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Posted on Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:10 a.m.

Successful recall effort against Gov. Snyder would require highly coordinated effort

By Guest Column

040311_Monica-Ross-Williams .jpg

Monica Ross-Williams

Back on Nov. 3, an election took place to decide who would lead our great state for the next four years. In the election there were two candidates: Republican Rick Snyder, a venture capitalist and former CEO of Gateway, and Democrat Virg Bernero, the mayor of Lansing. Michigan voters made the decision by 54 percent of the total vote to elect Rick Snyder.

One hour-long debate took place during the election season, where important issues impacting this state for the next four years, were reduce to sound bites, without details. “My job is to create jobs,” soon to be Gov. Snyder stated, without one proposal on how actually to do so, then.

Still, he was elected. Call it voter fatigue in eight years of leadership under former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat. Regardless, a growing number of Michiganders are coming to a realization that a grave mistake was made in the last election.

Within less than three months since Rick Snyder took office, demanding his version of “Shared Sacrifice,” his approval numbers are worse than former Gov. Granholm’s well into her second term, at 44 percent, according to the latest Detroit Free Press poll.

Snyder’s proposals to cut shared revenue to multiplicities, cities, townships and even public school districts, will impact every citizen, senior, child, private and public sector employee. Basic local community staples services like law enforcement, fire, sewer and water service in the near future, stand a good chance of being cut all together or severally slashed.

Snyder’s fiscal state budget proposals, which would start Oct. 1, along with the recently questionable state based constitutional law on the Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) for local entities, will undoubtedly push many multiplicities and school boards to the brink of bankruptcy.

The Emergency Financial Manager, whom Governor Snyder has the sole power to appoint, can be an individual and/or corporation. Sadly, at the same time, while local public entities are working numbers with shared revenue cuts in order to survive, EFM’s can be paid up to $400,000 a year to nullify a town, school board or entire county.

If you are wondering what happened to our guaranteed rights to elect local public officials with “One Man/Woman - One Vote,“ within the Michigan Constitution; Gov. Snyder with the power of the EFM law has all the power to take it away with a stroke of a pen.

Possibly a majority of Michigan’s voters exist who are worried and in some cases downright upset in the moves of Governor Rick Snyder. The question to be asked is, what they are going to do about it?

Michigan Constitution allows for a recall of all exclusive level elected officials after a six-month “safe haven” period, after being sworn into office. For the governor’s office, a minimum 25 percent of the total number of votes casted in the last gubernatorial election, on Nov. 3, would needed to be gathered within 90 days, to place a referendum on the ballot. Roughly, it would take up to one million certified voters’ signatures make a “will of the people vote” take place to remove Gov. Snyder from office in the next election.

For Gov. Snyder and his fellow elected Republican and/or even Democratic state House and Senate members, the “safe haven period” would end on July 1.

To gather, organize and be successful in collecting up to one million signatures, financing would be necessary. Organizations like unions, non-profits causes, individual wealthy donors, trial lawyers and more, would have to put the boots on the ground; engaging in a marketing campaign informing the public-at-large why they should recall a governor voted into office less than one year ago.

Financing would also be needed to counteract any disinformation campaigns -- that are guaranteed to be formed -- to confuse the electorate.

Recall campaigns can be successful and tried again, if the effort fails. Still disorganization from the outset, is bound to place questions in voters and potential signatories minds, if such a campaign is a waste of time.

Are Michigan voters ready and angry enough? Are large organizations ready to lead and finance a recall effort? Can a grassroots campaign be formed by July 1, 2011? Time will tell. Monica Ross-Williams of Ypsilanti Township is the webmaster and podcast radio host of the Reach Out Job Search News Blog/Radio Show (www.blogtalkradio.com/detjobexaminer). She is also the recording secretary of the community based New West Willow Neighborhood Association.

Comments

basher72

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 8:55 p.m.

The apologists supporting Governor Snyder's actions on this site apparently haven't been paying attention. Sure, it's easy to gradually strip funding away from any public entity over a period of time, then declare them "incompetent" of "insolvent" because their revenues are inadequate to do the job. Even now their only answer is to take away yet more funding from education, police and fire protection, and anything else in the commons that contributes to the public good, while giving their corporate friends millions in tax breaks. Their agenda is to wipe out public education, and then privatize it, and everything else. The Republican agenda is all about corporate profit and not about the public good. I will bet that none of those on this thread who think the Snyder plan is such a great idea, can explain how Michigan (or the USA for that matter) is supposed to compete in a global economy when its citizens are denied a decent education because of their social status or income. We are already well below our international competition when it comes to academic achievement. I think President Obama should do something similar to this by creating a similar law at the Federal level. Then I would like to see him walk into Michigan, appoint his own financial manager to run the state government, and send Snyder and the Republican legislature packing. This would be no different than what Snyder is doing at the state level, yet you can bet the Republicans would be having a cow over this. For my friends on the right, please allow me to enlighten you on one basic fact. I'm sure the Republican party appreciates your loyalty, but I'm sure many of you are also middle working class people. When they succeed in taking away public education, Social Security and Medicare, there will be no exceptions for people like you. You will lose yours too. As for your loyalty, when all is said and done... they will drop you like yesterday's newspaper.

Roadman

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 4:34 a.m.

Grosse Pointe Woods engineer John Lauve tried to recall Governor Blanchard in the 1980s and it went nowhere. Don't waste your time. You likely would get more attention picketing Snyder's home, which is close by, as the conservatives did with Mr. Bernstein of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission over his suport of affirmative action..

socdoc

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 7:51 p.m.

It seems many of the participants in this discussion do not understand what is occurring in the nation, not just in Michigan or Wisconsin, but in many other states. There is a huge labor movement going on, and it's growing exponentially daily. It's comprised of millions of workers who no longer believe the lies that formerly had convinced them they were powerless to have any influence on government, and it includes some unions that used to support Republican/conservative candidates. They are no longer willing to stand by silently while corporate pirates and banksters buy the government and tell workers there's nothing they can do to obtain equal and fair treatment. In Wisconsin their first recall (of many) met the number of qualifying signatures for the recall of one representative in just half the time allotted by the Wisconsin constitution. Similarly the recall of Snyder is shaping up very quickly with thousands of workers who have already volunteered to collect names in just the first few weeks alone. It would not be wise to underestimate the degree to which the actions of numerous Republican governors have awoken the sleeping giant of millions of formerly nonpolitical workers. There is history being made today, and by people who are not powerful as individuals—but who are unstoppable in the massive numbers that make up a profound labor movement.

socdoc

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 7:40 p.m.

