Toon and text by John Auchter
My wife and I have a Japanese maple we planted several years ago as part of our house landscaping. It’s been a nice little tree — generally healthy, somewhat sturdy (our cats like to climb to the top and pretend they’re vultures), but it’s never really grown. It’s in good soil, it gets plenty of water, we even treat it to some Miracle-Gro on a semi-regular basis. We considered transplanting it, but from what we knew, it’s current sun/shade location was well suited for the breed.
So last fall, my wife decided to prune it back some and hope for the best. This spring, holy cow!, the tree is thriving. New shoots, new leaves, new branches. We plan to continue the care and feeding and hopefully it will grow taller and stronger to help it withstand our cat vultures.
All that to say, I do understand that sometimes pruning is the best solution. I just don’t think it is the only solution. (Indeed, we have killed other plants by cutting them back too much.)
But pruning seems to be Plans A, B, C, D, and so on for the GOP these days. Brian Calley announced a “high-tech” ballot initiative to cut the Michigan legislature back to part-time status. Michigan’s Betsy DeVos defended before Congress her plan to slash funding for public education. Arlan Meekhof continued with his crusade to eliminate benefits for the working class of Michigan. And then there is President Trump’s proposed budget, which seems not so much to trim as to exterminate (the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, for example).
Somewhere under a thick layer of ideology I imagine there to be the more sensible solutions — a mixture of caring, feeding, watering, and pruning.
John Auchter draws cartoons. Lots and lots of them. You can find them at his incredibly popular website auchtoon.com. You can also find his stuff on Michigan Public Radio’s website under Opinion.
It’s easy to make pruning the only solution when you believe those plants being harmed are lesser than/second class plants, that have nothing to offer you for your personal gain or gratification.
I agree with you on most of your thoughts.
Having lived in a state with one, I do, however, believe that a part time legislature is more than enough. Do a quick check of Nebraska’s part time Unicameral. I was impressed by several parts of their program. No term limits. Two year terms. Unless the Governor declares an emergency, they can meet for no more than 60 days in those two years. AND –it doesn’t pay enough to be a real job. Those “Senators” have to go out and earn a living in the economy. To work under the laws and regulations they passed. Sort of a constitutional reality check.
In my personal and professional contacts with several of them I was impressed with how much they really understood what was going on with the folks they represented.
I’ve been on my “high horse” for years about a part-time legislature. The full-time one we’ve got doesn’t get anything done. That is the best suggestion I’ve heard out of the mouth of a politician in my lifetime.
Pruning, fertilizing and loving care produce better results than just cutting the tree down.
Excellent column.
The cartoon depicted above is completely racist. It establishes that the African American reporter is aligning herself with Democrat ideology and further establishes that “evil” Republicans are all Caucasian.
There are a large number of African American Republicans. The racist ideology of the cartoon “artist” is on full display.
You would know.
I have enjoyed your column for years. Have you thought about doing a column on organ donation? I a Stage 5 end stage renal disease and am in my third year of waiting for a transplant nd dialysis
Did you know Michigan is one of the lowest percentage of persons registered with the Gift of Life p
Program?
Did you know that there are about three thousand Michiganders waiting for a kidney?
There about a s may as the number who are waiting for a kidney transplant to fill THE BIG HOUSE stadium?
Thanks, Deb. I haven’t but I will consider that. Is gift of life the one on your driver’s license. God bless you and good luck!
Yes it is.. the secretary of state office are suppose to ask dr ivers when you are there. Some do some don’t.