House Democrats, after caucusing for hours Thursday, still appeared unsure about how to pay for the programs they want to protect.
That’s it.
The rest is just white noise.
After spending hours sifting through everything I could possibly read about what is going on in Lansing: From the pundits, who hate bloggers and constantly decry the death of "real" journalism, but yet use their own media microphone to propagate their personal feelings with far more panache and venom than any blogger could ever dream of, to the "business community", who believe that they could do a far better job running government than our elected leaders, but just as long as it benefits business only of course, to the TV stations that don't have the time (and in some cases, the talent) for any in-depth coverage, to the "serious" newspaper editorial pages that call for that magical solution of cuts to avoid taxes on one day and continued levels of spending on another, to the outsiders who are cheering on the demise of Lansing ("I told Mike Bishop this, I think they ought to shut it down," - L. Brooks Patterson) because it would serve their political agenda - I read it all.
Then I sit and wonder, why oh why, on God's Green Earth, did I quit drinking.
But I did, and I'm glad, because by this time I would have either been dead or living in the gutter. Instead, I'm one (very) small step above the gutter, paying attention to Lansing so you don't have to. And, after reading all of that, I keep coming back to that one perfect sentence from KBH - it all boils down to the House Democrats finding the way to protect the things they say they want to protect.
For all my disagreements with and needling of Andy Dillon, I still believe his heart in the right place. That's not a popular spot to be right now if you are from the left or part of the Democratic establishment - but I call it like I see it, and I believe that he does want to save the important functions of state government. I also like how succinct he can be at times.
Dillon said his Democratic caucus wants to pass budget cuts before it passes any tax increases.
"They do want to demonstrate to the world that we need to live within our means, that this is a tough economic climate and we're not just willy-nilly wanting to raise revenues," he said.
"House Democrats and the governor are fighting to fund early education, scholarships for college students, Medicaid and funding police and fire. That's really the debate right now. We think the Senate cuts go too far in those areas."
Those are really big budget items to fund, and the problem is getting there, and that is where the House seems to be falling down on the job. Rumors of Dillon being distracted by his health care reform seem to play out in the fact that George Cushingberry is the one introducing his ideas in legislative form, and let's just say if people don't like what Granholm has in mind - they probably will throw a bigger fit with the plan Cushingberry has laid out. For that, we have to go to the reporting gods of Gongwer:
Mr. Cushingberry would tax bottled water, delay the Earned Income Tax Credit increase and create a 3 percent physician quality assessment assurance program (QAAP) as part of his proposal to raise $967.8 million in general fund revenues.
Additional money would come from freezing revenue sharing payments, reducing business privilege tax expenditures, reducing consumption tax expenditures, having a 50-cent cell phone fee, phasing out the broadband investment credit, taxing fast food at 2 percent, taxing greyhound and off-track betting, taxing small cigars, enhancing tobacco tax enforcement, taxing satellite television and instituting a 1.8 percent surcharge on private health insurance claims.
He also would continue the cuts from Granholm's EO from May but restore funding to community health care, tap the $1.2 billion in stimulus, phase out the MBT surcharge, and here is the big one - "an 8 percent cut to the per-pupil foundation allowance, which would save $1 billion." This plan has not been embraced by Dillon or the rest of the caucus, and is reportedly being offered to "trigger some of my friends into action." Let's hope.
Dillon told the panel on "Off the Record" that the House won't be presenting a plan anytime soon.
But during a taping of Michigan Public Television's "Off the Record," Mr. Dillon reiterated that House Democrats would not likely present their own budget proposal at this point.
"We don't need a different plan, we need a solution," he said.
OK. But they are supposed to start moving budgets next week. That will be an interesting trick when there doesn't seem to be any real direction on just how they will go about finding the revenue to fund the things they say they want to save.
The Big Three are meeting again today, the House is going to come in early next week (but not Monday) to work on this, and we will see where we go from there. I don't see how they possibly get this done given the short time left, and I'm starting to re-think my own call for "no continuation". We just might have to go there.
In the meantime, if you want real news without the noise, follow Kathy Barks Hoffman and Dave Eggert at the AP, Peter Luke's every. single. utterance, and best of all - subscribe to Gongwer. Matter of fact, you have my solemn vow that if I ever win big money in the lottery, I'm going to check into finding a way to subsidize them to go public.
I swear. They are that good, and everyone that wants to know what is really going on in Lansing without being subjected to personal vendettas or political leanings should read them. News, all news and nothing but the news, is so sadly missing in this time of great importance to the future direction of our state.