  Gene Member Username: Gene Post Number: 37 Registered: 10-2006 |
Why not eliminate the States first ever Surgeon General and get rid of that Andy Levin,nephew and failed elected official from the States payroll? How about another "cool city"? Every working person in the State just got a reduction in pay. | ||
Cjs Member Username: Cjs Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2007 |
There are many examples throughout the history of mankind where those in charge tax their peasants to the point where they either starve and die young, or rise up and change things. We are getting closer to that point here in Michigan. We'll do it through a recall. | ||
Cjs Member Username: Cjs Post Number: 13 Registered: 08-2007 |
Those for the tax are missing the big picture. Just balancing the budget doesn't solve our main problem. We have a shrinking economy in Michigan. We in Michigan are already taxed higher than 2/3 of the country. We just went through a one state recession. Raising the cost of doing business and living here does not solve the problem, in fact it compounds it. We're heading for another shortfall when the revenues these short sighted politicians are projecting do not materialize. If we stay the course, the only answer will be to raise taxes again. And again. | ||
Perfectgentleman Member Username: Perfectgentleman Post Number: 3324 Registered: 03-2006 |
quote: Sounds good.  http://www.mitaxpayers.org/ | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 3409 Registered: 10-2003 |
What's your solution--cut services like education, environmental protection, policing, and health care? That speaks to business, "We don't give a shit about quality of life." Many businesses in other parts of the country pay higher taxes than they would in Michigan. There's got to be more to it than taxes. Wilmington would dwarf Tokyo if taxes were the primary consideration for business. | ||
Cjs Member Username: Cjs Post Number: 14 Registered: 08-2007 |
Dan in DC - I would start by eliminating the pensions for government employes. The private sector did that 2 decades ago. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1478 Registered: 07-2004 |
Kind of reminds me of the guy who opens the credit card bill over breakfast and browbeats his wife over buying groceries, cleaning fluid, paying for dentist and doctor bills, etc.. 'Course, he doesn't complain about the truck payments, fishing tackle, or other vital "household services" on the same bill. | ||
Perfectgentleman Member Username: Perfectgentleman Post Number: 3325 Registered: 03-2006 |
quote: Its a combination of factors, taxes are a part of it. If we lack advantages that other areas have, taxes become an issue. We don't have the "cool" factor or any caché to offer, the weather leaves a bit to be desired. The labor environment is not great. Our primary industry is getting killed which means less customers for new business. We need to be doing everything we can to improve the business climate and lower taxes on the folks. We need to make bold, sweeping changes to get the message out there that we WANT business here. These piss ant service taxes do nothing to accomplish that goal. We need to make smarter moves and nobody should be spared from sacrifice including state employees. | ||
Cjs Member Username: Cjs Post Number: 15 Registered: 08-2007 |
Nerd - We are talking about our state's ability to compete here. By your example, there are plenty of services being paid for by Michigan taxpayers that you could equate to fishing tackle. That's what we should cut. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 3410 Registered: 10-2003 |
They did that. New state government employees get a 401(k) plan. Are you proposing to pull the rug from under people who were already promised (or receiving) a pension? How much money would this save per year, exactly? | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 535 Registered: 04-2006 |
Four mass transit tax increases and we still see more bus service reductions. So, DYer's Let's raise taxes again next August 2010. A NO vote only caps this tax and does not mean a reduction in transit operating funding under federal funding guidelines to qualify for grants. It's time to put our leaders on television, so we can know them very well and know who will not fight to restore state funding for the low income and the handicapped. I'm sure you DY'ers will support the SMART as a majority. So, remember the tax increases you all just got because our state will again hold out the tin cup next August 2010 and will want all you DYer's to give from your hearts to pay for the crippled who use SMART as our state cuts off even more money for big cars and freeways and luxury rail service for the rich as those in lower income areas see buses come every hour instead of every half hour. If any of you DYer's want to see state money restored to SMART and DDOT then please see my cause under DETROIT LINKS. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1479 Registered: 07-2004 |
Ability to compete? Haw haw haw! I wish. Honest to Christ, what I'm hearing a bunch of angry, pissed-off, economically insecure guys who want their bread to stay buttered and want to put the rest of the state on margarine. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 236 Registered: 01-2007 |
http://www.recallgranholm.com/ | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 721 Registered: 08-2007 |
Take away the pensions, and what do the people do who were depending on them, again? We stayed with the state 30+ years to get the promised pension, which we also contributed to, and you want them to be scratched? Think about the spending power that disappears with that, also. | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 160 Registered: 07-2007 |
The Professor nailed the Mackinac Center report. Many of the suggestions are so radioactive politically that no Republican dared put them forward. Where was the proposal to cut State Police road patrols? The Professor also correctly pointed out that some of them just shift costs from the state to local government. You still have to pay for them. For example, cutting state funding to libraries in half, which I think has already been adopted, just forces local libraries to cut services or raise taxes to make up the difference. | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1972 Registered: 11-2003 |
Is posting on the Forum an essential or a non- essential service? I'd say it's essential so Lowell can't tax us!! Speaking of taxing non-essential services, now all these small businesses which provide non-essential services will have to go out and hire accountants and CPA's to watch their books, gather, account for, and report the taxes to Lansing, and that means State government will now have to go out and hire additional workers to handle the influx of tax receipts. What a nightmare. | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3406 Registered: 12-2005 |
Does anyone know why they decided to tax so many "metaphysical" (fortune telling, palm reading, etc.) services? Not that I care, but it seems a small group to target. Is it a larger market than I know or is there some movement to discourage these services? | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4173 Registered: 10-2004 |
