Come hell or high water, the legislative Republicans remain
fixated on one objective: To get through this election cycle without
ever raising any new revenue to balance the budget which is dipping
deeper into the red with no Obama money to tip the scale into the black.
This desire to stay on message and craft a self-serving
election year mantra, i.e. we did not raise your taxes so elect us,
maybe the right thing politically but when it comes to the Pure
Michigan campaign, the governor has this one right, it is
"short-sighted."
In case you don't have a TV, the wonderfully written and
produced Pure Michigan tourism commercials are a work of art and have
convinced lots of non-Michiganders to visit the state. In other words
the Tim Allen voice over spots work.
But it can't work without the $$ to buy the TV ads to lure
those out of starters to visit the island, Motown, the capitol or Uncle
John's Cider Mill up there in St. Johns.
Democrats have found an ingenious way to find the money by
taxing rental cars at the airport. Last time anyone checked local
taxpayers don't rent cars there; business guys and tourists do. So the
D's figure, let them foot the bill.
But even though it is a tax hike on non-residents, the
Republicans argue it is still a tax hike and by Gawd, they are not
going to raise taxes on anybody just to preserve their "no tax pledge.'
"We are approaching a drop dead date," warns George Zimmerman who
runs the state tourist shop and is itching to buy up the TV time to air
the commercials.
The stalemate to date means the state can't buy any spots in
April; that time is already sold out.
And unless there is a resolution within two weeks, it will be
ditto for the month of May which state officials point out is the month
many families decide where to spend their vacation money.
Greg Main from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
figures if the state misses the May buy, you can just forget about the
summer advertising campaign altogether and watch the sale of fudge take
a dive.
If that happens, the state will lose millions of dollars in new
revenue from our temporary visitors, but the GOP does not care. When
it comes to helping the state or helping themselves to get reelected,
you know what is more important.
Somebody tell Tim Allen he can give his voice a rest this summer.