Snyder budget foes prepare for battle

LANSING — Progress Michigan and a host of elected officials, union members and others blasted Gov. Rick Snyder’s budget proposals in 10 separate press conferences across the state Monday.

The press conferences were the beginning of a week of planned protests in Lansing, starting Tuesday with a rally by the American Association of Retired People and the Michigan League for Human Services to protest plans to tax pensions and eliminate the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit.

On Wednesday a host of progressive groups, led by state unions, will protest at the Capitol on a range of issues including budget proposals and 40 pieces of legislation that activists say would undermine collective bargaining rights in the state.

Sounding off on what will likely be the dominating messages over the coming days and weeks, speakers across the state called Snyder’s budget proposal dangerous.

Snyder’s proposal to tax pensions drew concerns about seniors having to choose between food or medicine.

“Lansing politicians say everyone must share in the sacrifices, yet the only ones making the sacrifices in this unfair budget are seniors, schools and ordinary families,” said Henry Lykes, a retired Marine and retired Wayne County public service worker. “Lansing politicians must stop exploiting Michigan’s budget as an excuse to attack ordinary Michigan families, seniors and our children. I know a retiree in Westland who is struggling to get by. If Gov. Snyder taxes her retirement, she may have to cut back on her medicines, or even food. That’s just not fair.”

Local revenue sharing cuts prompted concerns about the safety of communities.

“This budget puts communities’ ability to keep local families and businesses safe at risk,” said Michigan Corrections Officer Adam Douglas. “When families call 911, this proposed budget may cut the lifeline to a rescue – and that’s something Michigan families will not stand for. We all need to work together to rebuild Michigan – both political parties, labor and management, all of us.”

Echoing this concern, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, who challenged Snyder as the Democratic nominee for governor, issued a press release on Monday saying that if Snyder’s budget passes as written, and Lansing voters reject a proposed 4 mill property tax increase, the city will have to close three fire stations and lay off 120 police and fire officials.

“It is painful to even think about making such devastating cuts, but there is no getting around the fact that our budget is being squeezed from all directions,” said Lansing Fire Chief Tom Cochran. “We will do what we have to do to keep our citizens safe and to minimize the additional risks that will face our first responders if the worst case budget scenario comes to pass.”

Lansing’s newly installed police chief also weighed in.

“We would have to roll back our deployment from 17 to 19 officers on the street at any given time, to between 13 and 15 officers on patrol around the clock,” said Teresa Szymanski. She noted that the city would also likely be required to reduce or cancel highly regarded and effective programs like community policing, school resource officers and specialty units like the department’s Motorcycle Division.

“Lansing politicians appear to be doing everything they can to effectively starve local communities – and that’s not only going to hurt local families, but also small business,” said Ryan Gesund, a small business owner from Oakland County. “For years, local communities have been forced to do more with less. Revenue has decreased every year for at least a decade. Even basic services, such as road maintenance, which includes salting and snow plowing, have been drastically cut. Citizens, and small businesses along with them, are struggling in these economic tough times and need more support, and basic services from local communities.”

Proposed cuts to education also drew contempt during the press conferences. Snyder’s budget proposal would include cuts of more than $700 per pupil. In many smaller towns the cuts would translated to more than $1,700 per student, said Michigan Education Association spokesperson Doug Pratt.

“Lansing politicians like to talk about investing in education – and everything they have done so far is the exact opposite,” said Casandra Ulbrich, a member Michigan State Board of Education. “Cuts to education mean fewer teachers in the classroom and fewer resources for students. This budget will gut education and set Michigan back at a time when we must prepare our children for jobs in a 21st century economy.”

The criticisms kept coming as people attacked plans to eliminated the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for the working poor.

“I believe asking hardworking families like mine to sacrifice so CEOs and politicians can keep their special perks is simply wrong,” said Kalamazoo resident Brittany Fisk, an EITC recipient. “Ordinary families like mine spend our money in local stores, and that’s why the EITC is such as benefit for local economies. Cutting this important program that is vital to thousands of families in West Michigan and beyond is irresponsible and immoral.”

Both sides on the debate have turned to the web to rally supporters. Facebook has at least a dozen groups opposing Snyder’s plans in one form or another. And the Michigan League for Human Services on Monday launched a website dedicated to saving the EITC.

Not be outdone, John Yob and his Republican consulting firm Strategic National launched the supposed non-partisan Value for Michigan website and Facebook group. Yob was one of Snyder’s top advisers through the gubernatorial race.

Meanwhile, Michigan resident and filmmaker Michael Moore turned to the internet Monday to launch a blog calling on Michigan residents across the state to turn up in Lansing on Wednesday for what is promised to be a six hour or more protest.

“Much attention has been paid to Wisconsin in recent weeks. Well, they got nothing on what’s going on here in Michigan. Rick Snyder is Scott Walker on steroids,” Moore blogged. “There’s never been what even the AARP calls ‘an all-out attack’ like this on us. Trust me, you will rue the day you sat home and did nothing while thieves posing as politicians stole your Great Lakes State from you.”