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Tag: More Taxes Coming

Roads Or.. Something

By JGillman, Section News
Posted on Wed Jan 16, 2013 at 09:40:42 PM EST
Tags: Michigan, Governor, State Of The State, Rick Snyder, More Taxes Coming, User fees, Gas Taxes, False Arguments (all tags)

There was enough to disagree with out of the governor's mouth tonight.

The pandering reached epic proportions, but somehow I was not entirely surprised. Aside from essentially ignoring the single most important legislative feat (FTW) in his term (as if he was ashamed) he reached out with political correctness I haven't seen since the 90s. I fully intend to analyze the complete transcript within a couple of days, but one item is particularly troubling. The governor, in a bid to bring everyone on board broke out the tired old "investment" theme to sell a tax hike.

"Michigan is currently short about $1.2 billion a year to fix our roads, .. We can pay today or continue to delay, but that will cost us twice as much. We'll need $12 billion over 10 years - and that's just in today's dollars. Continuing to delay lets the costs balloon to $25 billion in 10 years ..."

And the argument is that we MUST add new "user fees" to motorists to pay for that shortage.

Its a false argument.

I agree with user fees. In fact no one is more in line with applying a tax as close to its purpose as I. If there is a tax or fee on an activity, it ought to at least have something to do with that activity. So its easy for those who are conservative minded to get alongside the governor.

Except, ..before saying additional taxes ought to be applied, shouldn't we examine those that exist, and see where that money goes? Is it not requisite that we understand what our current "user fees" are used for, before adding to them?

Thoughts?

(8 comments) Comments >>