Government Regulation is a Lovely Thing August 6, 2011

Stick with me my conservative friends. Don’t let the title turn you away.

After being in North America for 44 years, I had the opportunity to visit Europe for the first time last month.  The most noticeable thing for me after the amazing practice of having chocolate croissants for breakfast everyday was the lack of government regulation.  Let me say that there can be too much regulation.  I understand and agree with the arguments that some regulation can stifle business and don’t even get me started about regulating what adults do in their own home.

However, I am proud to live in a country that regulates the road system with things like lanes, speed limits and crosswalks.  Italy, not so much. I am proud to live in a country that has rules against women sitting in store front windows half naked ready to please and “coffee shops” where more marijuana is sold than expresso. Amsterdam, not so much.  Actually, legalizing marijuana and regulating it is not a bad thing in my opinion, but the pervasiveness of it in the Amsterdam culture was too much for me.

Even our government is better behaved in America than my favorite European country, England.

Jonathan Oosting article, “McCotter: It’s not always pretty, but Congress is much better behaved than Parliament” 

Video of the Rowdy British Parliament 

On Facebook this morning a dear friend of mine who is a City Councilman in Hamtramck posted a video that I think all government officials should be required to watch.  Yes, another regulation, but one imposed on the regulation makers.

Please consider sharing this video widely with your friends, family and the policy makers you elect to take care of our community.

The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes 

We Need To Continue Funding Public Health July 11, 2011

The Washtenaw County Public Health Department is one that not many people know about, but we all count on them to keep us healthy.  County government is often called “the invisible government” for that very reason. When the H1N1 epidemic came to Michigan, our public health department set up weekend clinics for many weeks with nurses working overtime at stadiums and schools to make sure everyone had a chance to be vaccinated.  We expect our restarunts to be safe, but don’t usually give credit to the Public Health department for inspecing every establishment in the county at least twice a year.

Our Public Health Department is a regular contributor to AnnArbor.com with a column on issues that can help residents stay heatlhy.  AnnArbor.com Public Health Column Archives

With less Americans eating healthy, it is even more important to educate our residents on healthy, lifestyle options like good diets.  Obesity and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension continue to remain the highest in the South with the exception of Michigan.  Michigan is only state in the top 10 most obese states that is not in the South. Funding public health programs like Double Up Food Bucks gives residents who are on food assistance tokens to spend at local farmers markets to ensure they have access to fresh produce.

Other Healthy Eating Programs from your Washtenaw County Public Health Department can be found here: Washtenaw County Healthy Eating Webpage

Public Health starts children on the right track with the  Maternal Infant Health Program which sends nurses and social workers into the field to educate new mothers.  These programs benefit children and their families well after the year of care is over.  When you hear about cuts to Medicaid, consider the programs that help the children.

Check out all the programs your Public Health Department administers here:  Washtenaw County Public Health

Some recent studies about the state of our children’s health:

USDA Study:  The Effect of Food and Beverage on Children’s Weights  

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Report:  F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America 2010

Trucks Need to Pull Their Weight June 26, 2011

It is no secret that Michigan roads are in bad shape.  Some legislators have had the guts to offer solutions to the problem, but could not get enough support to make a change.

Read my former blog post about the gas tax.

Have you ever driven by the weigh stations on the Michigan roadways and wonder why they are not open with lines of semis going through like they used to?  Apparently, they are open some of the time, because there are some statistics in a recent study.  Overweight trucks are a large contributor to the deterioration of our road system, and they should pay their fair share of the damage. However, a new study done by the Auditor General shows they clearly are not.

MDOT’s weigh-in-motion scales reported that approximately 1.5 million (4.2%) of 37 million commercial motor vehicles weighed for the period October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009 were overweight.  Also, our analysis of 50 transport permits issued for overweight vehicles and loads indicated that those overweight vehicles were over the Michigan weight limits by an average 43.5%.  Using USDOT information regarding costs to repair Michigan roads and bridges, we estimated that damage from overweight vehicles for the period resulted in an additional $135 million in Michigan road and bridge repair costs.

