Tag: MBT surcharge

Actually, that's not true.  It has EVERYTHING to do with selling pizzas.

About a month ago, the Ann Arbor based pizza giant started an ad campaign that sought to capitalize on the growing public distaste with this "bailout" business and featured the Michigan job maker walking down the streets (and onto the front porches) of Washington, DC, offering main street his own form of bail out.  Delicious pizza at a cheaper price.

(It should be noted... I am a pizza fiend.)

This morning, instead of specifically hawking his pies, Brandon, also the Chairman of Detroit Renaissance, a nonpartisan organization comprised of the best and brightest business minds in the region, is featured on the editorial page of the Ivory Tower where he takes a swing, not at Congress and Wall Street, but at the politicians in Lansing and the monster of a business tax climate they've created.

And, refreshingly, he doesn't do it with the venom and the vitriol that we're so used to from politicians... he does it by identifying the problems and proposing solutions.

I don't normally do this but I am going to quote the article... ahem... liberally:

Read on...

When the standard legislative work week begins tomorrow morning, some in the Michigan House of Representatives will be observing a solemn milestone.  March 10th will mark the 40th consecutive day without action in the Democratic chamber since an overwhelmingly bi-partisan majority of the Michigan State Senate (one-third of the Democrats joined every Republican) came together to approve a spending-free stimulus plan to return $1.235 billion to local businesses... Michigan companies creating Michigan jobs.

Senate Bill 1 repeals the hated, job-killing MBT surcharge, not only stimulating the economy with a massive infusion of desperately needed capital, but sends an even more desperately needed signal to the business community that Michigan is finally ready to make some tough decisions and to step out of the economic dark ages.

The Democrat controlled House and Speaker Andy Dillon specifically, haven't bothered to even give the bill a hearing on the House floor.

Now in the Bible, 40 days was enough to accomplish a lot.  Moses spent 40 days with God on a mountain after leading the people out of Egypt.  Once he ended his stay he carried down with him the Ten Commandments, the most influential legal "documents" in history.

Goliath taunted the army of Israel for 40 days before David went out and hit him with a rock, beginning the career and public life of ancient Israel's greatest king.

Jesus fasted for 40 days before being tempted by Satan and after those 40 days effectively told the Devil where he could go.

After being crucified and rising from the dead He even appeared on the earth for, you guessed it, 40 more days.  At the end of the 40 days, with everyone watching, He ascended into heaven.

Perhaps most famously, though, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights while Noah and his family waited in their giant boat.  40 days was all it took for one doozy of a celestial rain storm to destroy every other human being on the planet.  

Now we're not talking about the whole of humanity here... we're only talking about a thousand jobs here and another thousand there.  But the House has the opportunity to join their Democratic colleagues in the Senate to make a real, significant and powerful economic change in Michigan.  Thus far they've done nothing but sit by and watch the rain hit the window.

Forty days.   And the question isn't how soon will they give common sense, bipartisan legislation a hearing and a vote... it remains, how long will they continue to ignore the devastating economic reality gripping their own constituents?

If Michigan's tax and regulatory structure continues to drive small, medium and big businesses, from mom-and-pops to major manufacturers, scurrying for the borders then it only stands to reason that we address Michigan's tax and regulatory structure.

On the same token, we've heard from the Governor and a seemingly unending parade of Democrats at the federal level these last few weeks, each of them insisting that Congress pass the Pelosi stimulus package because it gives billions of dollars to job makers, allowing them to invest that money and grow the economy.  

An overwhelmingly bi-partisan majority of the Michigan State Senate (one-third of the Democrats joined every Republican) beat Congress to the punch and did them one better last week, passing a spending-free stimulus plan that gives $1.235 billion to local businesses... Michigan companies creating Michigan jobs.  

Senate Bill 1 repeals the hated, job-killing MBT surcharge, not only stimulating the economy with a massive infusion of desperately needed capital, but sending an even more desperately needed signal to the business community that Michigan is finally ready to make some tough decisions and to step out of the economic dark ages.

The Democrat controlled House and Speaker Andy Dillon specifically, haven't bothered to even give the bill a hearing.  

House Democrat obstruction to serious job creating stimulus currently sits at six days.  And the question isn't how soon will they give common sense, bipartisan legislation a hearing and a vote... its how long will they continue to ignore the devastating economic reality gripping their own constituents?

The mainstream media, particularly in Michigan, is naturally inclined to avoid anything positive Republicans are doing anyways, and extreme-minority status gives editors one extra excuse to flash a thumbs down when it comes to covering GOP legislative efforts.

Even the Republican controlled Senate has a hard time breaking through the gatekeepers in the MSM because, after all, whatever they're doing is going to get scuttled by Andy Dillon in the House or Jennifer Granholm and John Cherry in the Governor's office anyways.

To the casual observer it might appear that our friendly neighborhood GOPers are unimaginative, asleep at the wheel or just plain lazy.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  There are a good number of genuinely rock-ribbed conservatives in Lansing fighting every single day on the side of working moms and dads, job makers and Michigan families against the big government liberals running this town.  

But, at the risk of frivolously paraphrasing one of the most important lessons in Christendom, "how will voters hear if no one tells them?"

Beauty of the blogosphere is we can go around our friends in the mainstream press and talk about the things they and the Democrats would rather we didn't.  So, going forward here at RightMichigan, on and around session days, we'll be posting a regular column, tentatively called the Caucus Courier, highlighting the various happenings from members on the right side of the aisle.

Read on...