Is your state lawmaker one of Lansing's biggest spenders?

Is your state lawmaker one of Lansing's biggest spenders? Or one of the most frugal?

The 2008 state budget spends $1,470,045,900 more than the 2007 budget. Below are the ten biggest-spending Republicans and Democrats in both the state House and state Senate, along with lists of the most frugal lawmakers. (Only those legislators who made all the budget votes are listed). The data was compiled by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

It should be noted that some lawmakers may have voted against the higher-spending budget bills because the bills did not increase spending ENOUGH to earn their vote.

Ten Biggest-Spending House Republicans:
Rank	Name	Location/District	Increased $$$
1. tie)	Bill Caul	Mt. Pleasant/99	$1,470,045,900
1. tie)	Tory Rocca	Sterling Heights/30	$1,470,045,900
3.)	Brian Calley	Pittsford/58	$1,463,545,900
4. tie)	Tim Moore	Farwell/97	$1,350,045,900
4. tie)	David Palsrok	Manistee/101	$1,350,045,900
6. tie)	Law, David	Commerce Twp./39	$1,332,045,900
6. tie)	Phil LaJoy	Canton/21	$1,332,045,900
6. tie)	Jeff Hansen	Hart/100	$1,332,045,900
6. tie)	Darwin Booher	Evart/102	$1,332,045,900
6. tie)	Dick Ball	Bennington Twp./85	$1,332,045,900
Ten Most Frugal House Republicans:
Rank	Name	Location/District	Increased $$$
1.)	Fulton Sheen	Plainwell/88	$6,500,000
2. tie)	Glenn Steil	Cascade/72	$7,500,000
2. tie)	Joe Hune	Hamburg Twp./47	$7,500,000
2. tie)	Jack Hoogendyk	Texas Twp./61	$7,500,000
5.)	Kevin Elsenheimer	Bellaire/105	$45,100,000
6.)	John Pastor	Livonia/19	$49,835,000
7.)	Brian Palmer	Romeo/36	$116,500,000
8.)	David Hildenbrand	Lowell/86	$121,000,000
9.)	John Garfield	Rochester/45	$126,500,000
10.)	Marty Knollenberg	Troy/41	$154,100,000
22 Democrats voted for the maximum increase of $1,470,045,900:
Name	Location/District	Name	Location/District
Andy Dillon	Redford/17	Ted Hammon	Burton/50
Katleen Angerer	Dundee/55	Jones, Robert	Kalamazoo/60
Terry Brown	Pigeon/84	Law, Kathleen	Gibraltar/23
Brenda Clack	Flint/34	Lamar Lemmons	Detroit/2
Paul Condino	Southfield/35	Jeff Mayes	Bay City/96
George Cushingberry	Detroit/8	Andy Meisner	Ferndale/27
John Espinoza	Croswell/83	Gino Polidori	Dearborn/15
Matt Gillard	Alpena/106	Dale Sheltrown	West Branch/103
Lee Gonzales	Flint Twp./49	Smith, Virgil	Detroit/7
Marty Griffin	Jackson/64	Dudley Spade	Tipton/57
Richard Hammel	Mt. Morris/48	Lisa Wojno	Warren/28
34 Democrats voted for $1,350,045,900 or more in increases spending. Only 2 Democrats broke with the pack and voted for less spending:
Rank	Name	Location/District	Increased $$$
1.)	Fred Miller	Mt. Clemens/31	$1,211,045,900
2.)	Mike Simpson	Jackson/65	$1,332,045,900
Most Frugal Senate Republicans:
Rank	Name	Location/District	Increased $$$
1.)	Nancy Cassis	Novi/15th	$217,600,000
2.)	Jud Gilbert	Algonac/25	$1,339,835,000
All of the remaining Senate Republicans (who voted on all the bills) voted for the maximum $1,470,045,900.
Rank	Name	Location/District	Increased $$$
1.)	Michael Prusi	Ishpeming/38	$1,205,545,900
2. tie)	Deborah Cherry	Burton/26	$1,219,835,000
2. tie)	Irma Clark-Coleman	Detroit/3	$1,219,835,000
2. tie)	Dennis Olshove	Warren/9	$1,219,835,000
2. tie)	Gretchen Whitmer	East Lansing/23	$1,219,835,000
Only 1 Senate Democrat voted for the maximum increase:
Rank	Name	Location/District	Increased $$$
1.)	Michael Switalski	Roseville/10	$1,470,045,900

Leon Drolet
Michigan Taxpayers Alliance