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Raise the curtain.

Deficit busting makes it a Happy Friday!

By Nick, Section News
Posted on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 07:57:32 AM EST
Tags: Happy Friday, deficit, Detroit, Bing, Granholm-Cherry, Cherry, Granholm, Bishop, Elsenheimer, GOP, tax hikes (all tags)

It literally felt like it took all week to get here but the wait is over... ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, loyal RightMichigan readers and first time visitors... it is Happy Friday!

How are each of you on this magnificent morning? I woke up with a spring in my step and a song in my heart. (It was the theme song for Perfect Strangers, if you were wondering.) Toss in the fact that the Tigers play two today against the hated Chicago White Sox complete with a chance to expand the percentage-points division lead and how could anyone complain on a day like today?

Well, I mean, I know HOW folks could complain. But if that's all you want to do then you're going to have to take that noise somewhere else. Nobody's brining the rest of us down on a Happy Friday. Now... to the news!

Let's start in the Ivory Tower, which scored an encouraging exclusive interview with Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. During their private sit-down Bing announced that he'd seen the light and better, he's ready to act on the Motor City's financial troubles:

After spending most of his first two months in office poring over Detroit's financial books and organizational structure, Bing said the city is so deeply in the red that the following measures must be taken to avoid bankruptcy:

The consolidation and elimination of some city departments.

A reduction in nonessential city services.

Concessions by city employees, including job losses in some cases.

The hiring of an outside emergency collection agency to help recoup some of the debt owed to the city.

Bonus for Detroiters... not a new tax hike on the list. Remember, Bing is a Democrat in a 100% Democratic City but he's also a successful businessman who knows exactly what tax increases do to current and potential job makers. The fact that he's looking to plug a $25 million deficit by right-sizing government should be enough to get every Detroiter jumping up and down. Except, maybe, for some of the over-priced bureaucrats whose jobs are suddenly in danger. (And yes... that counts as happy news, too.)

Bing's apparent leadership on the whole deficit issue looks even sunnier when compared to his Party's leaders in Lansing.

The Granholm-Cherry administration took precisely the opposite approach yesterday during their own discussions about pools of red ink but even that provided some of the better news conservatives have had in a long, long time!

(There's a bright, shiny silver lining if you read on...)

According to Peter Luke:

"If we cut 10 percent out of the state budget, why not look at 10 percent in other areas, too, (Governor Granholm said). Shaving 10 percent off the loopholes, not eliminating them, but shaving 10 percent off would mean that everybody would fairly take a hit."
One Democrat said one list under discussion would target more than $5 billion in tax credits. A 10-percent reduction in their value would yield about $500 million.
Republicans publicly remain firmly opposed to new revenue. Senate-approved budget cuts in excess of $1 billion involve steep reductions to medical providers, community mental health agencies and municipalities.
State Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer of Bellaire, the Republican leader in the House, said if California can solve a $26 billion deficit without raising taxes, then Michigan, with a deficit a fraction of that size, can do the same.

So the Granholm-Cherry administration and Democratic politicians in Lansing want to raise taxes by $500 million. To toss on the back of the $1.5 billion in tax hikes they gave us in 2007. That'd be $2 billion in new taxes in the last two years.

I know, I know... that's not happy news... (especially understanding that a $500 million tax hike on various businesses will be passed immediately along ton consumers) but what followed in Luke's article certainly was! Mike Bishop and the Senate GOP and Kevin Elsenheimer and the House GOP haven't just said "no new taxes," they've actually come up with plans to balance the budget without them!

Plus, and if this doesn't make you happy I'm at a complete loss as to what will... as of today we've only got 526 days until a new governor is sworn in on the Capitol steps!

See? Happy Friday!

< When will Lansing get around to addressing our challenges? | Happy Friday in the Sphere: July 24 >

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Deficit busting makes it a Happy Friday! | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)

I'm Happy Alright! (none / 0) (#2)
by maidintheus on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 10:26:01 AM EST

But! These politicians that make it difficult to understand what's going on need to be exposed every time for what they are, by everyone. We can see that when these politicians try to constantly dupe people, people are duped. So, people need more of an explanation, imo.

I had to read Grandhack's statement several times to understand what she was actually suggesting. What? What tax hike?

Money comes from people. There are two doors, front and back. The front door is asking the people directly to pay higher taxes. The back door is telling people that business should not be allowed to provide less money to the government and people have to pay more for goods and service, and the government still gets the money.

See, the "loophole" is not on the side of business. It's on the side of government. The loophole of government's ability to make it impossible for a business to keep their costs down. The loophole of making 'shaving' sound like a favor to people, it's just a way of trying to get more money. The loophole of hypocrisy that will suggest a penalty at the gas pump and on the mileage that one drives, because they say that these higher costs will make people conserve energy... By that standard, higher costs to consumers by raising the overhead for businesses will cause people to conserve the use of business, cause further economic damage by making things more expensive, which causes damage to business as people have to restrict consuming, and we continue to see business leave the state or close shop. All the loopholes of raising minimum wage, which cause the unsuspecting to think they're getting some help when really it's causing business to constrict and causing people to lose their jobs. Yeah, like same old stink.

People need a strong, brave, no bs, unceasing response to this scamming.

I appreciate your efforts here but we can see that people are still greatly duped and we need more. Much more. Our politicians need to always explain and teach while presenting.

Happy trails!

Perfect Strangers (none / 0) (#4)
by ebaerren on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 11:49:25 AM EST

Who wakes up with a sit-com theme in their heart?