Green Party opposes budget cuts to schools and college students; suggest budget by fining polluters, releasing all non-violent prisoners.

LANSING (October 20, 2009) - Green Party leaders said today that budget proposed by Governor Granholm and the Michigan Legislature is wrong-headed.

The people of Michigan are facing a once-in-a-lifetime economic crisis. The governor has the power to declare a state of emergency, suspend "business as usual" methods, and respond to the needs of the unemployed and the poor. The people of Michigan need funding for food, shelter, heat and water as winter descends.

Instead of "draconian cuts" by the Governor and legislature to social services, they should support universal, single-payer health care legislation, which would realize 30 percent savings over the current privatized structure, and lower the state budget deficit,"said Candace Caveney-Collins, candidate for Congress 10th district.

"Voters do support increased taxes on liquor and cigarettes to fund education and health care spending. Why won't the governor and the Legislature be honest and move in that direction?" asked Lynn Meadows, candidate for Secretary of State.

Greens also encouraged the Governor to do more than release some non-violent offenders, suggesting that state prisons release all non-victim offenders and drug offenders, another source of savings. "Budgetary spending based on locking people in prison for victimless crimes is misguided policy, out of control, and not sustainable at the current levels of incarceration. A much smaller, revamped prison system will rein in spending to help meet the budget," said Derek Grigsby, candidate for state representative, 7th district, Detroit.

Finally, the state should tax those who pollute the environment.

"Currently the state legislature favors corporate interests over the people's interests. We need to reduce overall consumption of fossil fuels to lower our levels of greenhouse gas. We need to transition from our current 'growth' economy to a 'steady state' economy, where the true cost of fossil fuel is made visible by taxing fossil fuel emissions," said Art Myatt, GPMI Vice-Chair and solar power engineer.