Grant Money Turned Down Because Ludington Residents Make Too Much

An October 17th story from The Ludington Daily News about the inability to qualify for an Michigan Economic Development Corp. grant is a bit unusual in how lengthy it is and the detailed reasons for missing the grant opportunity.   First there is the explanation that the people in the city of Ludington aren’t poor enough.  The local MEDC Director also explains that to qualify for this “free” money would require an increase in the number of new government job by a total of 22 when it’s not practical.   The author almost seems to whine about how it’s unfair for the city to be turned down.

Shouldn’t we residents of Mason County where traditionally unemployment percentage levels have for years been higher than the state as a whole be pleased with how we don’t qualify for such funds because our income level has increased?    And shouldn’t we also be thankful to those who see the added job expense of hiring new workers just to qualify for the grant is not  justified?

A similar discussion has been brewing in the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and other states with Stimulus Funds available for high-speed rail service (http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/14012) .    Again this “free money” will likely result in unnecessary future expense for a service that would only benefit a relatively small portion of the population and is projected to be unprofitable (http://www.mackinac.org/10852)  such as many of us are aware that Amtrak has been.   Where in the world is high-speed rail, such as proposed, worth the investment?    The answer is unlikely in areas such as Michigan.   For us this seems to be simply another proposed spending project with many strings attached that we simply cannot afford and is fiscally irresponsible.

InfoRod