Michigan Is Taxed Out

I am here to warn state lawmakers with a cautionary tale to think before they speak or offer up ideas of increasing taxes to pay for road and infrastructure improvements.

Michigan’s Proposal 1 went down in epic fashion on May 5th. In fact support for the convoluted mess of tax increases and promises that this time lawmakers assured us would make our roads better, failed to reach 20% support statewide. That’s right with all the ballots counted Prop 1 failed to reach 20%.

I predicted the epic failure in mid-January but nobody, I mean nobody- not even me thought it would go down better than 4 to 1. It is historic as it’s the worst defeat for a ballot initiative involving a change to the state constitution since the constitution was ratified in 1963.

Despite the crushing defeat at the hands of angry voters and taxpayers from every corner of the state, it seems many on the left still think raising taxes on all of us was not part of the problem. Liberals are now trying to spin the Prop 1 flameout as a matter of confusion on the initiative and not a tax hike rejection. It seems those on the left don’t take seriously the call by countless Michigan residents (and voters) to cut spending before sticking us with higher taxes or any kind to fix the roads.

The numbers for the plan supported by Governor Rick Snyder and co-conspirators from both sides of the aisle ought to be reviewed closely before anyone gets the bright idea that Michigan voters are just fine with yet another tax increase or two. Here are some numbers of interest: 61 of Michigan’s 83 counties rejected Prop 1 by better than 80%. Two counties; Arenac and Gladwin said not a chance by better than 90%. You heard that right- Prop 1 was so bad it was rejected 9 to 1 in some places. In fact only 4 counties were able to muster support over 30%; Gogebic, Ingham, Kalamazoo and Washtenaw. That’s it, 4.

Yet in an effort to convince us that Prop 1’s crash and burn had nothing to do with Michigan voters flat out rejecting a tax hike but something else, an editorial appearing on MLive (like other left leaning outlets) made the following contradictory and confusing statements:

We haven’t given our legislators the chance to do their jobs because we’ve cauterized a deep-seeded distrust into statutes and amendments to the state constitution.

We haven’t given our legislators the chance? Really so after, we the voters, reject this piece of bi-partisan garbage the left comes straight out to begin blaming us the hard working tax payers of Michigan and trying to make us believe we’re really ok with a self imposed tax hike. Well it got even better.

Because just a few sentences later the very same piece outlines the very case for why Michigan residents and voters have no reason to trust state government and put it this way:

For years Michigan's elected officials have been underfunding critical infrastructure. The usual excuse we the taxpayers have received is that the motor fuel and motor vehicle registration taxes have not kept pace with the increased cost of maintaining the roads.

So let me clear up any confusion coming from the left on the matter of fixing roads; putting blame on the voters is quite simply idiotic. It seems MLive and others need to send it’s alleged writers back to whatever college turned them loose on the rest of us.

In the meantime let me warn any state lawmakers who still think the voters are ok with more money disappearing from their paychecks- proceed with caution, because if you support more tax hikes, you may find yourself on the wrong end of a 4 to 1 losing proposition, yours.