115 search results for "sales tax"

Michigan, Opinion, Proposal 15-1, Taxes

Welcome to the Party

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This is why I appreciate money, and those who appreciate using it wisely as much as I do.

The ballot proposal would increase Michigan’s 6 percent sales tax [16.7%] to 7 percent as part of a complex plan to raise [registration fees 30% and double taxes on gas and diesel] $1.2 [$1.9] billion more annually for roads [and $410 million going to the IRS]. But the plan, hatched by Snyder and lawmakers last month, also earmarks $300 million for schools, $260 million for tax credits for the working poor [illegal aliens with up to four wives] and $95 million for municipal revenue sharing.

Mitchell said it’s the “grab bag” spending on items unrelated to road repairs that Snyder and Republican legislative leaders tacked on to get Democratic votes that motivates him to spend some of his own money trying to defeat the initiative.

“In order to repair our roads, we have to pay a $700 million toll to special interests — and that just astonishes me,” Mitchell said in an exclusive interview with The Detroit News. “I think it speaks for politics as usual. Special-interest lobbyists held our roads hostage and they got a $700 million toll.”

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Sorry, but, it’s unfortunate that Mr. Livengood still sees it necessary to disinform his readers, hence, the inclusion as was pointed out here on RightMi.com

OABTW, has anyone heard U.S. Rep. Moolenaar, opine on the Republican governor’s CPA shell game? No? Go figure.

You Betcha! (19)Nuh Uh.(1)

Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1

Presumptive Bureaucracy And Wagon Pi.

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Why would our public servants feel compelled to offer opinion on a matter that is not yet before them?

There are 9.9 million people living in Michigan.

Of that number 77% are of voting age, and most are legally able to cast a ballot. And of those who can and do cast their preferences, most have no clue of their responsibilities beyond placing their mark, and walking out from the curtain a couple of days a year.

Indeed, the roughly 7 million registered voters of Michigan will in their lifetime: Miss votes, Make uninformed Votes, Will unknowingly vote in opposition to their interest, and never truly hold their elected officials accountable to promises and integrity of office. They will not complain when lied to, or even call out their own party’s elected when the situation demands it.

But this one will.

Why on earth would we have platforms, rules, and constantly repeated promises of action when at most we might get lip service and disappointment? Why would we have laws to protect the public from abuses of government, when the slight of legalese is used to exempt the perpetrators from culpability?

And why will so few actually speak up against it? Perhaps it should come as no surprise that those few might not want to be told they are wrong, and won’t try in the first place.

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Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Taxes

AgitProp in the 21st Century

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Mercenary Research in the Service of Greed

News stories on the Michigan road tax proposal are replete with compelling, eye popping factoids about the costs poor roads impose on Michigan drivers. These factoids are so compelling that our colorless Governor cites them to sway voters in the upcoming sales tax proposal debate. Some examples:

  • An inadequate transportation system costs Michigan residents a total of $7.7 billion every year
  • Driving on rough roads costs Michigan motorists a total of $2.3 billion annually in extra vehicle operating costs
  • Driving on rough roads costs the average Detroit urban area motorist $536 annually in extra vehicle operating costs
  • Driving on rough roads costs the average Michigan motorist $357 annually in extra vehicle operating costs

You are expected to conclude that a 16.67% sales tax increase is a just trifle to escape these ghastly financial burdens. These factoids are always attributed to “TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research organization”. Sounds like an independent, credible source – right? The adjectives ‘nonprofit’ and ‘research’ give you a high level of confidence in their pronouncements? Perhaps you should dig a little deeper than our conniving politicians and their lazy media scribes.  The TRIP report they are mining for these factoids is: MI_Transportation_By_The_Numbers_TRIP_Report_Jan_2014

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Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1, Taxes

Heads Up Watchdogs

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State Superintendent hints at major advocacy through school systems, and express advocacy.

With the push by big government to drive a 16.7% sales tax increase, we need to be especially vigilant.

A few days ago, Rick Snyder (allegedly) broke the law. We expect the filed MCFA complaint to be fought, but there is little defense when the AG Bill Schuette, and SoS Ruth Johnson were in the front row watching (Witnessing) him doing so. Certainly, the Attorney General cannot decide which laws he will enforce, right?

There are other folks with ‘skin in the game’ who will be weighing in on the ballot measure.  One of them is State Superintendent Mike Flanagan.  Flanagan, already pushing the envelope by posting his advocacy on a state (taxpayer) paid for website will be “actively promoting its passage” in venues as-yet undetermined.

