MOSS MESSAGE

New Roof

                I got some bad news a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t totally unexpected, but still came as a shock. No one ever wants to hear these words.

                “Mr. Moss,” the man said. “You need a new roof.”

                Like I said, it wasn’t totally unexpected. We had been assured our roof was a “20-year roof,” but that was in 1989. So next spring, we’ll have gotten 23 years out of our 20-year roof which is not too bad. Still, we need a new roof.

                This changes things. We’re getting estimates, and new roofs aren’t cheap. This means that we have to look at this big expense and how to afford it. Getting a new roof means that we have to make some choices. There are things we’d like to buy, but can’t right now. There are things that would be good to get for our house, and things that would probably be good investments—paying money down the road. There are even maintenance items we probably ought to do, but aren’t as crucial and can be delayed. There are also fun things  that we’d probably enjoy. But right now we can’t get those things because we need a new roof.

                Everybody understands this. Either you need a new roof, or your car needs repair, or your kids have bills. No one has unlimited money—When Elizabeth II needed a new roof for Windsor Castle after the fire, she had to open it up to sightseers and gawkers. Since you don’t have unlimited money, you have to choose among various things, and make spending priorities because you can’t have everything all at once.  When you need a new roof you have to do without other stuff. If you do come into some extra cash, it has to go to fixing the roof.

                That’s what’s going on in Michigan today. We need a new roof. Not only do we have to rebuild our financial position and our ability to attract jobs, but we owe billions of dollars in legacy and retirement costs. Right now the House just passed  a plan to cap and pay down $14 billion of state employee pension and retiree health care costs. This will cost us every year until that debt is paid off. We also have to do the same for public school employees, whose unfunded debt is even higher.  We also have to fix roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, and best done without raising taxes further on everybody.

                So when I hear people talk about “spending priorities,” I have to ask:  Is this something we have to have this year? Can we get along without it for a little while longer? When I hear that we may be running a surplus, and ten hands reach for every dollar, I have to remind myself: new roof. Yes, these ideas and suggestions are wonderful things to have and to do. Yes, many of them might even qualify as investments. Yes, we’ve love to put more money into some really, really great programs. Yes, I know there are people really, really passionate about this or that. But folks, the answer right now has to still be no. Not right now. Sorry.

                You see, we need a new roof.

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