Delivered by Chuck Stokes, Editorial Director
Shame on our lawmakers in Lansing! For months, Michigan’s political leadership team told us we would not see a state shutdown like the one in 2007. Ok, so much for promises. Although it was brief, the budget interruption was déjà vu once again.
Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, House Speaker Andy Dillon, and Governor Jennifer Granholm played political cat and mouse with each other right up to their midnight deadline. Then, in a state of panic, they quickly approved a continuation budget. That only buys them about 30 more days of backroom politics and procrastination.
Enough! Lawmakers have had plenty of time to pass a new budget with real structural reform. The timeline wasn’t a surprise to anyone. The problem is everyone wants to avoid the real painful medicine that comes with revamping the entire system. It’s easier to protect your political base, make cuts and raise fees within the existing infrastructure, and then play tug-of-war. This is no way to run state government. Michigan taxpayers deserve better leadership!
Some frustrated politicians are now proposing a plan with real merit. They are calling for lawmaker’s pay to be tied to job performance and meeting deadlines. If that kind of law were in place, in all likelihood, the new budget would have been passed months ago!
Broadcast: October 2 - 5, 2009
