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State Budget Letter to Editor
Governor Granholm has already had to cut more than $3 billion in state government, more than any of her predecessors, but Michigan is still facing huge budget shortfalls. The state does not take in enough money to pay for the vital services on which we all depend. This crisis affects every one of us...
Unless the huge budget deficit is addressed, there will have to be immediate, damaging cuts in state government. These cuts would mean closing public schools, eliminating health care programs for the poor, elderly and children, drastically cutting funding for local police and fire protection and the early release of prisoners.
Please take a moment to send a letter to the editor to your local newspaper about the budget crisis. Feel free to use the "Tell me more" link and the talking points below to help write your letter.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: The state budget is in crisis
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
January 29, 2007
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An Overview of Michigan's Financial Crisis
Today, Michigan's budget faces another shortfall of more than $3 billion. In this fiscal year, there is not enough money to cover necessary spending in either the state's K-12 school funding budget or in the general fund that pays for health care for families, keeping prisoners in jail, local police and fire protection, protective services for children and much more.
The state has taken drastic actions to reduce its spending in recent years. Today there are fewer state employees than there were in 1973. The Granholm Administration has cut more than $3 billion from state services and programs in the last four years, more than any previous Governor. Higher education spending has been cut by more than $250 million forcing students and their families to deal with significant tuition increases. Public schools have faced mid-year spending cuts twice. Spending on the arts and cultural institutions has been reduced by almost a third. Spending for local governments, primarily police and fire protection has been cut by $585 million resulting in a loss of police officers.
Despite these actions, the state does not bring in enough money to fund the health care, education, safety and other services it provides — or needs to provide - to citizens. The cuts and other revenue adjustments cannot keep up with the continuing decline of state revenue.
When the state Legislature eliminated the Single Business Tax (SBT) last year, it eliminated nearly $1.9 billion in revenue the state uses to fund health care, education and police and fire safety. That shortfall compounds an already challenging situation with both the state's education and general fund budgets.
To solve this $3 billion problem, Michigan is faced with a choice - make significant cuts to education, public safety, child protection and health care or change the way Michigan does business.
$3 billion is approximately 35% of the state's general fund budget. Advocates of the budget cut solution must be willing to make deeps cuts to significant state programs, or eliminate programs entirely.
To save $3 billion Michigan could:
- Cut all funding for the state's universities and community colleges and eliminate all mental health services.
Or ...
- Eliminate all health care programs for seniors, children and the poor and release all 51,000 prisoners.
Or...
- Eliminate funding for local police and fire protection, end all public assistance programs including daycare and disability assistance, end worker training programs, close the state police, the courts and all Secretary of State offices, end environmental protection and land management programs, eliminate food safety monitoring, gas inspections and all arts and cultural programs.
Or ...
- Cut roughly 20% of funding for public education ($ 1,700 per student)
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