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Raise the curtain.

Michigan State of the State

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 12:46:10 PM EST
Tags: Michigan, State Of The State, Governor Snyder, Crime, Families (all tags)

RightMichigan.com will be there tonight.

There is much to say about Michigan as it begins the second year under governor Rick Snyder. But one cannot say that "nothing has been done."

To be sure, there are disagreements with the priorities the nerd governor has gone after. This site, and many conservatives, question his desire to [effectively] relinquish the private property of one particular bridge owner. We often have commentary that questions the new taxes on seniors and other adjustments which seem to be readjusting burdens instead of reducing real spending. THOSE concerns looking at the disparate income levels of unionized public workers to the private ones of similar tasks, who pay the bill ultimately. And those unfortunately, not addressed and considered taboo so far, such as right to work, or the more pressing need to reign in the forced unionism debacle perpetrated on home health care workers.

Snyder has hit the ground running with regard to school reform however, and the state had a budget in record time with the new legislative body in place as well. A couple of key appointments, Maura Corrigan to head human services, and the good choice of Brian Zahra to replace her ion the supreme court has turned out to be an excellent allocation of resources. The EFM framework is something that was desperately needed, and it too can be seen as a positive step forward.

Tonight he will undoubtedly bring a positive focus to many of those things we can agree upon, and maybe a little spin on our issues of disagreement.

Apparently however, he is expected to mention the high crime rates that were likely exacerbated by policies of the previous administration, and an increased attempt to curb its effect.

More below. ~

A couple of days ago, writer Bill Johnson opined on this potential subject:

"Don't get too excited about Gov. Rick Snyder's anticipated plan to address the high rates of crime and violence in the urban areas of Michigan. It's not likely to amount to much.
Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm contributed to the problem by emptying out prisons and sending felons back to the mean streets of inner-cities. And there's no evidence that government has any expertise fixing problems that contribute to crime on the front end. "

No evidence indeed.

Government, and particularly the milquetoast variety we have come to know and love is unlikely to be able to sort out the real troubles facing this state with regard to crime. Part of the problem is seeking to solve the symptoms, without correcting the underlying problems that bring the symptoms forward. Johnson touches on the root causes, implying the governor might not even recognize it:

"It would be prudent for the governor to take a hard look at the root causes of the bloodshed. Drugs, for example, are involved in up to 75 percent of murders. Some violent crime is due to a high percentage of adults who are involved in deviant and criminal behavior. In a home where boys and girls have never seen a working adult parent, it should not be surprising they would have difficulty assuming the personal and parental responsibilities of adult life.
...
Spikes in violence have a correlation with, and are primarily fueled by, the deadly combination of single mothers, absent fathers and the abandonment of the two-parent family model. Where there is a high concentration of broken, often dysfunctional, family units, there is also a community in a desperate struggle to cope with social chaos. First and foremost, reversing the dire trends associated with urban crime must first address the issue of family disintegration."

Bingo.

He is spot on. He also references Johnson's "great society," fallacy, noting its irrelevance today as it was at its inception.

We could certainly go so far as to point to the great society plan, or the requisite progressive schema behind it as the foundation for the ultimate failure that is Detroit. Great societies, as substitutes for strong individual achievement, breeds dependence on government. The concept of forever and complete safety nets, undermine the ability for our youth to learn success.

How can one achieve success, if one never has to try?

I would add to Johnson's enlightened piece with just a little thought.

Government takes from us to give to others. In the case of those who have learned only dependence, what is ours becomes theirs in the end anyhow. Why are we so surprised that crime is high, as the criminal respect for private property, meets only the respect that government itself offers to it?

The recognition of the core problems might give the governor insight to the solutions most likely to succeed. There is no doubt we need to find an answer, but as Mr Johnson points out, government is not going to provide it.

Strong families raise good citizens. New and efficient punishment strategies are for when it is too late.

< Troy's Disappearing Line in the Sand | Wednesdays Divertere: Contract? We Don't Need No Stinking Contract! >

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Michigan State of the State | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 hidden)

Personal Responsibility (none / 0) (#1)
by grannynanny on Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 01:16:13 PM EST

Whaaaattttt??? Liberals are too afraid that if their govt. dependent constituency kept their families in tact, got an education, got off welfare, got a job and completely supported themselves that they might just vote R instead of D. That would be devastating for them.

Sorry, he's talking a lot.... (none / 0) (#2)
by KG One on Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 01:35:20 PM EST

...but not really saying anything.

"It would be prudent for the governor to take a hard look at the root causes of the bloodshed."
...
"So it's not a failure of law enforcement that violence prevails, but the result of a complete social breakdown the likes of which government has no clue how to repair."

If sounds to me like another call to expand government yet again (this time under the guise of "fact-finding"), to address the problem that government itself directly created.

Look, it's not only time for the government to get out of something that is has absolute no business involving itself with in the first place (read: coerced charity), but also for an industrial-sized helping of some tough love to boot.

Announce a phase out on ALL state government "assistance" in one year.
"Grandfather" those still under the four-year welfare limit, but ban all new applications.
Initiate mandatory random drug and alcohol testing for welfare recipients. Positive results will result in an immediate loss of all benefits and parental rights if applicable.
Require mandatory job searching classes at MichiganWorks! Offices (i.e. searching through want ads, resume writing, job interview skills). Failure of successful completion will result in an immediate loss of all benefits.
Dial back UI benefits from 99-weeks, to 52-weeks and then back to 26-weeks.
Require those on receiving any state aid to perform at least 20-hours/week of community service as a condition of receiving benefits. Failure to do so will result in an immediate loss of all benefits.
Also, require those on any state aid to either have at least a H.S. Diploma or GED, or get one within two years.

On the other end of the scale, make prison pay for itself (or at least defray the cost of maintaining it).

Institute chain gangs for Level 1 inmates. We can have the cleanest roads and parks in the nation when we put than many people out there to pick up trash and maintain landscape.
Promote prison industry. Hire them out to do something, anything, to offset the cost of their incarceration.
Contact the Maracopa County Sheriff's Department and request a copy of everything they have implemented and apply everything that is applicable here in Michigan. If Eric Holder hates their guts, then you know they are doing something right.

There, fact-finding done!

Look, democratic/progressive policies destroyed these cities in about a generation. Fortunately, it will take a lot less time to at least get them back on track.

I read it differently by JGillman, 01/18/2012 01:40:17 PM EST (none / 0)

His assessment of the end result is spot-on. by KG One, 01/18/2012 01:49:19 PM EST (none / 0)

I'll ask him. by JGillman, 01/18/2012 01:52:59 PM EST (none / 0)

I'm curious to hear what he says. by KG One, 01/18/2012 02:14:45 PM EST (none / 0)

Chest thumping (none / 0) (#5)
by Corinthian Scales on Wed Jan 18, 2012 at 01:49:22 PM EST

It'll be interesting how Nerdholm spins his transit authority.

"Light rail is not dead. It's back on the table," Bing told reporters outside his office at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.
After 90 days, a decision will be made -- it was not said by whom -- on whether the plan by M1 Rail would pass muster. If it does, the rail project would be merged with a plan for a high-speed regional bus system.
"This project is going to move ahead in a parallel process," Gov. Rick Snyder said.
A $528 million public-private plan to build nine miles of rail from downtown to the city limit at Eight Mile Road was scrapped in December for a $500 million, 110-mile system of speedy buses for the region. The system would be built and operated by federal funds and money generated for a proposed regional transit authority.
No other details about the plans were disclosed this afternoon.