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Appreciation
Dear Editor; We would like to extend a sincere thank you everyone who attended Keith Schlott's Benefit. It was such a warm feeling to have so many friends, family and the community support us in this endeavor.
He has a long road to go yet. Your
generosity helped with a lot of stress. It will enable us to
continue the trips to the Med Center in Ann Arbor, help with his
medications, and various medical bills waiting to be paid.
We would like to extend a very
special thank you to Ed Kurth. Without him, none of this
would have been possible.
Genuinely, The Schlott Family . Michigan Budget Debate Editor, the Review, I have long been a fan of Mike Thompson's writing, in the Review and the Michigan Banner. He clearly does his homework, expending shoe leather to visit, learn about and talk to the various communities and organizations that make up the city.
Yet he has inhaled a dangerous cloud
of right-wing ideology in his Editorial "Why Can't Lansing Balance
the Budget?". He quotes the thoroughly discredited Mackinac
Institute, the bunch that recommended de-funding the Ann Arbor Film
Festival for showing a gentle cartoon about a young woman's
self-image because it was called "Boobie Girl"! Who will you cite
next, Mike? Rush Limbaugh?
Worst of all, look how the nation's
playing field has shifted, when even a Mike Thompson questions
whether Michigan teachers deserve the best possible health care.
Rather than adopt the bosses' rollback mentality on health coverage,
a better question is how all other employees--public and
private--can obtain sufficient health coverage too. Unionize them
first?
Thanks, Mike Mosher Bay City Editor's Reply: Thanks for your letter, Mike. We also believe Mike Thompson to be a significant asset to The Review, which is why I find it incumbent to correct some misconceptions that you apparently harbor.
First, the analysis in our last
edition was co-authored by Mike and myself, with Mike framing many
of the Democratic arguments and I handling the Republican point of
view.
In retrospect, perhaps it would have
been more effective to frame the piece in a 'point-counterpoint'
context, like J.J. Kilpatrick and Shana Alexander did
from the old 60 Minutes, or Dan Aykroyd & Jane
Curtin from Saturday Night Live.
As for your comments about The
Mackinac Center, their budget analysis was thorough and well
researched, cited in national & statewide publications. They have
not advocated de-funding the Ann Arbor Film Festival but simply
suggested that state (i.e. taxpayer) money should be focused upon
essential state services and not artistic endeavors. This is
something that I do disagree with The Mackinac Center about.
Regarding health coverage, if the
Bush tax cuts are allowed to fade out as scheduled for people
earning $250,000 and up, universal health coverage should become
do-able across the country. This is one of the cornerstones of
Hillary Clinton's recently released position paper on health
insurance.
And as noted in the editorial that
you reference, we are spending $15 million per hour on the War in
Iraq, which Congress just approved another $150 billion for
in funding.
Ultimately, it's all about priorities
and how to set them. Frankly, it is also why I consider myself
neither a Republican nor a Democrat. Politics, much like life, is
too complex to become pigeonholed.
Michigan has one of the most
regressive tax systems in the country, with the bulk of the burden
on the lower & middle class, mainly because we have a flat income
tax as though Steve Forbes were governor and the 'sin' taxes
are ridiculously high, especially the cigarette tax, which makes no
sense when you're funding health initiatives on something that the
State is simultaneously attempting to get people to quit.
At any rate, thank you for your
comments, and look forward to learning more about the budget
aftermath and tax hikes that Lansing navigated in our next edition.
Respectfully, Robert E. Martin Publisher & Editor Editor, the Review; By now many have heard that the budget problem in Lansing has been addressed. The eventual solution was a mix of spending reforms, cuts and tax increases.
The tax component of the package
raised our income tax from 3.9 to 4.35 percent. Legislation
also passed that expands Michigan's 6 percent sales tax to certain
services like tanning salon visits and landscaping.
I have received a tremendous amount
of contact from people in our area urging me to oppose additional
taxes. Thank you all for taking the time to write and call my
office. I voted no on these tax increases as the cost to our
families is simply too great.
My focus has always been on reforms.
They offer true savings year after year by changing the way
government operates. Both tax increases and cuts only provide
one-time revenue or savings, and are just quick fixes.
The better approach is bringing
fundamental reform to government.
That's why I was pleased that two
very important reforms I have sponsored were included in the final
budget deal.
The first requires government
efficiency studies so we in Lansing make sure we are spending your
tax dollars wisely. The second reform allows for third-party service
providers for mental health care in our prisons. This will allow us
to unify the delivery of mental and physical health and therefore
improve the quality of correctional care. We can also find the most
efficient providers.
An additional component to the
agreement was the signing of a 30-day continuation budget. I have
publicly urged Governor Granholm to come back to the bargaining
table so that we could avoid a shutdown.
With the continuation budget now
signed, vital services continue without interruption.
There have been many tense moments
leading up to this eventual agreement. Emotions run high in times
like these, but that only illustrates the importance of the work
you've elected me to do.
This budget did not go far enough in reforming government, but it is an important start. Within this agreement is an acknowledgment that there are reforms to be made. I will work to make sure more reforms are enacted in the coming budget year.
My first focus has been and remains
retaining and creating jobs in Saginaw and Gratiot counties. With a
reform-oriented approach, I believe it can be accomplished.
That's what I'm fighting for in the
Michigan Senate.
Roger Kahn, M.D. State Senator
32nd District
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