More than 145,000 Michigan properties were in foreclosure in 2008 -- a 21 percent increase from 2007 and a 108 percent increase from 2006. More than 11,400 foreclosures were reported in Michigan in January.

Why does a home get foreclosed?  Michigan moms and dads can't make their payments.  Why can't they make their payments?  Odds are that in over the last six years, almost every single person facing foreclosure has lost a job or had their hours reduced, meaning less income in their pockets and a reduced ability to pay.  All a part of John Cherry's "ambitious agenda," I suppose.

Oh, and the fact that they're seeing less cash because Lansing is taking more of it from them or their employers... that doesn't help either.  And Cherry's "ambition" looks to be limitless in this area.  

It was only two years ago that he and his boss ran through the Democratic legislature a massive, record shattering $1.5 billion tax hike, promising it would fix our budget problems once and for all.  (Note: It didn't.  Note 2: They've gotten worse.  Note 3: Only a one-time fix by way of massive federal pork-barrel handouts borrowed from our great-grandkids managed to save us from drowning in red ink this time.)

Now, channeling my best game-show voice-over announcer... "but wait, there's more!"

The Ivory Tower reports this morning that the Granholm-Cherry administration is preparing another MASSIVE new tax hike on loose tobacco, cigars and snuff.

...State taxes on non-cigarette tobacco items would jump from 32% of wholesale price to 64% next year. Combined with the new federal tax, the average price of a one-pound bag of popular Gambler tobacco would skyrocket from $19 to $70 in Michigan.

Nasty habits, don't get me wrong, but addicting habits that you can't just beat by raising the price.  And boy are they raising the price!  

All told the Granholm-Cherry sponsored portion alone is expected to represent a $45 million tax hike on predominantly blue-collar Michigan workers.   Talk about a record so ugly only a parent could love.