News, State edges closer to a government shutdown. (Detroit, Lansing: budget, wages)

[John1960]

LANSING -- Michigan policymakers edged closer to the brink of the unthinkable this week, as paralysis in the debate over how to address the state's looming $1.8-billion deficit for the 2007-08 budget year raised the specter of a partial shutdown of state government if no deal is reached by Oct. 1.

Talks to resolve the budget stalemate broke down in a flurry of finger-pointing Thursday night, leaving Gov. Jennifer Granholm and lawmakers stumbling toward the deadline without a plan to pay for an array of government services.

State edges closer to a government shutdown

[SlowWalk]

Good idea; shut-er down! That's the good type of management we vote for. What does that mean?

I have some recomendations: First, close schools. I'm sick of the "For the Children" type jargon to jack my taxes. Second, turn off the water.... Really, I wish they would take a look at what those billions are going out for. Is the money really going for a person's education or a multimillion dollar reception hall and a two million dollar football stadium at every high school? Are they paying businesses to stay? Are they over-paying for road construction year after year yet keeping truck weights 50% higher than allother states?

[Southernkomfort27]

Originally Posted by SlowWalk

Good idea; shut-er down! That's the good type of management we vote for. What does that mean?

I have some recomendations: First, close schools. I'm sick of the "For the Children" type jargon to jack my taxes. Second, turn off the water.... Really, I wish they would take a look at what those billions are going out for. Is the money really going for a person's education or a multimillion dollar reception hall and a two million dollar football stadium at every high school? Are they paying businesses to stay? Are they over-paying for road construction year after year yet keeping truck weights 50% higher than allother states?

How about rescinding that COLA raise for state workers? They are slated to get a raise on wages that are on average, 18-21 bucks an hour....what do the rest of us get...a tax increase! And why is the Dept. of Human Services choosing this time of economic peril to switch over to a new software for its payments workers, and paying to retrain all of them as well. Who foots the bill for that? Yep, you guessed it...Joe taxpayer!

[Sociologist]

While 1.8 billion dollars is a large number of money, it can be argued about for months on how to cut the deficit. I strongly feel the state needs to think about the public first, and not the sheer exercise of trimming services that strapped residents already have a heavy reliance on. When a government can consider cutting funding to an education system that already falls behind most of the country, the thought of the public is already gone....sheer numbers. Not only do we have some of the worst high-school graduation rates in the country, we continue to loose enrollment of our students. Shutting down partial services will do nothing to help the general public in this state, it will create a bandage that will in turn be torn off by the next policy maker, leaving another hole.

[Frankawitz]

It's funny how when these type of posts are put up some people avoid them, they don't want to hear that the Governor or State Reps are the people who need to take PAY CUTS, Because I feel most of them Voted for these noodle heads in the first place, because that person said what the Voter wanted to hear, Higher Education, more High Tech jobs, and the list goes on. the thing is they haven't done a thing to make it happen. Just a lot of LIP SERVICE. I would like to know when the Governor is going to put Her Plan into effect? What in Her last year so we can't do anything to turn us around? Or no wait She said we would be BLOWN AWAY in Her fifth year. Now I know why we are going down like we are, Big THANKS TO Jenny!!!!

[troutmouth]

Originally Posted by Southernkomfort27

How about rescinding that COLA raise for state workers? They are slated to get a raise on wages that are on average, 18-21 bucks an hour....what do the rest of us get...a tax increase! And why is the Dept. of Human Services choosing this time of economic peril to switch over to a new software for its payments workers, and paying to retrain all of them as well. Who foots the bill for that? Yep, you guessed it...Joe taxpayer!

I work for the state government, we "regular" state workers have a double whammy with this stupid state budget issue: we lose our pay for who knows how long, AND we will be paying the SAME high taxes as you...we are ALL "joe taxpayers"...why do you think state workers are any different?

disgusted with the "hate the state worker" attitude

[Cliffie]

What do they even mean by a partial shutdown? How partial? They're muttering about closing the reform school entirely, which BTW is the only long-term care facility left in the state for violent mentally-ill adolescents. Maybe close the prisons and let John Norman Collins and Leslie Allen Williams run free? No more Medicaid? No more Child Protective Services? What are we giving up?

I cannot believe it is this hard to run the state.

[dmetro]

Originally Posted by Sociologist

While 1.8 billion dollars is a large number of money, it can be argued about for months on how to cut the deficit. I strongly feel the state needs to think about the public first, and not the sheer exercise of trimming services that strapped residents already have a heavy reliance on. When a government can consider cutting funding to an education system that already falls behind most of the country, the thought of the public is already gone....sheer numbers. Not only do we have some of the worst high-school graduation rates in the country, we continue to loose enrollment of our students. Shutting down partial services will do nothing to help the general public in this state, it will create a bandage that will in turn be torn off by the next policy maker, leaving another hole.

Um... how about no? Michigan has some of the best public schools in the country, not the worst, especially in Oakland County. You need to get your facts straight before you utter such nonsense.

[jst333]

Yes, agreed thats a little far fetched! Maybe Detroit public schools... I hope people reading these posts realize that there is ALOT more to Michigan than Detroit. Actually, the Suburbs of Detroit make up over 3/4 of the population of this area. There is Detroit, and then there is the rest of us.

[mike jones]

I think a shut down is a good thing.
It will really drive home the point the total incompetence of this state leadership.

The state politicians are cowards cause they are afraid to lose their jobs.
The guys in Lansing better grow some balls and deal with this.

What about everyone else who has lost their job!!