So, let me get this straight--the only way we can enable government to work (which I assume means work for all the people it's supposed to represent) is to make those with the least amount of money pay for it? That seems like a very odd way to "fix" a budget since democracy is supposed to be government by the people and for the people (all the people, not just those who can afford to buy politicians or the media). And giving money to the corporations is supposed to benefit everyone? Really? If that's true, why haven't we seen job creation keeping pace with corporate profits? Or, at the very least, why haven't we seen businesses/corporations use just some of their profits to enhance the very infrastructures they use to make their profits? Why is the infrastructure the responsibility of those who earn incomes instead of profits? That's right, workers paying income taxes enables corporations to make profits--all the while corporations do not pay their fair share for the parts of the infrastructure they use and damage while in the pursuit of making profits. This is just one very clear example of the theft of the commons that is rampant today. How come we've never seen that relationship (giving more money to those who already have lots of money benefiting all of society) in real life? Why is it that same relationship is not found to exist in economic research? Because that relationship does not exist, it's a purely fictional notion used to rationalize taking from one group to give to another. In all other realms most people consider that stealing, but when it's done through governmental policies it's called "economic stimulus."

socdoc

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 7:38 p.m.

Can you see that the idea of giving money from the least well off in society to the most well-off and then saying it's for the good of all is quite irrational—even nonsensical? To benefit a society over all means first doing no harm to any particular group. Taking more money from those who struggle the most financially, despite having worked hard and having paid their taxes, is harming the very groups this crazy economic policy is supposedly going to help. But let's imagine that by some miracle it does eventually create jobs in the future—which has never been this case in real life. How does this help people who need to eat NOW, who need shelter NOW, who need money just to look for work NOW? Even when the economy turns around, these groups will not suddenly be catapulted into the upper or wealthy classes--they'll still be struggling, just not as hard perhaps. So, from a purely rational point of view (never mind a moral perspective) it's just wrong to exploit the most vulnerable--it doesn't help anyone except the wealthy/corporate elites--and as we've seen in the last month or so, it actually creates great civil unrest. Given this, it should be quite clear that this economic policy is a "lose-lose" situation, and supporting such an irrational policy clearly demonstrates some people either have no understanding of the reality of this policy, or they simply have no real concern about improving society for the good of all.

socdoc

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 12:32 a.m.

The economic policy known as "trickle down" contends that giving businesses (many of whom constitute the wealthy/corporate elites, albeit not all) tax breaks enables them to create jobs--jobs to employ the working and middle classes, which in turn strengthens the larger economy because then those classes have money to buy goods and services. This is exactly what Snyder has promoted as the way to create jobs in Michigan--an economic policy once known as "Reaganomics." But in the past year many corporations have posted large profits, and yet unemployment has not improved at anywhere near the same pace--what happened to the trickle down effect?

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 11 p.m.

"giving money from the least well off in society to the most well-off and then saying it's for the good of all is quite irrational" Please explain what you mean by giving money to the most well off. My understanding of the Gov's plan is to reduce business tax. It has been debated for years that Michigan has high taxes on business and that keeps businesses out. I have never heard that the most well off will be given money, just that business taxes will be altered. I have heard that under the last gov many well to dos, the Hollywood crowd was given money and that was a serious failure. So give us some proof that Michigan will be giving money to the rich

socdoc

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 7:44 p.m.

And it is this kind of thinking that is most irrational. When societies have great inequality they also have great social problems. The very nature of civil society depends on a social contract between all members who agree not to harm each other, and agree that when an individual or group does try to harm others that they be held accountable. That way all can live in relative peace, equality, and freedom. And, contrary to alarmist claims that the only way this can be accomplished is through establishing socialism or communism, maintaining such a social contract only requires that greedy people be held in check in order to limit/eliminate the damage they do to others. In fact, capitalism actually works best when government supports the most beneficial aspects of capitalism, and regulates the most damaging aspects of capitalism (remember there are no perfect systems in real life).

towny

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 10:14 a.m.

Good job Rick! Keep making the right choices this state needs to make to get on the right track again. During hard times which this state and country are in hard choices need to be made of which many people will not agree with or see the over all good of these decisions in the future of this state. These decisions should of been made long ago by a bad out going governor of which this state is still reeling from. Rick Snyder is a business man and that is just what this state needs. Given time with his leadership things will turn around. Sure some of his decisions are going to be unfavorable and questioned by the general public. But, can this state keep heading in the direction its been headed straight down the drain. Changes have to be made that will make this state competitive again and get this deficit under control or we are going to pay much worse than the sacrifices where faced with now. Some pain now is better than a whole lot later. You have to look at the long term future of this state and where we are now as to where we need to be. Keep making the right difficult decisions this state needs. Rick, thank you for stepping up and having the guts to make some difficult unfavorable decisions that this state needs.

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:46 a.m.

Well, I read Ms Ross-Williams article and I believe all the posts and I am still waiting for someone who does not like what the governor is doing to offer up some other solutions. I figure that you all are just thinking raise taxes to pay for what has gotten us into this mess, or just tax the rich. I didn't see a single idea floated by in the anti-Snyder crowd proposing how to get the state on its feet. If you have a better idea, lets hear it. One thing should be taken seriously and that is the drop in population. People are moving for jobs. Michigan has not been attracting business, other than the film industry, but in order to get them here, the state had to take a loss. The more people move, the more burden is put on those who stay. So is raising taxes and keeping corporate taxes high a good idea? We are competing with all 49 states. If anyone approaches me with a petition to recall the Gov, they better be able to tell me why we would be better off with anyone else. Foolish idea, go ahead and spend your money trying to get your recall going.

BlackSheep

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 4:04 a.m.

