15 January 2016: Facebook posts urging Governor Snyder to resign

 * Facebook post #1 on 15 January 2016:

This is not how to make Michigan business friendly:
http://www.nytimes.com/…/michigans-failure-to-protect-flint….
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/this-is-how-toxic-flints…/…
http://www.cnn.com/…/michigan-crisis-flint-water…/index.html

It's time for Governor Snyder to resign, and for the people of Michigan to wake up and start supporting public officials who support traditional American values: wealth and political power in the hands of the many, not the few; adequate taxes on business and the wealthy to support a strong public infrastructure (including roads and sewers); promoting the general welfare of Michiganders through adequate funding of public K-12 schools, colleges and universities, mental health and public health; and rational discussion of important public issues, not avoidance of public hearings and stealth legislation.

These are the best of times for the auto industry that dominates Michigan, but our current State government, despite our Governor's mantra of "relentless positive action", has made Michigan unsustainable, unable to provide basic government responsibilities. What will happen when the auto cycle declines, as we know it will?

* Facebook post #2 on 15 January 2016:

It's worth reviewing how Governor Snyder contributed to the Flint water crisis, even before appointment of Flint’s emergency manager:

1) Soon after taking office, Governor Snyder cut revenue sharing to cities, one of their major sources of revenue. This caused severe damage to all Michigan cities, including Flint and Detroit (see http://www.mlive.com/…/…/michigan_revenue_sharing_strug.html). This cut was done to balance his business tax cuts.

(2) At the same time, Gov. Snyder enacted other severe budget cuts (including K-12 schools), in the midst of our “great recession”. Classic economic thought is that budget cuts prolong the economic downturn (see http://www.usnews.com/…/recession-austerity-spending-cuts-h…). Cities have limited sources of revenue, including revenue sharing, property taxes, personal property taxes, income taxes (some cities including Flint and Detroit) and user fees. The prolongation of the economic downturn particularly affects the value of homes (property taxes), and income taxes, exacerbating the effect of the revenue sharing cuts.

(3) The legislature enacted a “stronger” emergency manager law, which he signed into law. This law was then repealed by referendum of Michigan voters. Shortly thereafter, the legislature passed a similar version of the law rejected by the public, which he again signed into law. See http://www.mlive.com/…/…/snyder_signs_replacement_emerg.html, https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_Emergency_Manager_Referend….