Various ramblings about Michigan

I firmly believe that Michigan is currently overspending and overstepping its bounds as an extension of its voters and taxpayers. I believe that the "programs" should benefit Michiganders as a whole and not take money from the whole and give to the select. "Programs" such as welfare, school funding, grants, and other spending should be reviewed in depth and revised to allow the taxpayer to utilize those programs they are paying for. We cannot forget that taxpayers are PAYING the bills for these programs, it is not free money, hard working people gave up thier time for these programs to exist. Every dollar spent in a bill or program came out of someones time and every dollar should be spent as if you were spending someones life.

I believe that school funding and grants should be based on each individual student. If someone decides he should go to LCC instead of MSU then he should have the same funding (totally,not just his grant but the money given to the school as a whole: other funding, special programs etc..) to go to LCC as someone going to MSU. If Michigan truely wants to "invest" in the future of its children (and not just rhetoric) then Michigan should insure that ALL children have the same opportunity and that schools who cater to students (taxpayers) be rewarded for thier efforts.

When I graduated and went to college I was unable to obtain any grants since my parent "made too much money" (they were both school teachers and mom taught at the christian school for basically tuition money). I guess that it did not matter that I was paying for college myself. I worked three jobs just to pay for it. I had no credit at the time so no student loan. I went to LCC and LOVED it. And yet now I am paying taxes that help fund schools that I could not and can not ever hope to go to. If I could I would pull that portion of my taxes and give it to LCC or Northwood, or any number of "lesser" schools that actually try to help the students. p.s. I was accepted to MSU and it was only after they took my application fee did they tell me they had no programs towards my goal.

Right now Michigan businesses are having a hard time making it here. Any taxes applied to businesses are getting passed straight on to it's customers and that is making it hard for customers to buy goods. Remember the trickle down theory? If you "stick it to the big guy" the little guy will feel it. The guy that owns the business is not going to take the hit, he will pass it on to his customer which means higher prices and a higher cost of living to reside in Michigan.
In a nutshell there is no such thing as a tax to the upper class or unfair taxes to the middle and lower classes, the tax will get spread around to everyone, seen or unseen.

Render onto Ceaser that which is Ceasers. But in this case Ceaser is taking more than his share and giving it to his friends.

I think welfare is a sin. It is not up to the government to take care of the poor. It is up to churches and charitys. Welfare is taking time and life from working people and giving it to non working people with no real strings attached. Churches and Charitys will make sure the poor have ways to become productive again, the government has only loop holes that people can jump through and waste more time.
Welfare in the US has only been in place for just over 70 years. It was put in place due to the depression and the lack of people saving money and for those who were incapable of working. Now people still don't save money. They live on credit and depend on bankruptcy. There is no severe repurcussion for not holding your own.