Now, I’ll tell you what I really think of the dynamic trio in Lansing . . .
. . . A bunch of more fear-spreading, non-performing, unrepresenting group I haven’t seen.
They came up with such great money-raising ideas, like taxing makers of bronze baby shoes. It was so good it lasted up until it was ‘sposed to be implemented.
Our governor said, without the tax increase roads and bridges throughout the state could not be fixed. The elderly would be ignored, the sick not cared for, elementary classrooms would have 78 students per teacher, the state could offer no aid to welfare and there would be no state police to patrol the impassable roads.
Or, something like that.
So, while the legislature was trying to come up with a financing program she could accept (another way of saying, her way or no way) our governor was in California with Arnold and Al (Gore).
In a previous show-down on the budget our governor was in Europe.
Ah, the leadership abounds, not in Lansing but in Europe and California.
Our governor said she has ‘slashed? spending to the fullest extent possible.
Wherein, it turns out the expenses weren’t actually cut, the expenses in the budget actually rose. The proposed increases in expenditures were cut.
Try that approach in your personal accounting. Only in politics will anyone attempt to sell that to those footing the bills.
Of course, it has forever been thus. It’s a universally accepted pitch in Lansing and Washington, regardless of political leanings.
The latest approach by our governor to running our state is to appoint someone to run our state.
She appointed a chief operating officer. Didn’t you and I always think that COO acronym fitted the governor’s job description?
Had you given this appointment some thought, wouldn’t you appoint a person with business experience to oversee the state’s business?
Well, our governor named a man who has devoted all his time for several years to litigiating deals to smooth things in the Detroit area. People in Engadine are very pleased with this appointment. It means so much to them.
What I think has happened here is the governor has appointed a person to push her programs with HIS name, while SHE devotes her time to promoting a legacy. She’ll espouse the good news, and he’ll take the hits for her.
Enough of that. Now let’s talk about the primary, where, you sign in to get a party ballot of your asking, only to have your name given exclusively to that party. Let the direct mail campaigns begin. No, you can’t have your name given to anyone else. How did the greedy not chose to sell those names?
There is no place for independent voters in the Michigan primary. Is that fair? It is in Lansing.
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Along these same lines of me-isms, is the refusal of many school districts to have their elections at the same time state elections are held.
Holding elections is expensive. Of course, it ain’t my money, so saving money on school elections isn’t a priority.
Which brings me back to the same question: where in politics is there a money saving factor?
The major factor in politics is to propose a budget 50 percent over the projected income, then when the uproar occurs, pare it back to 25 percent thus convincing voters their best interest were always at the heart of the matter. And so we hear all the cliches: it took a lot of soul searching, biting the bullet, squeezing the lemon, arm twisting, midnight oil burning, compromising and appealing to the Almighty. When in fact the politicians only push the day of reckoning onto our grandchildren’s shoulders, placing the future of our state in jeopardy. But, heck, they won’t be in office when the fat lady sings — it will be somebody else’s problem.
Or, for us, maybe just hoping more competent people will win the next election.