This is Rich Studley.

Rich Studley is the President & CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

If Rich doesn’t learn to shut up, he’s going to learn the hard way that this comments will not be so “well-received” as he might think, and instead be giving voters a huge incentive to vote for Mark Schauer next month.

Big Friendly Hint: Not something you want to do with an election as close as this one.

{More after the fold.}

Last week the Michigan Chamber sent word that they might consider a voter referendum in order to get the ball rolling on road funding here in Michigan.

They took notice of what the petition drive to raise the Michigan Minimum wage had on our feeble non-representing “representatives” in Lansing, and decided to have a go at it themselves.

On the surface, most of what they had proposed we could easily agree with, such as using 100% of the sales tax collected at the pump for road construction. Our roads are is bad shape and having what the users already pay to the state (i.e. sales tax on fuel) going to where it should have been going in the first place is a no-brainer! This is something that many Conservatives have advocated for all along.

You’ll note that I prefaced that last paragraph with “most”.

It’s what else Mr. Studley said, hoping that it flew under everyone’s radar, that everyone should take notice of.

In a related column in this weekend’s Detroit News, Mr. Studley is also quoted as saying:

“…his organization, normally adverse to tax hikes, would support new taxes to pay for road repairs.”

 

Whohuhwhat?!?

Isn’t this the same organization that threw a conniption fit when Schauer suggested expanding the Corporate Income Tax to pay for tax relief for the rest of the state just a few days ago?

So tell me: Why it is not acceptable to raise taxes on one group, but perfectly acceptable to raise taxes & fees on another?

I know that many readers here at RM are small business owners.

I happen to know a few myself.

Some of them are successful. Some of them not so much.

But one of the things that I’ve picked up from them over the years is that raising prices is the last thing that any successful business would do in order to make ends meet.

When they were facing tough times, they looked for ways to streamline their process to stay competitive; cut transportation costs, cut material costs, cut labor costs (cut labor), anything else to stay in the black.

I’d love to know what Mr. Studley’s actual business education/experience is, because my friends knowledge and skills obviously put his to shame.

Why is he (and by default the Michigan Chamber) so averse to giving us other ideas on where to raise the additional funding for road construction. How about eliminating the prevailing wage law? Why not do away with road “enhancements”? Why can’t mass transit agencies function on fares alone? Are there any superfluous state departments that could be shut down (i.e. MEDC)? Is there a bridge to Canada that we don’t really need?

(For the record, please note that I DO NOT support Mark Schauer’s plan to turn the screws on Michigan Businesses as a “solution” for roads.)

Wrapping things up, as I alluded to earlier, this will be a tight election next month.

If the democrats haven’t already done so, I wouldn’t be surprised in the least when they make a campaign ad for Schauer clearly stating the Michigan Chamber’s support of higher taxes on Michigan Motorists as one of their priorities, slapping Rick Snyder’s face in the middle of the screen for 30 seconds and air it during the last week of the campaign.

Be careful of what you wish for Mr. Studley.

Your idea might work on the cowards sitting in Lansing, but there are more Michigan Voters than there are members on your Chamber.

You might not like the final outcome.