Are The Courts Cashing In On Us?

After watching the video of the last commission meeting I was struck by two things:

1. We are going to be asked to pass a Headlee Restoration millage.

2. The courts as much as told the commissioners they would give them more revenue in exchange for some clerks.

I want you to ask yourself something: How do the courts make revenue?

We've made a clip from the video we watched so you can see what we are talking about. 

Click here to watch:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thlTn-HOEWg

So how do they make revenue? They don't make anything. They don't sell anything.

That's right: Fines, fees, costs.... They make revenue off you and me, folks.

Not only were the courts given back full funding for their clerks in exchange for more revenue, now we're asked for more taxes too?

Insult to injury, taxpayers. Do we have your attention yet?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I will not support a judge at re-election time who traded an increase in fines, fees, and costs for a secretary.

Administration of justice? Sort of sounds like a perversion of justice.

Here a Mil, There a Mil, EVERYWHERE a Mil, Mil......

The public safety millage in Gladwin County for 1 mil failed at the last election.

We reported that the true intent of the public safety millage was not to fund public safety but to fund county operations since the Sherriff's department in each county is State mandated. 

Well, leave no option to ask for money gone to waste.  Because here it comes again. 

We've had lots of commissioner seat changes in a very short time since the last budget battles took place before the first of 2014. With new commissioners comes new ideas on how to govern and fund. But sometimes the new ideas are just the old ideas refurbished. 

Exhibit A

Not surprising, but definitely disheartening since the public safety millage was supposed to be the last effort by commissioners to solicit the public's opinion before having to negotiate reductions in county department contracts. 

There was much work, much arguing, much sleep lost, many threats, cars keyed, garbage spewed, you know, the normal adult county government tactics when budgeting decisions come to a head. 

What a shame that a few commission seats change and the entire ship takes a course more in line with the prevailing winds......

I'm used to the barrage of public funding requests but as for me, a Gladwin County republican precinct delegate,  this latest development has me tweaked just a bit more than usual. so I ask you.......What is a Republican? 

We have ONE Republican Commissioner in Gladwin County. Who pipes up and suggests a headlee roll back and a realized 1.34 mil ballot question in may?

We have ONE Republican Commissioner in Gladwin County. Who pipes up and suggests restoring Court clerical help to full time in exchange for more revenue?

 FINES, FEES, COSTS. it's cannibalism, It's usery

We have ONE Republican Commissioner in Gladwin County  Who is this republican that boasts at county party meetings that he is consistently opposed and out voted by his democratic counterparts? (although in 6 months of taped meetings there is no proof of any votes not unanimous)

I don't even need to say his name. It's not about him. It's about a party that supports him and does not look into his actions. It's where we fail as a political policy vehicle with an adopted, clearly defined platform. We are the party of limited government.  Right sizing government to demographics without knee jerk public funding requests to pacify County departments heads and judges, honors the logical right wing of the three headed eagle. 

A VERY short time ago, court secretaries were put on part time in just part of many efforts to get our county budget in line so the budget could be sent to the state as balanced without lying to them and having to borrow to make it to the next fiscal year end, We HAD a commission chairman making a noble effort to hold the county departments accountable and submitting a realistic affordable budget to the State of Michigan as mandated. 

                                              There is never an election or ballot free from local government's hands out.

                                      Brace yourself Gladwin County funding requests and all the emotional propoganda that accompanies them are heading your way full steam ahead.