an open letter to the politicians of the state of michigan

As a general rule I tend to beg off political discussions, leaving those to people who are better equipped to participate; however, I just can’t let this go without comment. I was neither comforted nor pleased to wake up this morning to the news that the partial state shutdown we’d been threatened with was over, lasting “only” 4 ½ hours. Instead, I was disgusted that such extreme measures were taken at all – regardless of the length of time. I suppose I could be appreciative of your concern over whether or not and by how much to raise my taxes, however this morning’s shutdown strikes me more as the result of stubborn partisan pouting than genuine concern for my well-being.

As far as I can see, genuine concern would have meant both political parties would have put their differences aside to resolve the budget debate sometime during the course of the seven months the proposed budget sat in law-makers’ hands. Genuine concern is not threatening citizens with an absence of state police protection, environmental regulations, and transportation services. Genuine concern is not creating extreme amounts of stress in your thousands of government employees who were originally told not to report to work today, and that they should prepare to go an undetermined length of time unemployed and without pay. Genuine concern is not putting me in a situation where I have to receive emails from my school district clarifying if and for how long I can continue to receive my paycheck. Genuine concern is not making every resident of the state of Michigan doubt the competency and sincerity of the lawmakers we voted into office.

Frankly, I don’t care that the government only closed down for 4 ½ hours. I care that it closed at all. I don’t care whether it was the fault of our Democratic governor, who could have signed an extension providing lawmakers with more time to revise the original proposed budget; or whether the blame should be placed on the backs of our Republican legislators, who didn’t like what they read so chose to sit on their hands until the eleventh hour. What I do care about is that what little trust I had in my state politicians to do their jobs has been shattered.

And if the current state economy didn’t mean that there’s not a chance in hell of me selling my house, you could bet your ass I’d take serious consideration to moving out of state.

Embittered,

Mrs. White