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Tag: Fees

Action Alert: Michigan Senate Committee to Take-Up Patriotism Tax

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Mon Oct 31, 2011 at 09:45:57 AM EST
Tags: Michigan, HB4293, Halloween, 4th of July, Fireworks, More taxes, Fees, Patriot Taxes (all tags)

Feel like playing conscience?

How often to lawmakers have a chance to be legitimate patriotic heroes?

Last week we talked about the ridiculous new "Patriot Taxes" passed by [ahem..] House Republicans.

By way of a refresher, the supposed conservative caucus passed House Bill 4293, a bill that sponsors would have us believe is designed to open the door for more fireworks here in the state of Michigan. What sponsors didn't tell you, and were hoping you'd never find out, is that they loaded the bill up with FOUR NEW TAXES on patriotism.

They doubled the sales tax, imposed giant new taxes on businesses selling fireworks, imposed new transfer taxes on "licenses" to sell the fireworks.

And, they included language opening the door for and encouraging local city, township and village governments to impose their own taxes on fireworks without including any limits on the new local taxes whatsoever!

Only 8 of 63 House GOPers voted NO on these new taxes, a shameful showing for even the most milquetoast "Republican" caucus.

Very strange.

(2 comments, 374 words in story) Full Story

Michigan House Approves Four New Taxes... on Patriotism!

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Thu Oct 27, 2011 at 09:01:38 AM EST
Tags: Michigan, HB4293, Halloween, 4th of July, Fireworks, More taxes, Fees (all tags)

A friend pointed this out and I thought I would chime in.

You can't make this stuff up, and if you could, who would believe you? If you aren't already sitting down, you might want to pull up a chair. This one's absolutely ghastly. I know, that's fitting, given the season, but the real trick isn't being played on Halloween--it's being played on the 4th of July, patriotism and taxpayers. What's more, it's being played on each of us by some of our ghoulish comrades, the Republicans.

As a Michigander, you're likely aware that current state law imposes some pretty serious restrictions on the type of fireworks we can purchase. If it fires out of a bottle, soars through the air, or explodes, its pretty illegal. Sure, there's a public safety argument, but there's a bigger liberty argument which is why dollars to donuts, if you're a regular reader of this site you're probably also a proponent of more freedom, not less.

It's that truth that makes what House Republicans did last week that much more frightening. Last week the GOP controlled House of Representatives approved House Bill 4293, a bill that sponsors would have us believe is designed to open the door for more fireworks here in the state of Michigan. What sponsors don't tell you, and were hoping you'd never find out, is that they loaded the bill up with FOUR NEW TAXES. FOUR. NEW TAXES.

Michigan Republicans in the legislature are literally taxing patriotism.

More Below.

(5 comments, 754 words in story) Full Story