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Raise the curtain.

New year, same struggles... so much for fresh starts

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 06:48:37 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Welcome back, boys and girls. Trust everyone had a fantastic New Years holiday and extended weekend? Of course you did. Unless you're a Spartan fan like me. But even that game on Thursday, hopefully, didn't put too much of a damper on the rest of your down-time. In fact, if I know many of you... and I do... you were barely cohesive enough to even comprehend what happened in the 1pm kick-off game the day after New Years Eve revelry.

I only hope you got all of that partying out of your system because now its January in Michigan and things are looking colder and bleaker than ever. I know, great way to start your morning, isn't it? At least here you can get the morning's thoroughly tough news amongst friends.

And with a jolt of good news, too, to temper the sour taste most of the headlines will leave you with. I mean, we'll go ahead and just bypass the Free Press's expose about a rampant cycle of rape and abuse being perpetrated against female inmates by prison guards in Michigan's Department of Corrections. There's rough news and then there's rough news and a couple paragraphs of that study and, well, its not for the young.

Heck, finding out that the dozens of state Representatives who just ended their time in the Capitol City last Thursday are out of jobs and unable to find work seems down right pleasant by comparison (although these days it might seem pleasant to most voters under ANY circumstances). According to the Lansing State Journal:

Former lawmakers who want to return to the private sector likely will have a tougher time finding new employment than those who remain on the public payroll. Most of the term-limited lawmakers who have found new jobs got them through another elected office. A few others will remain connected to politics as lobbyists.
Some outgoing lawmakers will return to their farms and family businesses, although they, too, will face challenges in a national recession. Others, like (Glenn) Steil, (Jr.) are starting a job search basically from scratch after interrupting private-sector careers for up to six years of government work in the state House.

Ladies and gentlemen and former state lawmakers, welcome to our world and the Granholm-Cherry economy. You helped make the bed and good luck sleeping in it. Or, eating in it, for that matter. See, according to the Detroit News, there are record numbers of Michigan moms and dads who are in dire straits and on the brink of going hungry. And not just young families, mind you... our parents and grandparents.

Read on...

...An increasing number of seniors don't have enough to make do. According to a recent national AARP survey, 59 percent of people 65 and older said rising costs and a tightening economy have made it more difficult for them to pay for essentials such as food, medicine and gas.
The United Way for Southeastern Michigan reports that 41,579 unique callers ages 50 and older telephoned its 211 helpline in 2008 for such basic needs, up from 16,702 callers in that age range in 2007. Detroit Meals on Wheels, which serves more than 1 millionmeals a year to people 60 and older, has a waiting list of nearly 700 hungry seniors, according t o the Detroit Area Agency on Aging.

That spike bears repeating. In 2007, amidst a wretched Michigan economy there were 16,702 callers 50 and older who called an emergency hunger line to procure food so they wouldn't starve. In 2008 that number jumped to 41,579. That's about 25,000 more and about a 150% increase. In one year. And only to that ONE, unique help line.

Apparently when Jennifer Granholm and John Cherry told us that they "have a plan and we're working that plan and we're working it and we're working it and we're working it," it was a plan to starve our senior citizens because, yikes, they're pretty much complete failures at life, otherwise.

What's that you say? You're not sympathetic towards senior citizens? Well how about kids, do they tug your heart strings? Because they're in a world of hurt, too, if they're enrolled in any of Michigan's public schools. The Ivory Tower reports:

In these uncertain economic times, state revenues could be down between $500 million and $1 billion next year, according to Mitch Bean, director of the House Fiscal Agency.
At best, any drop in state revenue could mean school districts have to make cuts in anything from supplies to transportation. At worst, cuts in school revenues would drive some districts into a deficit.
"This is not an environment in which we expect to get anything," said Tom White, executive director of Michigan School Business Officials. "It's really a question of how difficult it's going to be and what we're going to do about it."

But all is not lost. The article continues:

The good news is that there may be more money available for schools because there are fewer students. Michigan lost about 5,000 pupils, saving about $40 million because school money is doled out on a per-pupil basis.

Hear that? The good news is families are fleeing the state of Michigan and 5,000 kids took the heck off last year alone. Yay.

< Cut Taxes...And Industry Grows | Monday in the Sphere: January 5 >

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