The Democratic gubernatorial race in Michigan right now is a bit of a clown show. The front runner, Lt. Governor John Cherry has left the race. A former state Treasurer got in and out in less than a week. Even George Perles, former Mich.State Univ. football coach has been suggested as a candidate. Right now the mayor of Lansing Virg Bernero, two state Reps, Alma Wheeler-Smith and Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, and Genesee County treasurer Dan Kildee are all in.
The GOP is putting up a number of candidates in including Pete Hoekstra, Rick Snyder and AG Mike Cox.
But now comes Tea Partier Stacey Mathia. Will she be a spoiler for the Republicans?
Adding to Cherry's fund-raising troubles were persistent rumors circulating in the state Capitol that political managers in President Barack Obama's White House were keen on keeping a Democrat in the Michigan governor's office. Because of that, they were not discouraging House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, from running.
Speculation continued Tuesday that a Dillon campaign would be marketed by Chicago-based AKPD Media and Message, which crafted the strategy for Obama's presidential campaign and was founded by White House advisor David Axelrod.
Andy doesn't strike me as having the "fire in the belly" to pull this off, but with the Obama marketing machine behind him... and you know he will have the corporate donors behind him...
I'll ask this again. It's Mike Cox vs. Andy Dillon for governor. What do you do?
Because for me, I really doubt that I would stay home and take a chance on Cox being governor. Or Hoekstra. Or any one of the teabaggin' crowd. I just couldn't do it.
THAT is how the Democrats get you. And today, a part of me hates them for it.
Be prepared to hear the words "Grand Bargain" over and over again this year as responsible people look to address the problems with our tax structure and make sure our state services such as education, public safety and health care are adequately funded. Slowly but surely, "business", in the form of a group called the "Business Leaders for Michigan" (a statewide version of the Detroit Renaissance that is starting to rival the MI Chamber of Commerce in media prominence) is waking up to the fact that you can't trash the place and expect people to still want to shop at your store. While they don't agree on all the details, the consensus seems to be that compromises must be made by everyone involved - from a review of tax credits and exemptions, to the still nebulous "reform" of spending on state employee salary and benefits, to lowering the sales tax and expanding it to the growing services sector - a sensible plan will have all parties involved willing to "give a little to get a little" to put our state's finances on solid ground, right?
In the face of $1.8 billion gaping hole in the next state budget, which essentially doubles down on the cuts we just made and that no one can really fathom doing again, even legislative Republicans are making noises that indicate they are willing to back off their stance on "no new revenue". The Freep has some interesting quotes:
Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that without tax reform, the next budget will be "making do with what we have."
But Sen. John Pappageorge, R-Troy, said he's not giving up on helping schools with new taxes. He represents six districts hard-hit by budget cuts.
"Schools cannot take a $500 per-pupil cut," he said.
"Without tax reform" being the key words from Jelinek there. House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer commits teabagger blasphemy in this one:
"As Republicans, we don't oppose all taxation. What we're concerned about is that we have significant reforms in place."
House Republican reform always consists of "let's git the poor people", but it's nice to know that they won't cut all our revenue, because past statements made us wonder about that sometimes. It's Tim Skubick that brings us the real shocker though. It seems that even the head of the MI GOP Ron Weiser has signed on to some of the BLFM plan, which seems to leave only one obstacle standing between this state and the discussion on reform, and - surprise, surprise, surprise - once again that obstacle is Mike Bishop. Rehashing the old story of Anuzis weighing in on the budget battle in '07, this one has a different twist - the party kinda sorta siding with the governor (and Dillon too when it comes down to it), and leaving the cheese to stand alone with his extreme friends on the right.
Weiser notes that he has not endorsed the whole package put forth by the "Business Leaders for Michigan" which is a morphed reincarnation of the old Detroit Renaissance group. But he says some of the concepts are worth doing.
Through his mouth piece, Bishop basically tells Weiser what he told Anuzis: Stay out of my business. Warm letter to follow.
