Is this what a representative of the citizens of Michigan get today? When we're talking about the standard of living and quality of life of Michigan citizens, we get this.

Muhammad Ali, when he was getting ready to fight for the Heavyweight Championship of the World, he told his future opponent, "You can run, but you can't hide." Tonight you can run it, but you can't hide what's in it.

I remember not too long ago, when I would meet people coming to the Flint area to seek work, they left homes down in the South trying to make their lives better for them and their family and future generations. At that time, a Republican Governor thought it would be fruitful for the state and more than beneficial if we began the income tax so that we had a steady stream of funding for programs that we thought were vitally important--education, police, fire. They thought it was kind of important at that particular time, too, that we take care of the environment. Not too far removed from that, another Republican Governor thought it would be appropriate that we increase that steady stream of funding. Now that next increase happened in every person's life in this chamber here tonight.

The last few years, we've heard there is a philosophy floating around this town and others that if we cut taxes, our society, our state, and our country would be better; that if we cut taxes, we would create more jobs. I've been down in Lansing now four years and nine months. We've cut taxes pretty much every year. If that was going to be symbolic and emblematic of the job creation, I think, today we would probably have more jobs than we do folks who are unemployed. I don't think it's working out that way.

Now many of you all know that I've had a strong and fervent dedication to the disabled. When I read about these cuts in this bill taking away transportation for the disabled to go to work, many of them, two million disabled Michiganians, a lot of them rely on public transportation. I see we have a line item in there to remove public transportation in inner cities. I don't think any of our inner cities are doing what they should be doing as far as job creation. You couple that with the elimination of funding for economic development in this state, I get back to that question if we cut taxes, there should be more than enough jobs to be going around today. But I don't know what kind of state you guys want, but I know I don't want somebody saying that bus isn't going to be there tomorrow to pick up some disabled Michiganian saying, "Well, I know you work real hard; you've got your life in order; it's very difficult; about 80 percent unemployment in the disabled community; but you worked hard and did what you were supposed to do; you got that job, but I'm sorry. Our state is just so hard off that that bus won't be there tomorrow."

The generation before me that stood down here and tried to take care of business for my family and yours believed and hoped that their actions would give people around them, and even their colleagues hoped for, a better Michigan. I think our hope has kind of switched places with the political wants. I don't think we are a better state because of that.

When I look at the history here, the income tax and other revenue streams, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and even people who because of religious obligations couldn't gauge the political process, anted up and made sure that those who needed taking care of were taken care of. I think we must look a lot closer than what we have, and I think it takes a lot more time than a few moments to dig through a 900-page bill. But some of the things that jump out on us, I don't think we have to look at very long and very hard.

I think we've lost a lot of our prudence. We can do better and I expect that we will. So, Mr.President, I hope that those in this chamber tonight would reflect in the same fashion. Those who served the Senate districts in the past did that. We fund our state to a level that, once again, we provide our citizens and ourselves hope.

Mr. President, I ask that my remarks be recorded as my "no" vote. I strongly object to the cuts that we have before us tonight.