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Voters Weigh In On Proposed State Budget

DETROIT (WWJ) - Negative comments from a "Town Hall Meeting On the Affects of the Proposed State Budget," sponsored by five state senators, all Democrats from Detroit.

Virgil Smith, Coleman Young II, Morris Hood III, Bert Johnson and Tupac Hunter heard from a crowd, including teachers and administrators and retirees, on proposed cuts in school aid funding, the earned income tax credit and taxes on pensions.

The criticism also came from the Senators, including Virgil Smith, who was asked by WWJ Reporter Mike Campbell whether there was anything in the proposed budget worth saving: "This budget is terrible...I'm just disgusted at this point," says Smith.

"You have a lot of times, in a seniors home, their children don't have jobs, so they are taking care of their kids, and then their kids have kids, so sometimes you have three generations living off one of those pensions," says Smith.

Detroiter Marcy Newtie had a short but direct answer:

"My opinion about the budget is...I'm speechless," says Newtie.
She works at Wayne County Community College, and says she's worried about cuts to education.

Republican Governor Rick Snyder says his spending plan - the state's first-ever multi-year blueprint - will balance the state's books by 2013. The upcoming fiscal year budget left by Democrat Governor Jennifer Granholm includes a $1.4-billion deficit.

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