Auditor General Audit Report Page 28-29  

In a quick Google search, I was able to find articles about overweight truck issues for Arizona, Texas and Florida roads too, so we are not alone in this battle.  We need our state legislators to take the necessary steps to ensure that everyone is paying their fair share of the costs to maintain our roads.  Without basic infrastructure like good roads, safe streets and good schools, we are not going to come out of the economic slump we are in.  Companies are leaving Michigan even with the change in the Michigan Business Tax structure, because that is just one piece of the decision.  A company is made up of people, and people want a nice place to live.  What does Indiana have that we don’t?  Our government leaders need to read this Detroit News article and find out:

Three companies have recently said they’d move some operations from Michigan to Indiana.
Fronius USA will move its headquarters from Brighton to Portage Ind., where it will build a $27 million plant, and cut its Brighton workforce to 25-30 from 50 today.
Earlier this month, Spartan Motors Inc. announced plans to relocate parts of its operations to Wakarusa, Ind., from Michigan, creating up to 60 jobs. But it will also add 450 jobs in Michigan.
In May, Molded Foam LLC acquired an unnamed Holland company and would relocate it to Bristol, Ind., creating up to 45 jobs.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110625/BIZ/106250368/Tax-incentive-debate-revives-as-Solar-firm-leaves-state#ixzz1QO41ZGaG

Mackinac…More Than Good Fudge June 4, 2011

For political junkies like me, Mackinac was top news this week.  The 2011 Detroit Regional Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference is held each June and attended by all the big players in Michigan business and politics.

The main themes of the conference were collaboration and cooperation on a new level, Detroit revitalization, the new bridge crossing to Canada and manufacturing resurgence.

Conference speakers included Bill Ford Jr., Governor Snyder and what is being called the “Fab Five”.  Washtenaw County is finally being included in the Southeast Michigan leadership circle that includes Detroit Mayor Bing, and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb County Executives.  For the first time, a Washtenaw County Board Chair was included in the prestigious panel discussing how to move Southeast Michigan forward.

Since I have been working on IT collaboration with all 7 SE Michigan counties and the state for the past year, I was thrilled to see Washtenaw County included.  We may be smaller than Oakland and Wayne county, but we have a powerful economic base, two leading universities and two top hospitals. Not to mention some hard-working elected officials who are ready to find solutions that benefit the region. The level of interest in cooperation is at an all time high. I hope that all the good will turns into tangible solutions and that the desire for local control does not get in the way.

Crain’s Detroit Business Webpage links to Mackinac Articles

Crain’s Detroit Business Article on Detroit Regional Chamber “To Do” List

Detroit…Our Collective Future Depends On It May 31, 2011

Good things are happening in Southeast Michigan even in Detroit. If you do one thing for your community, start saying nice things about Detroit.  Our national reputation depends on it.  When you tell people you live in Michigan, they usually have some comeback about Detroit regardless of what part of the state you are from.  So if Detroit’s reputation improves, our state’s reputation will improve.

One reason I was opposed to Governor Snyder’s scaling back of the movie tax credits was the intangible benefits to the State’s reputation by having George Clooney and Courtney Cox in town.  People in America need to see Michigan as something other than the car-jacking, unemployment capital of the country.  To do that, we need ways to spread good news.  Having the film industry in the state gives us a chance to show the positive parts of Michigan that keep so many of us living here.

As a commissioner, I have had the chance to be a part of the revitalizing Detroit conversation with people who can actually make it happen.  Recently, I attended two events that showed some promise.  The Southeast Michigan Legislative Caucus is made up of State Legislators from both parties looking for ways to create legislation that moves the Detroit Region forward.  The first meeting was held at Wayne State University, and I participated in the Workforce Development Group.  Instead of just talking about problems, we brainstormed solution-focused legislation ideas.  With the budget done in Lansing, there will be months left in this session to work on passing legislation that has the opportunity to make some real changes.

After the Caucus meeting, I attended the 8 Mile Boulevard Leadership Luncheon.  Again, there were decision-makers from all over the Southeast Michigan region talking about solutions.

