Whitmer attempt to lay new tax on Michiganians slowed by opposition. For now.

Something we could have used after 2012 was a little disagreement by the legislature and the governor.

After 2012, the state lost control of the insurer of last resort, Obamacare was adopted, and gas taxes skyrocketed.  Snyder failed on the Flint fiasco, both on public perception of the problem and with the team sent to fix the problem when he knew it was happening.

Democrats, and Gretchen Whitmer in particular, are not going to let that particular crisis go to waste, and attempted a rewrite of the DEQ under the auspices of clean water.  The GOP controlled house says “:wait just a minute there GRRRL power:“

Rep. Jim Lower, the resolution’s sponsor, said he considered the executive order an overreach that “constituted a direct attack” on legislative powers. He also defended the panels’ merits and said they provided a needed layer over oversight.

“We shouldn’t be silencing the voices of people with on the ground, commonsense experience,” said Lower, R-Cedar Lake.

Jim Lower is correct, but there is more.

What Whitmer was attempting stinks of former state house member Dan Scripps’ scurrilous attempt at controlling underground water resources. The cost of such efforts is too high, and a price Michiganians ought not bear.

While clean drinking water should be expected by those who live in cities like Flint, we should remember that it was a failure of government, and the underlying accountability of the executive branch to manage such a disaster.  Granholm Whitmer has the ability to deal with such things as they arise without additional tools that threaten personal use and add cost.

Fact:  Regulation is a tax and this is a big one if allowed to go forward.

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