Neff Zone Column -- October 13, 2007

Print Edition: October 13, 2007

THE ROLLING HELMET THEORY

Outta the Zone…Last weekend my friend, Frank, and I were discussing the battle over Michigan’s budget and the ensuing agreement. "I’m so disgusted over the way they (Lansing politicians) handled this thing I’ve decided that I’m not going to vote for any incumbents in the next election and that goes for Democrats and Republicans alike," he fumed.

Based on several e-mails I’ve received over the past couple of weeks, I feel safe in saying that Frank is not alone in his exasperation with the current group of so-called leaders in Lansing. Regardless of political affiliation and whether or not one thinks the budget agreement was a good thing or a huge mistake, it’s the process by which the agreement was reached that has people riled. Petty bickering, partisan politics over the common good, lack of original thought, an aversion to compromise and a vacuum of real leadership ruled the day.

This reminded me of a football analogy for some reason. I had the good fortune to be an assistant coach at Cadillac High School for the winningest coach in the school’s history, Dave Brines. When Coach would sense that a particular player wasn’t giving his best for the team he’d call the boy over and say this: "Son, if you don’t want to play for us just tell me. I’ll take you out of the game and you can stand next to me. We’ll roll a helmet out on the field and our team will be better off because someone from the other side might trip over it."

With that in mind, I think my friend Frank may be onto to something. I’m going to join him in not voting for any incumbent in the next election for statewide offices – no incumbent senator, representative, or governor will get my vote. I’m invoking the "Rolling Helmet Theory" in the belief that even an empty helmet will be better than what we have now.

*Fine and dandy, you’re thinking, but how can we get the ear of the current crop of "leaders" we are stuck with for the time being? We need them to shape up and fly right -- immediately.

Here’s a suggestion for getting their attention in a hurry. Did you know that during the budget crisis when all the talk about cuts was going on, one thing the State Senate avoided was an end to their own free lifetime health care and a cut to their own salaries? Senate Majority Leader, Mike Bishop says they need to "study" the plan.

You can sign a petition that calls for an end to free lifetime heath care for all current and future lawmakers, plus an immediate 5% cut in their pay at www.nolansingfreeride.com. At the very least it will make you feel like you’re doing something to voice your displeasure with the current state of affairs and you never know, maybe someone in Lansing will get a clue.

*Speaking of health care, you’ll be hearing a lot about slashing the benefits for teachers and state retirees as a way for the state to save money. You might find it interesting that the Senate Fiscal Agency has called this theory into question.

The Senate Fiscal Agency says it’s a "nonpartisan legislative agency created to provide the Michigan Senate with sound and unbiased assistance…and analysis of all proposed legislation." That said, you must realize that the Senate is controlled by Republicans, the SFA has a majority of Republicans on its board, and the chairman is Republican Senate Majority leader Mike Bishop.

An Agency analysis (which I have in my hand as I write this) concludes that three of the four bills dealing with this issue – 419, 420, 421 – will have "no fiscal impact of the state." A fourth bill, 418, will create additional administrative and information technology costs to the state and will not "force or guarantee" any savings.

This is not the conclusion of any employee union or partisan think tank, it’s an analysis by the Senate’s own agency.

*As long as I’m on the health care issue, here’s a statistic worth thinking about. President Bush has vetoed the bill that would have added 10 million children to the SCHIP health care program with the argument that the $35 billion price tag over five years is too steep. For what we spend in Iraq in 41 days we could insure those 10 million kids for a year.

*Finally, I promised to keep you updated on the Flint Southwestern football team. You might recall this was the team that allowed two convicted felons to play in a high school game, an action that got the coach and athletic director suspended. Eventually both were reinstated.

It turns out now that Southwestern has had to forfeit its first three wins (including the game in which the felons played) because they used an ineligible player. One report said the athletic director found out that the player ‘had too many semesters’ on his high school transcript.

This might just be a clerical error, but it’s curious that this same coach, Gary Lee, has used an ineligible player in the past, in 1998 when he was the coach at Flint Northern. That year his team forfeited two games for that infraction, plus another one for being in a brawl with Muskegon High.

Wait, there’s more. Now coming to light is that, Southwestern’s best player, running back Mark Ingram, transferred to SW from Grand Blanc High under what the Flint Journal calls "dubious circumstances."

About Coach Lee the Midland Daily News observed: "You really have to wonder what Flint school officials are thinking by allowing him to coach in their district."

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Comments to neffzone@gmail.com. Read Neff Zone columns online at www.neffzone.com/cadillacnews.