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Thu Sep 27, 2007 at 19:47:13 PM EDT
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How did we get here? Here's one 167-year old dead
ex-governor's opinion:
Term Limits
Much has been said about the evils of term limits. It's all
true.
Throwing people out just as they're starting to figure out how to
actually do their jobs effectively is one incredibly stupid
idea and the fact that we're here today, getting ready for a government
shutdown in the middle
of a recession,
is living proof. Is it any wonder term limits were brought to us by
the
same government haters who paid for the giant scofflaw
anti-tax pig
parked in front of the Capitol today.
In the old days, legislators used to have a much better sense
of their political abilities and limitations and more comfortable
telling leadership to go jump in a lake. These were the folks
that could be relied upon to come together in a crisis and make things
right. With a few exceptions, they're all gone now, thanks to
%$#*&ing term limits.
John Mathias
Engler and the 90th Michigan Legislature
Back when SUVs were selling like crack cocaine and Michigan
was flush with
cash (relatively speaking), John the Body and his allies in the
Republican-controlled
legislature thought it would be fun to cut Michigan's income tax rate
from 4.4 percent to 3.9 percent. But they didn't have the chutzpah to
do it all at once. Instead, they opted to phase it in...over 5 years.
Originally
backed by Republicans, this plan did pass with substantial
Democratic support (including many legislators I like and respect).
Just for kicks, here are the vote totals listed in the House and
Senate journals for SB
001 of 1999 - one of a package of bills
implementing the .5% income tax cut:
Senate
2/11/99 32-2:
| Yes | Loren Bennett (R), Joanne Emmons
(R), Don Koivisto (D), Bill
Schuette (R), Dianne Byrum (D), Harry Gast (R), Burton Leland (D), Joe
Schwarz (R), John Cherry (D), Mike Goschka (R), Thaddeus McCotter (R),
Dale Shugars (R), Ken DeBeaussaert (D), Joel Gougeon (R), George
McManus (R), Ken Sikkema (R), Dan DeGrow (R), Bev Hammerstrom (R), Art
Miller (D), Glenn Steil Sr. (R), Chris Dingell (D), George Hart (D),
Walter North (R), Leon Stille (R), Mat Dunaskiss (R), Phil Hoffman (R),
Gary Peters (D), William Van Regenmorter (R), Bob Emerson (D), Dave
Jaye (R), Mike Rogers (R), Joe Young (D) |
| No | Alma Wheeler Smith (D) Jackie Vaughn
(D) | | NV | Bill
Bullard (R), Ray Murphy (D), Virgil Smith Sr. (D) |
And in the House (See if any names look familiar):
House
2/10/99 96-11
| Yes | Jason Allen (R), Jennifer Faunce
(R), Jim Koetje (R), Andy
Richner (R), Patty Birkholz (R), A.T. Frank (D), Mike Kowall (R), Vera
Rison (D), Clark Bisbee (R), Valde Garcia (R), Wayne Kuipers (R), Sue
Rocca (R), Mike Bishop (R), Belda Garza (D), Janet Kukuk (R), Alan
Sanborn (R), Rose Bogardus (D), Terry Geiger (R), Charles LaSata (R),
Mark Schauer (D), Doug Bovin (D), Paul Gieleghem (D), Gerald
Law
(R), Gloria Schermesser (D), Ken Bradstreet (R), Jud Gilbert (R), Lamar
Lemmons III (D), Judith Scranton (R), Lingg Brewer (D), Pan Godchaux
(R), Patricia Lockwood (D), Scott Shackleton (R), Bob Brown
(D),
Bob Gosselin (R), David Mead (R), Dale Sheltrown (D), Cameron Brown
(R), Mike Green (R), Mary Ann Middaugh (R), Marc Shulman (R), Bill Byl
(R), Lauren Hager (R), Mickey Mortimer (R), Doug Spade (D), Bill
Callahan (D), Derrick Hale (D), Andy Neumann (D), Tony Stamas (R),
Nancy Cassis (R), John Hansen (D), Bill O'Neil (D), Mickey
Switalski (D), Sandy Caul (R), Artina Tinsley Hardman (D),
John
Pappageorge (R), Susan Tabor (R), Deb Cherry (D), Jim Howell (R), Bruce
Patterson (R), Paul Tesanovich (D), Irma Clark (D), Ruth Ann Jamnick
(D), Chuck Perricone (R), Buzz Thomas (D), Hansen Clarke (D), Mark
Jansen (R) Steve Pestka (D), Laura Toy (R), Ken Daniels (D), Ron
Jelinek (R), Hubert Price (R), Gerald Van Woerkom (R), Eileen DeHart
(D), Jon Jellema (R), Mike Prusi (D), Gerald Vander Roest (R), Julie
Dennis (D), Rick Johnson (R), Mike Pumford (R), Steve Vear (R), Gene
DeRossett (R), Ruth Johnson (R), Nancy Quarles (D), Helen Voorhees (R),
Larry DeVuyst (R), Larry Julian (R), Andrew Raczkowski (R)
Paul
Wojno (D), Paul DeWeese (R), Thomas Kelly (D), Triette Reeves (D), Dave
