Do americans actually give a crap about anything but themselves?
What pisses me off more about this whole State Fair issue isn't so much the state fair closing, although that's a part of it. Its the fact that when I tried to encourage people to write their representatives and encourage the continuation of the fair, I got a whole bunch of negativity. No one seemed to give a shit that the fair was closing, some even were like "Why should I have to pay for your weekend fun?"
It just makes me wonder if people in America, especially younger people, are becoming so selfish and self-centered that they don't give a shit about anything anymore, unless it concerns them or affects them directly. I've also noticed that people seem to be bigger assholes in general nowadays. Stay classy, America.
It's interesting to note how ill informed most of these people are. First off, I am not the only one who will be sad to see the State Fair go. Other people, in news articles and comments online, seem to be sad the fair's going as well. And certainly, with an attendance of several hundred thousand people, more than any anime convention I've ever been to, people actually want to go to this.
"Several years back, under teacher union influence, Granholm turned down 100 million dollars to improve education for kids in Detroit. Now, acting alone, she's going to kill one of Michigan's great traditions, one that has brought young and old, urbanite and suburbanite together for many years. It's time to send this disgrace of a governor back to Canada." link
And the House is passing a bill to continue funding of the Fair, even though they expect Granholm to veto it. They can repeal her veto, though.
"Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed a 2010 budget that would end state subsidies for the Michigan State Fair at either its Detroit or Escanaba locations."
It's interesting to note that the state has a choice between shutting down the fair up in the UP, which is a remote wilderness with maybe 100 people living in it, and down here in Detroit, and they're choosing to keep the Fair up in the tundra going, even though that one probably only gets 10 people a year going to it.
I can understand the concern about taxes. No one wants to pay taxes for things they don't use or go to. In that case, stop paying taxes for schools if you don't have children. Stop paying road taxes if you don't have a car.
Want to know how much taxes go into the Fair a year? Last year it was $360,000. Certainly quite a bit for you or I, but in terms of state budget that is pennies! Other programs cost tens of millions and they're worried about a couple thousand. Granholm herself could pay that much out of her pocket! "Lt. Gov. John Cherry will lead a year-long commission charged with reducing the number of state departments in future years, but Granholm will propose scrapping the 226-employee, $52.2 million Department of History, Arts and Libraries this year." $52 Million being cut for education, arts, and libraries, and they're worried about a few hundred thousand!!!
And no one, NO ONE AT ALL, is interested in finding other ways to fund the fair. I read in one article, and I hope I can find it, that fairs in some other states are funded entirely by private funds and fundraisers. "Unlike the Minnesota State Fair, which routinely makes a handsome profit and hasn't received state support in 70 years, Michigan relies on the state to make up the difference between what the fairgrounds earn year-round and any shortfall." If they can do it, Michigan can. Instead of taking Ol' Yeller out back and shooting him in the head, why don't we try to nurse him back to health. Alternative funding should be sought out before just killing the program completely.
I can't be the only one that cares about this. If the entire House is trying to keep the Fair, then someone gives a damn. I guess the people in the A2-Ypsi LJ community are just self-centered.
Articles Cited:
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2009/08/budget_cuts_mean_the_last_mich.html
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090202/POLITICS/902020353
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090828/METRO/908280426/Curtain-raises-on-what-could-be-final-State-Fair
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090826/METRO/908260372/Legislators-add-funds-for-the-State-Fair
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090826/METRO/908260369/One-more-spin-for-State-Fair
It just makes me wonder if people in America, especially younger people, are becoming so selfish and self-centered that they don't give a shit about anything anymore, unless it concerns them or affects them directly. I've also noticed that people seem to be bigger assholes in general nowadays. Stay classy, America.
It's interesting to note how ill informed most of these people are. First off, I am not the only one who will be sad to see the State Fair go. Other people, in news articles and comments online, seem to be sad the fair's going as well. And certainly, with an attendance of several hundred thousand people, more than any anime convention I've ever been to, people actually want to go to this.
"Several years back, under teacher union influence, Granholm turned down 100 million dollars to improve education for kids in Detroit. Now, acting alone, she's going to kill one of Michigan's great traditions, one that has brought young and old, urbanite and suburbanite together for many years. It's time to send this disgrace of a governor back to Canada." link
And the House is passing a bill to continue funding of the Fair, even though they expect Granholm to veto it. They can repeal her veto, though.
"Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed a 2010 budget that would end state subsidies for the Michigan State Fair at either its Detroit or Escanaba locations."
It's interesting to note that the state has a choice between shutting down the fair up in the UP, which is a remote wilderness with maybe 100 people living in it, and down here in Detroit, and they're choosing to keep the Fair up in the tundra going, even though that one probably only gets 10 people a year going to it.
I can understand the concern about taxes. No one wants to pay taxes for things they don't use or go to. In that case, stop paying taxes for schools if you don't have children. Stop paying road taxes if you don't have a car.
Want to know how much taxes go into the Fair a year? Last year it was $360,000. Certainly quite a bit for you or I, but in terms of state budget that is pennies! Other programs cost tens of millions and they're worried about a couple thousand. Granholm herself could pay that much out of her pocket! "Lt. Gov. John Cherry will lead a year-long commission charged with reducing the number of state departments in future years, but Granholm will propose scrapping the 226-employee, $52.2 million Department of History, Arts and Libraries this year." $52 Million being cut for education, arts, and libraries, and they're worried about a few hundred thousand!!!
And no one, NO ONE AT ALL, is interested in finding other ways to fund the fair. I read in one article, and I hope I can find it, that fairs in some other states are funded entirely by private funds and fundraisers. "Unlike the Minnesota State Fair, which routinely makes a handsome profit and hasn't received state support in 70 years, Michigan relies on the state to make up the difference between what the fairgrounds earn year-round and any shortfall." If they can do it, Michigan can. Instead of taking Ol' Yeller out back and shooting him in the head, why don't we try to nurse him back to health. Alternative funding should be sought out before just killing the program completely.
I can't be the only one that cares about this. If the entire House is trying to keep the Fair, then someone gives a damn. I guess the people in the A2-Ypsi LJ community are just self-centered.
Articles Cited:
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2009/08/budget_cuts_mean_the_last_mich.html
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090202/POLITICS/902020353
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090828/METRO/908280426/Curtain-raises-on-what-could-be-final-State-Fair
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090826/METRO/908260372/Legislators-add-funds-for-the-State-Fair
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090826/METRO/908260369/One-more-spin-for-State-Fair