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Reaction to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s line item budget vetoes has been partisan and predictable. Republican State Representative Greg Markkanen of Hancock accused the governor of wanting to raise taxes rather than address problems by spending money more wisely.
Some are pointing to possible political motives for Whitmer’s cuts. Medical research money was taken away from the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids. It receives much support from the wealthy DeVos family, which also is a major contributor to the Republican Party. The per-pupil foundation increase for charter schools was also cut. Charter schools are heavily promoted by the DeVos family. And, a number of rural programs were cut, including money for community hospitals and health care, money to pay for law enforcement road patrols, and money to reimburse counties for taxes not paid for state-owned lands. Those cuts will hurt legislative districts that are mostly Republican.
Other casualties include the Michigan Tuition Grants program, which provided assistance to students who attend 31 private colleges and universities.
And, the Pure Michigan tourism campaign was eliminated. The award-winning program has been a source of pride, although officials have always had trouble defining just how much tourism money it brought to the state.
At the Keweenaw Convention and Visitors Bureau, Brad Barnett thinks losing it will hurt…
Barnett says Keweenaw County would be pinched hardest…
Pure Michigan isn’t necessarily gone… nor are any of the other programs vetoed by the governor on Monday. They could be added back into the budget through supplemental appropriations if Whitmer and the legislature can agree on the numbers.
In fact, Whitmer’s aides have confirmed that many of the cuts were specifically targeted to force Republicans to the bargaining table.
