Republicans demand higher taxes. No, really!

Republicans want to raise your taxes. Republicans want to raise your taxes. Republicans want to raise your taxes.

Tell your family and friends - especially the conservatives you know - because it's true.

As part of last December's deal that extended the Bush tax cuts by two years, employees' share of the payroll tax was temporarily decreased from 6.2% to 4.2% for 2011.

As most of you know, the payroll tax only applies to the first $106,800 earned per year, meaning the more you make above that cap (which President Obama has expressed interest in lifting), the less of an impact you will feel from a change in that rate (compared to the amount you actually make). If the payroll tax cut is allowed to expire at the end of this year, those with smaller incomes would be disproportionately harmed.

Naturally, that's what congressional Republicans want:

Many of the same Republicans who fought hammer-and-tong to keep the George W. Bush-era income tax cuts from expiring on schedule are now saying a different temporary tax cut should end as planned. By their own definition, that amounts to a tax increase.

We've all heard the argument from Republicans that tax cuts create jobs. It's been ten years since the Bush tax cuts (which disproportionately benefit the wealthy) went into effect, and during those ten years, five of my relatives have lost jobs (to end up with lower-paying jobs). Meanwhile, my employment at the moment consists of bartending 2-3 times per month - not a job for me.

But tax cuts for the lower and middle classes make more sense. What do those who aren't as well off do with the money they make? They usually spend it or pay off debts. Unlike those who are wealthy, they can hardly afford to save much. Thus, reducing the payroll tax and reducing income taxes on those who are less well off is more likely to help the economy than trusting in trickle-down economics - based on a theory which has failed time and time again.

But with an election nearing, and congressional Republicans making having admitted that defeating Obama is their #1 priority, said Republicans have come out in support of something they have traditionally opposed: Higher taxes!

The 12-month tax reduction will cost the government about $120 billion this year, and a similar amount next year if it's renewed.

That worries Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, and a member of the House-Senate supercommittee tasked with finding new deficit cuts. Tax reductions, "no matter how well-intended," will push the deficit higher, making the panel's task that much harder, Camp's office said.

Yep, facing the likelihood that the President will be re-elected if the economy gets better, Dave Camp is suddenly worried about the impact that tax cuts on ordinary people might have on the deficit.

Then why did Camp and other Republicans enthusiastically support the Bush tax cuts of 2001, which were more than 10 times as costly to the government and which have contributed more to the national debt than even the costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

(Of course, why did Camp and other Republicans enthusiastically support the wars in Iraq in the first place? But I digress.)

It all comes back to the sentiment expressed in Mitch McConnell's infamous statement that "The single most important thing we want to achieve" is to make Obama lose in 2012. Not to focus on job creation, not to focus on reducing the deficit (which would happen if more jobs were created), but to stop this President from winning next year.

To them, the threat of a double-dip recession brought on by woes in Europe is not as dangerous as the threat that the most successful president in decades (per Rachel Maddow) just might be given a second term by the nation that decisively voted him in three years ago.

To them, denying the Nobel Laureate a second term is more important than doing what makes economic and moral sense.

To them, stopping our freely elected President from serving our country for another four years is more important than being patriotic and doing what's best for our country.

To them, making the less fortunate suffer is okay (even though the Bible, in which they claim to believe, says otherwise) if that's what it takes to defeat this President.

To them, defeating the constitutional-law-professor-turned-Chief-Executive is worth walking back their anti-tax pledges and other 'principles.'

Bits of Tid: March 31, 2011

• Guess who wants Wisconsin State Senator Randy Hopper recalled? His wife.


• It looks like Tim Pawlenty is on the cusp of running for President. He and Huckabee may be two of the more formidable challengers for Obama - Pawlenty, perhaps more than Huckabee. Neither of them have much (that I know of, at least) that could be used against them. At least not on the order of Romney's flip-flopping, Gingrich's many scandals, and Bachmann's extremism.


• For those of you complaining that Obama shouldn't spend time filling out his bracket, with all that's going on in the world: (a) Even the President needs a break - especially Obama, given all he's had to deal with; (b) Don't tell me you wouldn't fill out a bracket if you were President; and (c) Explain why you (most of you, anyway) voted for this guy:


• For those of you complaining about Obama being in Latin America while ordering airstrikes in Libya: It's the 21st Century. Everything the President needs to make these decisions is easily accessible when he's traveling abroad.


• We don't know all the details about Libya (as much as some of us think we do). But I do know that after 8 years of You-Know-Who, it's good to have a thinking President again.


• Don't you just hate it when government butts in and tells us what kind of internet service we can and cannot get?


