Putting Themselves First--Again

Michigan Republicans are putting their narrow political concerns ahead of everybody else, especially schoolchildren, again.

Rick Snyder has already signed a budget that cuts $470 from the funding for each student statewide -- some $564 million a year. And it did this at a time when the state school aid fund has millions of dollars in surplus and is growing.

But Republicans continue to insist that the state has no more money to spend on educating the next generation of nurses, doctors, teachers, lawyers, and CEOs.

But there is money laying in plain sight -- the tax money that Republicans are planning on spending to hold a presidential primary in 2012. The Michigan Democratic Party has already decided to hold a caucus -- at its own expense -- on May 5 in lieu of asking taxpayers to pay for a special primary election.

Rep. Brandon Dillon, D-Grand Rapids, made the point that the money should go to schools in a statewide push by Michigan Democrats earlier this week criticizing the deep cuts to education.

But Republicans, who are so eager to cut funds for school children and to raise taxes on senior citizens and poor people, won't give up the tax-payer funded primary.

It seems like if people really want smaller government, cutting an unnecessary political perk for the Republican Party would be a good place to start.