All of this is slowly reaching critical mass as the governor has hooked-up with the BLFM folks and is eager to forge a "Grand Bargain" in which everyone gives a little to get a little, as she puts it.
Her "little" to get is new revenue which Bishop is loathed to support and the specter of having the GOP chair on Granholm's side, even though Weiser has not embraced new money, is a P.R. problem for Mr. Bishop which forces him to explain why he and Weiser are not on the same page... again.
Bishop is embracing the teabagger crowd for his own political gain. That much has been made obvious. But as has been increasingly pointed out lately, that is presenting a problem for the Republican Party as a whole....
They want to harness the potential political energy and power of the "tea party" movement. But they are very wary of ceding their party to that movement. Thus, the often absurd dance of the Republican Party, which in one breath embraces the teabaggers while in the next breath endeavoring hard to keep them at arms length.
If Bishop insists on being unreasonable about this and drags his feet on addressing tax reform, it's going to be up to the Democrats to point out that his views do not coincide with some members of his own party as well as the majority of the citizens of Michigan. It remains to be seen whether or not the Democrats are up to that task, but since the GOP is more than willing to blame the fallout of the cuts on Governor Granholm and other Democrats (break the government and then complain that it's broken), they sure as hell better try and make it crystal clear where the problem really lies - or be prepared to face the consequences of an unmotivated "base" next November.
It's just going to take some time, and the will to fight through the tough times to come in '09. You ready? It's going to get pretty bad. With the auto restructuring, we are looking to lose anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 jobs next year. The dominoes have already been set in motion. Tax revenues are down, cuts will have to be made, the right is gearing up to blame this all on the Democrats, and we are going to need all hands on deck to maintain the quality of life and the plans already in place that will position us for job growth in the future.
I knew it would be tough. And it was. The toughest year yet. It was historical. I don't think any of us have quite wrapped our minds around what has happened here in this past year - really this past decade, when you think about it. The major driver of this state's economy, manufacturing, and particularly auto manufacturing, was brought to its knees. 100 years to build, 10 years to nearly destroy. And it culminated with national economic conditions that haven't been seen since the Great Depression.
Imagine you are this woman. Tax revenues are plummeting. Unemployment is soaring. Two of the Big Three file for bankruptcy and teeter on the edge of extinction. Your state budget is $3 billion in the hole. The press is attacking, the citizens are hurting, the legislature is paralyzed... oh, and by the way, you're being vetted for the Supreme Court. Man. Through it all, you keep fighting for the priorities that you know are right, that you know will get us to where we want to go. So, not only are you trying to hang on to what you have, you are working to diversify the economy, build towards a better future, and most of all, stay positive in the face of such adversity. She isn't the cheerleader that she used to be - but she held her own through the toughest of times.
For the list of all the good things that have happened this year - and there were plenty when you look at it - check the state release here.
On a personal note, people can (and do!) call me all the names they want, send me hate mail, speculate on my motives (and it was never about a Lansing career, unless Al Goldis wants to give me his job) - I still am veryproud to support this governor. I believe that we are on the right track, and the seeds that are being planted now in renewable energy, the film industry, health care, advanced manufacturing - all of that, combined with a revived and competitive domestic auto industry, will bring this state back again. You can see it coming.
But first, we have to get through one. more. brutal. budget - and this time, we get to do it in an election year. Oh my.
Granholm said she's ready and willing to enter into a "grand bargain" to restructure the state's outdated tax scheme. She said she's willing to talk about a tax revamping that brings in the same amount of money as two years ago, but a revenue neutral plan that maintains tax collections at 2010 levels would not be acceptable.
Asked what is meant by a grand bargain, she replied: "Everybody gives something, everybody gets something ... there's pain all around."
Such a deal might include lowering the sales tax and extending it to services, Granholm said. She added she's working with the business community, House Speaker Andy Dillon and "hopefully the Senate Majority Leader" Mike Bishop on such a tax plan.
