An open letter to Rep. Kevin Cotter
Dear state Rep. Kevin Cotter,
Both in Michigan and nationally, there have been strong indications that budgets are going to be balanced on the backs of universities.
As you are well aware, Rep. Cotter, an education is vital in our information-based economy. However, families are being squeezed so hard in this economy that an education is slowly becoming nothing more than a dream for thousands of young Michiganders.
Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm frequently took the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate head-on for its willingness to slash the education budget. These showdowns always ended in bitter compromise, resulting in the continued and sharp decline in funding. Larger investments in education are a surefire way to jump-start an economy, but it seems as if the last batch of elected officials did not understand that.
For example, Mississippi and Alabama invest very little on higher education, and spend very little in general. But those states are hardly worth looking up to. When people around the world think of America, they think of states like California and New York — in other words, states with bustling economies which invest much money into knowledge.
The states that invest the most into giving their students the highest quality education will be the states that lead America into the 21st century.
I am asking you, Rep. Cotter, to buck the state and national trend as a Republican and support investments in higher education.
All too often a politician will promise something during a campaign, but once in office will turn their back on that promise. While campaigning you had a theme in which you said the three most important things a state government handles are education, public safety and infrastructure. As a fellow Chippewa, rather than as a person who disagrees with your political views, I want to ask you to keep your word.
The reality of the state budget will set in very soon for you, but I am sure you will be well-prepared. Tough choices will of course have to be made. In a perfect world, you would support increasing taxes on the richest of the rich and greedy in order to protect education funding. As a Republican, such a move would be a slap in the face to your Tea Party-base voters, so I have no illusions. That is simply not an option for you.
I am asking instead when the budget comes down to a tough vote, and it will, have the fortitude to vote nay on a budget that guts higher education funding. Stand strong to your principles and to basic economic facts. Despite the face they may put on, many students are barely keeping their heads above water.
We are counting on you, Rep. Cotter.
