LANSING – Michigan's House lawmakers today held several educational workgroups inspired by town hall meetings held late last year by Phil Power, founder of the Center for Michigan. The "budget boot camp" gave lawmakers, both Democratic and Republican, practice in dealing with the complicated fiscal crisis currently facing Michigan.
"Today's workgroups are designed as an educational forum to prepare our members for the arduous task of balancing the budget," said House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township). "It's no secret that Michigan is at an economic crossroads, and this process is designed to help pave the way for new and innovative solutions. By bringing people together, we can make Michigan a better place to live, work and do business."
Michigan currently faces a budget shortfall for 2007 of nearly $800 million due to a number of issues, including slow housing sales and continued loss in the state's manufacturing base.
Members of the Michigan House were divided into 10 workgroups and asked to attempt to balance the budget through cuts or revenue enhancementsbased on current budget allocations, current revenue estimates and the budget shortfall information. There were three Democratic workgroups, three Republican workgroups and four bipartisan workgroups.
"This isn't a partisan issue," said Majority Floor Leader Steve Tobocman (D-Detroit). "Michigan's fiscal challenges affect all of us, and we'll only find creative solutions to those challenges if we come together. As we search for solutions to steer us out of Michigan's tough economic times, it is crucial that we protect our most vital programs, such as education, health care and public safety – and that's what these workgroups are designed to do."