Tag: tax hike (page 2)

Depends, apparently, on whether or not McFly is a Michigan politician.  And if he is, then no, no one is home.

See, the thing about experience, is it is pretty darn worthless if one fails to learn anything from it.  That's what growth and progress are all about, but those appear to be foreign concepts to this state's elected Lefties.

Take the Whitehall City Council.  Please.  (I know.  Groan.)  According to the Muskegon Chronicle, the liberal panel just approved a massive new tax break for a local company specifically because they're counting on it "retaining" ten jobs.

City council members on Tuesday granted a 50 percent tax break on $5 million in new equipment and machinery Acutex Division of Hilite Industries will add as part of the expansion.

In a sign of the times, the company said it needed the 12-year tax break to retain -- and not create -- 10 full-time jobs.

That's all well and good and swell squared on its face.  Nice of the liberals on the Council (it was a unanimous vote) to admit that tax cuts have a positive effect on employment.  Not surprisingly, though, other businesses around Muskegon are wondering where their tax breaks are.  

Experience would seem to dictate that a lower tax burden will solidify or improve the job market.  Empirical evidence seems to back up the anecdotal, too.  So daydream what Muskegon's job market might look like if the City were to cut ALL business taxes by 50 percent.  Imagine what Michigan's might look like if the state were to simply repeal that $1.2 billion job-killing Michigan Business Tax surcharge!  

Talk about an economic stimulus.  And talk about needing it.  The Associated Press highlighted this weekend yet another category where the Great Lakes State is falling farther, faster than anyone else in the country:

(Read on...)

Because apparently rabbit shaped confections are also important to this particular holiday.  

After a day like that there's little more I'd like to do this morning than revel in the realization that He is Risen (!), enjoy the fact that I've been blessed with an awesome family and roll around on the ground like a dying bear as I battle mightily to digest the giant ball of sugar currently sitting like a rock in the pit of my stomach.

Alas.  That would be too easy.  Can't even browse the morning's headlines without being shaken violently back to the reality of John Cherry's vision for Michigan.

Two new tax-hike schemes in one morning?  Say it ain't so!

Read on...

Especially the way the weekend ended... and with headlines like these greeting me.  There's good news and there's bad news.  The latter in abundance, sadly, but for the sake of general sanity we'll try to limit ourselves to only the most relevant stories.  (And by "most relevant" I mean, of course, the stories that I want to talk about.  Har.)

That means this particular post won't be discussing Peter Luke's dissection of Michigan Democrats local stimulus obstruction (via an MBT kill and other tax relief), how the UAW is dragging its feet on concessions with General Motors and Chrysler, what with the companies already showing a willingness to take "free" tax cash before making tough decisions or even about how the Granholm / Cherry team's pet economic development "success story", United Solar Ovonics has decided they aren't going to be doing all that growing they'd promised in press conferences after all.

Yeah, there's bad news out there.  This is Jennifer Granholm and John Cherry's Michigan, after all, but it isn't all thunderclouds and little black rainstorms. There's some good news out there, too, and, custom dictates I give you that first.

So... how `bout those Spartans?!  Feels good to keep dancing.

And while we're saying nice things about nice people, the Ivory Tower has a swell article this morning about Barsamian Prep Academy's work with expelled students in the D.  But I actually suggest you bookmark that one and come back to it later to help wash the rotten taste of the rest of the news out of your mouth.

Specifically the Associated Press report that DTE and Consumers Energy are going to be raising rates on residential customers by a full (and astronomical) 11%.

Residents and advocacy groups for the poor and elderly oppose the increases.

"I think it is crummy in this time of hardship," says Bonnie Banks, 61, a retired court recorder who splits her time between Ann Arbor and Oscoda and is a power customer of both Consumers Energy and Edison. "Because of the economy and all the layoffs and our high unemployment rate, it seems like there would be an even larger hardship for people."

It will be, Ms. Banks.  

Long-time readers of this blog will quickly attest that I'm NEEEEEVER one to say "I told you so," but... I told you so.

The Democrats in Lansing last year granted DTE and Consumers a monopoly on the energy market in Michigan.  It was a massive pay-off to their special interest pals and came despite warnings of double-digit rate hikes and customers getting pinched six ways from Sunday.  

Competition?  Bah.  Its over-rated, they assured us.

All told, the Dem's pet utilities are expected to raise rates by $593 million a year.  Make no mistake... that is a $593 million a year tax increase courtesy of Gretchen Whitmer, Andy Dillon, Jennifer Granholm and John Cherry.

Thanks, guys.  Really appreciate it.  Because working moms and dads in this state are just rolling extra cash these days.

Cherry will run on Gov. Jennifer Granholm's record of working to retool and diversify Michigan's economy to take advantage of green energy. Granholm is term limited and cannot run for reelection...

"We laid the groundwork for an ambitious agenda to revive our economy, restore our standing in the world, and pave the way for a clean energy future -- a future that starts right in Michigan," Cherry said. "And we're just getting started."

Never mind the sheer absurdity of the argument that six-plus years only enables a Governing administration, with a willing legislature of the same Party, the ability to lay "groundwork" for an ambitious agenda.  If you can't get something done in six, and eventually eight years then why in the world would should anyone expect you to get something done in four additional years?  Matt Millen, anyone?

But far more absurd is the assertion that the Granholm-Cherry administration has done or is doing anything to revive our economy.  And if they're "just getting started," I weep for Michigan.  Scratch that... from the looks of the rest of the morning's news, they ARE just getting started.  Pass the tissue.

Read on...

That's the word this morning in the Ivory Tower.

Democrats on Capital Hill are in the process of raking bank presidents over the coals this week because the billions of taxpayer dollars they gave them seem to have up and disappeared.  They plugged budgetary holes, they erased red ink and they kept banks afloat... all well and good and nice and pleasant but not exactly what was expected of them.

That initial bailout was supposed to stir job creation and open up the lending spigots.  None of the banks seem to know if it has.  Alas, it appears the money was used as a one-time fix.

Welcome to Thursday, February 12, 2009, the day the Granholm - Cherry administration is expected to reveal their budget for the coming year.  To reveal their budget and to commit the exact same bailout-spending-sin that has Congressional Democrats foaming at the mouths this morning!

Read on...