The Governor said she's not going to throw some plan out there just to have them say "no" - this is going to take cooperation from everyone, and as we have seen so frequently over the past couple of years, that might be impossible, especially with the "Party of No" gearing up to use both the cuts and the economy against all Democrats in the elections. Next year will not be about Jennifer Granholm, and she knows it. When it comes to the budget battle, it's about the Mike and Andy Show, and what they have in mind for their future plans, God help us. We'll see the revenue numbers in January, and go from there.
2010 could be very interesting indeed. Fasten your seatbelts and grab some popcorn, and get ready to watch the show. There are teabagger Republicans that need a whoopin', and I hope you all will be around to help.
Two Statewide Polls by Different Firms Find Strong Opposition
With two surveys of Michigan voters now finding strong opposition to House Speaker Andy Dillon's proposed mandatory state government-run health insurance plan, it's little wonder hearings on legislation to implement the plan have been halted and key witnesses have not been allowed to testify.
On Monday, EPIC*MRA released a new survey of Michigan voters that found strong opposition to House Bill 5345 among Democratic, Republican and Independent voters. In September, a survey of Michigan voters conducted by Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group (MRG) also found wide opposition to the scheme to force all public employers in Michigan and nearly 1.5 million residents to give up their private health insurance and instead get their insurance from a state government plan that would be created by the Legislature and run by 13 political appointees of the governor and Legislature.
In both surveys, voters expressed concerns with the mandatory nature of the legislation, the risks and costs to Michigan taxpayers, and state government's ability to manage the plan.
While Mike Bishop continues to prance around and brag about how he stood "firm" on taxes, local leaders across the state are struggling to find funding to provide police and firefighters to Michigan citizens - and now we can add Wyoming to the growing list of cities that will be forced to ask voters for a millage increase to avoid putting people's lives in danger.
A 2-mill property tax increase dedicated for police and fire services may come to voters next spring as part of a budget-balancing plan that includes a transition to a public safety department.
After debating an income tax and other fiscal options Thursday during a day-long retreat, Wyoming City Council appears poised next month to approve a five-year levy request for May's ballot.
Wyoming is a "red" city that borders Grand Rapids, and is not one to reach for a tax increase unless it is absolutely necessary. With the loss of GM, declining property values, and the cuts to state revenue sharing, they are at the point where they have to do something to raise around $4 million dollars. And if it doesn't pass? Better find a way to hook the garden hose to the nearest fire hydrant.
We can make it work (without the millage). The problem is you may not like the level of service you get," City Manager Curtis Holt said. The levy "is obviously money that's replacing revenue-sharing dollars that we're no longer getting" from the state.
The tax would restore six police jobs and five firefighter posts cut through attrition in the first half of the current fiscal year, as the city begins moving toward a public safety department with cross-trained officers.
A no-levy alternative reviewed Thursday would leave those jobs unfilled and cut five more police officers and 14 more firefighters.
They also are looking at cutting 12 other non-safety positions, as well as the local public access television station.
Lost jobs, the possibility of lost lives, and the burden of holding elections (and all that costs) in cities across our state next year; that is the legacy of the Bishop-Dillon budget agreement. You start to wonder what effect that will have on any kind of state-wide ballot proposal should the legislature choose to avoid a major overhaul of our revenue system next year. Instead of lawmakers stepping up to the plate, doing their job, and taking votes on revenues, the citizens will have to do it - and that has to be some kind of nightmare for local officials. You have to ask too many times, the voters will say "no" (or won't turn out at all), and the cuts will happen anyway. Now, go sell yourself to "business" as a city they should invest in. Good luck.
Remember that the next time Mike boasts in a campaign about how "strong" he is - all he did was pass the burden down to local leaders, force them to take the tough votes, and put their jobs on the line when they have to campaign next time around. Leadership? More like cowardice. But it is kind of nice to see Republicans eat their own for a change.
Hard to believe those city leaders will be jumping on the "Team Bishop" bandwagon anytime soon.
