Cuts:
- Entitlement programs for the unentitled. Start with Government (state and local) employees. Make them pay for healthcare like the rest of us — and no Rolls Royce policies for life. This would happen under the “New State Health Plan” that will come online in April 2010, where state employees will pay 20% of Health Care Premiums, commensurate with the private sector. (A corolary to this is the elimination of lifetime healthcare to the same beaurocrats.)
- Prisons. We need to hire a Robert Bobb of prisons to identify waste and inefficiencies in operations, and also areas where our sentencing is out of whack. Also focus on rehabilitating all juvenile offenders except those who commit the most heinous crimes to get them reinstated as productive (and taxpaying) members of the Michigan workforce.

Revenue:
- Carbon tax. All those who buy a car under 20 MPG pay $500 to Lansing at closing. In addition to the revenue, this would mean fewer trucks on the road who are a danger to the “regular” cars out there, lower injured motorists, healthcare bills, etc. The auto lobby and unions would not like this — which makes it all the more appealing…
- Hamburger Tax. Fat Michigan should pay for what it eats. Levy an extra tax on each high fat food ordered — hamburger / pizza, etc. based on calorie / fat content. This would not be a regressive tax on McDonalds only, but those who buy a fat steak at the Chop House would pay extra as well. Hard to administer, yes, but the positives in revenue (or smaller portions) could reduce the state’s healthcare budget as well.
- Service Tax. Spare healthcare, but dry cleaning, lawyers, accountants, etc. would need to collect and pay up. Trust me, if these folks have not left the state yet they will not do so now…

Any comments? Other suggestions?

No fat in state government ? You’ve got to be kidding ? State employee’s contribute what to pay for health care ? Let’s make it 20% the going rate for everyone else and at the end of the day see where were at. I’d be in favor of tax enhancements after that!

That said, Jennifer again demonstrated she just doesn’t ‘have the chops’ for the job. I voted for her twice and probably would again – considering the choices – but such a disappointment.

Dillion and Bishop are both so wrapped up in making the other party look bad – and getting re-elected, that they’ve never had time to lead.

Actually, we could probably charge them under the Rico laws with gross misfeasance and get rid of the bunch with a single jury.

I’m a state worker about to retire, so I’m speaking from position. However, I realize that there is an enormous amount of anger from the general citizenry once you get out-state. So much that the plain Jane and John Does are going to fight any tax increases whatsoever until it comes back to bite them. It’s going to take calling 911 because your house is on fire – and having no one answer the phone – before they understand that you get what you pay for.

Hell, there isn’t any fat left in state gov’t. I can’t speak for the locals and particularly to some of their legacy pension/benefit packages. I can speak for state gov’t and know that we started cutting benefits in 1983 with the elimination of the payout for sick leave. Some 12 years ago, they changed our pensions from Defined Benefit to Definded Contribution and grand fathered per force, anyone with less than 5 years of service. As attrition eliminates the senior workers with the higher benefit packages, the all-in labor cost for state workers will drop down into the ranks of some of the Rothwell Ideal States like Mississippi or the Carolinas. [Rothwell can slam state workers, but dont' corporate CEOs now make 200 times the wage of the lowest paid employee]

But hey, the people are going to get what they want – I hope they realize just what they’re asking.

rono

Pick a goal and take action to achieve the goal.

Someone in Washington recently advised that it is not about our jobs (elective office), it’s about their (the people we work for) jobs.

Jobs as a goal will raise revenues. Jobs demand education. Jobs improve the standard of living. Jobs will balance a budget. Jobs can employ people in more jobs.

It should be pretty clear that obsessing about a balanced budget (sorry, but contrary to popular belief that “goal” does nothing for jobs, or revenues, or…..), past sins (lack of trust/leadership), finding fault (term limits) are not goal oriented behaviors. They are certain prescriptions for doing absolutely nothing substantive about anything. They are excuses.

So, what are you doing about jobs? The time for planning (budgets for example)is over.

Focus on a goal (Jobs) and the budget will take care of itself – might take a year or three, but it will take care of itself.

Oh my goodness, we will break the law and have a deficit. The sky will fall.

So what?

A lesson from my son the high school senior. He had two budget problems, no money to by an iPod and a scrooge for a father. Solution: He got a job.

Let’s talk about the kind of state we want to be like. Doug Rothwell keeps talking about North Carolina…ok, they have a 7.75 percent top state income tax rate. Oh, no, we want to be like Texas? They have the highest percentage of people with no health care coverage in the nation. Is it Indiana? Well, our state and local tax rate is exactly the same. And their per capita income is even lower than ours still.

Pick a state we want to be like, and start copying that state. Let the people know your goal, and enlist their help in getting to it. That’s leadership.

I would say Minnesota. Lowest unemployment in the Midwest. Highester per capita income. What’s wrong with that as a goal. Now, let’s see how they got there — oh, yeah, the have the 12th highest taxes in the nation, highest in the Midwest. Investing in higher education and cities works.