Michigan Budget Crisis. by Fremdfirma

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Michigan Budget Crisis.

POSTED BY: FREMDFIRMA
UPDATED: Saturday, September 29, 2007 10:14
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Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:40 AM

As some of you well know, MI is facing a government shutdown due to a bunch of stubborn jackasses in our legislature apparently incapable of doing the primary job we assigned em.

No, I know I ain't exactly the governments best friend and sure the anarchist part of me is dancing with glee at the idea - particularly if it should happen and citizens realise just how LITTLE it matters, they might start getting ideas...

But the idea of those bunglers in Lansing getting a free pass bugged me, till I saw something that made me laugh myself silly - as I have many times flamed the Police, Gov, and other cadre of the state for, if you don't do the job, or totally bungle it, why the hell should we pay em, right ?

Apparently some politically involved folk around here came to the same conclusion, and posted an online petition here.
http://www.nopaypoliticians.com/
Now, I know full and well that online petitions are laughably ineffective and nobody but the ones pushing it even read em, but it strikes me as a good starting point to push the concept at politicians at least on a state level.

You don't do the job - you don't get paid!

For a single-issue, non-partisan agenda, that ain't a bad one to start with, I know it's a boat I would jump on.

So who's with me on that one?

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:52 AM

HERO

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
As some of you well know, MI is facing a government shutdown due to a bunch of stubborn jackasses in our legislature apparently incapable of doing the primary job we assigned em.

Please. They just can't get over Appalachian State.

Go Buckeyes!

H

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 9:05 AM

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
As some of you well know, MI is facing a government shutdown due to a bunch of stubborn jackasses in our legislature apparently incapable of doing the primary job we assigned em.

For a single-issue, non-partisan agenda, that ain't a bad one to start with, I know it's a boat I would jump on.

So who's with me on that one?

-Frem

[

As a person *W*I*TH* a partisan adgenda, do those stubborn jackasses have little D's after their names, or little R's?

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 9:27 AM

FREMDFIRMA

LMAO... both!

The R's wanna slash and burn, crippling or even ending some services that citizens wanted, voted for, and think are necessary.

The D's wanna raise taxes, when no one can afford that, instead of making enough cuts to not need to.

And not a one of the stubborn assholes wants to give an inch, to the point of taking party politics over the importance of the job at hand.

(I am well aware that kind of widening divide may well one day lead us to a second civil war, but save that for another topic, ok ?)

In essence, they're prioritizing their party loyalties as higher than their loyalty to the people they claim to serve, and us people wanna disabuse them of that notion by kicking them where it will hurt the most - in the paycheck.

State employees will be furloughed, unpaid, and cannot even claim unemployment or use vacation days - in short, they're pretty fucked, sure, they chose to work for the state(insert anarchist twitch and shudder here)but a civilian corp couldn't get away with that shit, so why should the state ?

And the legislators who are the cause wanna keep THEIR salaries and benefits untouched ?

Nope, I don't think so.

I hope Jenny wades in on those bastards and verbally thrashes em, she's a damned effective orator, former states attorney and quite eloquent as a public speaker - she *multilated* DeVos in the one debate they had, and I think she could put that talent to good use here.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 9:36 AM

JONGSSTRAW

Frem...I know and speak with a lot of Michigan folks every week, and they have been telling me it's "bad" there for quite some time now.

One suggestion I would make for the Michigan Business Development Council ( or a name like that?)is to stop running those " Jeff Daniels commercials" to attract businesses.

I'm down here in Florida and I see that commercial almost every day. He tells about how great Michigan is for business, which is fine, but then he proceeds to spotlight one company with the outrageous proclamation that this company is NOT located in San Francisco, but in Michigan...isn't that suprising? Surprising to who Jeff? Holding Michigan in comparison to San Francisco can never be a flatterring or enticing method of attracting new businesses to relocate to your state.

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 1:48 PM

FINN MAC CUMHAL

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
The R's wanna slash and burn, crippling or even ending some services that citizens wanted, voted for, and think are necessary.

Sounds like you need more Rs and the problems solved. Something for Michigan to consider next election.

