Perspective is always important for elected leaders to
heed, especially those who engage in noisy political battles while also trying
to promote Michigan as a land of bliss.
Sweeney/MLive
In a guest column
for MLive, a man named Brian Sweeney has written an explanation why he and his
wife – the type of young, college-educated couple that are a priority for the
Mitten State — are leaving Michigan and won’t look back. The main reason?

“The state’s
political system is out of control,” Sweeney wrote.

He cites partisan
bickering and the inability of the Legislature to tackle basic issues, such as
fixing the roads. Sweeney also derides specific policy issues, such as the “appalling”
law recently enacted that forces women who want health care coverage for
abortion to purchase so-called rape insurance separate from their health
benefits.
Sweeney, a former state government employee, and his wife, who recently
completed graduate school at Michigan State, are not particularly liberal or
conservative. Like many young people, they’re independents who simply expect
political officials to reach pragmatic decisions that don’t pry into personal matters.

Here’s a bit of
what Sweeney wrote:
“Like a growing number
of young people, I espouse some Republican and some Democratic
values. Either because they are out of touch or they just don’t care,
Michigan’s political leaders have largely assumed opposing positions on issues
important to young adults.
“Democrats generally support same-sex marriage and,
perhaps unexpectedly, so (does) a strong majority (61 percent) of Republicans
aged 18-29 according to a Pew Research
poll. United in opposition to marriage equality, Gov. Snyder,
Attorney General Schuette and (Republican National Committeeman) Dave Agema
differ only on whether to dodge the issue, hide behind the
state constitution or meet the issue with shameless
bigotry.
“(U.S.) Rep. Mike Rogers, Chair of the House Intelligence
Committee, may be the nation’s foremost defender of National Security Agency
surveillance of U.S. citizens. He has become famous for calling Edward Snowden
a traitor while fighting reform of the domestic surveillance programs he helped
to shape and conceal.

“These programs are wildly unpopular with young people.”

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