Late Tuesday, House Speaker Andy Dillon of Redford Township said his fellow Democrats who control the House will have to accept the bitter medicine of deep cuts with the hopes that the Republican-controlled Senate would muster votes for new taxes or fees to restore programs they say are critical to the state's values.
"Where lives could be in jeopardy, where the future of the state is put in jeopardy, we will do a supplemental budget and we will identify how we pay for it," he said. "That plan is still in motion."
State House Speaker Andy Dillon says he does not expect there will be a deal to restore funding for college scholarships, health care, or local governments, before the Legislature begins its winter break.
The Redford Township Democrat said in an interview today with The Detroit News he doesn't want to wait until January or February to mitigate the $292 per pupil reductions in school aid because it would be too late for many local districts.
"For example, Wayne-Westland is talking about closing seven buildings now," he said. "We need to find some short-term, targeted revenues for schools (this month)."
But we're not gonna do that either. A mere five days later:
Nevertheless, Dillon pegs the odds of restoring money for schools at less than 50-50.
We understand that the House is up against the unmovable teabagger object in Mike Bishop. No doubt about that. The problem here is the reluctance to point that out - which makes the Democrats look like the surrender monkeys that they are. How in the world do you expect to motivate people to work for you in 2010 when it appears that there is no inclination on the part of Democrats to fight for the things that matter to people?
Speaker Dillon, get to the blackboard and write 100 times:
The Republicans refuse to fund our schools.
The Republicans refuse to fund our schools.
The Republicans refuse to fund our schools.
And don't talk to the press again until you get it through your head. Your refusal to frame this in the correct manner is going to cost us dearly.
You may have seen news recently about the "Race to the Top," a national competition for hundreds of millions of dollars in education funding for the state that reforms and innovates when it comes to education. It's all part of the President's goal of having the US lead the world in the percentage of college graduates by 2020. The Michigan Promise Scholarship should be included as part of Michigan's "Race to the Top": it makes perfect sense if we're trying to increase the number of college graduates.
Next week, the House is expected to take up Race to the Top legislation (it has to be passed by the end of the year). Join the MSU Dems in taking action.
Call Speaker Dillon and the House leadership team and let them know: Michigan can't "race to the top" without the Michigan Promise Scholarship. Restoring the Michigan Promise should be included in any Race to the Top education reform legislation next week, to increase the number of Michigan college graduates and enhance our state's chances in the Race to the Top competition.
Call and email TODAY -- and spread the word:
Speaker of the House Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp)
517-373-0857
andydillon@house.mi.gov
Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon Twp)
517-373-0828
pambyrnes@house.mi.gov
Don't forget to tell MSU's own State Representative, Mark Meadows, that he has this chance to make up for his vote against the Michigan Promise in October - call him too!
Rep Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing)
517-373-1786
markmeadows@house.mi.gov
In today's column, 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".
Town hall meetings full of effigy-burning loudmouths. Budget deals full of razor blades cutting our state to the bone and beyond. The Detroit Lions.
Let's face it, it's tough being a Michigander right now. Some news organizations are ticking down the minutes to disaster on a clock straight out of "The Watchmen," but the closest thing we have to a radioactive blue superhero is...Andy Dillon.
Just thinking about it sets my jaw on edge.
But I have TMJ and I have to wear a mouthguard at night, and I need to find a way to lower my blood pressure.
So instead of blowing my lid like the little teapot (short and stout), I'm signing up for this. Not that I plan on waking up at 5am to read it, but when I get to work, there will be at least one laugh to be had.
If it has been produced I missed it, but where is a copy of Andy Dillon's SurrenderAgreement with Bishop? Why hasn't Andy shown it to the people impacted by his total capitulation to Bishop? Did Andy lose the Dillon Surrender Agreement in a card game with lobbyists at the Lansing Country Club? Did he lose it at a casino? Did Andy drink too much and forget where he left the Dillon Surrender? Did he give it to some special friend and she wants to show it to her friends? Andy needs to get Dillon Surrender Agreement out if for no other reason than the moment he does start to run for another office Bishop will use it to nuke Andy.
