By John Lindstrom
Publisher
Posted: October 3, 2019 4:29 PM

In remembering legendary reporter Cokie Roberts, former Michigan State University professor and renowned columnist George Will said, "If you don't like the game of politics, I don't see how you write about it well. She liked the game of politics, and she understood it was a game."

What game have we now in Lansing? The 2019-20 budget fight has taken on dimensions long-time observers – in other words, old people – have never seen. Standoffs and confrontations are the stuff of state history, payless paydays and micro government shutdowns. This however, ahhh, well, you see…

What has happened in the last 10 days? Republican legislators handed off a budget written mostly by them alone to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, then absented themselves for several days, followed then by Ms. Whitmer signing the budgets while vetoing 147 sections, topped by the Administrative Board for the first time in better than 20 years approving a salmagundi of transfers to then be waived and waved away somewhat mournfully by Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) saying the budget is done, fare thee well.

With the advent of abstract expressionist lawmaking in Lansing come the critics. Republicans saying Ms. Whitmer was trying to force the state to accept her 45-cent a gallon fuel tax increase and she was a hypocrite for vetoing $375 million in one-time additional road funding to fix at least a couple damn roads. Democrats saying Ms. Whitmer had no choice as Republicans would not negotiate and $375 million is about $2.2 billion less than most people who presumably know something about road construction say is needed on an annual basis to actually fix the damnable roads and the rest of the budget was a sloppy mess. Then there have been some critics saying from the gender politics standpoint the male Republican leaders were trying to intimidate Ms. Whitmer and disrespected her authority.

Oh, and one lobbyist said he has heard a couple Republicans say their cars aren't harmed going over potholes and nobody likes orange barrels anyway so this means there will be fewer of them and everyone will be happy. Very well then.

And again, what game is this? Who now is supposed to move? Who's on offense or defense or on the fence entirely? If there is a ball, what shape is it, where is it and what is to be done with it? What court is it in, what zone, whose wicket?

While no one has really said so, it appears the people are supposed to make the move now. Meaning we've gone a long way back to the Colosseum and deciding who becomes a lion's lunch. One guesses there is a hope the public will push back and demand action to, if not fix, at least then to cobble a recognizable budget. How that pressure is to come we shall see, perhaps. Mr. Shirkey says there will be no supplemental budget, but what's wrong with budget additions, budget addendums, budget adjuncts, budget additional allocations or whatever language suits for the moment's political purpose?

What game is this? Well, might as well just call it writing a budget 2019-version.