I don't usually agree with many politicians but L. Brooks Patterson may have the right idea now. In 2007, when we had the previous budget crisis, I suggested we call Governor Granholm's bluff and shut the government down. A Lansing politician wrote back telling me that could not happen because too many people count on the government for subsistence and safety. Do you think that could be the problem? Too many people count on the government?

I know times are tough in Michigan and it has affected me tremendously but I am not running to the government for help. I am actively looking for work everyday. But what are our politicians in Lansing doing? They waited until late in September to try to balance the budget that was due in October. Then they passed an emergency interim budget delaying the budget decision process until the end of October. Where the hell were they in May, June, July, and August? Didn't they know that September was going to be the next month? Are they that dense?

Governor Granholm's office put out numbers today claiming that the stimulus is working. This month alone it created 400 jobs and saved another 19,500 jobs. What are they thinking? We have a 15.3% unemployment rate in the state and that is not counting the self-employed whose income has been cut by 50-60-70% and are not eligible for any government benefits or people who have lost their businesses or people who have already given up. The true rate of unemployment is probably more like 17% to 19%.

Governor Granholm's answer is to raise taxes! She is looking to raise taxes on anything that moves and somethings that don't move. She wants to make is more difficult on the unemployed. Didn't she see the lines of people at Cobo Hall last week looking for help? Is she blind? She wants to chase doctors out of the state with her physicians tax as well as a beverage tax, an entertainment tax, and more smokers taxes. She wants to keep bars open until 4:00 am. Don't we have enough drunks on the road already? Why not tax walking, biking, execise, or overweight people, maybe short people and tall people. I got it, let's tax political contributions? That should bring in a ton on money.
Time to Take a Stand!