Here's an idea, let's not cut corporate taxes by 1.4 BILLION. That's NOT raising taxes, it's simply not giving tax breaks that are much more likely to go into the pockets of the already too well compensated executives than they are to benefit the people of Michigan. Show ONCE when cutting taxes resulted in job creation.

Mike K

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 10:59 p.m.

" If they cannot, they can leave the state. Personally, I do not think they will...just like most residents" Are you serious? Car companies have avoided MI like the plague. So have many other industries. Instead of building here and taking advantage of a skilled workforce, companies go elsewhere. Case and point. When I revealed that I relocated here in the early '90's, one guy got up and said "thanks". The secret to taxation is when no one cares about it. The person that relocates to MI really doesn't care about taxes as he/she is used to it. Jobs create taxes. Companies coming to MI create a web of service and professional jobs, all of which create tax revenue. In as much as I would agree that we can collect more taxes from more entities, job creation is a more natural way to create tax revenue.

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 10:55 p.m.

sh1, tax on services was proposed a few years ago - and was dumped due to public opinion. This is exactly the answer I expected from anyone opposing the Gov's plan, raise taxes - in a time when the majority of people are vehemently against any tax increases. A sales tax on services is an automatic 6% increase. How about a one or two % income tax increase? I would object less to that. But tax on services has failed already. . Also I think the property laws should be constitutionally altered so that if some communities agree to a property tax increase for local govts or schools they can do so-at the local level. And Monica suggests raising taxes on everyone. I am not completely opposed to raising the income tax a percent or two. I think most people who are working can suffer through it and it may help some. But when Monica states if businesses don't like it they can leave? That is the opposite of what MI needs more jobs, not fewer. So we still have people wanting the Gov recalled but with no better solution that what we have been doing that got us in this mess in the first place.

Monica R-W

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 6:22 p.m.

@Mike, you want a solution? Increase taxes on everyone. Businesses should not be exempt due to their Board of Directors mismanagement decisions that allowed their finances to be stained. Regular working Michiganders are tightening their budgets by the day, yet CEO's like Snyder (act like he still is and used to be) are not making any version of 'shared sacrifice' in his budget. If college tuition, K-12 public schools, fiscal budgets for towns, cities, counties, cuts state personal income tax exemptions for individuals and small businesses, cuts earned income credit for the poor, film industry credits must be cut and unions are asked to give more....then businesses should have their taxes fall RIGHT IN LINE with the cuts others in the state must take to get our budget in line. If they cannot, they can leave the state. Personally, I do not think they will...just like most residents. Instead, they want favors i.e.-low or no taxes while Michigan working families who pay a more as a majority in whole in taxes, just want fairness. So, you tell me were in Gov. Snyder proposal, he shows he cares about the population that voted him into office? I have yet to see it. Instead I see an agenda that is wrong for Michigan and by his approval numbers....many are believing he is WRONG for Michigan also.

Mike K

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 3:56 p.m.

The liberals always complain, but they can't offer a solution because the solution is socialism and wildly unpopular. They will mask it anyway they can, but the inevitable outcome of liberalism is indeed socialism. Capitalism, in the mind of the liberal, is evil and promotes income inequality. They will of course offer the solution of "taxing the rich" which to me is fundementally unfair. I mean," take it from them because they have it" is nothing more than mob mentality. You won't hear too many solutions from the liberal community.

sh1

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:21 p.m.

Tax on services. Tax everyone instead of a few. That's what "shared sacrifice" is about.

snoopdog

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:56 a.m.

The Gov is a hero in my opinion. He is the only one over the past 20 years who has had the guts to do what needs to be done. My taxes will go up but I will do my part, too bad seniors and retired union workers getting pensions don't want to do their fair share. Good Day

BlackSheep

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 3:59 a.m.

too bad the desperately poor will be taxed out of their homes too. I'm sure the governor has plans to create work houses to benefit the corporations he dearly loves.

towny

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 10:17 a.m.

Thank You, I agree 100 percent.

Engineer

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:55 a.m.

This article must be a late Aprils fools joke. Granholm ran this state into the ground and now we have somebody trying to right things and the tax and spend crowd is already crying for a recall. What a joke. Synder has been a breath of fresh air. Now we need to do the same in Washington. Especially at the top. The entire country is being run into the ground. The rest of the country is quickly catching Michigan. Until the voters show some smarts and get more right winger in office we are going to continue down this path of failure.

L. C. Burgundy

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 10:50 p.m.

You'll have another chance in 2014. The state of Michigan does not exist to enrich bourgeois public unions and middle to upper class pensioners at the expense of the private working class - the ones that actually generate revenue for the state. On the other hand, I can understand the need of those opposed to this need to act now before a budget actually gets passed and people realize we don't need to budget in states of perpetual panic and undue deference to union demands.

BlackSheep

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 3:53 a.m.

I don't think the stat of Michigan exists to enrich the CEO's of the giant corporations that will be the only one to benefit from the corporate tax cuts that are so dear to the governor. It exits to benefit the citizens who will most certainly not gain anything. "Trickle Down" is a failed policy. The money will go straight into the bonuses of the top executives with out benefiting the shareholders, let alone the employees, of the megacorps.

Kathleen Kosobud

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 9:26 p.m.

While I would love to believe that a recall would solve everything, I believe that a better approach might be to use the courts to establish the limits of power that any one person can have on the state. The Governor's power is not unlimited, nor should any EFM that he might be legally allowed to appoint. We still have a constitution, and I think that we should assert our rights under the constitution to push back on people who over-step their bounds.

Life Long Learner

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 6:48 p.m.

I still have a lot to learn about this process...I am most curious as to whether or not tax manipulation is the only tool available to a Governor to supposedly spur the economy and create jobs? I need a straight answer on if giving big corporations tax breaks encourages them to hire or if they just pocket the extra savings...and it really does NOT seem helpful and to any advantage to American citizens, especially in Michigan for Snyder's Company Gateway to be shipped over seas as so many of the other manufactureing jobs have gone to pay so little to the workers with substandard living...To Give corporations $1.8 billion tax cuts, then tax the elderly, low-income workers, trying to get rid of unions that protect the labor force from living like those in third world countries that manufacture our junk for so little then we pay so much for, cutting public service jobs...No, I don't want to back to Granholm...BUT THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY!!!

