Balancing Saginaw County's Budget:
Next Up - A Tax Increase!

Rather than do what the voters elected them to do, and after ten months of budget negotiations, the Democrat dominated County Board of Commissioners once again delayed making the tough decisions and passed a budget that spends down precious reserves and balances the remainder on the backs of Saginaw County taxpayers.  In addition to their cowardly vote to seek an additional tax increase for public safety, all of the Democrats, save one, voted against a Republican measure to reduce their own pay and benefits.

"After tonight's Board meeting, Saginaw County voters have a clear choice," said Tim Kelly, chairman of the Saginaw County Republican Party.  "To support fiscal responsibility and personal integrity as demonstrated by Republican county commissioners, or business as usual with Democrats ducking responsibility and leaving their own pay and benefits intact.  The people in Saginaw County are hurting, and the Democrat controlled Board spoke loud and clear.  Let them eat cake!"  

Not only did the Republican county commissioners offer amendments to cut other parts of the budget instead of raising taxes, audience members also offered ideas that were not even discussed.  The Democrats on the Board made made no efforts to establish any priorities and made no further budget cuts.  A sampling of ideas to balance the budget using existing revenue includes: reducing the general government offices in the courthouse to less than 5 days a week (clerk, public works, register of deeds, etc.), cutting all county wages instead of cutting personnel, cutting the benefits of the Board of Commissioners, cutting some administrative staff in various offices, and not allowing any county-owned vehicles to be driven home at night.

If you wish to let your local Commissioner. know your thoughts on their actions, you can find their e-mail addresses and a District map at the Board of Commissioners web page.

After more than thirty years of Democrat control of the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners, Saginaw County Republicans agree it's time for new leadership and a new approach to tackling the problems that have produced a $7 million deficit.  Saginaw County Republicans believe a return to conservative principles of limited government and fiscal restraint will reverse an unsustainable course established by the boom and bust policies of the past.  

To answer the call to restore fiscal sanity to county government and to offer practical solutions for real growth and transformation, the Saginaw County Republican Party urges county voters to elect Ann Doyle, Jim Graham, Tim Kelly, Kirk Kilpatrick, Dennis Krafft, John Milne, Ben Ritter, Thomas Roy, Ron Sholtz and Pat Wurtzel.    

These ten Republican candidates expect to form the core of a new conservative majority that will work diligently to shrink the cost, size and scope of Saginaw County government at every level.  They will work tirelessly to transform Saginaw County from a model of civic anxiety to one of civic pride, cooperation, accomplishment and trust.

Recently, President Obama touted his plan to spend another $50 billion in fiscal "stimulus" for so-called infrastructure projects.  With good reason, Americans are increasingly skeptical about the effectiveness of massive deficit-spending as a means of boosting the U.S. economy.  As we noted a couple of weeks ago, a recent poll by Rasmussen Reports, found 56 percent of likely voters believe that additional government spending will hurt the economy.

After over $1 trillion in spending and another $2 trillion expansion of the monetary base by the Federal Reserve, we only have to look around to see that it hasn't been effective.  Unemployment is still rising, home foreclosures are still at record highs, local governments' tax receipts are still falling, banks are still failing at a record pace, the price of gold is at an all-time high as investors seek something enduring, and the government is still the owner of banks and automobile manufacturers.

Of course, president Obama attempted to lay blame for the weak economy on the Republicans.  But they have been out of the majority for almost four years now, so that all of the most expensive pieces of big legislation have passed since Democrats took control of Congress in 2007.  The $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, the $814 billion "stimulus," the $2.5 trillion ObamaCare, the financial takeover, the nationalization of housing finance via the conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the takeovers of GM and Chrysler, and the perpetual extensions of unemployment are all Democrat passed.

As the following chart, adapted from the Congressional Budget Office, shows, since Democrats have taken over Congress, the national debt has increased by $4.42 trillion! Spending was actually on a downward trend during the last four years of Republican control, even including the cost of the war in Iraq!
















Here's some detail on federal spending provided by American Thinker's Randall Hoven:
* Obama's stimulus, passed in his first month in office, will cost more than the entire Iraq War -- more than $100 billion (15%) more.
* Just the first two years of Obama's stimulus cost more than the entire cost of the Iraq War under President Bush, or six years of that war.
* Iraq War spending was not even one quarter of what we spent on Medicare in the same time frame.
* During Bush's Iraq years, 2003-2008, the federal government spent more on education that it did on the Iraq War.

This article was put together with information from Americans For Limited Government and The American Thinker.

Rick Snyder will meet Virg Bernero in a statewide debate hosted by the Center for Michigan on October 10th.  Republican Rick Snyder today said he has agreed to meet his opponent at a traditional debate at 7:00pm. on October 10th in Wixom, Michigan.  

The debate will be made available to television stations around the state.  Snyder said, "I look forward to talking about my positive vision for Michigan's future and debating my opponent on the issues that are truly important to Michiganders.  This debate format will give voters across the state a chance to listen to each candidate live on the same stage, answering the same questions."

House Republicans announced a "Pledge to America", outlining their goals and promises if they regain control of the US House of Representatives this November.  Senior House Republicans showed off the 21-page document they say will guide them.  The Pledge is filled with familiar proposals to cut taxes and spending, cut down on government regulation, repeal President Barack Obama's health care law, and end his stimulus program.  Senate Republicans and Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, issued strong statements of support.

The Contract from America organization also noted that the Pledge  includes many of their Contract's planks, including the top-voted idea to "Protect the Constitution" by requiring every bill to cite Constitutional authority, rejection of Cap and Trade, the imposition of meaningful spending limits, repeal of government-run health care, and extension of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.  Additionally, to provide more transparency and foster trust of Congress, the Pledge includes a promise to make the language of every bill public for three days before a vote.

With the latest Associated Press-GfK poll finding nearly three-quarters  of those polled disapproving of the way Congress is handling its job, this announced change in practices should find a wide audience.  Representative Pete Sessions of Texas, the head of Republicans' House campaign committee, said the agenda was drafted to answer the public's skepticism about government.  You can read the full text of the Pledge To America here.