In the meantime, the less the government is in session the fewer less money they can waste and the less things they can screw up.

Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.

Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.

-- Cicero

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 3:51 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Jong, I think imma have to go with a "ta-whubba-WHO?" on that one, you mighta missed the part in another thread where I mention that I don't watch TV - I meant that, I really don't watch it, at all.

So I have no idea whatsoever what yer talkin about.

Finn, the problem with that idea is that once they've done the slash and burn on social programs, instead of putting the money saved back in the budget, they tend to turn around and throw it, and more, into sweetheart deals for their buddies like Engler did for Metrocars, or juicy but wholly ineffective homeland security contracts for political constituents.

It's not a matter of either side in particular wasting money, both of em do it, it's just a matter of where, is all... now you round me up a couple of Ron Paul type R's, and we'll talk, cause THOSE we could freakin use.. but what we got are career politicians, and they're all the same no matter what letter follows their name.

I will note that as much as I cannot stand Homeland Security, and as screwed up as internal DHS is at DTW, the external security for Metro is pretty good, very smart, and damned effective on their budget - one of the FEW things DHS has ever done that I support, as it is needful, useful, and not invasive or harmful to our rights.
THAT budget item needs to stay, in my opinion.

-Frem
It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Thursday, September 27, 2007 3:56 PM

FREMDFIRMA

"In the meantime, the less the government is in session the fewer less money they can waste and the less things they can screw up."

Spoken like a true Anarchist - ever considered it?
It's definately one of the few things you've ever said that I agree with wholeheartedly.

What was the old saw ?
"No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session."

Painfully true, that.

-F

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Friday, September 28, 2007 9:05 AM

DEEPGIRL187

You live around here, Frem? I'm over in Saginaw myself.

I've never has a lot of faith in Michigan gov't (twelve years of Engler and Granholm? Somebody up there hates us). So in a lot of ways, I'm not surprised this is happening. On the other hand, you really get this sense of children squabbling in the sandbox.

For me, the biggest place this whole budget thing effects me is school. Because the nitwits can't figure the budget out, our tuition just skyrocted. It'll be really be interesting to find out what hare-brained idea they come up with to fix this mess.

"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin'. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd."

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Friday, September 28, 2007 1:34 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Yeah, I live in one of those puny little podunk towns between Detroit and Ann Arbor, and drive a cab in Detroit, or used to, till gas prices and Englers little sweetheart deal with Metrocars kinda killed off my career there.

Squabbling children, you bet, we're still rather stunned locally over the fact that Elmer FUD (aka Paraghi) was ever elected in the first place, particularly since more voters showed up to fire him than elect him in the first place - problem with that is that any of the folks willing to replace him are almost as crooked.

My local citygov is scared shitless of me though, which is of special hilarity to me cause they don't even know my NAME, since I am not very social in person and never identified myself to them.

Shredded their blank check budget for a new school building outside our district, almost cut down their police overbudget (which they immediately spent to buy a fucking SPORTS CAR for the police dept in a town you can literally spit across) and gotten their leader fired soon after that, and his XO is soon to go over credit card misuses and a corrupt little kickback deal with the bank that issued em.

Fact is, your local politicos SHOULD be scared of you, it's the only way to keep em (relatively) honest.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Friday, September 28, 2007 3:36 PM

LEADB

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

You don't do the job - you don't get paid!

So who's with me on that one?

-Frem

sounds mighty fine to me

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Saturday, September 29, 2007 6:59 AM

DEEPGIRL187

Here's an update on the brouhaha, as well as a list of gov't services to be shut down:

http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-38/1191048104
301320.xml&coll=6

*******************************************************************************************

"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin'. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd."

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Saturday, September 29, 2007 10:14 AM

FREMDFIRMA

If it does happen, and the world doesn't come to an end, maybe it'd start some folk thinking about how necessary much of that stuff really is.

Some of it is, I won't deny that, but 90% of any Governments actions are to protect, preserve and expand it's own resources and power.

I do think the very first cut should be the lawmakers payroll - they want US to tighten OUR belts, they can damn well set an example or shut the hell up.

-F

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