The http://www.recallgranholm.com/ Web site has this: quote: I thought that Granholm finally stopped procrastinating and actually signed the bill for limiting life-long welfare to four years into law last December. Anybody know for certain about that bill? | ||
Umcs Member Username: Umcs Post Number: 81 Registered: 06-2007 |
It was vetoed if I recall correctly because the Republicans didn't attach certain strings she wanted. | ||
Ccbatson Member Username: Ccbatson Post Number: 4769 Registered: 11-2006 |
Here is how the cuts should occur....cut nothing, privatize everything. There, done. | ||
Umcs Member Username: Umcs Post Number: 82 Registered: 06-2007 |
Heres a question for the folks who did not support the tax hike. Is your opposition to the tax hike based on a belief that the government will not use revenues to increase or otherwise improve services provided to residents, an ideological opposition to government that is intrusive, you cannot actually afford a tax increase, or some combination of the above or other reasons? Please be honest though with respect to cost. I know I don't need that extra Starbucks weekly really. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 723 Registered: 08-2007 |
I got this via e-mail: Here's the list of services that are included in the new service tax that was just sent to the State Bar Commissioners: · Business service centers · Carpet and upholstery cleaning · Consulting services · Courier and messengers · Document preparation · Investigation, guard and armored cars · Investment advice (but not accounting) · Janitorial · Landscaping (but not lawn mowing) · Office administration · Packaging and labeling · Personal care (but not hair care) · Scenic transportation · Security systems · Service contracts · Skiing (but not golf) · Specialized Design · Tour operators · Transit and ground passenger transport · Travel and reservations · Warehousing and storage · Mini-warehouse and self-storage units · Personal services, which include: · Astrology, fortune-telling, numerology, palm reading, psychic and phrenology · Baby shoe bronzing · Bail bonding · Balloon-o-grams and singing telegrams · Bondsperson · Check rooms · Coin operated blood pressure machines, personal machines, rental locker, and photographic machines · Pay telephones · Comfort station operations · Concierge services · Consumer buyers · Credit card notification · Dating, social introduction and social escorts · Discount buyers · Genealogical investigation · Housing sitting · Personal fitness trainers · Personal shoppers · Porters · Rest room operation services · Shoeshiners Wedding chapel (but not churches, and wedding planning services | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 919 Registered: 11-2005 |
Notice Rhymeswithrawk does not dispute the facts, only attacks the messenger. Easy there, Karl Rove. | ||
Blueidone Member Username: Blueidone Post Number: 135 Registered: 03-2007 |
So...let me get this straight...I'm a business owner...I do secretarial and bookkeeping work on a contract basis. Does that make me "office administration"? If so...now I'm supposed to at 6% sales tax to my invoices to my customers? How will I know if my business is one that must collect and pay this tax or not? And when does this take effect? Does anyone know? | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 724 Registered: 08-2007 |
I'm trying to figure it out too, as I do consulting. I say contact your state rep and ask what you need to do. | ||
Perfectgentleman Member Username: Perfectgentleman Post Number: 3326 Registered: 03-2006 |
quote: All of the above. I make damn good money for this area but I am tapped out. These taxes are not going to bring about anything good other than a temporary band-aid. More will come, its all Granholm and Co. know how to do. | ||
Perfectgentleman Member Username: Perfectgentleman Post Number: 3327 Registered: 03-2006 |
quote: Well, I guess the recalls should begin. Primarily with Granholm which will be hard. And for any other spineless legislators regardless of party. They are elected to make hard choices even if it alienates some of their special interests. If they can't do that then they should be gone. I was listening to Leon Drolet on WJR on the drive home from work and he his organization seems poised to inflict some pain on these idiots in the state government. I am definitely planning on getting involved with the recall movement and other initiatives. It is totally doable to get some tax initiatives on the ballot for next November as well. The dove hunting bill, Proposal 2, and eliminating the SBT were all done from a grass roots level. The best outcome would be to oust Granholm as in the end it was her tax increases that passed. She has not demonstrated any ability to streamline state government or make cuts. 5 years of blaming Engler is getting old. Her attempts to buy a few jobs with the MEDC have been pathetic and the taxpayers will never see the returns needed on those "investments" for them to pay off. She has used that program as a campaign vehicle to run asinine radio spots (if I hear another one I will puke, why run them here?) and to send out these lame press releases about how she is supposedly bringing business to Michigan. When you look under the covers, the actual private investments are small and the numbers of people being employed is next to nothing. Same with the BS "Cool Cities" initiative, a total waste. Window dressing to make her look good. Enough of the nonsense. Whatever is left of the MEDC fund should go back to the state treasury. (Message edited by perfectgentleman on October 02, 2007) | ||
Blueidone Member Username: Blueidone Post Number: 136 Registered: 03-2007 |
I think all politicians have lost sight of their reason for being there. They do not represent the people of their districts; they represent special interests, corporations, big contributors and themselves. There are those who serve for a short term so they can maneuver themselves into a higher paying corporate job. There are those who serve for their entire lives to live off the public trough for as long as they can. The day a politician says "Let the government keep my pay and benefits, the people I serve need it more than I do" is the day I will believe in them again. The same day that pigs fly! :-) | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 536 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote The reality is that the roots of this problem, are based in Republican fiscal irresponsibility, and a huge deficit created under Engler. end of quote Engler who??? Granholm who??? It will not matter next August 2010 because we will forget and will not remember or know where the state money is for SMART. It will be our hearts that will remember those who rely on SMART as a lifeline to jobs and doctors. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4175 Registered: 10-2004 |
First, Granholm had her 2-penny plan; now it's 6 pennies--err. 6%! Observation: She imposed her onerous services taxes on the folks who probably would never ever vote for her or her socialist minions--self-employed business people who don't want socialist services done for their behalf. So, she doing a Robbing Hood of her potential enemies (as donors or voters of opponents) and tried to avoid taxing as much as she could her own constituencies. |
