1. We should privatize the rest areas alongside Michigan highways by selling them off, which will bring in much-needed cash as well as generally improve the quality and operation of the rest areas.

2. Downsize the State Police by eliminating road patrols and transferring the savings to county sheriffs, who can, on average, put two deputies on the road for every state trooper.

3. Abolish the Department of Civil Rights and transfer all of its duties, responsibilities, and authority to the Attorney General's Office.

1. Cut the state House of Representatives. There is no need for a bicameral legislature.

2. I got nothing

State agencies purchase furniture and other items from the Michigan State Industries, a company that uses state inmates as a labor force and still charges a market price for their products. These workers make pennies per hour but the products are-in most cases-more expensive than comparable private enterprise offerings. These purchases are all but mandated for state agencies. Their ordered to purchase through MSI.

There are many agencies that should be cut but it won't happen.

Cut the unnecessary highly paid executives at some of the state agencies. If I'm not mistaken, the number of 17 level executives ($100K and above) in this state has doubled over the past ten years, while we've steadily cut the actual worker bees. None of these goofs ever loses a job; they're just shuffled over to another agency where a new position is created for them! A few choice FOIA requests would prove this true. Cut 'em!

To that end:

1- Eliminate corporate taxes.

2- Pass Right to Work legislation.

If memory services me correctly, it was based on a book espousing principles to help the legislature make better and more informed decisions about spending.

A couple of other states had used it successfully.  Michigan spent a bunch of money to implement it.

And then it dropped out of sight.  There's been no mention and no buzz about it.

I think former State Rep. Scott Hummell was its main advocate when he was House Approps chair.

I would right off the bat put a freeze on the state budget spending for one year, on everything including EDUCATION. You than can tear through the budget and find what goes and what stays. Out of a 42 billion dollar budget there have to be some things that can be reduced or eliminated.  Than you start on reducing the tax burden on the state to start to attract some business and people back to this state other than filmmakers.

1. Repeal the tax givebacks to Hollywood.  

2. Renew driver's licenses every 10 years.

3. Eliminate township government.  It really, really isn't necessary and would save taxpayers a boatload of money - especially in some of the less densely populated areas of the state. There are states that get by with counties as the smallest political subdivision and it works fine. It may mean a slightly larger county government, but in the long run it will save a lot of tax dollars.

4. Get rid of the MEDC.  Pure politicalization of a free-market process.