During my morning routine of sipping coffee while watching the news I heard Michigan is considering overturning the grass clippings law. If it wasn't so crazy, it would be humorous!

Unless I have been out of touch with reality, I can't for the life of me figure out why our state lawmakers are wasting the money they claim they don't have for such ridiculous laws!

I worked for the State of Michigan for a time, and as most know, nothing is quick when it comes to the government. As a person that was once in the system, I can confirm that getting anything accomplished is tedious and lengthy.

So how much time and expense was wasted by lawmakers sitting in a board room discussing grass clippings? The Detroit News posted an article about this today, so decide for yourself. http://detnews.com/article/20091221/POLITICS02/912210317/Bills-would-allow-grass-in-Michigan-landfills

I have a picture in my mind of a scale. On one side is grass clippings, the other side has a working mother who is caring for a parent with Alzheimer's. This mother is caring for her school age children, working a full time job, and is struggling to figure out who will care for her dad as his dementia gets worse. She struggles to make ends meet now, and cannot afford care. She doesn't want to put her dad in a nursing home, but there are no financial answers. She loses income every time she takes off work to take her dad to the doctor, and her employer has already commented about the amount of time she has taken off work.

What can imagine anything on your scale? It could be the unemployment rate, the struggling public schools that they are threatening to close, the neighbor who has lost their home to foreclosure, the struggling auto industry, the escalating property taxes in a declining housing market, how you will feed your family next month, your mounting medical bills. I don't know what you can imagine, but I am sure it's more important than our state lawmakers focusing on what we can or cannot do with our grass clippings!

Because my passion is senior care and advocacy, I can put a number of scenarios of struggling seniors and their families on the opposite side of grass clippings and still come out with the same answer. Lawmakers are wasting time and money on the most ridiculous bills, when there is so much need among our elderly citizens.

I am sure those focused on the environment don't think so, but I would guess the majority of Michigan residents would agree that we need lawmakers that can prioritize the time and finances spent introducing bills that would be focused on the greater need of it's residents.

When Lansing continues to cry about the state of the budget and spends time and finances on grass clipping laws, we ought to question and oppose this kind of waste! Unless we start holding our state government accountable, they will continue to spend time on such outrageous issues.

If you feel like your scale is heavier than grass clippings contact the Governor and tell her. You can find Jennifer Granholm's contact information here http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21995---,00.html

To contact Angil Tarach with comments or questions email visitingangelswc@comcast.net or call Visiting Angels at (734) 929-9201