The 2012 Center for Michigan state scorecard is out, and it contains some bad news for Gov. Snyder – namely that tax giveaways for rich CEOs and a little good luck aren’t good enough to, in the parlance used by the Rick for Michigan campaign, “provide tangible results for the programs citizens want and need.”
“State slips on ‘knowledge’ front,” “Poverty rate climbs,” and “Higher education becomes flashpoint” were a few of the points covered in the article introducing the report, which should come as no surprise to anyone who’s been following the work Lansing politicians have done to tear down everyone who isn’t a strong supporter of the Republican Party, from nurses, police officers and firefighters to the long-term unemployed and seniors facing new taxes on their pensions.
As usual, Gov. Snyder’s spokesperson employed relentless, positive action in his reaction to the report, choosing to blame the last administration for the “challenges of the past decade.” But Gov. Snyder, who so often talks about his desire to not talk about taking credit or placing blame in Michigan, can’t run from the truth this time.
The truth is, our K-12 schools had never seen a cut as large as the one they received in 2011. The truth is, Gov. Snyder and Lansing Republicans have talked relentlessly about “Michigan’s budget crisis” – even after they made it worse by giving away a $1.7 billion tax giveaway to big corporations. The truth is, the Legislature’s nonstop attacks on the unemployed and the poor have done nothing to “reinvent” Michigan and have only made it harder for the more than 22 percent of children under 6 who live in poverty, and the more than 11 percent of households who are food-insecure.
Gov. Snyder can talk about “relentless, positive action” and try to move the goalposts on his dashboard as much as he wants. But he can’t hide from the harsh reality that he and Lansing Republicans have inflicted on hardworking Michiganders. We can do better in Michigan, and we need elected officials who will be honest and forthright about the scope of our problems and the appropriate ways to deal with them.