Note: John Radcliffe is a Hawaii-based lobbyist and politico. He's been affiliated with Detroiters Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch for the last decade through Lansing-based Marketing Resource Group, the public affairs firm owned by Malik/Ilitch mouthpiece Tom Shields.
Radcliffe: The game is up, I told you, and you are not ready
2.16.2011
From the Peter Kay Show (click link for audio)
John Radcliffe’s speech to UHPA officials at closed-door meeting Sat. Feb. 12
"I am here to cheer you up. Happy Valentine’s Day!
"I am tracking 143 bills for you right now. Half of them are “take aways.” I expect we’ll defeat all of them. You also want me to get you more money. I won’t. In fact, we will be damn lucky to keep what we had.
"BUT
"How long have I been telling you that the revenues to pay for government are inadequate to pay the cost of government?
"Ten years?
"It has been at least ten years. Ten years, I think. In that time, the economy has gone down, up, and down—but each down has been deeper and has taken a toll, and each up has not been enough to restore funding levels…as a result government has suffered… It is now a Potemkin Village — a shabby Potemkin Village.
"The carpeting in the Governor’s office has not been replaced in I don’t know — 10-15 years? The lights don’t all work. The air conditioning is stuck at 60. The offices of other departments are often in much worse shape. There are gaping holes in some of the ceilings — By the way, to save money, the air conditioning in all government offices is shut off at 4:30 PM, and of course on all weekends… and on furlough days. But because people need to work, because they are so shorthanded — they work without the air conditioning — And it is pretty clear that the state has not had enough money to buy air conditioning filters for years — so most government buildings are full of mold and virus—and the workers who are left are sick workers.
"In terms of manpower, all 16 departments — not counting DOE and UH, are between 60% and 40% undermanned.
"Dozens of government programs are gone — teen pregnancy, job training, youth programs in general, etc. all gone….Gone. What are left are food stamps, employment training for adults, some programs for the disabled—child and protective services — the youth jail… Those things for which our government is under court order to provide — things like that. We cannot adequately enforce our laws on food safety, occupational safety, and etc. The questions of the public go unanswered for lack of manpower to answer phones.
"The Governor wants to bring our felons back and build new prisons here…not likely. Not soon.
"By the way, some of these social service agencies have been coming to me to hire me — to help them regain their state funding… and I am refusing to work for them. It would be taking money under false pretenses. They are done. Toast. Over with. Get it? People out of jobs. Kids out of programs. It is gone. Gone.
"Government is a business that enforces laws, provides social services, and shuffles paper… and that is not being done adequately any more.
"There is no legislative stomach for increasing taxes either. The soda tax, liquor tax, tobacco tax, pension tax, plastic bag tax, are probably all going to die..." (Complete Story)
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