Comments on: Too Much of Too Much http://domemagazine.com/blogs/craigsgrist/cr0309 Michigan People, Politics, and Policy Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:01:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Jewett http://domemagazine.com/blogs/craigsgrist/cr0309#comment-6856 Jim Jewett Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:53:01 +0000 http://domemagazine.com/blogs/?p=368#comment-6856 Larry Merrill -- Where did you get your numbers? It strikes me as odd that less than 2% of townships have elected parks boards, but both of the townships I've voted in do. Are they concentrated around certain areas? (I'm JimJJewett with email gmail.com) Larry Merrill — Where did you get your numbers?

It strikes me as odd that less than 2% of townships have elected parks boards, but both of the townships I’ve voted in do. Are they concentrated around certain areas?

(I’m JimJJewett with email gmail.com)

]]> By: john scott http://domemagazine.com/blogs/craigsgrist/cr0309#comment-824 john scott Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:42:53 +0000 http://domemagazine.com/blogs/?p=368#comment-824 Point taken, I suppose, but what exactly is wrong with the number per se of elected officials at all these different levels of government? Of all the mischief being publicly perpetrated in Michigan (and, one supposes, in most other states) what mischief exactly is attributable to the raw number of elected officials? If we were to somehow be able to, e.g., consolidate local government units by getting rid of some suburban cities or most townships, there might be less noise in the room, but I'm not sure very many people would think that alone would ensure better governance. We need specifics and illustrations before this kind of complaint really amounts to anything. (The comparison to DeGaulle's '246 cheeses' remark is appropriate -- cute, but pretty empty of meaning.) JNS Point taken, I suppose, but what exactly is wrong with the number per se of elected officials at all these different levels of government? Of all the mischief being publicly perpetrated in Michigan (and, one supposes, in most other states) what mischief exactly is attributable to the raw number of elected officials? If we were to somehow be able to, e.g., consolidate local government units by getting rid of some suburban cities or most townships, there might be less noise in the room, but I’m not sure very many people would think that alone would ensure better governance. We need specifics and illustrations before this kind of complaint really amounts to anything. (The comparison to DeGaulle’s ’246 cheeses’ remark is appropriate — cute, but pretty empty of meaning.) JNS

]]> By: Ed Rivet http://domemagazine.com/blogs/craigsgrist/cr0309#comment-816 Ed Rivet Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:00:06 +0000 http://domemagazine.com/blogs/?p=368#comment-816 Craig, My wife and I home school our children, and starting next week I'm teaching a government class for high school age home school children in the Lansing area. One of the assignments I was going to give them was to do exactly what you did here, determine how many elected officials we have in Michigan. Your piece gives us a good starting point, and we will contrast it with the finer specifics we discover like those provided by Larry Merrill. My guesstimate is the number is more like 17,000. But indeed, far too many!! Will let you know what we find out. Craig,

My wife and I home school our children, and starting next week I’m teaching a government class for high school age home school children in the Lansing area. One of the assignments I was going to give them was to do exactly what you did here, determine how many elected officials we have in Michigan. Your piece gives us a good starting point, and we will contrast it with the finer specifics we discover like those provided by Larry Merrill. My guesstimate is the number is more like 17,000. But indeed, far too many!! Will let you know what we find out.

]]> By: Larry Merrill http://domemagazine.com/blogs/craigsgrist/cr0309#comment-808 Larry Merrill Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:39:59 +0000 http://domemagazine.com/blogs/?p=368#comment-808 Craig, I would be happy to give you some wiggle room, but you overestimated the number of elected township officials by 3,835. There are only 24 townships with elected park boards, and 89 townships have elected library boards. In both cases, the voters decided to create those extra elected officials. There are 6,633 elected township board members that govern over 95% of the state's land area and just over 50% of the state's population Craig, I would be happy to give you some wiggle room, but you overestimated the number of elected township officials by 3,835. There are only 24 townships with elected park boards, and 89 townships have elected library boards. In both cases, the voters decided to create those extra elected officials. There are 6,633 elected township board members that govern over 95% of the state’s land area and just over 50% of the state’s population

]]> By: Rick Johnson http://domemagazine.com/blogs/craigsgrist/cr0309#comment-803 Rick Johnson Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:01:58 +0000 http://domemagazine.com/blogs/?p=368#comment-803 So right you are Craig. Time to really cut the number of elected officals in our great state. Some one, ie-elected needs to stand up and say so. So right you are Craig. Time to really cut the number of elected officals in our great state. Some one, ie-elected needs to stand up and say so.

]]> By: Sharlan Douglas http://domemagazine.com/blogs/craigsgrist/cr0309#comment-798 Sharlan Douglas Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:43:51 +0000 http://domemagazine.com/blogs/?p=368#comment-798 Amen, brother. But who will tie the bell on that cat's tail? Amen, brother. But who will tie the bell on that cat’s tail?

]]>