Friday, March 14, 2014

Michigan Democrats trump Republicans' pothole proposal


If you used poker terms you might say that the Democrats saw the Republicans’ offer to spend $100 million repairing  Michigan potholes and raised it  $115 million, for a total proposal of $215 million.

The Republicans have not been spared criticism in this quarter so it is only fair to point out that Democrats somehow always want to spend more when it comes to government.

They want more money for schools and higher education, big-ticket items in Michigan’s budget. Now more money for roads.

More spending will lead to more taxes, however — something they are not campaigning for in the current election cycle.

Oh sure, they accuse Gov Rick Snyder and the Republican-held legislature of cutting taxes for businesses and raising them on individuals. That’s accurate. The only assumption that can be made is Democrats want to go back to the policies of the Granholm era and that while they may reverse tax increases on senior citizens and others, they will raise them on businesses. What else are we to conclude?

Michigan voters have a clear choice in this November’s election. They can judge whether lower business taxes have generated economic activity — most importantly jobs — or whether the improved business climate has nothing to do with taxes.  That’s a plausible assumption, according to a recent study by the Michigan League for Public Policy.

In any case, voters’ decisions should be fairly simple, at least based on the issues.  



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