Tag: MBT (page 3)

The GOP House minority continues to sponsor and introduce legislation, to work behind the scenes and to try to figure out some sort of positive solution to this tax-hike / budget mess.

We rarely hear about that in the MSM.

Being a member of a legislative minority makes it tough to garner headlines. But they're working hard and they're trying to make a difference.

This week I spoke with freshman Republican Representative Bill Rogers.

Interview after the break...

See, this week the President suggested that good teachers be rewarded with merit pay.  Perform well, produce results above and beyond by-the-book expectations in your classroom and you get a bonus.  And just because he's a nice, fair, equitable guy (allegedly) he won't even cut the salary of teachers who might be better served in another career field.

No downside.  All upside.  Free money for exceptional performers.  

Alas, the Michigan Education Association directly and publicly opposes President Obama, saying they aren't interested unless everyone gets free money.

And I don't know if you've noticed but there really isn't that much extra money floating around these days.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  

According to the Detroit News, state revenues have plummeted since a series of disastrous tax hikes literally altered consumer behavior here in Michigan.  

Read on...

The GOP House minority continues to sponsor and introduce legislation, to work behind the scenes and to try to figure out some sort of positive solution to this tax-hike / budget mess.

We rarely hear about that in the MSM.

Being a member of a legislative minority makes it tough to garner headlines. But they're working hard and they're trying to make a difference.

This week I spoke with Genesee County's freshman REPUBLICAN Representative Paul Scott.

Interview after the break...

The GOP House minority continues to sponsor and introduce legislation, to work behind the scenes and to try to figure out some sort of positive solution to this tax-hike / budget mess.

We rarely hear about that in the MSM.

Being a member of a legislative minority makes it tough to garner headlines. But they're working hard and they're trying to make a difference.

This week I spoke with Oakland County's freshman Representative Tom McMillin.

Interview after the break...

The man proved earlier this week that he has a flair for hyperbolic buffoonery so I'm convinced it'd be pretty fantastic.

"Andy Dillon and the Democratic majority in the House are doing one heck of a FEMA impersonation while Michigan undergoes its own economic Katrina."  Or something like that.

Alas, local job makers aren't waiting on their economic rooftops for tragically late government intervention... they're just packing their bags and leaving the state.

Today we reach Day 21, three full weeks after 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 that returns $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.

The GOP House minority continues to sponsor and introduce legislation, to work behind the scenes and to try to figure out some sort of positive solution to this tax-hike / budget mess.

We rarely hear about that in the MSM.

Being a member of a legislative minority makes it tough to garner headlines. But they're working hard and they're trying to make a difference.

This week I spoke with Macomb County's freshman Representative Peter Lund.  I should note, this interview was conducted prior to yesterday's budget announcement.

Interview after the break...

Sure, they've been six of the most disastrous years for any one state in economic history but he argues that it's a strong record and something he'll apparently embrace during his bid to secure the state's top executive spot in 2010.

Imagine then that headlines this morning announcing that homeless numbers are expected to spike across the state positively warm John Cherry's heart.  According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, families suddenly without a bread winner are finding themselves on the streets, kids and all.

In 2007, 692 homeless people were recorded, of which 235 were children.

The 2009 numbers won't be known for weeks, but Michelle Schneider, assistant program officer for LISC, said this year's count should be higher than last year.

Think Cherry will use that blurb on his first piece of campaign literature?

No, of course not.  Maybe the second or the third but that first piece that screams "VOTE FOR CHERRY" will undoubtedly want to address his deft handling of the state's financial crisis and the way tax and regulatory policy have sent bills skyrocketing across the state.  He might reserve line or two for today's Detroit News which highlights a newly expected massive hike in water rates for Detroit Water and Sewage customers.  That's 125 communities in South East Michigan.  

Read on...

With limited space devoted to hard news reporting, additional space being gobbled up constantly by sports, entertainment and opinion pieces (now finding their way all too frequently onto the front page) editors choose to be particularly picky about what they publish.

There are some big stories they just can't ignore.  Michigan's skyrocketing unemployment rate, for instance, generally warrants a bit of coverage.  The Ivory Tower tells us this morning that the final numbers are in across the rest of the United States and our staggering 10.6% remains the highest.  In fact, Rhode Island is the only other state even in double figures.  On the flip side, three states are under four, with Wyoming coming in at 3.4 percent.

Simple to report.  Doesn't take a lot of space.  No explicit need to mention the party affiliation of the current administration or legislature.  Run it.

Then you get a selection of stories describing local men, women and businesses and their various challenges, especially if there's a hot-button angle that gets the liberal special interests ginned up and excited.  The Associated Press reports, for instance, on a case currently before the Michigan Supreme Court asking whether the decision of twenty-one counties and three cities to ban workplace smoking is consistent with the Michigan constitution.

A handful of job makers filed suit to attempt to exert their rights as property owners and employers.  Big story pitting two big interests up against each other in the newly remodeled Dem controlled SCOMI.  Job makers v environmentalists in a no-holds-barred, knock-down drag-out.  Where can I buy tickets?

But then there are the important stories that don't get told.  Little things like the fact that yesterday in the state Senate, Republicans successfully moved through committee Senate Bill 0001.  Sponsored by Senator Mark Jansen and approved by Republican Senators Jansen, Nancy Cassis, John Pappageorge and Jud Gilbert on a 4-3 party line vote, the bill kills the hated Michigan Business Tax surcharge.

Dollars and cents, the move would save job makers and working moms and dads $166.1 million in FY 2009, $475.5 million in 2010 and $593.4 million in 2011.  That's a grand total of  $1,235,000,000 reinvested in the Michigan economy without one dollar of expanded government spending or newer, bigger government programs.

Talk about a major shot in the arm for Michigan's economy.  Alas, not everyone was a fan.  The three Democrats on the panel each voted no.  Democratic Senators Deb Cherry, Gilda Jacobs and likely 2010 Dem Attorney General candidate Gretchen Whitmer took the opportunity to once again spit in the faces of Michigan's working class.

They can't return $1.235 billion in tax cash to help stimulate the economy... how would they be able to afford their favorite pet programs?  

Not surprisingly, the Senate Democrats' website was entirely devoid of any mention of yesterday's vote for a billion dollars in higher taxes.  But, then again, so were all of the state's newspapers.

Guess it's a good thing we've got blogs and the internet.