Guest Editorial
Gov.-elect Rick Snyder is laying the pieces for his administration, bringing on a team that includes House Speaker Andy Dillon, former Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumous and others who know Lansing well.
Slightly overlooked in the rush of personnel moves is Snyder’s declaration this week that he’ll ask lawmakers to budget for not just one, but the next two years.
Two-year budgeting is common in business, but not in state government. Particularly not in the last few years, when Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Legislature seemingly threw together spending plans in the days before they were due.
Snyder is sending a message that the current way of doing business no longer works.
Lawmakers need to put decisions in a longer-term context, and a two-year approach leads to confidence that government is acting strategically.
“We can’t afford to wait. Let’s get going on this new process,” Snyder said Monday, according to Gongwer News Service.
He’s right. Why wait? Why delay making a change that adds professionalism to the work in Lansing?
— THE JACKSON
CITIZEN PATRIOT