Raise the Diesel Tax? NO!

Fuel taxes are 2nd to Property Taxes on my bad list. The Argus had a story about Valde Garcia and his primary challenger Barton Hellmuth. I planned on voting for Garcia anyway, but this article solidifies it.

Hellmuth said more money should be spent to bring school districts that get less money from the state more in line with those at the top of the funding ladder

To pay for that, he recommended some budget cuts in the Corrections Department for spending on "luxuries" to prisoners. He also suggested an increase in the diesel tax, which he said is lower than it is in Indiana and Illinois, to help pay for road repairs.

Raise the tax of something that's already $3 a gallon? You have to be kidding me. That also raises shipping costs more, which raises the cost of everything shipped by truck.

I have an idea to save money. This is going to earn me the wrath of the Michigan Municipal League, but too bad. Consolidation. I think we're one of the few states in the country with townships. There are over 100 elected officials in Livingston County alone. 16 Township Supervisors, Clerks, and Treasurers. 4-6 trustees in every township. Multiply that by 83 counties and you have some serious money. I think the townships should be "unincorporated" and brought to the county level. It's at least something to think about with Michigan's budget.

We should do it in schools as well. Do we need 5 different superintendents and groups of assistant superintendents in our county based schools? Create the Livingston Consilidated School Districts. We can still have the rivalries between schools. Milford and Lakeland are both KVC schools under the same district (Huron Valley). This could save a few bucks with admin salaries at the top, without costing teachers and students.