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In and outs of the political campaigns, focusing on Michigan and Lansing, Tim Skubick will report regularly throughout the primary and then general election campaigns.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Tax The Other Guy

     The best tax policy, as they say, is the one that doesn't tax you but somebody else which is why the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons will turn their attention from winning games to winning a yet to be fought battle in Lansing.
     With the word that the governor has re-dredged up slapping the six-percent sales tax on sporting events, movie and concert tickets, the entertainment industry will move into high gear to kill the idea before it multiplies.
     This is not the first time this has surfaced. Former Oakland County Senator and then senate budget chair Shirley Johnson floated the idea ions ago and when they counted the votes, it was entertainment industry: One and Ms. Johnson: Zippo.
     But that was back when the state was not on the brink of drowning in red ink.  Now economic condition are worse, if you can imagine that, and the governor, who has refused to even admit that she is=2 0pushing the idea, is hoping the "fairness" issue will trump the intense lobbying from the sport's barons.
     It's only fair, the reasoning goes, that if you can afford to watch the Tigers lose, you can afford an extra three bucks on a fifty-dollar ticket.
     But the other side doesn't give a hoot about fairness.  You can hear the Ilitch family and their allies:  We are having a tough time as it is putting fannies in the seats and now they want to make it even tougher?
     The new tax would raise about $87 million for other state services such as the cop patrols around the stadia, the food inspection of the hot dogs they sell, and other related services.
     Somebody has to pay for this stuff, but there aren't many volunteers when it comes to paying more money.
     The governor also wants a new one penny tax on bottled water and betya the bottled H20 crowd won't like that either.
     Too bad she can't tax oxygen.  Then everybody would be upset with her tax policies not just a few special interests.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Nick B said...

Why don't we just tax entertainment tickets that cost $50 or more? We'll call it a luxury tax. Maybe this will give the Ford's, Davison's and Ilitch's incentive to keep ticket prices reasonable. Plus this won't hurt Joe Six Pack that wants to take his family to a sporting event once in a while.

August 17, 2009 at 11:32 AM 
Anonymous robertwiltse@charityisland.com said...

Very few people in Michigans' State Government gets it today. The Good ole Days when the Car Companies were prosperous and we could tax and grow State Government and tolerate all the bloated inefficiencies in State Government are over forever. Period. Granholm, listen, you must downsize State Government just like every citizen in this state must downsize and reduce its
overhead. ONly then can you reduce taxes and create a truly attractive environment for new business which is the only way you will create new wealth, new jobs, and new prosperity for the citizens of this state. But you must start with treating capital well. Money like people goes where it is treated best. And Capital is not treated well in this state compared to other states. There really is a "crisis of leadership" Tim because Granholm has not and appears will not take the steps that need to be taken to deal with the realities of todays economy.

August 18, 2009 at 1:23 PM 

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