Rep. Cavitt's Budget Breakdown: Detroit Wins Out, Northern Michigan Ignored

Photo byMichigan House Republicans

Lansing, Michigan - In the latest round of budget battles, State Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, took to the podium to express his mixed feelings about the newly approved $59 billion state budget. While it seems Lansing Democrats were busy funneling money into their green energy dreams and other urban delights, Northeast Michigan was left with little more than crumbs—or venison, to be precise.

Rep. Cavitt, the lone hero for Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger (MSAH), managed to secure a modest $550,000 for the organization, which he proudly highlighted as one of the few wins in an otherwise "blatantly partisan liberal budget." The funding will be used to buy refrigerated trailers for storing deer and processed venison, a crucial step in combating the state's deer overpopulation. "Too many deer and not enough freezer space," Cavitt quipped, apparently the most pressing issue for the representative amid the state's myriad of challenges.

However, Cavitt's enthusiasm was short-lived as he laid into the budget's "terrible spending priorities." Democrats, in their infinite wisdom, allocated $5.8 million to the Michigan Public Service Commission and 31 new full-time positions to implement green energy mandates, alongside $156.2 million for a solar installation program and $68 million for a solar factory. Because who needs bridges when you can have solar panels, right?

The budget also featured some eyebrow-raising allocations: $17 million for zoos in Lansing and metro Detroit, $2 million for a boxing gym, $5 million for a movie theater, and over $18 million for baseball stadiums. Cavitt sarcastically invited the governor to explain why these were prioritized over a "crumbling bridge that school buses rely on" in Northern Michigan.

According to Cavitt, of the 200 enhancement grants, a mere 12 found their way north of Grand Rapids, with only two critical infrastructure grants making it to the area. The representative had advocated for various local projects, including $7 million for the Orchard St. Bridge in Cheboygan and $2 million for an Alpena Community College housing project. But, alas, it seems the state’s leaders are more interested in "radical spending policies" than addressing the infrastructural needs of the region.

As the dust settles, one can't help but wonder if Michigan's budget is truly focused on the "greater good" or just a reflection of Lansing's latest ideological fads.