And so it begins...
LANSING -- Thirty State Police troopers are in line to lose their jobs April 1, the first round of layoffs prompted by the state's deepening budget crisis, troopers' union officials said Friday.
The layoffs would drop on-the-road trooper strength close to 1,000, the lowest in more than 30 years, said officials at the Michigan State Police Troopers Association. The reduction means lower trooper visibility on highways and slower response times, they said.
This, of course, is all Granholm's fault. You know, the woman who actually has a plan to pay the bills. That is the way it works in DeRoche Land.
Matt Resch, a spokesman for House Republican Leader Craig DeRoche of Novi, said the layoffs smack of saber-rattling by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who has offered a plan of tax hikes and budget cuts to solve the state's financial problems.
"Instead of working with the Legislature on the budget, the governor is taking this opportunity to scare people," he said. "To think that we can't find the money to save 30 State Police officers' jobs indicates this governor is not willing to do her job."
Instead of working with the Governor on the budget, DeRoche is taking this opportunity to stick his head in the sand and pretend that these things aren't going to happen when you keep cutting taxes. To think that this Legislature is still insisting on more cuts, but will never say exactly where they would cut, indicates that they are not willing to do their job.
OK, Craig, show us the money. Here is your chance to shine.
We're waiting.
* sound of wind whistling through the trees, or Craig's head, take your pick *
Exactly.
Granholm had an interesting tidbit for the Livingston Daily Press & Argus Thursday. When it came time for the Republicans to "put up or shut up" and make these kinds of cuts before, they wouldn't do it.
"In fact, I had a press conference this morning and said 'You need to put your plan on the table'. Let me know what you have votes for. Because my guess is, that they will find, as Ken Sikkema did when he was the Senate Majority Leader last time, he put an all cuts budget on the table, and he said 'OK, which of you guys wants to sponsor it?'
Nobody wanted to sponsor it, because it's too draconian.
So, they need to put their plan on the table. And if they can't come up with a plan, they need to work with us, off of this plan."
Nah. Much easier to pass the buck and blame others.
One begins to wonder: Does Craig DeRoche ever take responsibility for his actions or for that of portion of the Legislature that he supposedly "leads"? Ever?
Apparently not. He thinks we can keep cutting the budget, ignore the problems that arise from that action, and then turn around and blame the Governor when Bad Things Happen.
What a gig. Must be nice to clear around 92 grand a year or so and never have to be responsible.
It becomes very easy to define "government waste" when one looks at the career of Craig DeRoche.