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Here's where my "Socialist" side comes creeping out.

While I am against most everything the government spends money on, I think there are some good things the government could and should spend money on.

I like the National Parks System and state-run campgrounds. I also like museums and the Metro Parks system.

I also think some of the money spent on helping poor families with daycare costs and school lunch programs are great. I also believe we could come up with a system to help ALL legal Americans attain health insurance - not with some bloated government-run medical system, but programs that could help people get the coverage they need.

I think good government programs would be more palatable to the taxpayers if there wasn't so much waste. If we didn't spend $30 million land to save some field mice or hundreds of millions of dollars paying bloated pensions to members of Congress, people would be able to deal with paying a few bucks so some kids can get a hot meal at school.

I was reading where President Obama is allocating a lot of money to Michigan and some of it sounds like it will actually be spent wisely.

Here's what the Detroit News reported:

The president's budget proposal would help working parents struggling to keep up with child care. He would expand the child care tax break so families with incomes up to $85,000 a year would qualify for a 35 percent credit for up to $6,000 in care costs for two children.

Obama would also direct $193.5 million for child care help for low-income parents, meaning an additional 235,000 children would be helped, OMB said.

He also would direct $501.6 million for housing aid for low-income Michiganians.

On education, Obama wants $1.8 billion for public education in Michigan. He would raise Pell Grant awards to $5,710, helping 317,600 Michigan students with $1.2 billion in available funds.

On Michigan's health care woes, including growing Medicaid rolls and 1.2 million uninsured residents, Obama would direct $8.4 billion for the state to offer health coverage to low-income children and families.

The president also increases loan guarantees for nuclear power facilities to $54.5 billion to encourage companies to build nuclear plants. DTE Energy has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license to build a nuclear plant at its Fermi II site. The energy company hasn't decided to build a plant, but DTE Energy spokesman John Austerberry calls increasing federal support a "favorable development."

Michigan auto and other innovative industries could benefit from the president push for research and development dollars. He calls for $1.8 billion for new ways to produce, store and use energy. And nearly $2.4 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, which includes $302 million for solar, $220 million for biofuels and biomass R&D, $325 million for advanced vehicle technologies and $231 million to develop green buildings.

I like helping families, especially with tax credits and I like putting money into nuclear facilities. I get a little worried when I start hearing about spending "green" initiatives. When the government says it is investing in anything "green", that means the money will be dumped down a big hole and never heard from again.

I have several Conservative friends who might get on my case for approving of even a few government programs, but I think we can afford to help people when they truly need it. I just hope the earmarked to actually help people is used correctly. That may be asking a lot from our government, but I think there are so many people that need assistance that it is worth the gamble.

Until next time, enjoy Michigan.

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