House Bill 5649 (Appropriations: Revise Secretary of State funding ) Introduced by Rep. Kathy Angerer (D) on December 3, 2009. Passed in the House (65 to 41) on February 4, 2010, to restrict the ability of the Secretary of State to reorganize branch office operations, including closing lesser-used offices, by reorganizing the appropriations line item for its branch office funding from a single line item to numerous specific line items.

The Secretary of State, in case you haven't noticed, has been doing an incredible job. She has streamlined many procedures, made offices efficient, brought the offices into the 21st century technology wise, closed many small very expensive offices, created Super Offices and improved employee morale. Yet some people in Lansing are trying to tie her hands behind her back by restricting her activities.

Governor Granholm talked about balancing the budget during her State of the State address but politicians keep trying to pass stupid bills, always increasing the state budget. If they were serious about balancing the budget for next year, they shouldn't wait until September to start talking about it. They should be talking about it starting this week. They should be in session until it is balanced, without taking a spring break, a summer break or any time off until it is balanced. NOW! She should force them to stay in session without taking time off to campaign for re-election. That would get their attention.

Money is tight for everyone, except politicians. They haven't had to cut to survive. They haven't had to skip a meal or go without a roof over their heads as many people as having to do. They haven't lost their cars.

If the Governor really wanted to balance the budget, she should CUT. It is that simple. Eliminate all government vehicles to politicians, suspend all non-essential travel and expenses, reduce or eliminate all non-life sustaining programs, immediately cut all state employee pay (including politicians) by at least 10%, not wait until 2012 as is currently planned. I am not talking about programs that people need to survive, I am talking about programs for the arts (unfortunately), programs to build unnecessary buildings, like the new $145,000,000 Michigan State Police Headquarters in Lansing. (I know it is only $145 million but you have to start somewhere and that is a good start). We have become so jaded by Washington talking about billions and trillions that millions is no longer important. Ten million dollars here and there adds up to real money somewhere down the road, except in politics.

The inefficiency in Lansing is only exceeded by the incompetence of Washington. Remember to vote in November to take our country back from the despots who are ruining it.