For Dillon, a long, lanky man who looks vaguely Lincolnesque, next year is critically important. For the state he was born into and loves, and his own career. His personal dilemma, which he says he will resolve next month, is whether to run for governor.
Thirteen months from now, he will no longer be speaker. In fact, he will be gone from the House, and, thanks to our bizarre system of term limits, barred from serving again for life.
Financially, that‘s not likely to be a problem. Dillon is an accountant and a lawyer, with multiple degrees from Notre Dame. He was managing director of Wynnchurch Capital before he decided, almost on a whim, to run for the legislature five years ago.
However, he wants to make a difference, and likes making things happen. And he’s willing to talk about the one subject most of Lansing is trying to avoid: The fact that the roof is going to fall in next year, destroying modern life as we know it.
That’s not too extreme. I asked what next year’s deficit is really going to be. He said $2.8 billion, as far as they could tell.
That’s about the same as this year, with one big difference. There’s no more stimulus money. How can you balance that budget without getting the state more money?
“I don’t think we can, responsibly,” he said. Let’s assume that the Republicans just dig their heels in and say no.
No new taxes, no matter what. How do you balance the budget then? “For starters, you eliminate all aid to higher education -- all of it,“ he said. The tuition increases that would cause would cripple research, damage building programs, prevent upkeep and throw college education out of reach of hundreds of thousands.
Even then, the savings would only close half the gap. So the lawmakers would also have to cancel all aid to community colleges and end revenue sharing. “And the budget would still not be balanced.” So you’d have to start cutting Medicaid.
How can we hope to attract new modern business to a place that does that? What complicates the problem further is that 2010 is an election year. The Speaker knows he has limited room to maneuver. What he plans is to offer a “grand bargain” in which the governor and the house and senate leadership would agree on a package of revenue increases and restructuring measures, early.
“The goal would be to have the budget done by March,” he said. The lawmakers could act responsibly, and then hit the campaign trail. Does he think they are likely to do that?
Sadly, no. The house was still in session, and a TV monitor in his office showed Dillon’s colleagues debating a bill with occasional flashes of emotion. Were they talking about the budget crisis? Not exactly. They were arguing over whether the National Resources Commission should still be setting the rules for feeding deer in 2016.
Andy Dillon, who grew up on a crowded street in Redford, in the district he now represents, wants his colleagues to face reality, and give his kids and theirs the chance they had.
What he doesn’t know is how best he can help get that done. And as this tough year winds down, that’s what he’s trying to decide.
In eras past, other legislatures and Congresses acted just as foolishly. Sometimes, in times of crisis and deep systemic pain, leaders emerge, good sense returns momentarily. At this point, if they can afford to talk about nonsensical bills, there is not enough pain being suffered in the state. Very sad.
Posted by: Jeff Salisbury | December 07, 2009 at 11:04 PM