House Speaker Andy Dillon has suspended his campaign for Governor of Michigan in order to devote his full time to solving Michigan's budget crisis, Bellringer News has learned.
"The unprecedented budget crisis facing Michigan is of the utmost importance, and requires us to have a Speaker of the House," said Wilbert Frankfurt, Dillon's campaign manager.
When pressed Mr. Frankfurt drew on the example of John McCain, suspending his presidential campaign to deal with a government financial crisis as providing a "teaching moment" for other ambitious pols.
"John McCain's mistake was that he suspended his campaign too early," said Frankfurt, adding that McCain should have waited until the crisis was nearly over in order to reap the maximum political benefits. "Look, it's almost a year later and we're still having federal budget and deficit problems. Speaker Dillon has waited until the very last minute to address the deficit, and we think it will pay off. Planning, let's face it, sucks as a fun activity and is not exciting like running for governor."
Dillon's move is already making waves among politicos, with many on the right hailing it as an act of selflessness and many on the left asking, "Can Speaker Dillon walk and comb his hair at the same time?"
This, you may recall, was the same question (eventual winner) Barack Obama posed to (the badly beaten) John McCain. Senator McCain later attempted the feat on "So You Think You Can Dance" only to find out that no, he couldn't.
EAST LANSING - Michigan State University College Democrats President Mitchell Rivard issued the following statement today responding to budget negotiations between Speaker of the House Andy Dillon and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop:
"It is despicable that Speaker Dillon and Senate Majority Leader Bishop have agreed to balance the budget on the backs of Michigan's students and future generations," said Rivard. "These cuts to higher education, including the elimination of the Michigan Promise Scholarship, will kill the hope of a college degree for students across the state. These cuts are delusional and will have disastrous effects on Michigan's future. We did not vote for the Democratic Party in a landslide in 2008 so they could turn around and cave in to the Republicans."
For over two decades, Michigan's budget has been a mess. The politicians in Lansing are still considering the Senate Republican budget, one which applies the same generic formula of cut, cut, cut. This hasn't worked in the past, and it won't work now. Over the last decade, state government has been cut to its smallest size since the 1970s, with billions being cut from state government. There's nothing left to cut, without damaging the future of our state and its children.
Michigan cannot balance today's budget on the back of tomorrow's children.
If children are the future, Michigan has apparently decided it doesn't want one. The talk of Lansing is still a Senate-passed budget whose virtues are that it was proposed early and that it is balanced. But the plan also devastates children, and on the way even threatens the ability of nursing homes to stay open and municipalities to stay solvent.
Michigan can do better.
While this seems obvious to most, a group of lawmakers in Lansing seem to think children are something we can sacrifice to the budget. While both Speaker Andy Dillon and Majority Leader Mike Bishop insist that progress is being made on budget negotiations, Michigan's future hangs precariously over the edge of a cliff. Do we want to cut that future and jeopardize Michigan families?
I've had enough of protecting CEO pocketbooks and corporate profits while balancing the budget on the back of families (after all, if these cuts come to pass, tuition will go up, property taxes will go up, etc. - it's not like costs won't be passed on down the line, just in a less fair, equitable way). I bet you have too. Visit http://www.abettermichiganfuture.org, and take action against these devastating cuts.
WE MUST GET JOHN CHERRY in THE Governors office and Andy Dillon should be thrown out as turncoat Dillon , speaker of the Michigan House of representatives throws in with Republicans!
http://goodmorningflint.blogsp...
As the cost of health care continues to increase at many times the inflation rate, the only answer we hear is to cut costs by cutting coverage.
If one reads the actual Dillon Plan, it uses only very general language. It's savings predictions are justified using phrases like 'economies of scale,' exploring "holistic treatment" and ensuring "best medical practices." But the truth is that any actual savings can only come from cutting coverage and increasing payments.