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:56 a.m.

The Governor's tax changes actually take money from the large corporations. He closes dozens of tax breaks. It is the small businesses that benefit from the change in the business tax. 750,000 small businesses in the state that could easily change the statistics in the state. If 10 percent were to hire 1 employee with would add 75,000 jobs.

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 10:03 p.m.

We need to give corporations tax breaks, because it will actually spur investment and will stop the bleeding. Once that happens, we can begin to grow business organically.

JT

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:49 p.m.

Millions of our citizens buying the junk from third world countries is exactly why the jobs are being shipped overseas. If consumers demand products made in the USA, or Michigan for that matter, then the companies will make products in the USA and Michigan! I work for a large corporation and I can guarantee you we listen to our customers. If the customers demand cheap goods then we will continue to import more and more from low labor cost countries. If consumers are willing to pay a bit more so we can pay the high salaries & benefits that labor demands in the U.S. then we will manufacture products in the states. And it's not efficient to have high tax rates on corporations only to offer millions in targeted tax breaks. Just reduce the taxes on all corporations to begin with so our state is competitive with our neighbors.

Larry Kestenbaum

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:47 p.m.

A statewide recall would be a colossal undertaking. It would require a really aroused population, tens of thousands of activists, and tremendous organization to collect the needed signatures within 90 days. The petitioners would need to collect at least twelve thousand signatures a day, every day, for three months. If those things were in place, money would not be an issue. Indeed, I don't think you could buy a statewide recall with less than Bill Gates' entire fortune. If you don't have millions of voters instantly ready to pick up a pen and sign, signature collection on the necessary scale would be unmanageably slow. Moreover, if even 10% of the people approached to sign are openly hostile, petitioners will get burned out very quickly. Recall is part of the process of a democracy. Anyone who is elected in Michigan (except judges) is subject to recall. And the Michigan constitution states explicitly that the sufficiency of grounds for recall is a political question. Still, a pretty sizeable portion of the electorate rejects the concept of recall over political issues. For a lot of people, disapproval of the recall will take precedence over their disapproval of the targeted official. In the six-plus years I have been county clerk, we have seen nearly 100 efforts to recall local officials. Only eleven of these reached the ballot -- and none were removed from office. See <a href="http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/clerk_register/elections/el_recalli.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/clerk_register/elections/el_recalli.html</a>

Monica R-W

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:52 a.m.

@Snoopdog, Clerk Kentenbaum is a Democrat. He was presenting a non-bias version of the facts surround a recall of Governor Snyder, without the spin. He did not say he oppose or for anything.

snoopdog

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:54 a.m.

count me out Larry, I support the Gov 100% ! Good Day

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:54 a.m.

Money is not an issue, Mr Soros has Billions and he does not like Republicans, so he and his organization - MoveOn.Org will provide the money. We have enough state and local workers, that they only need 3 or 4 signatures each. No big deal. The recall election will be the real issue. Mr Soros will need to dump a huge amount of money in the state, but that will be good for jobs.

Kai Petainen

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:56 p.m.

&quot;For a lot of people, disapproval of the recall will take precedence over their disapproval of the targeted official.&quot; excellent point. i may agree or i may disagree with his policies. i may voice my opinion or choose not to. but, what i do have... is respect for the one who is elected in a democratic process.

Monica R-W

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 6:20 p.m.

Thank you for your detailed reply to this article Clerk Kentenbaum. As you stated here, in order to make a recall campaign successful again Governor Snyder, a highly coordinated, 'colossal' undertaking, with an motivated and informed electorate; would have to be ready to perform this task -day one- after the recall language is approved by the County Election Commission. In the same aspect, as you noted in your years as a County Clerk, the record on recall campaigns against public officials is not in the favor those seeking to outs Governor Snyder...11/0. Still, the question remains (as you noted) if the voting populist is 'aroused' and angry enough, with the unprecedented changes that Governor Snyder is proposing to Michigan's fiscal budgets and the Emergency Financial Manager law, to take this action.

Mike

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:39 p.m.

I am Starting a group Called &quot;Do you Recall 8 years of he11 under Granholm&quot;. I was one of the Smart ones that left Michigan during her term and I was able to look back and say wow only if the people of Michigan knew how really bad it is in Michigan. You can drive into Michigan literally feel the depression or heavy cloud. But Now I moved back on the basis of the Plan the Governor Laid out. That Cloud is lifting and I stand by This Governor for Next 4 years and will decide then were my vote will go. Because if you want to get on a recall bandwagon well then we will really have class war fare we will have endless recall after recall after recall. The People of Michigan voted the Million or so who voted for the other guy need to live with it and grow up

Mark

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:37 p.m.

Taxing pensions of the fixed income eldery and eliminating the Earned Income Credit for the working poor were not part of Snyder's campaign platform. If these proposals had been part of his campaign he would not have been elected. Cockroaches don't like the sunlight.

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:35 a.m.

I heard what Mike heard during the election.

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:51 a.m.

The vast majority of the Earned Income Credit comes from the Federal Government on Federal Income Tax Forms. The amount the state offers is not that much per household, but adds up when the budget is tight and lots of people want to claim it. As to pensions, if the state keeps using the Federal Forms for a base for tax liability, most Seniors will not pay a penny on the first $20,000.00 in pension money. The largest amount of pension collected by an age group is the $7,500,000,000.00 paid to people between the ages of 50 and 60 who have retired. Most of the people I know who have retired in this age group work another job, but pay nothing on the pension money.

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 11:13 p.m.

The sad thing is that people on the Republican side really aren't that upset about taxing pensions and ending the EIC. He seems to have won over the rich and poor alike.

Mike

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:41 p.m.

Actually watch the video at the free press the governor when campaigned when asked always replied of course its on the table everything is on the table quit living in denial. the EIC has only been around for 3 years now we cant afford it.

Superdog

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:35 p.m.

