LANSING – In the midst of Michigan's unprecedented fiscal and jobs crisis, Representatives Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak) and Andy Meisner (D-Ferndale) held a town hall meeting Monday that focused on the state's economy and presented details on the tough choices that have to be made to resolve the budget crisis and move Michigan forward.
"The state of Michigan is at a very critical crossroads and we have a number of difficult decisions to make before we can resolve the state's budget crisis," Donigan said. "We're in a budget hole that puts our kids, public safety, parents and grandparents at risk. We can choose to make Michigan a magnet for 21st century jobs by investing in education, health care, police and fire protection, emerging industries and job creation programs -- or we can keep everything the same and hope that things will just work out."
The presentation detailed the chronic billion-dollar shortfalls plaguing the state since 2000 and the resulting negative impact that decreasing revenue has had on staging an economic comeback and delivering essential state services to the people of Michigan. Donigan and Meisner explained that if the $1.8 billion hole in the budget is not balanced, it would cause more drastic reductions and eliminations to education, health care, and police and fire protection -- passing an even heavier burden on to the state's middle-class families. Furthermore, even if the state stopped funding colleges and universities or eliminated the Department of Corrections, it would not be enough to resolve the budget crisis.
Donigan and Meisner also used the town hall to hear from participants about proposals and alternatives being studied on how to resolve the budget crisis and make Michigan a powerhouse in the highly competitive 21st century global economy. Plans discussed included the negative impact $1.8 billion in cuts alone would have on working families, implementing a graduated income tax, raising the income tax by one percent, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm's Two-Penny Plan, and a six-percent "luxury" tax on amenities.
"This budget crisis demonstrates the need we have to rebuild and diversify Michigan's economy," Meisner said. "We need to address the crisis with a combination of cuts, reforms and revenue in order to jumpstart the economy and turnaround our state. By working together, we will move Michigan forward."