We Need Common Sense in the Capitol, Not New Buildings

Commentary from Sixth District Calhoun County Commissioner, representing Marshall, Jase Bolger:

"We keep hearing from Lansing how the state is broke, how we can't afford important services, and how we must raise taxes.
"From the capitol we've repeatedly seen State Police Trooper layoffs threatened. There remain plans to shutter posts. Unbelievably, we've even seen Troopers all over the state instructed to limit their miles on duty; so car mileage overrides public safety? We've heard proposals to let prisoners out and into our neighborhoods early, and even proposals to reduce sentences so criminals won't go to prison at all just to save money. Criminals must love these plans, but families are understandably worried.
"We've seen proposals to raise taxes on small businesses, the very employers creating jobs here in Michigan. And, we're told that income tax hikes on our families are on the horizon.
"We're told the budget is so bad that here in Calhoun County, we're likely losing our Secretary of State office in Marshall. There's even a proposal to save money by closing the Women, Infant, and Children program site in
Marshall. If this happens it would mean the loss of the last Calhoun County Health Department office in our county seat.
"Therefore, I was amazed this week as I read about Senator Cameron Brown and Representative Rick Jones shining light on the proposal to build a new State Police Headquarters. I agree with them when they talk about the unnecessary cost of this project ($95 million over 25 years) as compared to the $1 per year lease on the current headquarters. They counter claims that this would combine other public safety offices when they point out that Emergency Management cannot locate in this new building because it's being built on a flood plain! The annual expenses from the new headquarters alone could instead stop Trooper layoffs, State Police post closings, and trooper mileage restrictions.
"Our families are struggling with job losses, declining income and calls for higher taxes. As a small business owner I'd love to be able to tack on new service charges to our customers just because we want more money. But, when
our competitors in Florida and India don't need to pass along a surcharge we can't either. Only government can demand more money over objections from its customers. Instead, we do things like still use the same office furniture our company bought when we opened our doors more than a decade ago, and it was well used when we got it then. As a husband and father, there are many shiny new things I'd love to get my family, but when the going gets tough families have to tighten our belts to live within our means.
"We need our state leaders to focus on our key services, especially public safety, and not shiny new buildings. We need Lansing to follow the lead of our families. We need common sense priorities in our Capitol."


Mr. Bolger is a Calhoun County Commissioner who lives in Marshall with his wife, Molly, and their two middle school aged children. Eleven years ago Mr. Bolger started a small business, Summit Credit Services, in Kalamazoo which provides telephone support services to banks throughout the United States.