1,000,000 signatures? Where do I sign to make it 999,999? How do you recall a Governor? Same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.

rulieg

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:23 p.m.

oh, Ann Arbor, gotta love it, home of the delusional lib. NO I don't support a recall of Gov. Snyder. he campaigned on fiscal responsibility, and that's exactly what he's doing. for those of you who don't like it, allow me to quote the words of your messiah, Barack Obama, and say &quot;We won.&quot; get over it.

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:47 a.m.

Mr. Piziks - Show me the tax breaks. Many or most corporate deductions, tax abatements, and special treatments will be gone. Because some have a 'Term&quot; associated with them, it will take 3 years on average for them to expire. Most were put in place by Governor Granholm. As to the &quot;rich&quot; based on the top 20 percent being &quot;rich&quot; if you rent and don't have children as dependents, you are going to find that rich starts at about $70,000.00 a year in household income. Most of these folks will not see a real change in their taxes. If you want to make things fair, do a straight income tax, and don't use the Federal liability as a starting point.

Steven Harper Piziks

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:51 p.m.

Trouble is, he's not being responsible. He's taking money away from the poor and from retirees so he can give tax breaks to the wealthy and to corporations.

Jatra

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 6:29 p.m.

Right on rulieg! Crazy delusional liberal Ann Arbor with it's high taxes and stupid focus on education and Hash Bash and dumb College. All the crazy socialist professors filling kids heads with crazy un-american thoughts. Silly liberals have no understanding of how to generate jobs or create business opportunities. I wonder why people drive from all over Washtenaw and surrounding counties to work in that crazy city with it's good public services, stable economy, stable property values and low crime rate. Ann Arbor with it's 9% unemployment rate and Washtenaw county with it's 6.5% unemployment (lowest in the state). If Washtenaw county could only succeed from Ann Arbor the unemployment rate would likely drop to 0% and Michigan as a whole would return to the profitable industrial powerhouse it was after WWII. There would be no more poor people and Regan would come again in glory to judge the socialists and &quot;real americans&quot;. Amen rulieg, Amen.

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.

I really don't like Snyder's policies, but I also can't really get on the recall bandwagon. He won the election fair and square. The people got what they paid for.

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 11:11 p.m.

Except if you knew you were really getting a pig all along. Anyone who voted for Snyder thinking he was something other than what we're seeing was taking a great leap of faith.

Steven Harper Piziks

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:50 p.m.

I disagree. That's like saying we bought a racehorse that turned out to be a pig, so we shouldn't send back the pig.

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:39 p.m.

Hearcod, can you name an example of a union that has held &quot;the public hostage to their demands&quot; in the last few years?

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:41 p.m.

Sorry, didn't mean to mess up your name.

JT

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:19 p.m.

For the first time in many years I am excited to be a citizen in the state of Michigan because our governor is realistic about the situation in which we find ourselves. He is taking a fiscal failure of a state and is proposing practical solutions to move us toward a sustainable future. We must all keep in mind the true purpose of government. Which in my opinion is to protect our civil liberties, protect us from enemies foreign &amp; domestic (this incl. police &amp; fire protection), and to develop a transparent and equitable economic system free of all but the most necessary government interventions (I'm sure I missed a couple of principles here). The purpose is not to fix all of the mistakes of its municipalities, continue to support a failing education system, overpay for services because government jobs are supposed have great benefits, give handouts to all those citizens that decided that getting an education or learning a trade was not for them, continuously pour funds into social programs that may or may not have an adequate social benefit, nor is it to ensure everyone receives the best health care even if they have consistently made poor lifestyle choices. Our state and federal government has taken us so far beyond the core principles of government it makes me ill to think about it. I voted for Snyder because he appeared to be the only candidate that was going to do something to remedy the situation. His proposed budget reaffirmed this belief and I support him 100% (even if I pay more taxes).

johnnya2

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:17 p.m.

Here is the best response to those who think union sare bad and they are the problem in this financial mess. I guess it is all those state workers who for years and years have done with LESS than the private sector in EXCHANGE for security and benefits. Only republicans believe paying people LESS will spur economic activity. <a href="http://www.greenbayprogressive.com/progressive/story.asp?storyid=3540" rel='nofollow'>http://www.greenbayprogressive.com/progressive/story.asp?storyid=3540</a>

Dr. I. Emsayin

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 12:41 p.m.

Please post some of the article so it is easy for others to access here.

fremdfirma

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.

You bet I'm angry enough, my ancestors were UMWA and IWW members, and my family has never forgotten the horrors of men like Carnegie, Morgan and Rockefeller, from Ludlow to Matewan to Blair Mountain, we've always known the ugly truth which lies beneath the polite facade of robber barons. I was willing to give Snyder a chance, but he and many other Governors have shown their true colors with their own little take on the business plot of 1933 and an economic &quot;plan&quot; cribbed straight from Benito Mussolini, as well as a complete disrespect for democracy, the rule of law, or even due process - disaster and misery lies down that road, anyone with any respectable knowledge of history is well aware of it, but the Governor and those enabling him seem bent on steaming right on down to the bottom, full steam ahead. And so, we must put a stop to it, before we lose the right and ability to - did we learn nothing from history ? Were the lessons my ancestors paid in blood and sorrow for wasted ? I think not, and it heartens me that Michiganders are willing to call Synder out and hold him accountable, as it should be.

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:28 a.m.

I suggest you buy a calendar and note the 1920s were a long time ago. It makes no sense to apply what happened 90 years ago to what is going on today, unless you can offer up some examples of behavior today that matches those incidents. Time to get back to the present.

Macabre Sunset

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 3:15 p.m.

It will be interesting to see if the welfare state has finally grown large enough to make these recall efforts possible. Interesting coalition the Democrats have merged: public employees and those in need of assistance. Two groups with widely variant goals. Well, we had the War on Terrorism in the last decade. Now we have the War on Business.

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.

Marshall, if you read further down, you'd see I'm not in favor of the recall effort.

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:58 p.m.

@sh1 That's very noble of you, but what happens when you run out of other people's money to use for this endeavor?

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.

I am not ashamed to be a Democrat who wants to help those in need of assistance.

RayA2

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 2:52 p.m.

Count me in. The working people of this state will have no voice for their own destiny left if Slick Ricky Rich stays in office for the rest of his term. We need someone who will represent us, not steal from us.

