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Portrait of a Tax Hiker: Robert Dean

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 10:54:39 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)

"Basically, this entire package was delivered by Democrats." - Andy Dillon, Detroit News, October 2, 2007
With that in mind, this is the first in a series of looks at specific members of Dillon's tax hike caucus. The Democrats hold a 58-52 lead in the House. A shift of just four seats returns control to the Republicans, a caucus, for what it's worth, that held the line in impressive fashion against the Democrats' tax and spend gambit. According to Andy Dillon anyways.
Four seats is more than doable. A move to a common sense approach that protects jobs and Michigan families is doable. Just a matter of getting rid of a few bad apples. And since I'm a Grand Rapids guy we're going to start close to home where only 1,500 some odd votes can make all the difference in the world.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT DEAN (D-GRAND RAPIDS)

2006 Vote Totals Proving the old axiom that most men will tell you their bad intentions if you listen close enough, Grand Rapids Democrat Robert Dean had this to say to Grand Rapids WOOD TV 8 last August when he was merely a candidate for the House.

If elected, would you support an increase in income or other taxes to keep state government programs fully funded?
Absent of documented proof that we have exhausted all other alternatives for preserving our economic strength and/or balancing either budget I would not support raising income taxes.

Democrat Robert Dean He followed up that gem in February after the Governor's State of the State address telling the station that he fully supported her "bold plan." A bold plan, for the record, that included 17 new government programs and a billion dollars in new spending.

I'm not sure the good Representative ever got that documented proof that he was talking about but then again, he could just hold up a press release from the Governor's office claiming we'd cut to the bone and call it a day, couldn't he? He parsed his 2006 answer to include all the necessary assurances he isn't out to raise his constituents' taxes ("I would not support raising income taxes") but leaves the door open more than a crack.

And then, the first chance he got?

HB 5198, a bill to tax services to the tune of $613 million.

Robert Dean votes YES.

HB 5194, a bill to raise the income tax on Michigan's working moms and dads by over $700 million.

Robert Dean votes YES.

Oh, and about that documented proof that the state's exhausted all other alternatives... there's that pesky issue with MESSA, the health insurance arm of the MEA and an institution that literally lines the pockets of the Democrat special interest group with anywhere from $200-400 million a year that would otherwise stay in the state coffers... or the classroom.

The same night Dean voted to raise taxes by $1.35 BILLION he had a chance to vote on a MESSA kill, to help put Michigan's fiscal house in order and to strike a blow on behalf of teachers and students, not union big-wigs.

SB 418, a bill to save the state of Michigan $200-400 million a year by ending handouts to Democrat special interests at the MEA via MESSA.

Robert Dean votes NO.

But hey, maybe I'm not giving him a fair shake. Maybe he's just an MEA stooge, not an all-purpose special interest lackey. Yeah... about that.

75th House District

Dean co-sponsored HB 4044, the Trial Lawyer Enhancement Act, repealing Michigan's FDA defense law to unleash the ambulance chasers on Michigan's pharmaceutical industry, threatening 540 local companies with over 30,000 employees. Oh, not to mention the hundreds of cures and treatments they develop to save peoples' lives.

Of course, it isn't only the special interests Dean is out to protect. He also introduced HB 4580, a bill guaranteeing freshman legislators (like himself) lifetime health insurance benefits. Not coincidentally, he intro'd his legislation at the same time House Republicans were attempting to move a bill eliminating lifetime benefits for legislators. Guess which one Andy Dillon decided to go with on the House floor...

So much for the documented proof that the state had done all it could to avoid raising taxes.

Lying to voters. Check.

Tax hikes during a single-state economic depression. Check.

Hand-outs to big Democrat special interests. Check.

Protecting his own lifetime benefits before protecting his constituents' jobs. Check.

Ladies and gentlemen, Robert Dean, Democrat, Michigan's 75th House District.

