So, the State of Michigan's government was officially shut down for a couple hours today, before a budget could be passed by the Legislature. Why we had to get 2 hours into the new fiscal year before a budget could get pushed through is way beyond me, especially given the notably 'soft' schedule maintained by the Senate and House.
I found out I should probably return to work by reading an article at [DetNews.com|http://www.detnews.com], but I thought I'd share my favorite sections of [the article|http://detnews.com/article/20091001/POLITICS02/910010432]:
The fourth grade class of St. Martha's Catholic School in Okemos came to the Capitol on Wednesday to see legislators do their job. A tour guide told the students that they'd come on a busy day. But when the class settled into seats in the balcony overlooking the Senate chambers, no one was on the floor.
"We waited, but nothing happened," teacher Heidi Wood said. "They must have been on a bathroom break."
Most of the day, senators and representatives stood in the halls of the Capitol, texting on BlackBerrys and munching M&Ms provided by the Rossman Group, a Lansing public relations firm. There were no protests, and only a smattering of visitors, most of whom seemed more interested in the Capitol's architecture than the budget battle.
I realize there's a certain reporter's slant on the article, but this one sums up the frustration pretty well.