Ray Dykstra

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 6:56 p.m.

why won't you show your actual face??

MjC

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 2:40 p.m.

I will not be supporting a recall of Governor Snyder. I voted for him and I'll support him through his term. You write &quot;Snyder's proposal to cut... will impact every citizen, senior, child, private and public sector employee.&quot; Shouldn't we ALL share in this mess that we've collectively created? I would think so! This does not mean that we don't have the right to debate - and be listened to - when his proposals for change are brought forward. But recalling someone who is trying their best to turn around this broken ship we've been floating on together is simply wrong.

Steven Harper Piziks

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:48 p.m.

Snyder isn't asking for ALL of us to &quot;share in this mess.&quot; He's asking for the working poor and retirees to share in the mess. He's asking for teachers who have taken cut after cut for years to share in the mess. He's asking for public sector workers who help the mentally ill, the homeless, the children abandoned and abused, to share in the mess. He ISN&quot;T asking business, corporations, or the rich to share in the mess. And the &quot;mess&quot; he's asking everyone to share in is one he's helping create. By giving billions in tax breaks to his corporate friends, he's creating a budget crisis that he wants the poor and retirees to pay for.

DonBee

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.

Monica - I am sure that George Soros and MoveOn.Org would be happy to hand you as much money as you want. With almost 500,000 state, local and federal employees in the state, all you need for the petition is to get all of them and their significant others to sign the petition, the unions in the state should have no problem getting members to do that right? With Governor Snyder gone we can raise taxes on businesses, and like Illinois drive significant companies like Caterpillar out of the state. We can continue to support local governments that serve fewer than 100 citizens and continue to employ over 600 school boards and superintendents. Full employment and early retirement for public sector employees! Go for it!

RayA2

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 4:04 a.m.

Doobee, in 1930 North Dakota had over 680,000 residents to their 672,000 in 2010. I guess you can make the statistics on growth Vs shrinkage say what you want. The point is that North Dakota is a state desperate to get residents. The city of Detroit, with its shrinking population, has more than 900,000 residents in 2010. More than the entire state of North Dakota!! So I am not certain why I should make light of New Hampshire. Grand Rapids has a smaller population than North Dakota and so does a lot of other places. Do you think I need to mention Grand Rapids population for some reason?. You were the one who held North Dakota up as a shining example of conservative principles. I'm just pointing out that its scale and context make it a meaningless example. I get my news and facts from many places but I avoid any that are owned by Rupert Murdoch. You should to.

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 3:25 a.m.

RayA2 - North Dakota added 32,149 people to the state from 2000 to 2010. This according to the US Census Bureau, that is 76,352 more than Michigan. Overall North Dakota's population has been growing slowly since 1960. Again according the the US Census Bureau. So where do you get your &quot;facts&quot;? New Hampshire is smaller than North Dakota in population, I don't see you making light of it, I wonder why?

RayA2

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:54 a.m.

DoBee - Where do you get your information from, Rush or one of the other Rupert Murdoch mouthpieces who really don't care about the facts? North Dakota has 672,591 residents as of the 2010 census. Like Alaska in the 1980s, the state is desperate to attract anyone it can as it has literally been losing population for at least 8 decades. Like Alaska in the 1980s, the state has decided to bribe people to live there. An educated work force is what keeps jobs here and Slick Rick has sold you the snake oil solution of reducing education spending as a way to attract businesses. Like trickle down, this is just one more ruse to continue the transfer of wealth to the wealthy class.

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:41 a.m.

RayA2 - Try again - both Dakotas have gained population and have both have unemployment under 5 percent. Not bad for states that are almost purely agriculture based. Small government, low taxes, and low unemployment, reasonable home and land prices. I would say they are successes - but then I don't know your criteria.

RayA2

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 10:57 p.m.

Why does North Dakota keep popping up on conservatives' list of successes? The state has been hemoraging population for decades and I think there are now more people in Detroit than in North Dakota. I guess Republicans are desperate to explain their support of the trickle down ruse.

DonBee

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:09 p.m.

johnnya2 - North Dakota has an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent. Best in the nation! Florida's population grew by 17.4 percent from 2000 to 2010, the housing blowout hurt the construction industry in the state, but unemployment is still only 11.5 percent. Which says there are more jobs in the state then there were in 2000. Nevada's population grew by 35.1 percent from 2000 to 2010, the economy is heavily dependent on tourism and gambling - but unemployment is 13.6 percent. Again it shows there are more jobs in the state than there were in 2000. In Michigan population fell by 0.6 percent and unemployment is 10.4 percent, showing the jobs, as well as the people are leaving the state. So your point in picking these 3 states was?

sh1

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:43 p.m.

There is middle ground.

johnnya2

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.

Really? How is that low tax thing working for South Dakota, Nevada or Florida? Google, Microsoft and Chase Bank all stay in supposed &quot;high tax&quot; states. Don;t let facts get in the way of your story though.

joe.blow

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.

I have no problem with companies leaving the state, where I'm from they've lowered the corporate tax rate and all these companies are bringing there jobs there, there aren't even any unions to demand crazy pay scales. Go ahead, fight for unions, it helps my home state out!

Townie

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.

<a href="http://www.firericksnyder.org/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.firericksnyder.org/</a>

actionjackson

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.

Let's get organized and get these petitions signed and delivered!

Sandman

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:30 p.m.

Our governor is anti-government and anti-voter rights. He is pushing Michigan toward a corporate-type business structure where you do what one man says and ignore the little man you serve. Politics is about doing what the public says, not what you think is best for the public. The citizens of Michigan run the Michigan government, not the governor. We need to take back our state and put it in the hands of a true public servant, not a business man.

Mike K

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 2:33 p.m.

&quot;Our governor is anti-government&quot; Unless we live in a socialist nation, the private sector hires employees, and pays them a wage for their effort. Corporations also allow for one to earn success which is really the American dream. Government should exist only to provide a framework. Lastly, the government NEEDS to be run like a business. You see, business's are accountable. Business's need to be financially responsible, or they are no longer a business. Can the same be said for government?

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:24 a.m.

