Tag: Fairness

Not that my opinion is any more valid than those of you who have posted on this already.  In fact I have carefully considered the arguments, and added in the known variables along with best guesses and personal experience.  I rely on your observations as much as my own, however this is one of those times I must respectfully disagree with some of you on the negative impact of the state's new tax policy.

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the Leelanau County Republican party Lincoln dinner with my wife and a great number of friends. Some of those friends are either retired and/or retiring soon, and have a reason to be concerned about higher taxes, the loss of exemptions, and changing tax policy that may directly affect them.  There was no shortage of Republicans present, and many of those were folks one would find in 912 groups, Tea Parties, and other constitution interested organizations.

I believe the Leelanau county chair suggested the numbers involved in the county party were even more than last year.  And last year we had great success in moving the bar back toward conservative government structure with landslide elections both statewide and nationally.

The reason I mention this, is to establish that this group, even while containing a number of "old guard" party types, it was hardly a pushover crowd.  While being a social affair, there is/was still an undeniable no-going-back attitude, and frankly there were enough who had a concern as do many in this forum, that this was not the way to start off.

For the most part, I too could be counted as one who was also troubled about extending tax levels, and elimination of particular exemptions.  My understanding of the MBT going away and the Corporate tax replacement was not yet complete.

Some question has been raised as to why several Michigan daily newspapers have endorsed Jocelyn Benson (D) instead of the clearly better-qualified Ruth Johnson (R) for Secretary of State. The answer requires  an understanding of newspaper editorial boards, rather than an understanding of the candidates.

Most local newspapers are granted a high degree of autonomy by their corporate ownership,when it comes to editorial policy. Endorsements in a presidential or gubernatorial race might be dictated, but rarely an endorsement below that level.  Newsmen and editorial writers of local papers are generally"soft-left", fitting the characterization of mainstream media.

Elections featuring several offices pose a problem for that mindset.  The editorialists want to be seen (and see themselves!) as thoughtful and even-handed. They feel their influence in a community will be compromised if the public sees the local paper as overwhelmingly one-sided.  Thus it is required that a demonstration of thoughtful deliberation and "fairness" be reflected in the editorial page endorsements before every election.

And how does all of this translate itself for the 2010 election in Michigan?