Charlie freakin LeDuff...

Wipe Out Detroit City Government Waste? Start with the TP: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Michigan's refreshing Rick Snyder

Excerpts of the Governor's discussion with the Detroit Free Press about his budget proposal and philosophy.

13,000 angry union fans...

... piled into the Wisconsin Capitol building to holler about Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget, which would reduce public worker pay and bargaining power. Wisconsin is some $3.6 billion in the hole for the 2011-13 budget.

The Deadbeat State

Sounds ugly for state budgets. 60 Minutes reports it's ugliest in Illinois. Mug shots of PA, NY and MI too.

Rust Belt in the red

Illinois: $15 billion deficit (FY 2012; plus another $8B in IOUs and epic pension obligations)
Indiana: $1.3 billion (FY2012)
Michigan: $1.5 billion (2011-12)
Minnesota: $6.2 billion (2012-13)
New York $9 billion (2011-12)
Ohio: $8 billion (2012-13)
Pennsylvania: As much as $5 billion (FY 2012)
Wisconsin: $3.3 billion (2011-13)

Michigan cities plead and beg

The latest signs of the increasingly dire budget mess facing Michigan communities...

In a letter to outgoing Governor Jennifer Granholm,  the attorney for the City of Hamtramck argues that the right to declare bankruptcy, and finally work around rigid union contracts, is critical for his and other financially distressed cities to achieve fiscal stability.

Some so-called experts pretend that it is some great mystery why governmental units like Detroit Public Schools, Ecorse, Highland Park and Hamtramck are chronically underfunded. But there is no mystery. The "experts" do not want to confront the reason that stares them in the face: These governmental units cannot afford their labor contracts and state law gives them almost zero flexibility to do anything about that fundamental fact, especially where revenue projections do not pan out due to unforeseen circumstances. Instead these experts rely upon the canard that these units are broke because they are run by incompetent crooks. While some of these governmental units have suffered from isolated issues of mismanagement and corruption, the problems are much, much bigger than that.

In a letter to churches, schools and other nonprofits, the Mayor of the City of Mount Clemens took hat in hand and asked organizations that typically receive donations to give them:

One of the most challenging dilemmas the City faces in trying to balance its budget each year is that 42 percent of the property in Mount Clemens is tax exempt. These properties receive the same services as the tax paying properties which places a tremendous burden upon the 58 percent of property owners that pay taxes......The City is asking tax-exempt properties to consider playing a part in helping to support our municipal budget. 

Rust Belt in the Red 2010

Illinois: $13 billion deficit

Indiana: tax revenues $75 million short of forecast and on pace to spend down $1 billion surplus by June 2011

Michigan: at least $1.6 billion deficit

Minnesota: $1.2 billion deficit

New York: $8.2 billion deficit

Ohio: believes everything is OK

Pennsylvania: $500 million shortfall

Wisconsin: approx $200 million deficit

Government spending tree chart

Some of the waste-elimination strategies the Mackinac Center proposes are risky propositions for Michigan. But the point about responsible spending of taxpayers dollars is on target. And who doesn't appreciate a good visual aid...

Source: Mackinac Center