but i for sure had to get it out of my system
Governor Snyder,
It is with heavy disappointment that I feel compelled to write you this email. I am realistic in my expectations; that I, one constituent, will probably have zero impact on your agenda (whatever that might be these days.) Some might say it's because I don't have billions or even millions of dollars to influence any one in the Michigan GOP. At the rate things are going in your first two years as Governor, particularly during this lame duck session of the legislature, I might not even have thousands when this is all said and done. I recognize that I am no one special. I'm especially no one special to you. But why should I be? I'm just a woman in my late twenties who was born and raised here, educated kindergarten through 12th grade and college by our public schools, who works here and is committed to the success of the state that I call home. I'm just a woman who has served her home township on the library board and her choosen political party as previously a board member and always an active member. But I'll admit. I'm not special. I'm one of thousands, probably millions who are like that. Who take pride in their state and want the best for those who live in it. I know there are at least thousands. And you know it too. They stood all around your office, all around the capitol, they were maced by the same police that are hired to protect them. They were the ones crying on the lawn of the Capitol as you and your colleagues rammed legislation down our throats. They are the ones that you are accountable to since you decided to sign that Right to Work bill in the privacy of your office.
I'm sitting here today writing you this email from a beautiful public library. See, I keep thinking about how things have changed in my state in the last two years. First your emergency manager law, then an outright assault on women's rights and watching representatives silenced on the house floor, to this Right to Work nonsense, to even further war on women, to allowing for a moral exclusion for doctors and the proposed attack on public education. It makes me sick when I think about it. Pieces of the state, bit by bit are being chipped away. Meanwhile, The Detroit Free Press today had an article on the front page about how the state might face a deficit because of some of the legislation being churned through lame duck. It has always been the rhetoric that the Republicans are the ones who are most concerned with fiscal responsibility. Perhaps it's time for the Republicans to step up to that challenge, lest they drive us off a fiscal cliff and go ahead and blame it on those public school teachers with their bloated salaries.
When you were a candidate, you said you were different. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't believe you. I am automatically leery of anyone who comes from the business world with no political experience and think they are qualified for the highest position. I have never been a business person, even though I was raised by small business owners. I sincerely doubt that you would be willing to hire me as the CEO of a corporation just because I come in and taut how different I am. No, I can't imagine that you would. I would need to work for it and earn it and prove that I deserve to be there. That aside, you are now the Governor and have been for a couple years. It amazes me that in that time you still haven't really managed to understand some fairly basic things about what it means to be a public servant. Perhaps I can't blame you entirely. Your examples up there in Lansing are abysmal: Speaker Bolger, Senator Richardville, Attorney General Schutte. They certainly aren't who I would want as a mentor. I thought that in 2011 when people came to protest at the Capitol, you might understand that those are the people that matter. You see, those are the people that you are sacraficing for your pals in business. But you didn't and we continue to see more bad policy race through the legislature and land on your desk for your signature. (You know you can't sell us to China if the state goes bankrupt right?)
Allow me to be practical for a moment, even though it is obvious that I have a flair for the dramatics. The cuts that have been implemented make us a less attractive state for people to move to. The pension tax, the union busting legislation that was just signed, raiding the school aid fund to fuel a tax cut for corporations (and truth be told, if they can spend millions of dollars in campaign contributions, I'd venture to guess they can pay their fair share of taxes), rolling back women's access to health care, moral exclusions (don't think I forgot when they tried to include that in anti-bullying legislation while teenagers across the state have killed themselves because of the bullying they faced) and this dismanteling of public education. These things will be your legacy. These things will dictate who wants to come to this state. These things will dictate who stays in this state. As I understand it, when business grows they bring people with them. Or they hire people who are here. Fantastic. But will companies be willing to come here, relocate their families to our beautiful scenic state that is as diverse as downtown Detroit and Traverse City, if they can't educate their children here? Will they be willing to come here if our counties can't pay to fix the roads because of cuts to revenue sharing from the state? Will they come here when cities can't afford to cover adequate trash removal because of the cuts they had to face? Politics have real consequences and these consequences effect real people. Because while it's probably not a big deal to you or me since I'll never have a pension, that actually hurts real people and in some cases, leaves them unable to pay the taxes on the home they have lived in for 40 years. This is a real tragedy. This is a real consequence of legislation you have signed.
So please, consider what it means to sign the bills that land on your desk. Not to the millionares and billionares but to us regular people. The people who love this state and have never considered if the trees are just the right height or have several Cadillacs in their garage. Think about those of us who have only known Michigan as home who don't want to have to consider going somewhere else because the state they love has turned into something that couldn't possibly be Michigan. I don't doubt that you are an intelligent man; you are certainly an educated man. Take a moment away from the noise, from the people who want to force your hand and truly consider who this impacts. Doing the right thing is often hard but it is always rewarding. Governor, do the right thing. Do what is right for our state and don't turn us into Alabama.
Sincerely,
a very sad Michigan citizen