It gives no attention, or even calls for investigation into the cause of the ever-increasing cost of health care.
So we're left with a race to the bottom. Anyone who succeeds in keeping decent coverage is villianized. Who are these people? Those that unionized.
So the opponents of unionism, led by the Mackinac Center, see this opening and jump right in. And make no mistake, this is an attack on unionism: there are two major concerns of all employees, pay and benefits. And the Dillon Plan makes one of those unbargainable.
Mark my words, if this proposal succeeds, next will be salary. Probably a statewide salary schedule for the schools. Once that's in place, why would anyone bother joining a union?
So any legislator that votes for this proposal aligns him or herself with the Mackinac Center and their cronies. They join the anti-union crowd.
And they're off! Senate Republicans introduced bills in yesterday's session - and the first three out of the box were all we need to know about the direction they are taking.
SB001 - Eliminate the surcharge on the MBT by '10, a problem they created in '07 with their partisan nonsense, a problem they still haven't been able to fix, even though they spent all last year saying they would do so. So easy to just cut that revenue without saying how you would replace it, or what you would cut to mitigate its loss. From MIRS:
As for replacing the roughly $700 million in revenue that the surcharge brings in, Jansen said he's open to the idea. But he said the most important thing is to send a message to the business community about the surcharge.
Former House Tax Policy Chair Steve BIEDA said he'd like to see the surcharge go the way of the dodo, as well, but it has to be done in a "realistic" manner by filling the budget hole.
"Show me the money," he said. "It's kind of like eating your dessert before your vegetables."
Wow, does that sound familiar. Once again, when it comes time to do the heavy lifting or make the hard choices on this sort of action, the Senate Republicans take a pass. They still don't have a clue when it comes to dealing with the consequences of digger the hole deeper, or they don't want to take responsibility for it, one of the two.
SB002 - Create a small business ombudsman's office and compliance advisory panel as an autonomous entity in the department of management and budget. Actually this sounds like a good idea - but it creates "more government" at a time when we are facing a huge deficit for '10. How are we going to pay for it? Members of the advisory panel would not be paid, but can be "reimbursed for expenses". Go read the bill - sounds like a powerful government office that would require a lot of support staff to accomplish its goals.
And behind Door No. 3, here is the bill that shows that the Republicans are still under the control of the extreme rightwing forces in this state. We will take this one verbatim-
SB003 - Sec. 3. In the construction of the statutes of this state, the rules stated in sections 3a to 3w 3x shall be observed, unless such that construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the legislature.
Sec. 3x. The word "individual" shall be construed to mean a natural person and to include a fetus.
Get that? It's the first step to eliminating freedom of choice.
Republican priorities are exactly as the title above states: increase the deficit, grow the government, attack abortion rights.
Here is the kicker in all of this: Andy Dillon comes out yesterday, proposing sweeping changes to government. Not sure what has gotten into him, but it appears he really wants to get some things changed and make this all work for the better for our people and our state, even "choking up" at one point in his speech yesterday talking about a family in his neighborhood that lost their home. Details on his plans are sketchy at this point - but he wants to see action before summer, the biggest items being revamping our tax structure and creating a catastrophic health care plan to deal with runaway costs. Monster issues. He wants to tackle property taxes, business taxes, and there are rumblings about a graduated income tax. The News has a pretty good rundown on the items, but this quote in MIRS sums it up:
"Our tax system is too complicated and stifles economic growth," the Speaker said. "Property taxes are too high and can rise even while values are dropping. We must act aggressively to improve our business tax, repeal the surcharge and cut property taxes to help create an environment of job retention and creation.
"However, meaningful tax reform can only come through a ballot initiative, so we can address constitutional provisions that prevent us from legislating comprehensive reform. For this reason, I ask the Senate and the Governor to join us in crafting a job-creating, comprehensive tax reform measure that we can put before the voters."
