News from the Michigan's State Capitol from Rep. Pam Byrnes

Michigan State Representative Pam Byrnes sent out this letter to her e-mailing list today. Pam Byrnes represents District 52 in Michigan, which includes much of Washtenaw County including Chelsea.

Dear friend,

I have some long-awaited news to share with you from the Capitol. House Democrats today put Michigan on the road to recovery by passing a bold plan to solve our unprecedented fiscal crisis. This bipartisan plan has all the right components -- it makes necessary cuts and common-sense reforms, it raises much-needed revenue, and it has support from both parties.

I have said from the beginning that a budget solution would have to include a mix of cuts, reforms and revenues. The plan that passed today will give the state a long-term savings of hundreds of millions through cuts and reforms.

This plan does not rely on one-time fixes; it is a lasting budget solution that cuts wasteful and inefficient spending while also making critical investments in public safety, education and job creation. To be a magnet for businesses that will bring good-paying jobs to our state, we must get our economy back up and running – and this budget plan will do just that.

Tough times call for tough choices. We have moved needed reforms and cut $433.3 million from the state budget. These are the cuts and reforms Michigan needs to fix the structural problems that have left our state in fiscal crisis.

But I am proud that we refused to "fix" the state budget through cuts alone. By slashing funds for police protection, we would have fewer patrol cars on the street, jeopardizing the safety of all residents. By gutting education funding, class sizes would balloon and children would be denied the education they need to succeed in the 21st century economy. And by raiding the health care budget, we would be denying medical service to our most vulnerable residents.

That is not a Michigan I would want to live in.

Today, the buck stopped in the Michigan House. We stopped the finger-pointing, put our differences aside and worked together to move Michigan forward. Rest assured, House Democrats will continue to do what's necessary to protect Michigan's working families and get our state back on the road to recovery.

Sincerely,

State Representative Pam Byrnes
District 52

Received via email 10/1/01 5:01 p.m.