Well, I would say corporations are doing a heck of a lot better than 95% of govts so maybe he is on to something.

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 2:40 p.m.

&quot;We need to take back our state and put it in the hands of a true public servant&quot; Oh yes. This state is pining for the return of Jennifer Granholm. That worked out so well.

Sandman

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:29 p.m.

I do not want my hard earned tax dollars going to pay sub-standard human beings or to pay for slave labor and I especially do not want to feel scared of my city workers. Our municipal employees need to be proud, honest, personable, trustworthy and a pleasure to deal with… Public service is hard and thankless. Pay them a good wage, give them the best benefit package and thank them for cleaning up your community and making your neighborhood a safe place for your children to play.

Basic Bob

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 7 p.m.

Which human beings are sub-standard? Should we do genetic testing and background checks?

Mike K

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.

Ugh, please. Municipal employees are a minority of all of us employed. That's a bright idea, focus ONLY on them. In a time where our community needs to come together, we have people continuing to divide. That's special. Work your cause Monica.

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:36 a.m.

Next time you are in a coffee place, ask a dump truck driver what they make. Then look at the road commission pay for dump truck drivers. Not all public sector employees are over paid, but some are. Not all are underpaid but some are. The problem is if Michigan stays a manufacturing state, the average pay in the state WILL continue to decline. That is a fact of a global economy.

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:11 p.m.

Agree. I prefer that my garbage collector has a liberal arts degree from a major institution.

joe.blow

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 3:16 p.m.

Pay them a competitive wage! Trouble is, there is no competition, just unions who demand more money. I was at the DMV the other day, I think I saw a smile on the employees face when she took a break with 20 people waiting in line. That wouldn't happen if she had pride in her job. These people have pride in getting paid a lot to do simple work. Instead of paying them to be &quot;proud, honest, personable, trustworthy and a pleasure to deal with,&quot; how about we find good people who are proud and honest and hire them INSTEAD of trying pay someone to be honest.

Topher

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:50 p.m.

Sandman - I agree with you. If we don't believe in public services, and instead wish to privatize, we will essentially create a slave class that has no voice in regard to the work they do. You see this already is private education where salaries are low, worker's rights can be absent, and there is arbitrary compensation. The result is a demoralized and cynical population. I believe in reform through high accountability and rewards for those who do good work (this requires those overseeing to be doing their jobs well too). Cuts and efficiency are not bad when those in charge are well educated and informed, have humanity, and are also held accountable. Let's also not forget that public servants aren't just making communities and neighborhoods safe for &quot;your&quot; children - but for their children too.

Harold

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.

There will be plenty of boots on the ground. Thousands of retired folks who are sociable, smart, and have lots of time will be going door to door this summer. Snyder's unexpected tax o 4.35% on the first dollar of pensions is like calling for 8.7% on income tax.

BornNRaised

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:17 p.m.

Heardoc, your comment shows that you have little understanding of what collective bargaining or EFMs are all about. EFM are put in place to dissolve contracts that were negotiated in good faith. Not help them. Cities don't want collective bargaining because they just simply don't want to negotiate. And all of you toting the Republican line... understand this. Arbitrators DO use 'ability to pay' in their decisions. They always have. This is a right wing propaganda attach because they know that no one in the private sector will research it and take their word at face value.

DonBee

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 12:33 a.m.

Mr Applewhite - Not under the current law in Michigan it is not a criteria that is considered. That is a change that should be made.

1bit

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 3:31 p.m.

BornNRaised: Do you understand the process of bankruptcy? Do you understand what happens to your certificate of deposit and your &quot;promised&quot; interest rate when your bank is taken over by the FDIC? Agreements, even when negotiated &quot;in good faith&quot;, are meaningless if they are not viable. The irony of the EFM issue is that this is &quot;big government regulators&quot;. Why Republicans want this is curious, and why Democrats don't is even more interesting.

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 2:38 p.m.

&quot;Arbitrators DO use 'ability to pay' in their decisions.&quot; Oh man, what a relief. So you're saying that the negotiator of a very large public contract actually cares about proper funding being available? hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!

1bit

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1:16 p.m.

&quot;And rest assured the opposition will be awash in money!&quot; Maybe the money spent on the recall effort would be better spent supporting your local schools and community, particularly if one is so &quot;awash in money!&quot;

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:30 p.m.

@ johnnya2 The Headless Amendment?? Please explain. I'm not aware of what you speak of.

johnnya2

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:24 p.m.

It would if there was not a thing called the Headless AMendment and Prop A which INCREASED sales tax 50% and SHIFTED taxes from wealthier land owners to pooer income classes.

redstate

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 1 p.m.

Let me get this straight. If a local entity goes into bankruptcy and refuses to face reality, we are to protect the things that sent it there-wages and benefits of all are employed be said entity which compromise 80% of most budgets. As usual liberals live in a fantasy world where any check to their power base is falsely promoted as an attack on democracy itself. It is not. The TAXPAYERS of this state have spoken. We are going to go from a high tax nanny state to one that encourages business and private employment growth. Why do you think that, despite our resources, there have been no new auto plants built here in 30 years? Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Hyundai, Mercedes, VW, all have US plants but none chose MI. Regarding the hard choice of reducing unemployment, MI has borrowed 3 BILLION from the federal gov to pay extended unemployment. Should the MI taxpayers continue to borrow more? Many of us are proud of Snyder for working to make MI competitive again.

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:20 a.m.

Same old same old from dems. Johnnya if Gov JG was so great, why didnt she accomplish anything with her overwhelming majority votes? She did nothing. What the current Gov is doing, trying to attract business should have been done four years ago. When VW pared state selections down to 3 states, including MI and it was clear VW would move south because of the UAW, her response was &quot;oh, well.&quot;

1bit

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:10 a.m.

&quot;...give his corporate friends big tax breaks.&quot; This is repeated and repeated and repeated. Just because Rachel Maddow says it, doesn't make it true. Just because it is repeated, it doesn't make it true. Reforming the MBT eliminates double taxation of small business owners. That's it. Learn about it. Please. The larger corporations will pay more under the proposal, not less.

Steven Harper Piziks

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:43 p.m.

