Michigan Governor Granholm (D): That's it. I'm closing your kids' schools! I mean it. I MEAN IT!
By RightMichigan.com Posted in Breaking News — Comments (4) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Looks like Jennifer Granholm didn't read yesterday's DetNews Op-Ed asking the governor to lead or get out of the way.
The DetNews and the FREEP are reporting this afternoon that she followed up on her threat to send nasty letters to public school supers telling them the big bad mean angry legislature isn't giving her a $3 billion tax hike so she's going to cut off their money and force them to close early.
Says Granholm:
"The Legislature is forcing this stuff. These are not my cuts, these are the Legislature's cuts that they failed to act on."
Read on . . .
Which is funny, because the GOP Majority in the Senate led the way months ago in passing spending cuts. And the House Democrat Majority in the House even pushed through (with GOP support) spending cuts on their side of the Capitol.
All told, there are over $500 million worth of cuts being worked out right now in conference committee. That's $300 million more than needed to address the school aid fund deficit assuming the worst case doomsday scenario plays out at the May revenue estimating conference.
So how exactly are these the legislature's cuts? How exactly are these necessary? How exactly is this not holding kids hostage to sick political games?
No word on whether or not the letters also blame John Engler, Dick DeVos, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, George Romney, Ken Sikkema or Rick Johnson for Michigan's problems circa 2007. But I wouldn't be surprised.
To borrow a line (or two) from yesterday's scathing piece:
She should appoint a strong chief operating officer to do the hard work of leading the state while she serves in a figurehead role, shaking hands and cutting ribbons. Or she should face up to the fact that she doesn't really want to do the job she was elected to do and step aside. But something has to happen.
Michigan can't survive 3½ more years of cowardice.
From what I hear, it wouldn't be that bad of a thing.
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Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
the school administrators' gold plated employment deals - what a nice start.
How about benchmarks.. The Dems love them so much regarding Iraq - apply them to student performance and base teachers and administrator salaries on them.
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
You aren't going to void a public sector labor agreement in any state with statutorily authorized bargaining. In some states a Legislature can refuse to perform by refusing to appropriate to support the agreement, but any legislator who votes for that better reach for his shield and buckler - been there, done that, and my state's a Helluva bunch Redder than MI.
In Vino Veritas
when politicians (mostly Democrats) tell people they don't have enough money and therefore they have to cut back on police/schools. Like there is nothing else to cut.
It's like someone can't pay all their bills that month and aren't going to pay the mortgage just so they can still go out to eat at expensive restaurants.
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The CIA has better politicians than it has spies - Fred Thompson
A random walk through my head at Indiscriminate Tastes