Big ambition from the Speaker. Don't know how he intends to do all of this, but if he can figure it all out and protect our quality of life - go for it. Let's cheer him on.
Response from the Senate Republicans? Bet you couldn't predict this one, in the Freep...
"Enough with the cutesy stuff like ballot proposals," said Senate GOP spokesman Matt Marsden. "The Legislature was elected to do a job."
"Why doesn't Dillon send his salary in with it," Marsden said. "I mean -- if he wants the voters to do the job he was elected to do."
Yes, the Legislature was elected to "do a job", but I'm pretty sure that job doesn't entail fiscal irresponsibility, focus of divisive issues, and petty, personal attacks on a leader who wants to try and get things done. Now that Marsden has attacked both the governor and the Speaker of the House, does he really have room to talk about the "tone" of this conversation?
Apparently this is all the Senate Republicans have to offer us; no real answers to our problems, and more partisan bickering. It's starting to look like this will be a long, hard year if that is the prevailing attitude that we will have to deal with as we attempt to move our state forward in these trying times.
There are none so blind as those who will not see, and there are none so dangerous as those who insist on clinging to their failed partisan ideology in the face of the need for real, comprehensive reform in state policy. And just like the budget battle of 2007, Mike Bishop is setting the Republican Senate up to dig in their heels and ignore reality, common wisdom, and expert reports on reducing Michigan's prison costs, and instead is focusing on the Richard Shelby solution to all of life's problems; busting union contracts and cutting worker pay.
First we have to highlight this laughable and disingenuous statement. If Bishop doesn't really like "cuts", then why has it been his answer to every single problem that we face?
"I don't like to say we've got to cut, cut, cut. I never thought I'd be in government to say that. But it is the reality of our times. This is the discussion we have to have."
And why does Bishop think that the Senate should be in control of that discussion? Voters made their wishes clear this past November on which party they would like to see take the lead on policy, would have cleaned out the Senate if they could have, but Mike, in all his arrogance, dismisses the House as "rookies" who need his guidance.
Speaker Dillon, care to respond to this one while it is fresh in everyone's mind?
In 2009, he said, the budget will be the dominant topic of discussion. The Senate will have to take the lead, Bishop said, since one-third of House members will be new to the job due to term limits.
Bottom line is: If we want to see real government reform, the last person we should turn to for leadership is Mike Bishop, and his statements on the issue of cutting prison costs is just one example of why. He has a one-track mind, and that track is simply "cut".
Every single study so far has indicated that Michigan's problem is mainly our high rate of incarceration as compared to other states. From prison policy experts, to state budget analysis, the number of people we lock up and the length of time we lock them up for are seen to be the culprit for escalating costs. In the interest of brevity, let's look at the report on state budget priorities from Public Sector Consultants for the Detroit Renaissance group. Big names like Sikkema, Lannoye and Rustem wrote this up, so you can't really claim a liberal or union bias.
Changes to criminal statutes and sentencing guidelines are difficult political pills to swallow. Legislators tend to be wary of proposals that would reduce sentences and make them look "soft on crime"-a stance that is typically reinforced by the law enforcement community and victim's rights groups. However, Michigan's prison incarceration rate is 45 percent higher than the average of the Great Lakes states. In order to reduce spending now, as well as for the long term, changes must be made to the state's approach to dealing with criminal behavior. By resolving to reduce the prison population to meet the Great Lakes average, Michigan's legislators will demonstrate their commitment to appropriate fiscal practices and recognize cost avoidance annually, up to roughly $400 million per year.
An important consideration when cost savings are achieved by lowering the prison population or reducing the time that a prisoner stays in prison is the reinvestment cost of releasing prisoners back into society. Initiatives to reduce the prison population and control spending must be balanced with reinvestment dollars (such as the Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative), which will improve the likelihood that prisoners who are released are not returned to the custody of the state system.
