Michigan Government May Shut Down

Most of my life I have said i would rather live here in Michigan than any other state because we do not have to deal with the crises that every other state has to deal with. We do not deal with Hurricanes that flood our state and leave thousands of people without homes We do not deal with earthquakes that do the same. Our Tornado season is short and not very severe and our wild fires are small. Usually it is just the snow, icy roads, cold temperatures and the poor performance of the Detroit lions that we have to deal with.

As of late, Michigan is in a crisis that no other state is facing. An all new crisis that we as residents do not know how to combat. The crisis is our Government. How do we combat a government who no longer cares about its citizens. Our congress at this time is so rapped up in running for re-elections and for higher offices that for over two years now the concerns of the citizens have been placed on the back burner.

Our budget is in desperate need of repair. we are losing teachers in our schools, workers in our factories and our middle class is slowly fading away. To most people you have no idea what this means. We are living in a state that is slipping into a depression. The average citizen can no longer support a household on just one income. It now takes two incomes to barely survive her in Michigan. I remember a day where and average income of $28,000 would make it. it would barely be enough but It would suffice. Now it takes two incomes of over $30,000 each to live paycheck to paycheck.

As teachers are being laid off from our schools, our factories are closing, our companies are moving to different states and over seas, our roads are crumbling apart, our bridges are falling down, trash is being brought in from another country, our pollution is getting worse, our population is decreasing, our residents are losing their homes to foreclosure, our children are becoming more and more uneducated, our unemployment rate is going higher, and our families are going hungry. Our senators and our congressmen get pay increases, never show up to place votes on important issues, are focused more on running for election.

As the last deadline approached our Governor stated she was going to work day and night until they came up with a plan to resolve this budget crisis. In the mean time there were senators and congressman out on the golf course teeing off. Our governor keeps passing deadline extensions so the government doesn't shut down but it seems to be extension after extension.

From what I understand, under the state constitution, our government is not allowed to spend any money without having a budget in place. Our government has had all year to come up with a plan and yet they have decided to wait until the last minute to try. Now here we are in a deficit once again with no idea how to resolve it.

There are talks about raising our state taxes, there are talks about putting a sales tax on just about everything in this state including " Bronzing baby shoes". Laugh but it's for real. keep in mind that everything else in this state is already taxed so ridiculously that they have no choice but to tax things such as "Ski Lifts" and " Balloon a Grams ". Our Government has already been after our smokers, our drinkers our gamblers and drivers for so long now that what else is left.

Remember back when you first started driving ( assuming it was 5-10 years ago ) when you could go get a gallon of gas for 99 cents, a pack of cigarettes for 2 bucks, a pop for 59 cents and take a cruise around the neighborhood to show off your ride. Now, it has come to gas being $3.50 a gallon, Pop $1.59, Cigarettes $5.25 a pack and if you take a cruise through the neighborhood, you will get pulled over by the police for something.

Police use to let you enjoy the day back then because 90% of what they were going to stop you for was just a warning anyways such as not having you head lights on or maybe not coming to a complete stop at a sign or pulling away from a stop sign to fast. Now, because of the budget crunches and the cutbacks everything has become an automatic ticket and not only do they stop you when they happen to see you, they are much more diligent on looking for you.

Well it is now October 27th 2007. We in Michigan have four more days until the budget extension has expired and the Government must once again shut down. I don't see our government spending any time in there offices so it looks like it will come to to the last minute once again. Will we shut down again? Will It be a long shut down? will it be a short shut down? Will the casinos stay open? can we still buy cigarettes and lotto tickets? will we lose more teachers? will pay more in taxes? will more businesses leave? Will unemployment go higher?

Nobody knows the answer to these questions, I should write to my senators and ask them but I can't seem to catch any of them in their offices. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

As I pray for all the victims of the crisis in the other states I ask for everyone to pray for the victims of our crisis here in Michigan as well.