Woodward (D), SteveEhardt (R), Kwame Kilpatrick (D), Randy Richardville
(R), Gary Woronchak (R) | | No |
Laura Baird (D), Gilda Jacobs (D), Jack Minore (D), Keith
Stallworth (D), Liz Brater (D), Ed LaForge (D), Joseph Rivet (D), Ed
Vaughn (D), Mike Hanley (D), Lynne Martinez (D), Martha Scott (D) |
Many of the "yes" voters did have concerns about where the
money was going
to come from to fund these tax cuts or what would happen if the
unthinkable happened and Michigan's
economy went into the tank. However, using the same logic that led John
Edwards and Hillary Clinton to vote for the Iraq War, they
decided that - since the thing was going to pass anyway
- they may as well vote for it (conscience be damned) and go on record as being a
lean,
mean tax cuttin' machine. This they did.
Since
then, of course, no one has bothered to pass any new tax or
substantial service cuts
to make up for the missing revenue. Instead, Michigan has
limped along on a series of one-time fixes -
gimmicks such as completely burning through the $1.2 billion rainy day
fund. This is one major reason why we have a deficit today.
The list continues below the fold... |
| Hazen Pingree :: Anatomy of a catastrophe |
General Motors,
Ford and Chrysler executives
Their abysmally-poor plannng led the Big-3 (now also called
the
"Detroit 3") to put all of their product emphasis on giant sport
utility vehicles - long after it became clear that rising gas
prices were not going away. This astonishing lack of foresight
has
led to a significant erosion in Big 3 marketshare - going from 71% in
1999 to 48% last
month.
Since auto manufacturing continues to be our state's bread and butter,
the woes of the auto industry have - both directly and indirectly -
taken a chunk out of state tax revenues, adding to an already
bad budget
situation. This - and the general downsizing of our manufacturing
sector - is the other major reason why we're now facing a deficit.
George Bush
"The Decider's" refusal to do
anything about the nation's
wasteful and broken private health insurance system means health care
costs continue to spiral ever upward. This hits everyone across the
board: government workers, teachers...and especially the auto
companies. Along with starting an unessecary war in Iraq, and running
one of the most despicable and corrupt regimes this nation has ever
known, The Decider has also refused to consider modifying trade
agreements to insure that America retains at least a minimal
manufacturing base. Not so good for Michigan.
Senate Republicans
Despite the fact that nearly all of them had a hand
in creating this
fiscal crisis when they were in the House (see above), Senate
Majority
Leader Mike Bishop and his colleagues have obstructed progress toward a
solution at practically every turn. In March - one month after Governor
Granholm unveiled her 2% service tax proposal - Senate Republicans
voted
it down. Since then all they have offered is a string of
draconian budget cuts and "reforms" that
would do absolutely nothing to address the immediate fiscal crisis
(and at
best have a minor impact over the long term). These appear driven more
by a desire to punish political enemies (i.e. teachers) or to
open
up new privatization business opportunities for Republican
donors
and allies (foster care and prison privatization).
While some Senate Republicans candidly acknowledge (to
reporters) that
a tax increase of some kind will be needed, they have so far failed to
put forward a proposal that includes any sort of tax increase.
In late June, to protect schools from severe cuts
due to an
unanticipated lack of cash in the current budget, Senate Republicans
agreed with the governor and the House to use one-time revenue sources
and delay payments (until after Oct. 1) to universities. After that,
the Senate (and House) spent most of the months of July and August on
vacation.
This week, Senator Bishop demanded that a budget fix
be postponed
again - for up to 30 days. Bishop says he won't consider a tax
increase until after the Governor and House have agreed to pass a
continuation budget, thus kicking the can down the road again and
wasting precious time while the crisis grows worse (lowered credit
ratings, etc.) Fortunately, the governor has steadfastly rejected this
demand.
