Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt.

You have probably filed or are about to file your income tax. No matter where you are in Michigan you are still working for the government and will not be done until some time in July. In 2007 we worked 189 days to pay our federal, state and local taxes in Michigan as opposed to an average of 121 days for the rest of the states. This year it will be longer.

If money could buy good government, good education or good politicians we would be in good shape in this state. Everyone knows that government must have money to operate. I don't think you could find many that would dispute the fact. We are not talking about good government in Michigan we are talking about abuse.

Our roads are a jobs program for political donors and they can't even do a good job. Our education system is producing drop outs and illiterates in spite of the fact that per pupil spending has more than doubled since 1995. Our elected officials, not all of them, hold us in contempt. Most still think that they are entitled to all the perks and the taxpayers don't care or know the difference. They think they are the ultimate arbiter of who succeeds and who fails .

It obviously is not working. Our gross domestic product and job creation has declined consistently over the years. Once again, it is the reluctance to really change the way we do things. How much more can they expect from us? How can we follow if our leaders do not lead? We must remove those who refuse to change by recall or election. One at a time if need be, until the others pay attention. Many of us have lost our jobs, our homes and our children to other states. We have sacrificed enough for them. It is time for them to do their share, change and do what is right.

Leon Drolet Explains the Problems in Lansing

I took this video because you need to hear from someone who has been there and knows what goes on in Lansing. Leon Drolet is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and is presently serving as a Macomb County Commissioner. He is now also the Chair of the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance. The whole point is that taxpayers need to engage themselves in politics and make their presence felt, if we ever want anything to change. We can not be too busy. We can not have other things to do. We can no longer let the other guy do it.

I am not saying that this should be your only priority, only that it should be one of the important ones. Together we can make our voices heard.

The Impossible Dream?

I have to make a confession. I suffer from a very serious disease called "the Don Quixote Syndrome". Unlike Don Quixote my windmills are the government. My objective is to dream the possible dream, to right the possible right, to try when my arms are to weary..... You get the idea. Fortunately, I am not alone. Unfortunately, there are not enough of us yet. If the American Dream is to survive, the change that needs to be made will take many more people to get involved than there are now.

Most politician says they are for change. Most voters says they want change. The problem is that very few actually mean they want change. If they do, they are not willing to put forth the effort to make it happen and then promptly convince themselves why it can't be done. Change is usually not comfortable when it first happens. After you put all the effort into making it happen, you ask if it was worth it. It usually is.

I have been reading a new book "Real Change" by Newt Gingrich. He makes points that have stuck in my mind:

"Clearly both parties are out of step with the citizens they should be representing.... Americans have clearly communicated the policies and solutions we must pursue. But to get there, we need transformational change of our current, failed bureaucratic system of government"

He makes it clear that it is not just a congressional problem or the presidential problem. It will take the involvement of all of us to transform all government, federal, state and local. I have thought this was necessary for as long as I can remember. It will be necessary if we believe that government must represent "we the people". He says:

"We will have to remind ourselves every day that we are not guaranteed success,that the entrenched bureaucracy and special interests will pull out every stop to thwart us. But they can't stop us from working, every day, to achieve our goals. To do something serious and new means overcoming frustration, confusion, opposition, an indifference. It means being a leader."

I believe that he is correct. I believe that if it is worth having it is worth fighting for. If we never have time to defend our freedoms they will slowly slip away. You only have to look around you to see how much of our lives and our money has already been usurped by government and how frequently, government works against us rather than for us. There is nothing that should take precedence over this, since it effects everyone we love and care for.