A major pillar of Tudor Dixon’s wrong-for-Michigan agenda is a “piss-poor public policy proposal” that would force billions in cuts statewide to several services critical to working families, such as public education, law enforcement, and infrastructure.
Described as “catastrophic for funding,” Dixon’s budget plan is estimated to eliminate nearly $12 billion from the budget and $8 billion from the general fund, threatening the “primary funding source” providing over 60% of Michigan State Police budget and threatening thousands of law enforcement jobs.
The Michigan Association of Police Organizations warned in 2017 that plans like these “would have a devastating impact on police budgets at the state and local levels” and leave law enforcement “crippled.” Earlier this year, MAPO reiterated their opposition to a similar plan, noting that it “would reduce police protection and create ‘long-term budget problems.’”
Dixon’s budget plan would force several dramatic changes to Michigan’s budget:
- Slash $3.5 billion from the School Aid Fund, the state’s main funding source for public schools in line with her support for the DeVos-backed voucher scheme that would their similarly disastrous agenda to convert Michigan to a school voucher system that would have reduced state investment in education by upwards of cut up to $500 million annually from our public schools while giving tax breaks to the rich.
- Cut nearly $8 billion from the general fund, threatening funding for thousands of Michigan State Police and slashing nearly two-thirds from the main funding stream for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Corrections, and State Police, on top of half of all revenue for other critical departments .
- Eliminate $600 million in transportation funding and threaten additional federal funds secured with matching state dollars, which would undercut the state’s ability to keep making crucial repairs to roads and bridges.
Dixon has said she “absolutely” supported “phas[ing] out” funding streams for critical services as quickly as possible. She has yet to identify how or if she would replace the law enforcement funding eliminated by this “dramatic shift in state government operations.” This trend continued as Detroit News reported that Dixon still “has not provided specifics” of how she plans to rip billions out of Michigan’s budget and fully fund law enforcement at the same time.
MDP spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite issued the following statement:
“DeVos sellout and champion of special interests Tudor Dixon is all in on her dangerous agenda to slash funding for the critical services that allow Michigan to run smoothly. That’s why she refuses to answer basic questions about her backwards budget plan that would hurt working families, shutter public schools, make our streets less safe, and stall Governor Whitmer’s progress in improving our infrastructure.”
