You need three Republican votes in the Senate (which I'm confident you have, I'm sure enough back-door deals have been cut by now) to pass a tax increase, so PASS IT!

Uh oh, but that means you might actually have to explain to the voters why you want more of their money.  And that explanation isn't pretty.  I believe when Bob Emerson was presenting the governor's budget he was asked point blank how much money from these new revenues would go to the state's rainy day fund.  Our genius of a state budget director's response.........NONE!

May I also remind you that the ideas being kicked around right now (at least in the House) represent a 9.1% INCREASE in state GF/GP spending.  So bascially you've got a situation where a man walks into a bank asks for a loan to consolidate his debt, but asks for an amount that is $45,000.00 more than he owes.  That way, after he pays off his debt, he can also by a Corvette.  So much for a budget crisis.  Dems, we're not stupid, YOU'RE TRYING TO SCREW US AND YOU'RE TRYING TO SCREW MICHIGAN, it's pure and it's simple.

So again, you have the votes, do it, pass a massive income tax hike on a largely partisan vote.  I DARE YOU, I DOUBLE-DARE YOU!  But you won't.  You don't have the political courage because you know where it will lead you in 2008.  And we have a governor that calls the legislature spineless?!  So keep trying to convince us "you're right".  Keeping trying to whine about how we aren't "compromising".  Keep blowing the current situation out of proportion with outrageously inflated numbers.  After all, lying won you the governorship in 2006, why let it stop you from winning a budget debate too, right?  Except this time you're actually getting called out and you don't know how to handle it.  EVERYONE, outside of your union buddies (how many of them has the governor appointed since re-election now?  Maybe the next ethics package the house writes up should deal with her), knows it.  So keep trying to convince the people of Michigan they don't pay enough in taxes, and when you fail to do that, raise their taxes anyway and hope it doesn't come full circle on you next November.