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Just Cut Taxes: Heaven to Follow
If only it was that simple.
Cut taxes and the economy in Michigan will sprout.
For years the state and national GOP have been the one-note party
when it comes to taxes. They are not only against taxes, they think if
you cut them Michigan's record busting jobless rate would subside like
the evening tide on Lake Michigan.
Cut taxes is a nifty campaign slogan that can help the GOP win
elections, but peal back that slogan and a harsh reality stares you in
the face.
Former Gov. John Engler cut taxes to the tune of $3 billion before
he left office. So how come our unemployment rate is not 4% instead of
14%?
Some Republicans, sensing their tax cut tune may be a little off
key, rush to Engler's defense. "We raised taxes two years ago," one
GOP leader contends.
O.K. but that still left $1.5 billion in tax cuts, so why isnt't
the jobless rate 8%?
GOP governor candidate Mike Cox wants a re-do of the Engler
policies as he proposes $2.2 billion in cuts.
His fellow GOP contenders Tom George and Mike Bouchard see the
folly in that as they dash a dose of reality into the debate over
cutting taxes.
How you going to pay for state services? George asks. Cox says he
can do it with a new and stronger economy.
Newt Gingrich, the former U.S. House GOP Speaker sees Engler's tax
cuts and bumps him by a bunch. He would get rid of ALL taxes in Detroit
making Motown unique, but looking an awful like some third world
country some would argue.
Newt! The city, now near insolvency, can't wait for the trickle
down to create a waterfall of jobs. In the meantime, how do keep the
cops on the beat, the buses on time, and the water to the suburbs
flowing?
It's not that simple.
Cut taxes and the economy in Michigan will sprout.
For years the state and national GOP have been the one-note party
when it comes to taxes. They are not only against taxes, they think if
you cut them Michigan's record busting jobless rate would subside like
the evening tide on Lake Michigan.
Cut taxes is a nifty campaign slogan that can help the GOP win
elections, but peal back that slogan and a harsh reality stares you in
the face.
Former Gov. John Engler cut taxes to the tune of $3 billion before
he left office. So how come our unemployment rate is not 4% instead of
14%?
Some Republicans, sensing their tax cut tune may be a little off
key, rush to Engler's defense. "We raised taxes two years ago," one
GOP leader contends.
O.K. but that still left $1.5 billion in tax cuts, so why isnt't
the jobless rate 8%?
GOP governor candidate Mike Cox wants a re-do of the Engler
policies as he proposes $2.2 billion in cuts.
His fellow GOP contenders Tom George and Mike Bouchard see the
folly in that as they dash a dose of reality into the debate over
cutting taxes.
How you going to pay for state services? George asks. Cox says he
can do it with a new and stronger economy.
Newt Gingrich, the former U.S. House GOP Speaker sees Engler's tax
cuts and bumps him by a bunch. He would get rid of ALL taxes in Detroit
making Motown unique, but looking an awful like some third world
country some would argue.
Newt! The city, now near insolvency, can't wait for the trickle
down to create a waterfall of jobs. In the meantime, how do keep the
cops on the beat, the buses on time, and the water to the suburbs
flowing?
It's not that simple.
posted by Tim Skubick at
5:12 AM
7 Comments:
JUST RAISE TAXES: DETROIT PROBLEMS TO FOLLOW!!! In Detroit the population has gone from a high of two million to around 700,000. Detroit Public Schools have the lowest test scores in the nation. Detroit also has numerous problems in the police dept.,housing dept., water dept., ect ect. Higher taxes is not the answer. Unfortunately Gov. Granholm is following the practice of Detroit Democratic mayors and is doing to the State what they have done to the City.
Skoop, perhaps you should calculate the tax increase that's come about these past few years as a result of gasoline price increases from $1 to $3.
Um, if you check, that's an additional $1.5M each and every day, pouring into Jenny's greedy pockets. She and the Lansing vultures spend every penny, and you help them hide this new tax. I always hear you guys call it "unexpected revenue".
Nice work. Real nice work. You're either ignorant, and unable to understand how and where money comes from, or you're a useful idiot for those who do, or both.
Look, over the last years, you and the other media types have preached about all the "tax cuts" there have been, and preach about all the "savage cuts" in state spending, and neither of these memes is true. Spending has increased, and so have taxes.
Stop mouthing what they tell you to mouth, get out a paper and pencil, and start writing down some numbers for yourself. Get a junior high kid to help you with the arithmetic, if necessary.
And Skoop, nary a vote was taken on those massive gasoline tax increases. They were an automatic trigger, as a result of the sales tax. A tax increase, and it all flies below the radar.
And it's a good thing the politicos have you to help them keep this quiet. Heck, you don't even seem to understand it in the first place.
Other governors/states recognized the illegitimacy of this, and suspended the sales tax increase when gasoline prices skyrocketed. Not your Lansing comrades, however.
Do those guys ever buy you dinner, for all the help you give them?
Surely the depth we can see is much greater. We speak to the tax cuts of the past like they were substantial. The reality is Michigan is near the highest product producing taxing entity in the world, as is the USA. As to cutting taxes, that is a needed reality, but the cutting of taxes for jobs is in how we tax , not how much per say.
If we cut the tax out on income, personal property and Business, we will lower the cost of manufacturing substantially and become the most attractive State in the USA to manufacture, without unique workforce of Michiganders. If we do it at the Federal level, we will get back many of the jobs that we have lost to imports over the past 30 years due to product taxation handicap, through putting the taxes on consumption only.
It's time for those who wish to lead this dying State to put the words of healing to work and get it done. It is time to support these words, 'Michigan and USA FairTax please!'
Ah, the corporate apologists and autocratic simpletons are here in force, I see.
History has disproved trickle-down economics. Deal with it.
I can't believe people are still gullible enough to believe that garbage.
Skoop dog!!! how u been playa?? we have some good shit to work out ya digg?
Michigan lost a million people, many with college degrees. The flight of light manufacturing and every other economic base north of the Tri-Cities 20 years back and the current squeeze that resulted in the loss of everything except a dwindling pool of decent jobs.
Perhaps you can explain how a State with a couple of world class Big 10 Universities, bountiful natural resources no more than a couple hours drive, low cost of living, managed to completely sit out the tech boom.
You could perhaps explain how sending the same people to DC year after year has worked out.
Michigan has been laughingly easy to manipulate. Toss out some unfair trade rhetoric, a few pithy soulless Wall Street pirate references, and Presto!!
People believe 16000 IRS agents will fix their Health Care.
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