Add the Jackson Citizen-Patriot to the list of Bush-endorsing newspapers crying foul over the Legislature's unfunded, "pay later" $1.9 billion business tax cut:
Unless lawmakers vote to come up with some replacement revenue for the SBT, there will have to be severe, deep cuts in state services. Since state and local governments have been cutting their budgets for the last year or two, what is the huge $1.9 billion tax cut likely to do? Improve Michigan's crumbling infrastructure? Not hardly. Improve the schools? No again.
Don't read us wrong here. Of course tax burden is important. We're among those who believe the SBT should be phased out, but at least partially replaced. So the debate here is mostly about how the tax is cut, not whether it should be cut.
Wall Street wasn't impressed with the Legislature's action last week either. Standard & Poor's quickly notified the state that its credit rating is getting a negative outlook.
And lawmakers, unless we are very, very wrong, once that $1.9 billion tax cut begins taking effect, forcing cutbacks throughout the state, Wall Street's negative reaction will be echoed by Main Street Michigan. (emphasis added)
This November, I hope the Cit-Pat remembers that Jackson-area state Rep. Rick Baxter (R-Hanover) has proclaimed that NONE(!) of the $1.9 billion should be replaced - and says any possible replacement revenues would be a "tax increase."
I've got a better idea! How about this November, we just replace Baxter instead? Jackson Mayor Marty Griffin (D) stands at the ready. See his snazzy new website
here.
Oh, and while we're busy replacing Baxter, let's not forget that ramming through an unfunded $1.9 billion business tax cut has been an Amway Guy fetish since the day he first decided he wanted to be our governor. |