In a final spectacular display of how seriously he is taking
the
situation - and with only days left before a government
shutdown -
Bishop waited over 48 hours before even appointing senators to a
conference committee charged with coming up with a bipartisan agreement
on a tax increase.
All of this from a Senate Republican majority that the
majority of
Michiganders did not vote for (thanks to John Mathias Engler's
gerrymandering).
House Democrats
Considering several House members won their seats by riding
Governor
Granholm's impressive coattails last November (giving Dems a majority
that no one expected them to have), one would think House Dems would
have shown some more deference to their chief executive. Instead,
almost immediately after the governor presented her service tax
proposal, certain House Democrats whined publicly that the
governor did not consult with them first. And despite repeated - and
grueling - attempts to pass an income tax increase, the Democratic
House (along with the Republican Senate) has still failed to deliver a
bill that includes a tax increase.
According to sources close to the negotiations, House Speaker
Andy
Dillon - egged on by campaign-obsessed senior staffers - has convinced
the politically-vulnerable members of his caucus not to vote on a tax
increase in hopes that a few House Republicans (Michigan's House is
split only slightly in favor of the Ds) might be pressured into voting
yes. According to this logic, some vulnerable Dems
would then be able to vote no and better protect themselves in
2008. But after two utterly embarasing attempts, no other
Republican besides Chris Ward has blinked.
Mainstream media
State government coverage continues to be less and less of a
priority
in Michigan. Booth Newspapers' respected Lansing bureau closed this
year, no Detroit TV stations keep a reporter here and the state's
largest newspaper - the Detroit Free Press - only maintains a skeletal
presence in Lansing. Video news releases, stories about children, fuzzy
animals, crime and celebrities take up ever more space, forcing
political budget news to the rear (if it appears at all). Meanwhile,
editorial writers - best exemplified by the Detroit Free Press' Ron
Dzwonkowski - have taken an utterly pedestrian and superficial approach
to the situation, giving their readers a series of unfocused rants
about the powers that be in Lansing, while providing little
substantive information about what is actually occuring.
Watch carefully now as the Metro Detroit TV hairdos suddenly
descend on
Lansing and pretend they've been here all along and actualy understand
the situation (when they're really just re-writing wire copy).
None of this is to say there aren't a number of very talented
and
dedicated reporters in Lansing. There are. It's just that there seem to
be fewer
and fewer of them - and the ones who are left aren't getting the
placement they deserve. Not so great if you care about having an
informed electorate.
Governor Jennifer Granholm
It should be no surprise to anyone who has read my scriblings
in the past that I see the governor as
the least culpable of any of the parties mentioned here. First
of all,
she put her tax increase plan on the table way back in February - a whole seven months ago.
Unlike the Legislature, she did come to work during
most of July and
August. And during her time in office, she has gone to great lengths to
inform people about the severity of Michigan's budget crisis and the
choices we confront.
That
said, there are a few things that I wish the governor
had done differently.
I wish she hadn't agreed to the deal back in June
(mentioned above) that allowed the Michigan Business Tax to go forward
and delayed a resolution on dealing with the rest of the budget. We
lost a lot of leverage. I also think she should have just
gone with a straight-up income tax increase in the beginning (instead
of the 2% service tax). Philisophically, I agree with an
approach that includes some progressivity. But it was
just too difficult to explain. Not that I think it would have
made a difference
with the legislative neanderthals. However, it might have
helped in rallying the base.
As for most of the
rest of the knocks on Granholm, they seem to be
pretty much all over the map. Some say she's being too aggresive.
Others (like
the Freep editorial page) say she's too soft
and needs to be another John Engler (are they
insane?).
Apparently, they live in some sort of fantasy world where all she would
need to do is clap her hands loudly and Mike Bishop and Andy
Dillon will do whatever they're told. A few months ago, I might have
shared some of those opinions. However, after
watching our esteemed
legislature these past few weeks, I'm increaingly convinced that none
of it would have made any difference at all and that we'd be at this
point no matter what she did.
Of course Governor Granholm is the captain of the ship, and -
even if
she doesn't always deserve them - she's bound to take her share of
knee-jerk
hits from editorial writers angry with "the guv'ment." Such is
life. More will follow.
***
There's plenty of other reasons and people who could go on
this list but I
haven't the time or inclination to go on.
OK. Now here's the real question: how are we going to resolve
this? I have some thoughts on that topic that I hope to share
soon (ideally tomorrow). Until then, feel
free to add yours in the comments below. |
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