There are many more efforts underway to help Detroit make it out of the current state, and I want to be part of the solution.  Let’s spread the good news like this article on CNN Money recently.  Detroit had an 82% increase in engineering jobs last year.  CNN Money Program

Here are some small things you can do right now to be a part of the solution:

Say nice things about Detroit! Buy a shirt, cup or bag and display it proudly.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Be a Believer! Join Believe in Detroit on Facebook

Share this Video on Facebook

Go Downtown for dinner or a game.  Hour Detroit Guide

Cyber Security – Moving Forward May 17, 2011

There are very few people in Washtenaw County who are not on the Internet. Even seniors and young children are walking around with smart phones and iPads connected to the “World Wide Web”.  What does that mean for local government or our federal and state governments?  It means that there is a new expectation by the citizens who look to their government to protect them from crime.

Defining the crime, finding the criminals and undoing the damage caused has never been more of a challenge for our traditional law enforcement agencies. The Washtenaw County Cyber Citizenship Coalition (WC4) is leading the nation in building a template to help address cyber safety for residents. Working with law enforcement to raise awareness and educate the residents is key to protecting them.

WC4 hosted a day-long event with the help of Eastern Michigan University, Department of Homeland Security, AT&T and Dell for 430 high school students from 4 counties.  Students were able to learn about cyber bullying, cyber laws and future careers in cyber security, a growing field with degree programs right here in Washtenaw County to get them prepared for the job.

Our workgroups are working on educating small business, parents and home users as a part of the Stop.Think.Connect. National Campaign.

To learn more about the coalition, visit: www.washtenawcybercoalition.org.

President Obama recently introduced a bill to address protecting citizens, critical infrastructure and federal networks.  Government systems, including county government, hold valuable personal data that is target of hackers.  In our work with the Department of Homeland Security, we were able to secure a cyber audit for our county systems done by our federal partners at no cost to local taxpayers.

Detroit Free Press Article on White House Cyber Security Bill, May 2011

Michigan Chief Techology Officer, Dan Lohrmann wrote a blog about our coalition in Public CIO magazine, May 2011.  Read it HERE.

Can We Really Afford To Cut Education? (With Poll) May 7, 2011

The residents of Washtenaw County overwhelmingly passed the WISD Special Education Millage last week.

Election Results    Heritage Newspaper Article

All the millage renewals and/or increases passed by about 70% county wide.  What does that mean after so many millage failures in the recent past?  Well, only 13% of the registered voters in the county actually voted. If all the public safety and education employees in the county voted along with their families, that would probably make up 13% of the registered voters.  The missing voters this time were the anti-tax crowd.

Could the anti-tax voters have stayed home because public safety and education are a priority? I would like to think so.  When I speak to residents about budget cuts and government priorities at least at the local level, education and public safety are high on the list.

My relief about the local vote is overshadowed by my concern for the state budget cuts to education that passed through the State House this week.  The Republican controlled Senate still needs to vote on the bill. Community colleges and state universities are being cut 15% and local schools will see a minimum of $470 per-pupil cuts. Money does not make an education, but it will be hard to educate without enough.  There are some fundamental funding priorities for a state, and education must be one of them.

AnnArbor.com Article

This week, I had a conversation with a resident who asked me why the state legislators were not willing to look at raising the sales tax just a penny or two.  If that was done, he said we could cover the entire state deficit without cuts to education and public safety.  The Michigan sales tax is currently 6%.  Visiting Arizona this week, I noticed on my lunch receipt the sales tax here is 9.3%.  I am not advocating for 9.3%, but what if we added a penny for every dollar spent on goods in Michigan?  Would it really change your spending habits? Would you even notice?  If it kept our class sizes reasonable and officers on the street, I think residents would support it.

Who Do You Call In An Emergency? April 30, 2011

April 10th-16th was National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.  The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners presented a resolution of appreciation to our local dispatch officers thanking them for their work.  Even though the week has passed, I thought is was important enough to write about before the month was over…just made it!