Snyder's budget will =send= them into bankruptcy, that's the problem. Lots of places that are doing okay will go right over the edge when he slashes their budgets even further in order to give his corporate friends big tax breaks.

johnnya2

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:23 p.m.

And the taxpayers spoke during the Granholm administration, yet I NEVER heard one republican say lets do what SHE wants totally. In fact how many republicans HEARD what the VOTERS said in 2008 and 2010 when they elected democrats by an OVERWHELMING majority. Show me any bill of substance that a SINGLE republican voted for. Rick Snyder got less than 50% of the tax payers to vote for him. So when he is recalled it will be a great day for all. By the way, when will conservatives look at the reality that lower taxes DO NOT spur business. Nevada, Florida, South Dakota are not hot beds of businesses moving there. WHY? hey are low tax states. Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Chase Bank, all base din higher tax states and are not moving. Don't let facts get in the way of your argument though

Brad

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 12:56 p.m.

Sure you just don't want to work on your representatives? The gov doesn't pass this stuff by himself, you know. He may not care if he gets reelected, but the reps sure do.

A2anon

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 12:54 p.m.

Here's an effort that looks well organized: <a href="http://firericksnyder.org/" rel='nofollow'>http://firericksnyder.org/</a> That man needs to go.

Larry Kestenbaum

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 6:16 p.m.

Right, but Twitter would delete your daughter's account, if they learned she lied about being at least 13. My own daughter is 12, and she won't be taking part in social media until her next birthday.

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:55 p.m.

@Larry The minimum age for alcohol consumption is 21, and I can assure you that nobody under 21 has ever consumed alcohol.

Larry Kestenbaum

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:07 p.m.

Minimum age for Twitter is 13, under the Terms of Service.

Marshall Applewhite

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.

&quot;Here's an effort that looks well organized&quot; Hahahaha.....my 11 year old daughter has more Twitter followers than that &quot;movement&quot;. IE my daughter is more influential than something you claim to be &quot;well organized&quot;.

Caferacer

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 12:33 p.m.

Recalling the Governor would be a dramatic mistake. Governor Snyder has the hard work of resizing our government after the bloated and unnecessary growth of the late 90's and first decade of 2000. Our government is way over-sized and must reduce costs dramatically so the tax burden does not continue to increase in Michigan households. State leaders should not have grown so dramatically over the past 10+ years, they were negligent at best and should have been far more conservative. As any good business leader knows in the &quot;flush&quot; times you must grow conservatively as you must recognize that the good times will one day be no more and we will be left with the over stuffed government offices we created. Cuts are difficult and very painful but clearly without them, the pain will be far worse for our future and our children's future. You can't run a business with a deficit and you can't run a state in the red just because its the easy path. Rick Snyder has the experience to help us manage through this tough time... an excruciating job for him and his staff!

RayA2

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 11:20 p.m.

Electing Slick Rick was the mistake. He's done nothing but damage to 99.9% of the citizens of this state and we can't get him out fast enough.

Steven Harper Piziks

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:42 p.m.

What growth? We've made cuts and cuts and more cuts for the last fifteen years! We never had growth during the so-called flush times. It's always been cuts.

Heardoc

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.

EFM is the best thing that could have happened in this state. This now puts pressure on the public employee unions to bargain in good rather than holding the public hostage to their demands. This will reduce the footprint of municipalities and reduce the redundancy that exists today. This will mean fewer public employees yet greater services provided and a much more efficient method of providing these services. The people complaining are the far left who see government as the solution to problems rather than the individual. It also is very disturbing to BIG LABOR as they will see their pot of money dwindle and therefore their clout with the democratic party. This is great to see this unholy alliance, between BIG LABOR and the dems, being dismantled for the good of our country!

Mick52

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 1:14 a.m.

I agree Heardoc. Prior to EFM, a local entity has to literally be bankrupt to act.

Steven Harper Piziks

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:40 p.m.

I don't see how fewer people doing the work equals greater efficiency. When the paperwork piles up for licenses, and the phone is ringing, and ten people are waiting in line, how is fewer people on the job more efficient? When a hundred orphaned, abused, or abandoned children need social workers to help them find a place to live, how would having fewer social workers be more efficient? When five thousand miles of crumbling road need to be rebuilt, how is having fewer construction workers more efficient? When a hundred houses burn down, how is having fewer firefighters more efficient? When a thousand crimes are committed, how is having fewer police officers more efficient?

David Briegel

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.

From his initial efforts a recall would seem to be a noble quest. And rest assured the opposition will be awash in money!

joe.blow

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 12:18 p.m.

Recall the Governor? Why, he's doing a good job. We should focus more on taking down these greedy public sector unions who demand more money for doing simple jobs. Sorry Mr. Trash collector, my 9 year old son could do your job, just because you threaten to strike and let the trash pile up, doesn't mean you should be unstoppable in the bargaining table. I'm sick of looser elected officials who couldn't negotiate the price at a lemonade stand giving away money they don't have (nor didn't earn).

BlackSheep

Mon, Apr 4, 2011 : 6:56 p.m.

joe.blow, why is it such a terrible thing for the person collecting trash in front of your house to want to want to make a living wage? Maybe even health care and vacation time? They are actually providing a needed service, unlike bankers, stock brokers, CEOs, and the other leaches of the corporate elite

Jon Saalberg

Sun, Apr 3, 2011 : 2:19 a.m.

Yes, and I guess the person who does the thankless job of picking up your garbage doesn't deserve to be paid enough to feed his family and have a decent place to live?

Steven Harper Piziks

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 8:17 p.m.

Why don't you go into teaching then, joe.blow?

joe.blow

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 5:13 p.m.

I have a 4 year degree considered more prestigious than a teachers, however I would take there low salary and low benefits and 3 months off a year any day over what I do. Those poor poor teachers.

A2RN

Sat, Apr 2, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.

But let's not forget that &quot;public sector&quot; also includes highly educated people in much more complex jobs as well ... public safety, firefighters, teachers, employees at public health systems ... to me, it doesn't seem like such a great idea to take away from these groups that are already underpaid for the work they do. When the highly qualified people we have leave to another state, what mess will we be in then?