Discussion Archive: Page 9

By The Center for Michigan | Published: August 10, 2007

In February of 2007, we asked “How do we best transform the size and role of government, and how best to pay for it?” We received some great answers and didn’t want to lose all the ideas generated when we moved into our new web site.

We’ve archived the posts here and we ask you to respond with your thoughts on this page.

John Hargenrader (guest)
08/10/2007 3:53 PM  
Right Sizing. The overall payroll of the private economy of Michigan has fallen. The fact is, many citizens have readjusted to lower income in their daily lives.It is essential to Right Size the Michigan Public labor force and expenditures before asking for tax increases. It’s tough enough for workers like the pilots at Northwest, or the displaced workers from Ford’s Wixom Plant to give up a greater share of a downsized paycheck.All State offices must cut staff. Michiganders just can’t afford our present State government. Staff members, like a “Spokesperson” for the Governours Spouse need to be eliminated. When abhorant waste like these highly paid civil servants with no responsibility to state residents exist in all branches, it is wrong to say cuts cannot be negotiated and agreed upon by both sides. Plenty of waste is within eyesight of Lansing.With Michigan State Police driving Suburbans, while the Livingston County Sheriff is changing to V6 Chevy Impala’s, there is easy fat to trim.With Sales Tax windfalls from the increased price of gasoline, covering half the shortfall in revenue to the tune of $400M projected for 2008, the task remaining task is not hard.
 
 
phense (guest)
08/11/2007 11:42 AM  
Untill we elect people who work for the states residence instead of special interest groups michigan is doomed. Education will remain a rat hole of wasted money and ignorant kids as long as the MEA owns our elected officials. Detroit will continue to decay and collapse as long as Kwami and his cronies are allowed to suck the life out of that once fine city. Wages and benefits that are not sustainable will continue to be expected as long as we are not a right to work state. All the research and high thinking in the world are useless untill the citizens of Michigan realize that the Queen and her court in Lansing intend to keep her supporters in the life style they are accustomed to much to the detriment of everyone else in the state. Unless you belong to the MEA, AFSME or the UAW the next five to ten years will be tough. One they have squeezed the life out of the state they will lose power and we can the long painfull process of recovery.
 
 
Roger Edington (guest)
08/13/2007 2:21 PM  
Please read “The Assualt on Reason”. It is a good place to start on understanding what is happening to the political process in America and Michigan. It is somewhat partisian but has good information and is understandable. Both parties in Michigan need to be made aware that the governed are not going to keep consenting to their partisian politics. Reason and agreed upon facts need to used when making decisions. Party platforms need to change to fulfill the will of the people instead of the desires of the few to mislead the many. Thank you! Have a good day!
 
 
WalterG (guest)
08/13/2007 5:09 PM  
In order to accomplish what you say needs to happen, and I agree with you by the way; we need a major shift in the way the populace elects and retains its represenative government. The idea of Republican and Democrat need to be replaced with individual opinions, beliefs and ideas. Trying to walk lock step with the beliefs of a political party has been to the great detriment of the state and the government as a whole
 
 
mark.clevey (guest)
08/15/2007 1:59 PM  
I think the Community Conversations will go a long way towards changing representative government. The major parties reflect an old-line economic model that is trying desperately to hand on to its institutional power and influence. Term limits favors these old-line players. Rather that walk away from the resources and tools that the parties have, we need to help new-economy thinkers and stakeholders take them over. Community Conversations are a means to this end…
 
 
WalterG (guest)
08/16/2007 10:29 AM  
The fact that these parties have lasted over 200 years in the case of the Demcrats, and nearly 175 years for the Republican Party; their agendas have changed over the years to be sure. However, the issue that I have is that despite the best efforts of the new thinkers, the leadership of the parties have taken on more importance than the importance of running the state. Republicans have a penchant for big business, and the Demcrats have one for big government. The answer lies somewhere in the middle; but people that don’t follow the party rules risk losing the support of the party; despite the will of the people.
 
 
Roger Edington (guest)
08/19/2007 10:54 AM  
“We the people” must reclaim and show the ability we once did to play an integral role in our government policy decisions. Education and being well-informed are two different things. Education alone is neccesary but insufficient. Many well educated people through out history have been ill informed or misinformed. A well informed and particpating citizen that voices their positions and debates with an open mind has been and can again be the most important role in changing the current politic partisian extremes with a good workable middle position that will help Michigan more then it hurts anyone group. We all must live together, work together and help each other if we want to be better as a citizen and as a State. I appreicate the thoughts I read here and hope we can come together to make changes that benefit our State. Have a great day!
 
 
Roger Edington (guest)
09/01/2007 11:09 AM  
Trust. I believe that trust is the defining element of a civilization. Trust is the glue that holds a people together to form their government. Trust is delicate and once it is lost it is very hard to regain. I have been reading and listening to political workers, pollsters, pundits, lobbyists and candidates for the past year. They talk about alot of topics but if you sifted through it all much of what they are saying revolves around trust. They do not seem to realize that for themselves. Al Gore, Barak Obama, Bill Bradley, John McCain, Mike Huckabee among others keep nibbling at the edges of the real concern that I have. How can I trust the political system to spend my money that they take away from my family wisely? Those that advocate more taxes are often paid from those taxes or represent union members that are paid from those taxes. A conflict of interests! How can I trust the political system that sells itself to special interest groups and lobbyists for contributions? How can I trust the political system that can not live on a budget? How can I trust a political system that has hate groups within it’s parties? How can I trust my neighbors to respect my rights when the political system fails to respect my rights? How can my neighbors trust me when the political system creates a class system of wealthy, middle class, poor and non-citizen workers? Michigan is a reflection of Washington DC. The democrates and republicans do not like each other. They can not get along and they can not agree to make changes so only the scripts they read from change and “we the people” continue to feel the pain. Whose fault is this? “We the people” are to blame. We want different programs based on our own situations. Business, Unions, Health Care, Education, Defense, Investors, Workers, and the many, many other sub-groups of our state and country all want something different and conflicting with the others. We need trust. In my opinion trust can only come from having shared goals and shared beliefs. If we can not have the same desires, ambitions, dreams and values then we can not trust each other. This is not a new thing in this world but it is fairly new to our political system that was formed after our War-between-the-States. The American Civil War was about a lack of trust caused by the conflict of different dreams and desires. Freedom meant entirely different things to people that worked and those that had slaves doing the work. Today we must face the real conflict in Michigan between the common shared interests and the focused self-interests of sub-groups. We must share common goals, dreams, ambitions and desires. We must stop self-interest and start “best interest for all” thinking in every decision we make. A household that can not trust can not remain a household. Michigan needs a political system that we can trust. Have a good Labor Day weekend!
 
 
Jeff Potter (guest)
09/08/2007 12:19 PM  
Budget Stalemate: Giving our elected leaders in Lansing suggestions on how to transform Government, is like trying to give away tomatoes in a country town, in late August: they’re accepted gratefully, but as soon as you turn your back, they turn around and pass them off to somebody else
 
 

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