Have you ever spent time listening to the stories a dispatcher deals with every day?  With a few exceptions, most people call 9-1-1 when they are very sad, scared, angry, and confused.  As one dispatcher described it to me, “We hear from people when they are drinking too much, beating up their families and trying to kill themselves.”  Car chases, people fleeing their burning homes and domestic violence are all in a day or night’s work.

We are so fortunate as a community that some people have the ability to stay calm and somewhat detached from the emotion of a situation to think calmly and get us the help we need.  Our officers depend on the dispatcher to direct them in the best manner to serve the caller in need.  The dispatcher is the true first responder.  Remember to show some appreciation for you local dispatcher any time of the year, not just the second week in April.

Nationally, it is a challenge to find and retain dispatchers.  It has even been called a staffing crisis by some.  This article details some of the concerns about finding and retaining staff to maintain a quality 9-1-1 service:

APCO Committee Releases Interim Report on HR & Staffing Challenges

This article lists some calls received by 9-1-1 operators:

Dispatch Magazine Online, Reel #10

Have You Hugged Your 9-1-1 Dispatcher This Week, Digital Communities

Would You Like A Receipt? (With Poll) April 17, 2011

Taxes are getting a bad reputation.  I am about to reveal my age, sort of.  I remember a very famous quote made at the 1988 Republican National Convention by then presidential candidate, George H.W. Bush.  ”Read my lips, no new taxes.”  How did that work out?  For Bush, not so well.  He raised taxes and lost re-election in 1992.

Maybe that was the beginning of this anti-tax rhetoric we are hearing hit all new highs in 2011.  It was the first anti-tax message I remember consciously thinking about other than the message we all learned in 5th grade that involved a bunch of tea bags.

Tax day this year is April 18th, because Emancipation Day was observed in D.C. on Friday. That gave all of us another weekend to work on our taxes.  Fortunately for Michigan procrastinators, we did not want to be outside in the blustery weather anyway.

The White House recently announced an online tool to help you see where your taxes went. It is called, “Your 2010 Federal Taxpayer Receipt”.  To get your receipt (for no extra charge) visit the White House website at:

Your 2010 Federal Taxpayer Receipt  

Since becoming a Commissioner, I feel even better about paying my taxes. It is my way of contributing to the programs that keep us safe, educate our children and give us the freedoms so many people in the world are dying for right now.  As you sign your check over to the IRS, know that some of the money is going to important programs that you agree with.  I am not saying that there is no waste and we should be excited to give, but lets not complain as much this year.  If you paid taxes, you probably have a job to be thankful for. Just a thought….

Shutdown…Really? April 8, 2011

Just got this email from a woman I am working with in DC:

“Kristin,
I am going to send a mass email in a minute but wanted you to know that
if the government shuts down we will be unable to respond to emails.
Thanks!”

This is politics at its worst.  I am embarrassed to be a politician today.  I had a similar email from an FBI director yesterday.  Still trying to have a call with his office, but I picked the wrong day to need attention from my federal government.

Washtenaw County must pass a balanced budget by December 31st each year for the following two years.  We are not given the opportunity to “shut down” the jail, court system or mental health services. I am exagerating a bit, because “critical” functions of governemnt will not be affected but it is frustrating. The district courts in DC will still be open on Monday and your taxes still need to be completed and postmarked by midnight April 15th.  BUT, if you are waiting for a refund from a paper tax return, you will have to wait.  Doesn’t seem fair.

This Washington Post Article lays out exactly what will happen and when if the budget impasse leads to a shutdown. Below is an excerpt from the article.

When will the government actually shut down?

If an agreement is not reached on the 2011 budget by midnight Friday,the government will shutdown starting Saturday.

How long will the shutdown last?

It could last as little as a few hours or as long as a few weeks. Shutdowns in the 1970s and 1980s ranged from three days to 17 days, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). A five-day shutdown occurred in November 1995, and a shutdown stretching from mid-December 1995 to early January 1996 lasted 21 days — the longest in modern history.

I would say call your congressional representative to complain and ask them to get along, but their offices will probably be closed.