Say hi to Rick Albin of WOOD TV. You guys know Rick, don't you? Sure you do. You've been on his show probably. He's crawling around the Capitol building practically on a daily basis, reporting on your activities, one of the only TV reporters to do so- and he's got a pretty big audience.
And this is what he is telling them. Check the tone in this piece- and then ask yourselves why the people in Michigan despise the state government.
It is almost the first of August and in Lansing there is still no budget for next year. The deadline for getting one is just more than 60 days away.
24 Hour News 8 has talked for months about the inability of Republicans and Democrats, the legislature and the governor, and the House and the Senate to come up with a spending plan for next year.
Not only does Rick call you out, he calls you out three times in that paragraph. "Talked for months" about your inability to do your job.
Uh oh. The rest can't be good.
oh, there's more alright...
You see, Rick is getting frustrated, and that's bad news for you.
If you've been frustrated up to now, the next few weeks aren't going to get any better.
He's setting the stage for what appears to be even more frustration to come. He is probably safe in doing so, given this little fact-
But this month they'll have more time than normal to work in their local communities because the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate are only scheduled to meet five times in the next five weeks -- one day a week through the end of August.
Not only will your legiscritter NOT be in Lansing working on the budget, they will be bothering you in your community, and if you ask them any questions about just what exactly in the hell is goin' on down there, they will start pointing the finger at someone else.
When Huizenga was asked what Michigan taxpayers take away from that, he said "It's a pretty sad situation in Lansing right now. Bottom line is the people that need to get in the room and negotiate this stuff aren't in the room negotiating."
He's presumably referring to the governor, Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House.
"Not my fault" is always the answer people want to hear, isn't it? Yeah.
Rick goes on to point out what he has heard from the "Big Three" in the past few weeks - and guess what. He boils it down to the "Little Two".
Gov. Granholm urged lawmakers to get it done when she said, "Buck up get some spine. You know what has to be done on both cuts and reforms and revenues. Do it so we can put this behind us."
She can't put up plan after plan after plan and wait for something they might like- it's ridiculous to think so. Rick made that clear. It's up to that tragic comedy team of Bishop and Dillon to get this going... and they are now pointing the finger at each other.
"But there is no agreement with the administration on how to get there. If there were an agreement, we would have resolved it by now," Bishop said.
We have proved that is false and that Bishop is dragging his feet. And as far as Dillon goes, he won't jump until his buddy Mike does.
"I think the votes are there," House Speaker Andy Dillon told 24 Hour News 8, "but what you don't want to do is vote in the House and have it go die in the Senate."
So this is the way it is getting painted out here, people. Rick isn't happy one bit.
And Rick won't be happy when he hears this from Dawson Bell, who also took a cynical look at the prospect of anything being accomplished in the near future.
But while the (Oct. 1st) deadline is real, it is subject to interpretation, intervention from the courts and temporary extension by the Legislature and governor. Although rare, Michigan has before and could again operate on contingency for 30 to 90 days at a time while policymakers work to settle their differences.
Yes, we could actually push this past the first of October. Won't the people be happy with you then.
Better run when you see the WOOD truck coming. I can't imagine your press is going to get any better anytime soon.