Former state Rep Jim Howell, a GOPer, doesn't do my side any favors, though, with his particular line of thinking.

"People see there is a need for legislators to be in Lansing to learn what they need to learn to do what they need to do," said former state Rep. Carl M. Williams, a Saginaw Democrat who served his full six years before term limits forced him out. "What's happening now is by the time you start to get your brain around the issues that are here, by the time you start to learn to navigate the system, it's time to go."

Jim Howell, a St. Charles Republican and former state representative, said it takes time to learn intricate issues such as insurance reform.

"This isn't like when we started out as a nation, and we were basically agrarian," he said. "The issues we are dealing with today are extremely complicated."

I just re-read that quote for the fourth time and it still makes me want to throw things.  Representative, you're a good guy and you usually voted right on the issues that I care about when you were in Lansing, but that might be the single stupidest thing I've read all calendar year.

Do you mean to imply that the issues that faced our nations' founders WEREN'T extremely complicated?  And further, that the issues they face in Lansing are MORE complicated than things like the formation of the greatest nation in the history of mankind?  That insurance reform is more difficult to handle and requires a greater level of expertise than creating the very systems of government by which we deal with it and every other issue even now, hundreds of years later?

Yeah, you're right... nothing was complicated back in 1787.  Things were eeeeaaasy back then.  Our state legislators in Lansing here in comfy, cozy 21st century America, the poor dears, they're facing issues of much greater importance and intricacy.  Things like insurance reform.

Ahem:

Billy Madison is a movie, by the way.  Product of Hollywood.  Released in theatres and made millions of dollars.  Unlike anything, sadly, in which my favorite Macomb County Commissioner, Carey Torrice has ever appeared.  Just because she isn't a real movie star doesn't mean she isn't capable of challenging Jim Howell for the "I say stupid things and sound stupid" award, though.

The Macomb Daily tracked down Torrice for a story over the weekend (something I wish they'd do much more often, by the way) about Hollywood's decision to take advantage of Lansing's offer to pay 42% of their shooting expenses when they film in Michigan.

Torrice is so encouraged by the trends that she flatly declares that "Michigan is going to become the next Hollywood," and Macomb County will cash in.

"There are a lot of county commissioners who don't understand this, but I have a lot of contacts in the industry and I know that we have to move quickly," she said...

Torrice's resume includes work as a model and product spokeswoman, a TV commercial performer, bit parts in a soap opera, and a major role in "Silent Scream," a horror film that was shot in Harbor Springs, Mich., and released on video in late 2006.

If you're curious about Silent Scream, and how couldn't you be, you can swing over to the Internet Movie Database to do a little research.  Turns out it really does exist as direct-to-video fare, though it was renamed "The Retreat," something Torrice's own website fails to mention, which seems a little strange since she's so obviously "big time."  

Torrice's production did manage to generated one review, though, which I now offer for your consideration:

I got this from Netflix last night and it's easily the WORST movie I've seen in quite sometime-if not ever. It was so bad it irritated me and I turned it off. I couldn't get it back in the mail quick enough. It blows (redacted). It was so convoluted. The continuity made no sense. The acting is atrocious. The dialogue is banal. The direction is horrible. The characters are idiots. It's embarrassing. I suppose if I'd watched to the end there would have been a (sic) explanation and a pay-off (doubt it) but I was decided (sic) I'd rather paint my bathroom and watch the paint dry for more entertainment. Lionsgate usually distributes some pretty good films but this one is just terrible.

My favorite tag line from the official plot summary?

They expect to spend the weekend with lots of sex, but a serial-killer turns their party in a nightmare.

Just don't tell Torrice.  She's sort of a big deal.  People know her.