< Granholm's Michigan.. | Welcome to Pleasure Island >

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Portrait of a Tax Hiker: Robert Dean | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)

Who's Running to Unseat? (none / 0) (#1)
by DMOnline on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 01:28:07 PM EST

Who are we running to unseat Mr. Dean? After your chronicling his past actions, I should think there'd be a bevy of interested folks wanting to run against him. I can hear and see the political ads against him now - just using the nuggets of info you provided here.

I should hope Mr. Dean is a targeted incumbent we can beat to win back that seat in November '08.

DMOnline

Who would "we" run? (none / 0) (#2)
by Ed Burley on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 02:38:35 PM EST

A Republican, that will simply raise spending like a drunk at a strip club, while trying to convince everyone that tax cuts create revenue and will pay for all his new programs he proposed so as to get people to vote for him.

Politics anymore is about bribing the voter. First, we bribe the corporation by creating business tax, which any econ major knows is worthless because they just pass it on to the customer. Second, we give tax breaks to those corporations to get them to come here (which there should be no need for tax breaks, since there shouldn't be taxes levied on them). Third, the politicians take the money from the corporations for their goodies - like golf outings (why do you think they didn't tax golf), and sporting events (didn't tax that either), and for the real enthusiast, skiing (nope, not that one either). So, we are ensured that the politicians of both parties get their perks from the extortion money they get from the big corporations to keep them in Michigan (it's not working real well of late though).

Fourth, we give more perks to the middle class union thugs and working poor so they believe that gov't is necessary. "Bigger and better schools" are built, spending millions for "the kids." Fix the highways - after all, that "creates jobs" doesn't it? Then we subsidize the state schools so that we can all afford an education (although, private schools here in the state charge approximately the same tuition rate the subsidized public ones do). We also beef up the Child Protective Services so that they can go out and "protect children" from the evils of homeschooling, and generally violating our citizens' 4th Amendment rights.

Fifthly, we create criminals by criminalizing immoral behavior. That way we can create more police and corrections officers, thus assuring that we have a solid voting block to keep the politicians in power. By incarcerating "the low lifes" we don't have to worry about them anymore - making our streets safer for murderers, thieves and rapists. We build more prisons and state police HQs so that it creates more jobs too. All jobs for union thugs that is.

I could go on all day, but I hope you all get the drift. Even our loving Republicans, which I was for 30 years of my voting existence, feed at the public trough. Until we find politicians who believe, actually believe, that gov't is an "unnecessary evil," we will continue to have these kind of budget problems. And, to boot, none of us will be able to do a darn thing about it. At least not anything that's very pleasant...

Wow, Ed... (none / 0) (#3)
by Nick on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 02:42:58 PM EST

That's quite a condemnation of an unnamed and unknown candidate. :)
I'm about as cynical as they come but even I'm willing to hold out the possibility that there may in fact be a handful of genuine, hard working, honest, responsible and electable individuals in each district.

But maybe you're right... we should all just read Nietzsche, sit alone in dark rooms and give up the fight.

Then again, I've never been much a fan of surrender.

I'm with Ed (none / 0) (#4)
by Calhoun Kid on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 02:59:59 PM EST

Ed, you're right on the money. After all, Republicans never were aggressive in pushing for $1.8 billion in cuts. Small cuts here and there, but never anything substantial. The Senate all but admitted it wanted an increase when it only passed half the deficit in proposed cuts and made sure to put up just enough votes to pass this tax increase. It makes you wonder what would have happened if the Republicans still controlled the House and DeVos was governor. My guess is that we would have gotten a so-called fair tax that brought in the same amount of revenue as the income and service tax increase. Fulton Sheen, one of the self-described conservatives in the House, was proposing exactly that.

The recalls are pointless until we can get a viable third alternative such as the county Libertarian parites up to the competitive level. All recalls are going to get us is more of the same and ironically spend a lot of taxpayer dollars running these elections.

