Add it all up and you get a whole mess of trouble for employees, management, suppliers, greasy spoons near factories and families.  Of course none of this comes as a surprise.  The writing's been on the wall for years and this isn't the first month that these numbers have declined.  So what's Jennifer Granholm doing about it?  What's the House Speaker doing?  Absolutely nothing.  You can blame whoever you want (and the left is pretty good at passing out blame) but that doesn't change the fact that the dems are now the party in power and are doing nothing to fix the problem.  In fact, the only "solutions" they've offered have come from the governor and they include, specifically, removing $3 billion from the pockets of taxpayers.  Think people aren't buying new American cars now?  

And all for what?  So she can continue to line the pockets of her union backers with MESSA or pay her campaign operatives and buddies through "jobs" with the office of the first gentleman?  

This state can no longer afford business as usual.  It certainly can't afford "leadership" that exacerbates the problem.  But try telling that to a few local elected officials on opposite sides of the state.  

DetNews has an editorial today slamming a Wayne County Commissioner and former Democrat State Senator, Burton Leland, who's looking to raise salaries for some Commission staff by $750,000.  This comes at a time when the County faces a $57 million deficit.  The News provides one of the best lines of the morning:

Some things don't change. A Wayne County commissioner has come up with a stupid idea. But fortunately some things do change. The leadership of the commission isn't going for it.

Love it.  Now I need everyone to pay attention.  I'm about to say something I thought I'd never say... and I just have to qualify things a little... taking into account these two examples, the one above and the item I'm about to mention... ready for it?  

It looks like they've got more sense in Wayne County then they do in Grand Rapids.

I'm so ashamed.

But I've got to call a spade a spade.  

In recent days the Mayor of the City of Grand Rapids, George "Fountain Street Social Club" Heartwell asked the City Commission for and received a brand new $20,000+ automobile at taxpayer expense as the City faces a $6.7 million deficit for fiscal year 08.  Why?  He totaled his own ride.  

For a "bastion of conservatism" this was one of the biggest bonehead moves they could have possibly come up with.  

But wait, there's more!  

Heartwell is all over the wire in Lansing these last couple days blasting local state Senators for approving a budget fix without raising taxes because it cuts into the bottom line on revenue sharing.  According to the Grand Rapids Press he's so upset he wrote them a nasty letter that read in part:

"But you've solved your problem. That was easy, wasn't it? Please tell me what I say to my citizens now."

Well, Mr. Mayor, you really can't tell them much now, can you?  Sorta fired all the bullets you had in that particular gun last week when you went whining to the City Commission and asked them to buy you a new car.  I'm sure that cherry new ride you've got will do a lot to pave the streets, protect local businesses, put out fires.  You know, the whole deal.  

But you've solved your problem.  That was easy, wasn't it?  Now please tell the next late night pizza joint that gets robbed that there wasn't a police officer working an evening shift in that neighborhood because you needed to have a beautiful new car parked in your heated garage.