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Steadfast Saul Riles Up GOP Lawmakers on Tax Hikes

By Shell, Section News
Posted on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 07:35:09 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Republican lawmakers are increasingly irritated with their state party boss, Saul Anuzis, because they say his steady drumbeat against raising taxes is making it more difficult to work out a deal to resolve Michigan's nagging budget deficit.

That's the opening paragraph in a Detroit News front page story this morning. It seems Saul is getting under the skins of our weak-spined legislators on the GOP side. Those grumblers should listen long and well, since those of us still living in Michigan are NOT in the mood to shore up the state's budget with more of our hard-earned income.

A GOP legislative staffer, who asked to remain anonymous, said Republican lawmakers frequently grumble behind closed doors that they realize they'll eventually have to vote for a tax hike and that Anuzis' diatribes are making their jobs tougher and a resolution more elusive.

They do NOT "have to" vote for a tax hike. Whatever happened to sticking to their principles and representing their constituents -- you know, the ones who are already shelling out more for gasoline (which is $3.24 in my area), energy costs, and just plain daily living?

One Republican lawmaker, who asked not to be named because of concerns about crossing swords with party leaders, said: "The last thing we need is somebody who is not an elected official publicly hammering on us. He's not the one who has to put his name on the line and vote for or against this. I've never seen this before, and I've been in the party a lot of years, where a party chair is dictating policy. It's inappropriate and a growing number of us are sick and tired of it."

I guess that means those of us who write and comment in blogs should stop, since we're "not an elected official" and "shouldn't be publicly hammering them." I guess that nameless lawmaker also forgets the unwashed masses they're about to lower the tax boom on are also voters.

Saul is doing the work that real conservatives should be, myself included. He's getting heard and I, for one, hope he doesn't stop.

I'd better run. I've got some letters and emails to fire off, even though Schauer could care less what I think about taxes because I'm just a mean-spirited conservative.

< House Democrats continue to obstruct... but c'mon, it's still pretty early in September | 252 down, 20 to go >

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Steadfast Saul Riles Up GOP Lawmakers on Tax Hikes | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)

To the complaining lawmaker (none / 0) (#1)
by Republican Michigander on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 12:08:40 PM EST

To the coward who didn't put his name down, let me tell you how things work, son. You are an elected offical. You work for the people in your district. We as party activists do not work for you. Saul doesn't work for you. He works for the state delegates who selected him at a convention. We are the party base. People like you are the problem. You knew well in advance that you have to put your name on the line in a vote. That's your job and why you get paid the big bucks. Stop complaining, stop looking for bailouts, and start doing your job.

If you vote for a tax increase, Saul is the last person you should be worried about. It's your base that you should be worried about. The last time our party took the safe route and caved on taxes, we lost our majority here. The last time our party went leftist, we lost our majority. It's time to take a stand, and that means no new taxes. If you're in the way and vote for it, you should be sent home as well in the August primary, if not a recall election.

To all you Republicans (none / 0) (#2)
by PMOTVRWC on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 12:37:38 PM EST

complaining that Saul is making your job harder......TOUGH! I doubt that you are Republicans if you are really considering tax increases. Our party was the party of smaller government and it seems many elected to the party do not understand that. If you have no backbone to buck the socialists democrats then maybe it is time to resign so we can elect TRUE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS.

Amen brothers. (none / 0) (#3)
by Nick on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 12:52:03 PM EST

Preach!

How did you all survive the Engler years (none / 0) (#4)
by NoviDemocrat on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 12:56:31 PM EST

when the Income Tax rate was at 4.4%? How did the Michigan economy survive? When did income tax revenues start plummeting? When income taxes were cut. Explain that supply-siders.

What are you talking about? by Dutchsma, 09/10/2007 02:22:54 PM EST (none / 0)

Where do you get your numbers? (none / 0) (#6)
by NoviDemocrat on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 03:21:01 PM EST

From the SFA and the GF. See the note at the bottom:

http://www.senate.michigan.gov/sfa/StateBudget/GFGP_RevenueHistory.pdf

I know Republicans love to point out that total spending is up while refusing to acknowledge that most of that is due to increases in federal funding which can not be used for other purposes. It's like telling someone who's unemployed to use their pension benefits to pay for their day-to-day needs.

Got to work on that math (none / 0) (#7)
by NoviDemocrat on Mon Sep 10, 2007 at 03:27:50 PM EST

1999 income tax revenue was $6.9 billion. HFA's 2007-2008 income tax revenue estimates in Jan. 2007 were $6.3 billion. That a $600 million dollar difference, not $6 million.

Glad you're doing your own leg work now by Dutchsma, 09/10/2007 05:45:29 PM EST (none / 0)

Total state revenue (none / 0) (#9)
by NoviDemocrat on Tue Sep 11, 2007 at 12:10:53 AM EST

doesn't tell us anything about income tax revenue. The fact is that we collect $600 million less today than we did in 1999 when the tax rate was 0.5% higher. According to supply-side economic theory, the opposite should have happened.

As far as total state revenue, you know that most of that money is limited to school aid and federally funded programs. It legally can not be diverted over to the GF. I haven't seen examples of GF programs being funded by non-GF revenue sources but I'm pretty sure that it doesn't come anywhere near the gap caused by the income tax reductions.

True (none / 0) (#10)
by Dutchsma on Tue Sep 11, 2007 at 08:23:38 AM EST

And the link I provided gives only total state tax collections, which are going up. The federal funding and other revenue sources are not included in the numbers.

And you also know from looking at the state income tax figures that the state's income tax revenue is also increasing. And, if we look at the AGI for the state, there was a significant drop in income, particularly following 2001. This, too, would impact the amount of money the state is able to collect from this particular tax.

Revenue growth (none / 0) (#11)
by NoviDemocrat on Tue Sep 11, 2007 at 09:29:59 AM EST

The amount of income tax that state is taking in is increasing but at a rate that barely registers on any scale. It's not increasing at the rate of inflation which means most of the state's costs are increasing faster than the revenue coming in.

So what? by Dutchsma, 09/11/2007 09:49:30 AM EST (none / 0)

Let's see (none / 0) (#13)
by NoviDemocrat on Tue Sep 11, 2007 at 10:37:38 AM EST

it matters because Republicans claimed that cutting taxes would lead to increased revenue. It turns out that wasn't the case. It's important for people to know that and understand how that factors into the current situation.

"I don't work so that I can support government programs."

OK, so does that mean that you're willing to forgo all use of government services? When people wake up in the morning, I'm sure most don't think "I'm off to earn some money to pay my taxes". But paying taxes is part of the social compact in this society. You pay taxes to get certain services just like you pay the electrical company, the gas company, the phone company, etc.

"If government doesn't have enough money to pay for all the things legislators' want to do, then they can't do them."

That's a clever way to spin it but the truth is that the vast majority of government spending isn't on some legislator's personal preference. It's to provide services that you can't or wouldn't be able to provide yourself. Are you willing to house a prisoner? Are you willing to educate the neighbor's kid for 12 years? Are you willing to perform surgery on a homeless person? No? Well, someone has to pay for it and that's you and me.

Steadfast Saul Riles Up GOP Lawmakers on Tax Hikes | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)

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