Basically, get them out, and have a support system in place so they stay out. That is where your biggest cost savings can be found - significant reform in the way we handle prisoners, both in sentencing, and reintegration with society. That is what the pros tell us to do. This report, and others like it, does take a look at state employee benefits as far as health care and pension concerns go, but you are hard-pressed to find examples where employee pay (except for overtime costs) are a major factor in reducing overall prison costs.
So, in the face of this evidence, why is Bishop insisting that employee pay is the problem?
Departments may have to close or merge and some of the state's 50,000 employees may have to take pay cuts, Bishop said. As an example, he points to the state's corrections budget, which amounts to more than is spent on education. Indiana, he said, pays its corrections workers half as much as Michigan.
"The solution is not just to close prisons and release prisoners. ... The solution is how we can afford our corrections employees," he said. "This isn't about hard-working people. This is about a system ... that isn't working."
And who does Bishop sound like when he lasers in on union employees, while conveniently ignoring the rest of "the system"?
It's the same message auto workers are hearing from Congress and many others in the private sector are facing.
And somewhere out there, with the dog-whistle that only the extremists on the right can hear, Betsy DeVos still whispers in the night, "Michigan workers make too much money".
We have a report coming by the end of the month from the Justice Center at the Council of State Governments that will show us the "series of steps to create a more effective and affordable crime fighting strategy for Michigan". Sensible reductions, such as overtime pay and restructuring of benefits will probably be included, and unions will probably be willing to take a look at any reasonable proposal put forth. After all, auto workers and other union members across the country have made concessions and demonstrated that they can be flexible given the current state of the national economy.
Question now is: Will Senate Republicans also demonstrate the willingness to compromise and apply some common sense when it comes to prison reform? Given Bishop's statements so far on the issue, it's not looking good for those who yearn for true leadership from the Senate. Bishop indicates that he thinks that the governor is looking to pass the solutions on to the next adminstation; it's too bad for us that his obstructionist and partisan behavior might be the reason why we end up having to do just that.
So I'm sitting here today, watching the continuing meltdown of the world economy on CNBC, pondering Obama's debate victory and wondering just what in the world to say about all of this, because I'm finding it really difficult to be enthused about the Democrats inheriting the complete and total disaster that is the state of the country after the Republicans get done ruining every. single. thing. they. have. touched. in the past eight years. Hope? Sure I have hope. But right now I'm really bummed that this guy will be saddled with the results of this ineptitude, and worried about how long it's going to be before we really CAN "turn the page" on the economy.
So, in the middle of these deep and depressing thoughts, I get this e-mail press release from the Michigan House Democrats. It's a statement from Dillon on the MBT surcharge, and I think, "Good God, I was hoping I could just ignore the latest act of malfeasance from the Senate Republicans." Sadly, no. Political stunts are the order of the day, and, taking a tip from his leader Crankypants McCain, today Mike Bishop decided that he, too, needed to pull a political stunt on the people of Michigan.
Summoning the press to attention, lo and behold, lookee here it's a Festivus miracle, turns out... NOW Mike Bishop wants to work on state issues. The guy who spent all last year obstructing the budget, insisting on vacations, dragging his feet. The guy who spent all this year obstructing the energy legislation, costing Michigan precious time, jobs and investment. The guy who will do anything he can to avoid doing HIS job, is now complaining that the House Democrats won't jump at the snap of his fingers and serve his will RIGHT NOW on the MBT - and, get this knee-slapper - points to the impending election as the reason they won't do it.
In light of Mike Bishop's previous record of procrastination, the hypocrisy just astounds. Or not, if you have been paying any attention at all to these guys.
At a press conference in our capitol Wednesday, Senate majority leader Michael Bishop said work is needed now to repeal the Michigan business tax surcharge.
Bishop says, "The 22 percent on top of Michigan business tax is overly oppressive aggressive and burdensome on businesses in this state and it's our responsibility to repeal that surcharge and take an aggressive bold step in the right direction."
Really. Well, time to remind everyone just who is responsible for this overly "oppressive aggressive and burdensome" load on business - it's Mike Bishop.
