Ipod Idiots

Usually I try to avoid blogging about Michigan politics but this time I cannot resist. Michigan is currently facing a budget deficit of about $1 billion for our current year and another billion for next year's proposed budget. Two weeks ago the Republicans in the Senate rejected the Governor's confusing and expensive plan to add a sales tax on services. They also voted to cut $900 million in state programs including difficult areas like education and health care. To be honest, it was a tough vote because there were many programs we had fought to get money for that we then voted to cut. But that's what you do when times are tight.

What's the Democrats proposal? Increase about every imaginable tax and then create new programs like giving $38 million so that all public school kids can have Ipods. I am not making this up. One of the leaders in the House suggested that having Ipods would improve students education. These are the kind of inept people we have to negotiate with to end this budget mess. No wonder we are making no progress.

A few years ago my boss did begrudgingly vote to give laptops to all 6th graders. It was a dumb idea but at least back then we had the money to pay for the program and laptops could add some value in the classroom. Ipods? Hardly. What will the Democrats want to give away next week? How about paying for every student's spring break vacation. After all, students who are well rested are more likely to perform well. The sad thing is that my tongue and cheek proposal has more value than what they proposing in real life.