Because I did not vote for the current governor and because I do not like many of the policies he and the Republican legislature pass, I have decided that I will not, from now and until the public elects the people I believe should be in office, do my job. I mean, I’ll show up and sit in my office and interact with my fellow workers…but get anything done? What? Why?

Of course I still expect that my salary, my health care, and my retirement all be paid for by my employer. But seriously, how can anyone expect me to get any work done when I am still not done pouting after a term and a half with a governor I did not personally certify and approve of with my vote? After all, I am just being a responsible patriot and following the lead of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell. Right? After all, shouldn’t our elected officials serve as models as to how the rest of us should behave?

Of course they should! I am just following along.

This means you too should phone your local media outlets and let them know that you are in on the revolution too! Let the pundits know where you disagree with, well…with whatever! Your boss backed the Broncos and you wanted to dab all night with the Panthers? Good enough my friend! Lay done your tools, refuse to attend to a patient, just kick back and do nothing. Nothing except complain about how you don’t want to do your job until you feel the American people have spoken! In your favor of course! And if they don’t, keep on pouting!

Never mind that there was a presidential election a few years back and the people did speak and elect that fella in the White House. Declare that you don’t agree with that vote and that your ability to do your job hinges on the next election. And if that doesn’t go your way? Friends, there is always a future election! Pick the next election cycle and sit down in front of that company computer, log onto your favorite server and whack zombies until it’s time to go home!

Just tell your boss Mitch McConnell is demonstrating that it should not be the expectation of the folks who trust in you to carry out your duties, for you to…carry out your duties! I am certain he or she will understand. Maybe your boss has a boss too, he can join in our pout until we all get what we want revolution!

What’s that? You there, in the back of the room? You say that nothing will get done? Sometimes we have to work with folks we are not friends with? Sometimes we don’t get everything we want and we have to compromise with others? Doing parts of a job that we don’t like is part of being an adult? Excuse me, would you please step a bit more into the light, who are you? Mom! What’s that you say? Stop being childish and get to work? You’ll cut off my allowance? Drat!

Well, fine maybe I’ll share a bit more, but only if Senator McConnell’s mom calls him and tells him to put down his pacifier and get to work too.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/nolan-finley/2016/02/06/finley-helping-flint/79940496/

In Nolan Finley’s article in the Detroit News today, Mr. Finley accuses the folks involved in the water mess in Flint of doing little but point fingers. While doing a fair amount of finger pointing himself, Mr. Finley is correct that little has been done to actually correct the situation. What Mr. Finley avoids pointing out is that so little is being done in large part due to the current leadership in Lansing in every chamber of elected government. This is not new. Because too many Republicans have taken a pledge to never raise taxes, regardless of challenges, the party cannot provide the leadership the state so sorely needs in many areas. Michigan residents should be appalled at the national and international image of our state being created by the pitiful level of cowardly non-leadership on display in Lansing.

Detroit Public Schools have been in financial free fall for over a decade. Our roads and bridges finally had a bill passed to do something about them, but only by passing legislation that contains a funding time bomb set to explode shortly after the current folks the legislature will be term limited out of office. (Dear Future, Enjoy our gift to you. XOXOXO, Lansing 2015. P.S. Boom!)

Meanwhile tax breaks to corporations continue unabated. Here in my neck of Michigan’s woods, school districts have been hammered by recent corporate tax shenanigans. By taking advantage of tax rules that the state has supported, companies are being allowed to have their businesses taxed as if their buildings were empty and unoccupied rather than flourishing and profiting. This has cost schools hundreds of thousands of dollars in expected funding. As in Flint, when it comes to questions of citizens vs. spending or corporate greed, current leadership in Lansing always choses greed and cronyism.

It does not have to be this way in the Republican party. Teddy Roosevelt fought and broke up monopolies and battled against political machines and their entrenched cronyism. Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush raised taxes. Dwight Eisenhower warned against the military industrial complex. When faced with the needs of the people vs. simple greed, these leaders made hard choices and the criticism of their peers. There used to be a place for this type of leadership in the party. Unfortunately it has been replaced by stool pigeons who take and then uphold an unreasonable pledge on taxes. A good politician should have identified beliefs but should also allow that circumstances dictate over dogmatic pledges.

Here in Michigan the citizenry suffers while the state burns. Voters would do well to seek out politicians who do not swear allegiance to nonsensical oaths and the puppet masters who write, finance, and impose them.