Auchtoon!

Originally published in the Grand Rapids Press, November 6, 2010

A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it.
— Agent K from “Men in Black“

Republicans swept to power here in Michigan last week. Both the House and Senate will have large GOP majorities, the Attorney General, Secretary of State (our version of the DMV), two Supreme Court justices, our local US House reps — all Republican. And after 8 years, even our governor. That’s him in front holding the letter, Rick Snyder. (Or is he? As I was drawing him it dawned on me that there’s a very real possibility we Michiganders just elected Detective Frank Drebin from the “Naked Gun” movies.)

Now as an individual, I realize that these folks will be new to their jobs and it would be a challenge for them to come up to speed under the most ideal of circumstances. But of course now they will have to do it in historically trying times with severely limited resources. And yet, as a Michigan voter, I want to see some damn results. If any of them need a reality smack in the face, they need go no further than today’s reaction to the ideas floated by a bipartisan committee to reduce the federal deficit. It’s a basic, sensible recipe — reduce spending and increase revenue, which makes sense, right? Apparently, already we hate it. Of course, it doesn’t help when the Associated Press starts its story with “In a politically incendiary plan…”

Good luck new office holders everywhere! Don’t screw up…