Michigan State:
Proposed budget is an empty gesture

Feb 27, 2006

Michigan’s governor, Jennifer Granholm, announced her proposed budget for next fiscal year. Embarrassed by a recent spate of cases where children who should have been removed from their homes were killed or severely abused, she included a 7% increase for Children’s Protective Services workers in DHS.

That doesn’t even start to make up for what’s been cut.

Just 25 years ago, overall there were 78,000 state employees. Now it’s just over 50,000. That huge reduction in employees means a similar reduction in social services and protections. That’s why abused children are not protected, why bridges crumble and unemployed workers have no coverage.

This proposed increase is just a meaningless gesture to save face in an election year.