Senator Response re:FIRST & the state budget

[Brandon Martus]

From Mike Martus --

As a result of the campaign to get funding for FIRST NOT to be cut from the budget this note was sent to us from a prominent official:

Dear Mike:
Thank you for writing to me regarding the FIRST Robotics funding in the K-12 School Aid Budget. I am very familiar with the program, having attended many FIRST and LEGO events. I have also been fortunate enough to attend several international champion Thunderchickens' dinners, and have hosted several team members on my local cable TV show. I have worn the Thunderchickens #217 limegreen T-shirt proudly on several occasions.

I believe strongly in the program, and I successfully amended the conference report last year to include $150,000 to provide $6,000 entry fee grants to new FIRST teams in the Fiscal Year 2007 budget.

I regret to inform you that I was not able to win a new appropriation this year. This has been an especially difficult budget year, and the Legislature was faced with difficult votes to raise taxes. As part of our commitment to taxpayers, we promised to cut $433 million in funding and to make significant reforms to public employee health care and pensions.

I have been one of the principle advocates for making cuts, just as I was a strong supporter of the necessary tax increases. I voted for the entire package of taxes, reforms and the cuts. I hope you can understand that I have to accept cuts to the programs that I value, just as I ask others to cut programs near and dear to them.

I will say to you that I intend to be back in February, when we begin work on next year's budget, and win approval of new funding for FIRST Robotics. I believe the tough decisions we made this year will restore fiscal order in Michigan, and that next year will provide a better opportunity for expanding FIRST in Michigan.

Sincerely,
Michael Switalski
State Senator
10th District