Mike Bishop sent out a campaign e-mail today, bragging about how he had finished the budget - so, let's review how he did it. Besides cuts to higher education that will raise tuition, cuts to health care that will raise insurance rates, cuts to DHS childrens services which may violate the law, cuts to roads and transportation, cuts to revenue sharing (which means cuts to your local cops and firefighters), cuts to economic development including advertising, and in the latest and greatest outrage, he also cut funding for the Michigan State Police, a move that will cost us up to 100 troopers.
Are ya feeling safer yet? Tim Skubick has been the only one to bring us this story so far:
Sen. Garcia did try to raise some new revenue for the department, but his boss, Sen. GOP Leader Mike Bishop and the caucus, in this election year, said no way. The senate Republicans show no signs of giving ground on new revenue. Minus some magical way to find new money, 60-100 of veteran officers will be out the door with no one coming in behind them.
Better yet, watch the video from WLNS:
The Republicans just dumped on everybody and called their work "done". Public safety officials, city leaders, educational leaders, health care officials, business owners - it's all your problem now. Apparently the trick worked so well last year that Mike Bishop thought he would try it again. No compromise, no problem solving, no real answers towards fixing our chronic budget deficits - just cut, cut, cut everything, because who cares about education, health care, and especially public safety, for Michigan's citizens, right? Businesses will just flock to a state with treacherous roads, a destitute K-12 educational system, incredibly high tuition rates and no scholarships to offset the costs, no police or fire to respond when you or your business needs help, higher insurance costs for home, business, and health care, and lawmakers who refuse to listen to your concerns or address the real problems because they are slaves to an extreme ideology.
It's official. Republicans are bad for business.
As we speak, officials are settling on the revenue estimating conference - and already Bishop has indicated he will cut some more. It looks like K-12 is off the table with increased sales tax receipts covering the School Aid fund, but public safety is definitely a target. Stay tuned.