SBAM and the Michigan Chamber are the hallmarks of Senate Republicans, especially everyone's favorite, Nancy Cassis (R-Oz) who whined that Treasury officials... ... were determined to "just say no, no, no."
Cassis actually admitted that she was being fed amendment language instead of you know, listening to her constituents. "All of these amendments have come to us from the business community".
|
|
There's More...
:: (1
Comments, 183 words in story)
|
|
|
|
|
|