Instead of recalls, lets invest our time and effort in organizing a competitive Libertarian movement. I'd back Leon Drolet for Governor in 2010.

Good luck (none / 0) (#5)
by NoviDemocrat on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 03:13:16 PM EST

A Republican who gets 47% in a district that's trending towards the Democrats and in a year when the national election is predicted to be horrible for Republicans due to the war in Iraq. But feel free to contest those no-win districts. I can't think of a better way for Republicans to burn their campaign dollars.

If NoviD by chetly, 10/02/2007 04:54:40 PM EST (none / 0)

Republicans in 2008 by NoviDemocrat, 10/02/2007 06:15:29 PM EST (none / 0)

Test for the Senate! (none / 0) (#6)
by Calhoun Kid on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 03:37:09 PM EST

Let's put the Senate Republicans to an easy test to see if they are legitimate about spending cuts.

He has this bill mentioned above, HB 4580, which cuts health care for legislators who aren't elected yet. It's sitting in the Senate. The Senate should amend it this week and make it for all legislators including ones now in office. Then they can send it back to the House and demand the House vote on it. This is the week to do it while the public is angry at the Legislature.

The House also passed a bill cutting legislative pay by 5%. The Senate should double that to 10% and send it back to the House and demand the House approve it this week.

If our Republican elected officials are all they're cracked up to be, let's see these votes as the very next items the Senate acts on.

Do I think it will happen? No, of course not. Because Republican elected officials aren't all that different from Democratic elected officials. I can recall when the Republican House under Rick Johnson rejected a huge pay increase but the Senate refused to take it up.

I bet Mike Bishop will do the same thing with their health care and the pay cut. No point in targeting Democrats for recalls when Republicans aren't any different.

Nick (none / 0) (#7)
by Ed Burley on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 03:44:14 PM EST

Unnamed candidate? You expect the Republican elite to allow voters to nominate someone who actually thinks for him/herself? The Republicans had defections, as did the Dems, on the tax hike. The party can't keep their own on the reservation, how can I expect anything better from the party?

I would be more than happy to vote for anyone who says that he/she will cut spending by about 50%, and eliminate the state income tax. Where would that Republican be? I've never met one. If I did though, I'd vote for that candidate.

Who do you work for, Calhoun? (none / 0) (#8)
by Nick on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 04:14:08 PM EST

Will your boss sponsor the legislation?

Run the House Dem bills by Calhoun Kid, 10/02/2007 05:16:01 PM EST (none / 0)

Who do you work for? by Nick, 10/02/2007 05:32:31 PM EST (none / 0)

Need to Remain Anonymous, Senate Needs to Vote by Calhoun Kid, 10/02/2007 06:45:44 PM EST (none / 0)

Taxes (none / 0) (#10)
by Mont24 on Tue Oct 02, 2007 at 05:02:16 PM EST

The state government, led by the dems, and with a few turncoat repubs, just ruined this state. Things have just gotten alot worse in Michigan. The democrats dont care. They are like lamphreys feeding off of lake trout. They attach themselves to something producing something, suck the life blood out of it and then abandon it while it is near death, the death they caused, then they seak out a new victim/s. Raising taxes was a tough choice??? Standing up and cutting wasteful spending was the tough choice, they chose to take the easy way out and raise taxes, and then continue on their wasteful spending. 53,000 thousand state employees in Michigan?? 116 million for a new state police headquarters in Lansing that even the head of the state police says they dont need. Lack of money?? LOL. It is a lack of regard for who those that run this state think of us, we the people, who pay taxes to pay their salaries and most of them make far more than what we do and at our expense. Wake up people and see what they are doing to us and in our name. What a fraud they are committing against us.

Respect? by apackof2, 10/02/2007 06:06:06 PM EST (none / 0)

Portrait of a Tax Hiker: Robert Dean | 15 comments (15 topical, 0 hidden)

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Raise the curtain.

Portrait of a Tax Hiker: Robert Dean

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