Nearly every proposal I hear lately from Republicans in some form or another involves putting it back on states. Health care. Abortion rights (or lack thereof.) Job creation. Social security. Medicaid. Same-sex marriage. Environmental protection.
It’s a nearly endless drumbeat during the Republican debates.
I listen to that and then I look at what’s happening in my state of Michigan. Until 2010, the Congress was so dysfunctional that they couldn’t find a way to balance our budget or make any other major decision. After 2010, Republicans have taken over so completely that they are make radical, sweeping, unprecedented changes, changes that have created a tremendous backlash. The anti-democratic Emergency Manager Law. The evisceration of collective bargaining rights for public employees. The demonization of teachers, police officers and firefighters. The theft of millions and millions of dollars from our public schools to benefit businesses and corporations. The list goes on and on.
The thought of turning over decisions of such import to our Nation’s citizens to our state legislatures honestly terrifies me. I can’t even imagine how they would ever deal With things like abortion rights or social security. On top of everything else, most states are dealing with historical budget crises, often not very effectively.
Absolutely the last thing I would ever want is for these things to be tossed over the fence to the state level. And, when I look at other states, I do not feel any better.