Mike-Yes

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All the Other Stuff, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Proposal 15-1

Arrogance Of The Aristocracy

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Having no one to tell them "NO" previously, our leadership brazenly assumes immunity from the law.

Watching Obama the other night was something many of my friends could not do.

As he quite literally leaned on the podium and gave an in-your-face ‘I don’t give a damn about your efforts’ speech to the congress, he further provoked with the threat of veto for anything that did not meet his agenda. The soft sneer of disrespect to the people’s house and its ‘opposition’ inhabitants was palpable.  But it was not unexpected.

How else might a top executive act when he is given every thing that he wants? In what other way would he comport himself when weak threats are buttressed by inaction and outright political cowardice?  The Republican controlled House of Representatives has hardly put its foot down each time the president has acted in an unconstitutional manner, and there is little indication it might in the future.

So the law does not matter to this president, and for many of the same reasons, it does not matter to Michigan’s governor.  When people seek power, they are sometimes willing to overlook the blatant disregard for checks and balances, and pretend the emperor is indeed fully clothed.

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2015 MIGOP State Convention, Conservative News, Cronyism, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Republicans

Everything That’s Wrong With The MIGOP In One Photo

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The MIGOP Establishment & Romney Dynasty In One Photo

For those of us who are conservative or libertarian, this image encapsulates everything that is wrong with the Michigan Republican Party.

Right to left: Rick Snyder, Ronna Romney McDaniel, Bobby Schostak, Scott Romney

Right to left: Rick Snyder, Ronna Romney McDaniel, Bobby Schostak, Scott Romney

On the right, we have Gov. Rick Snyder – who pushed Michigan’s Republican-dominated legislature to implement Obamacare, raise income and sales taxes, and increase government spending by $2.7 billion annually.

Next is Ronna Romney McDaniel, heiress to the Romney political machine, whose only political experience is speaking at hyped up events for Mitt Romney and being appointed to the Republican National Committee after Terri Lynn Land resigned.

Next to Ronna is her father G. Scott Romney, Mitt Romney’s brother and a failed candidate for Attorney General.

Behind Ronna and Scott we see Bobby Schostak, the outgoing Michigan Republican Party Chair, who used his position for personal profit and shut grassroots activists out of the party.

The kicker to all of this is that they’re all cheering on Mitt Romney’s coronation as the Republican nominee for President. Mitt, as we all know, went on to lose to Barack Obama in what should’ve been a home-run for Republicans.

Now Ronna Romney McDaniel is running to replace Bobby Schostak as MIGOP Chair. Despite having no grassroots experience, she laughably claims that she will mend relationships between the grassroots and establishment Republicans such as herself.

So far the only serious challenger to Ronna Romney McDaniel is Dr. Kim Shmina, a conservative activist and the Vice Chair of the 10th Congressional District’s Republican Party.

You Betcha! (19)Nuh Uh.(4)

Conservative News, Cronyism, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Rent Seeking

A Letter To Amazon

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An open letter to Amazon.com Owner Jeff Bezos on the Main Street Tyranny tax.

Regulars have seen the attempts here to correct the misinformation about the main street fairness act.

Michigan lawmakers were snookered by Kowall and Verheulen into passing their tyranny in the lame duck; a time when there would seem to be no voter backlash.  We call that cowardice, and reprehensible.   This morning I penned (typed) a letter to Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon.com:

Jeff,

I am an online retailer.  I have been fighting the mainstreet fairness taxes for several years now.  Recently, Michigan legislators in a lame-duck session voted to address nexus issues in the state in an attempt to collect use taxes from out of state vendors such as Amazon and other drop shippers.

Clearly you have been arguing that the commerce clause is the remedy to what the states are trying, and frankly you are right.  Quill v North Dakota settled the matter, and if there was EVER a reason for Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3, this is it.  The states cannot use tariffs or taxes to discourage (or encourage) trade with other states.  It is one of the enumerated powers of the congress, and the states have little business attempting to work around it.

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Conservative News, Cronyism, Democrats, Elections, Michigan, Michigan Politics, Opinion, Philosophy, Proposal 15-1, Rent Seeking, Republicans

I think that it is time to begin filling out a scorecard before May 5th.

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Otherwise known as “What's good for thee, but not for me (con’t).

Breaking from the republican kakistocracy’s latest rope-a-dope on the Grassroots (aka Dave Agema’s “controversial comments” brouhaha), it is important to note that Governor’s Snyder’s plot to raise the Michigan Sales Tax 16.7% is beginning to pick up a few supporters.

On the plus side; So is the opposition.

And what interesting bedfellows are beginning to appear.

{Continued below}

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