Friday, September 28, 2007

Partial government shutdown imminent

What more can be said? The legislature has had nearly eight months to do its work. Partisanship and politicizing the commons have utterly crippled the legislative process. With a shutdown, the Legislature cannot perform oversight in numerous areas. Important committee work has been canceled for the last two weeks and will not resume until after a shut down. For example, hearings on predatory lending in the House are on hold indefinitely. Meanwhile, foreclosures are ripping through communities and devastating families.

What's worse, our partisan Legislature communicates to the rest of the world that Michigan is a bad investment risk. Not because we are fiscally challenged, but because we are unable to collaborate and to create sound public policy in our own best interest as a state. We apparently lack the will to help ourselves.

Politicking is easier than governing. Running for office is easier than carrying out legislative duties--just as getting pregnant is far easier than raising a child.

Without substantive change to tax structures and government programs, this will happen again.