What’s the point in voting?

I have always strongly believed that my right as a voter is the ultimate smackdown in this democratic society. When I say no, I mean it, and the others who vote with me are a voice to be reckoned with.

But it’s hard to keep this faith when my vote is thrown in my face.

Last week, the Michigan legislature passed a bill that is going to increase the gas tax and vehicle registration fees in 2017 and beyond. Governor Rick Snyder signed it into law.

Our registration fees, one of the highest in the nation, will bump up by 20 percent. The gas tax, already one of the highest in the nation, is set to go from 19 percent to 26.3 percent, and then rise even more either by 5 percent or inflation, whichever is less. All of this to raise more money to fix the roads in Michigan, but also take vast amounts of money from the general fund and cut from other areas as well.

Yes, Michigan roads are among the worst in the state. But as of right now, people in the state of Michigan do not understand where current money taken from the gas tax and registration fees goes. It doesn't all go towards the roads and paying people to fix them. So in May of 2015, Michigan voters overwhelmingly voted no on a proposal that would increase the gas tax and set into action other amendments to the state constitution.

And now, they’ve passed a bill that did it anyways.

This now causes me to strongly reconsider my fundamental rights as a citizen. Where did they have the power to make these kinds of decisions? How did this happen?

I’d heard the term "oligarchy" used before, but never before had I seriously considered it. Now I think it’s the truth. An oligarchy is a small group of people having control over a country, institution or organization. This is what the United States is, because obviously our votes don’t count for anything. And even if we don’t want to stretch it as far as the United States, then we can at least say that Michigan is.

Big businesses lobby for votes. The people in power do not take into consideration the people they are supposedly representing and ignore what the people say. Why, there's been instances in presidential elections were the general vote has been upsurped by the electoral votes.

I challenge Rick Snyder to tell me I’m wrong and explain why he stabbed the voters' backs in the state of Michigan.

No means no.

Tell us where all your money is coming from, why you’re okay with cutting education and other benefits for state workers, why you can’t seem to grasp that running a state like a business is not how you do things.

We are people. Not assets.