http://www.statenews.com It almost brought the whole institution down,” recalled state Rep. Steve Bieda, D-Warren. “All of us — even the good actors in that process — shudder when we look back at that.” It’s been one year since the state shut down while trying to solve a $1.75 billion budget shortfall as it failed to adopt a state budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:45:43 -0400 webmaster@statenews.com http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24436 One correction needed here. The first paragraph mentions a “budget shortfall” in the FY08 budget. That is untrue. No level of government can ever have a budget shortfall. The correct term would be “overspending crisis.” When they want to spend more than they’re taking in, that is NOT a budget shortfall. So what exactly has been the outcome of the $1.4 billion tax hike Gov. Granholm rammed through the Legislature in the wee hours of Oct. 1, 2007? Unemployment is higher and more jobs have been lost. It is unfortunate, though unsurprising, that the State News overlooked that. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:11:52 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24436 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24442 The budget is balanced but unemployment is higher and jobs continue to leave the state. State government needs to sober up from the drunken spending it has been on for years or it will only continue to get worse in the state. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:48:21 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24442 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24487 State government needs to sober up from the drunken spending it has been on for years or it will only continue to get worse in the state. Characterizing state spending as drunken, is simply in accurate. Look at the following link for per capita state spending. http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?ind=32&cat=1⊂=10&yr=65&typ=4&sort=n&o=a Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:03:20 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24487 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24492 Someone who proposes spending $200,000,000.00 when facing a $1,500,000,000.00 over-spending problem is, IMO, an idiot. All the yapping about “well, FDR did it this way” has no relevance in today’s complex global economy. For the record: FDR’s “recovery” plan stagnated — until Germany invaded Poland. Minor historical fact. Only a fool would move to the Arctic and pay these business taxes. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:05:26 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24492 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24522 Facts people: Current year was 6oo million short, next year was 900 million short. Then they raised taxes 1.5 billion. Of course there is no budget shortfall-they have a surplus. Next year they will be short again and want to raise taxes even though the population is dropping, home values are dropping, and unemployment is up; but they don’t cut services and expenditures. Also, Granholm just raised utility costs. Hey, let’s stay in Michigan! Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:28:38 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24522 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24593 The real solution to solving michigan’s horrible economy has to be diversifying in new technology and strengthening the old. The american auto industry has to be brought back up to par. In 2007 the best selling car in america was the toyota camry. LOL If michigan could do this and somehow become a leader in the green and biofuel market a serious economic boom could take place. Imagine that! A booming auto industry in colaboration with a booming biofuel industry. I SMELL MONEY and JOBS. LOL LOL Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:45:43 -0400 http://www.statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/24593