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Dillon confirms plans for another new tax hikeBy Nick, Section News
Andy Dillon has an idea. He doesn't have a proposal. He certainly doesn't have a plan. Yet. But the man has an idea. What he makes of this idea may be anything from awesome to atrocious- that will be a matter of debate for the coming months- but after yesterday's late-afternoon press conference there's little argument about one thing- interesting ideas aside, Dillon still doesn't get it.
The same day we learned that Michigan's economy, in the third year of his "leadership" of the state House, has reached a devastating 15.2 percent unemployment rate and that 740,000 Michiganders are officially jobless, the ugliest number since they started keeping the statistic in 1976, Dillon strode to a podium in the Capitol City and told reporters that moms and dads across the state will be forced to endure yet another tax hike. Peter Luke reports:
Never mind the fact that higher tax rates do more harm than good to total tax receipts as they force companies out of business, workers out of jobs and families out of Michigan (remember that "budget-balancing" $1.5 billion tax hike in 2007 and the precipitous fall revenue has taken each year since). Never mind the fact that a $10 million-plus property tax hike in Macomb County only three months ago, while aimed at wiping out county government deficits long term, has done nothing more than administer steroids to the problem, producing a projected $32.2 million deficit in 2010 and 2011. Never mind the fact no one has ever squeezed blood from a stone. Yesterday afternoon the House Democratic leader made his intentions pretty clear... grab your wallets (those of you who can still afford them) because Lansing's coming calling. Again. Not that that's why Dillon called his presser... like a magician distracting you with one hand and hiding an object with the other the man just snuck that one in there and hoped no one was paying attention. Abra-kadabra. Poof! He's going to make our bank accounts disappear. And while it certainly won't be worth the price of admission, the distraction coooooould wind up being pretty interesting. Read on...
Dillon's idea is to pool more than 400,000 taxpayer funded employees in Michigan, cover them under the same health insurance "umbrella" while bringing coverage and co-pays more in line with the private sector. He's talking teachers, police, administrators, the legislature and even the Governor's office and claims... CLAIMS... the move could save taxpayers $900 million. A year.
The MEA hates the idea and I have very little problem admitting that in a street fight between a tax-hiking liberal Democrat politician and the Michigan Education Association I'm prone to root for the scum-bag politician every time. Again, Peter Luke:
Conceptually. There isn't a bill. There isn't any language. There isn't a proposal. Despite the serious way it was unveiled this still amounts to little more than an idea. I'll just have to hope Speaker Dillon will forgive me if I hold off on the "atta-boys" until we've had a chance to examine some language. But as ideas go? Dillon's had worse. In the same press conference.
Dillon confirms plans for another new tax hike | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)
Dillon confirms plans for another new tax hike | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)
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