After being gone for most of the summer, the boys and girls were back in town last Wednesday and my-oh-my what a display of efficiency.  State lawmakers successfully whacked away at welfare families and forced all public employees to cough up more dough for their health care.

   And then, apparently exhausted from all the activity, they went home to begin their Labor Day holiday.

   Their what?

   Labor Day is not until Sept 5^th.

   Your point?

   Maybe without knowing it, lawmakers have fed the common notion that when it comes to legislating, less is better and meeting one day every two or three months might be the solution to Michgian's woes.

   But don't get your hopes up, a part-time house and senate is not in the cards..at least not in your life time.

   However being booted off the welfare roles October 1^st is.

   On that date, the first round of 11,000 families will stop getting that monthly welfare check.  Republicans made sure of that when they were in town and while the silly Democrats complained that many children would be impacted by all this, the end of welfare after four years was merrily sent to the governor.

   Republicans figure four years is enough and the fear of losing benefits will motivate these folks to finally get a job.

   What jobs, the social safety net crowd cries out?

   Well from the governor on down, the R's figure Michigan's economy will turn around within four years and these welfare-types will eventually find a job.

   And to be fair, there are some exemptions to the new law so it is not like they are tossing abused mothers onto the streets to fend for themselves.

   All this will save the save the state $60 million but at what cost to these families, the safety netters wonder?