To all of you temper tantrum-throwing adults unhappy with the recent tax increase, grow up and act your age. Never in my life have I been so embarrassed by some of the things I’ve been hearing on the news and reading in the paper. We’re like a huge dysfunctional family. The rest of the country must be laughing their heads off at us.
I also don’t hear taxpayers in
We also have the Small Business Association of Michigan following in Drolet’s footsteps, which isn’t really surprising. SBAM and Drolet teamed up and held a teabagger protest against a tax increase earlier this year. The association is now trying to get a proposal onto the ballot that would either repeal or change the tax on certain services such as skiing, consulting and interior design. Sales tax always applied to 26 different services, but the recent budget changes expanded that to 53.
This service tax is a burden and will kill business according to some small business owners, which was the same excuse we heard about raising the minimum wage, yet that didn’t happen. My local television station interviewed a manager at a ski resort who actually said the tax would put them out of business. Global warming may put her ski lodge out of business, but I seriously doubt anyone who spends hundreds of dollars on down-filled jackets, boots and ski equipment will let a 6% tax on a ski lift scare them away.
That same newscast also interviewed the owner of a local gym who said the tax would hurt personal trainers. She said trainers usually charge around $400 dollars and people wouldn’t want a trainer’s assistance if they had to pay an extra $24 tax. Again, I doubt that. If a person can afford $400 for a personal trainer, they’re not going to let $24 stand in their way.
The bottom line is that this is the first income tax increase since 1999 and 36 other states will still have higher taxes than
If people are going to throw fits and temper tantrums, there are bigger problems they should be focusing their sights on like the war, out-sourcing and the uninsured. Get a grip on reality, people.
6 comments:
Great points. And childish temper tantrums really does describe the way Americans react to taxes.
Looser!!!!!!!!!!!!
He must be mad that the wealthy may have to pay a dollar or two.
Typical Greedy Repug.
People I talked with today at a craft fair (vendors making things with acrylic yarn, doing needlework, carving wood, or making jam -- not rich people) are simply worried that they are going to feel even more squeezed financially. There is a tremendous lack of information regarding the particulars of the state's fiscal situation. People just react to their worst fears. These are not bad people -- some are dems and some are republicans. Overall they are fed up with the partisan dysfunction in the legislature and perceived lack of leadership on Granholm's part in making something happen.
These people are not greedy, but they are stressed, demoralized, frustrated and angry.
It would help the dems to pay attention and reach out to these folks.
Having lived for most of my life in New York State, I'm no stranger to taxes of all sorts. In return for our taxes, middle-class workers had access to professional services covering mental health, elder-care, special needs children, substance abuse, adult education, and a host of other family and career focused issues. For the vast majority of hard-working New Yorkers, state agencies were available to help its citizens cope with the injustices dispensed by today’s partisan politics.
Abi, childish is the key word from what I've been experiencing in my discussions with people. They don't want to give up any services that directly touch their lives, but they don't want to pay taxes that help others either. I guess their parents never explained the concept of sharing with others!
Larry, anonymous just reinforced what I said about temper tantrums. ;-)
CEW, I've sensed the same thing from people I've talked to also, but at the same time many of them don't want to hear any facts. They stubbornly cling to their sound bites and old ways of thinking.
BobbyV, New York sounds great. I think using tax dollars to help citizens cope is a compassionate use of our tax dollars.
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