• Will someone PLEASE stand up for those downtrodden, overtaxed big businesses?


• Perhaps Hillary should reconsider not running for President again: 66% of Americans view her favorably.

VerWys's opposition to jobs makes no sense

When Autocam offered to bring 200 jobs to Kentwood, city leaders saw an excellent opportunity.

With all the vacant industrial space in our city, the Kentwood City Commission embraced the idea of bringing in new jobs for the folks of Kentwood and surrounding areas. Autocam sought a tax abatement from the City so they could get started. It's a good deal for the City, given that the alternative - leaving the industrial space vacant - would have resulted in the same amount of tax revenue for the next couple years but without the jobs (though the City would receive new revenue in a few years; more on that later).

So Kentwood City Commissioners voted 6-1 to offer Autocam the abatement.

The one exception? Commissioner/Tea Party activist/Republican precinct delegate/twice-convicted felon Ray VerWys.

Why?

He said abatements are no different from “the targeted tax breaks handed down in Lansing” and that giving tax breaks to some only shifts the tax burden onto others. “We cannot afford to give up this kind of money,” said VerWys.

And in just a couple sentences, VerWys both slams the successful state tax breaks instituted under then-Gov. Granholm, while at the same time demonstrating a lack of knowledge about tax abatements and their benefits. So let me explain.

See, here in Kentwood (and in other places), the City Commission is authorized to give tax abatements to businsses that are starting up in Kentwood. This is meant to help with their start-up costs; the idea being that while they will still be responsible for their fair share of the tax burden in a few years, the City will do what it can to help them get started by not letting tax burdens prevent companies from creating jobs.

In the Autocam situation, it makes perfect sense. Without the abatement: (a) the empty industrial space would have remained empty; (b) no jobs would have been created; and (c) the city would get no additional revenue from the project.

But since the abatement was approved: (a) the industrial space will be occupied; (b) 200 jobs will be created; (c) the city will get new, direct revenue starting in a few years; (d) these new jobs will help families avoid foreclosures, meaning the City continues to earn revenue from their property taxes; and (e) the local economy will get a boost from their spending, meaning more jobs and more businesses saved (and again, keeping revenue for the City).

To hear VerWys say it, you'd think this is actually costing the City money. What would have cost the City is if VerWys had his way.

Which, thankfully for 200 West Michigan families, he did not.

Stay tuned as I keep track of how many jobs VerWys opposes for the remaining three years of his term.

Be It Further Resolved that It Is Hot and Humid Outside

We Precinct Delegates are delegates to three County Democratic Conventions between our election in August and early- to mid-February.

Saturday was the first such Convention, and at this one we elected individuals to serve on three State Convention Committees: Rules; Credentials; and Platform. We also adopted resolutions to be forwarded to the state Platform Committee for their consideration.

As I did last year, this weekend I introduced two resolutions that were adopted by the County Convention and forwarded to the State Platform Committee:

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF NET NEUTRALITY

WHEREAS, the Michigan Democratic Party proudly supports the ideals of equality and freedom;

WHEREAS, it is through the internet that people become informed about issues, communicate with others, and learn what they need to know;

WHEREAS, internet neutrality, also known as ‘net neutrality,’ is the principle by which all website content is provided to internet users fairly. Under net neutrality, all websites are guaranteed a level playing field in terms of how quickly their content is delivered;

WHEREAS, net neutrality puts small businesses with limited resources on a level playing field with their larger competitors as it allows their website content to be delivered at the same rate at which other companies’ content is delivered;

WHEREAS, a number of large internet companies have lobbied Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to do away with net neutrality. If they succeed, these companies would be allowed to charge companies to allow their websites to load faster than others;

WHEREAS, allowing internet providers to do this would put businesses with limited financial resources at a disadvantage while inhibiting internet users’ ability to quickly and easily access the information they need;

WHEREAS, United States Senator Al Franken has called net neutrality “the First Amendment issue of our time,” while a wide range of companies and individuals, including President Obama, the Teamsters, the Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft, all support net neutrality.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kent County Democratic Party supports the principle of net neutrality and urges all members of Michigan’s congressional delegation to resist attempts to do away with this important provision.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Kent County Democratic Party encourages the Michigan Democratic Party Platform Committee to include language in the 2010 platform in support of the principle of net neutrality.


RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A GRADUATED INCOME TAX

WHEREAS, the Kent County Democratic Party supports economic opportunity for all citizens, particularly the disadvantaged;

WHEREAS, Michigan’s current income tax rate is 4.35%;

WHEREAS, 34 other states and the federal government have a graduated income tax structure, by which individuals with lower incomes pay a smaller share of their income in taxes. All 34 states have lower unemployment rates than Michigan;

WHEREAS, Article IX, Section 7 of the Michigan Constitution prohibits the implementation of an income tax that is “graduated as to rate or base;”

WHEREAS, Michigan has dealt with significant budget shortfalls in recent years – shortfalls which may be addressed in part by a graduated income tax structure.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kent County Democratic Party supports a Constitutional amendment to allow for a graduated income tax structure in Michigan;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Kent County Democratic Party encourages the Michigan Democratic Party Platform Committee to include language in the 2010 platform that supports such an amendment.

Bits of Tid: February 15, 2010

• Just so you know, this week is National Pancake Week and, um, National Condom Week. I don't make this stuff up, folks; it's online.
• The good news: Meghan McCain went after the 'Tea Party' movement for its racism. The bad news: A few of her remarks took the form of ageism.
• I was able to watch part of the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, including the part when the slam poet talked about what Canada is to him. Here's my question: If Canada is so great, then why did Jennifer Granholm flee for the USA as soon as she could?
  
  Just kidding!
• This diary on Daily Kos is one of those must-reads. It discusses taxes.
• Just a heads-up to certain Christian politicians who might be reading this blog:

  For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the LORD your God. - Deuteronomy 25:16

  Oh, and by the way:

  "There is a future for the man of peace." - Psalm 37:37

Finally, for your viewing pleasure:

Bits of Tid: July 24, 2009

• The rest of the world loves America much more under Obama than under his predecessor.
• State lawmakers from across the country are supporting the public option.
• Want to help cut healthcare costs? Here's one idea: Discuss end-of-life issues with your family and friends. I know it's not easy, but it's better to have these kinds of discussions now.
• Neat.
• Is bipartisanship dead? Not according to Senators Levin and McCain. Having sponsored the Weapons System Acquisition Reform Act, they are now seeking to close a tax loophole regarding executives and stock options.
• Um, okay. Read into this what you will. (Poli-sci major here.)
  
• Cupcake, anyone?

Bits of Tid: July 22, 2009

• This is all I'll say about the Obama birth certificate 'issue:'
1. It's not really an issue. If it was, why weren't questions raised about it during the campaign?
2. They're criticizing him on this because they can't justify criticizing his policies.
3. Shame on those in the media who even cover it, even those who slam the conspiracy theorists. Why? The time they spend covering it could be better spent covering serious issues. Like, say his 'mom jeans.'
4. Where's Reagan's birth certificate?
• Oakland, CA, will now tax marijuana, thanks to a proposal approved by more than 80% of voters. That's what I've been thinking: Legalize it and tax the hell out of it!
• Who said it?

  Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

  So said retired General - and Republican Commander-in-Chief - Dwight Eisenhower in 1953. Those words came to m mind as I heard the encouraging word that the US Senate has voted to cut off funding for the F-22.
• The Public Option: Not only would it be sound healthcare policy, it's also a money-saver.
• From the State News: "Police absorb info on string of thefts." It's about tampons. And the puns don't stop there.
  

This pretty much sums it up

Bits of Tid: April 8, 2009

• Tomorrow is Holy/Maundy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper. Today, meanwhile, is Holy Wednesday or Spy Wednesday.

  In Western Christianity, the Wednesday before Easter is sometimes known as 'Spy Wednesday', indicating that it is the day that Judas Iscariot first conspired with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus for thirty silver coins.

• Did you hear who visited Baghdad?
• What does one newspaper giant blame for the economic crisis? Tax cuts. Which paper is it? The Wall Street Journal.
• By now you may have heard that gay marriage is legal in Iowa and Vermont. As it turns out, DC may be next.
• By a couple of estimates, upwards of 200 people peacefully protested Gary Glenn here at CMU. I'll have more on this at MichLib later, but in the meantime, check out David Shuster's tweets on gay marriage.
• They're still the Party of No.
• How do you know you're on a strong team? Gallup Management Journal has five signs. Notice that "playing for the Detroit Tigers" is not one of them.

Bits of Tid: January 17, 2009

"I Have Seen the Promised Land" Edition

• Here it comes. Just three more days. I get chills thinking about it. (Although the weather may also be responsible for said chills.)
• Unions save lives.
• Most of the world's top 100 corporations have offshore tax havens.
• Check out my open thread on Michigan Liberal for more.

Bits of Tid: October 15, 2008

OMG I'm Almost 21! Edition

• Chances are, you stand to benefit more from Barack Obama's tax plan than from John McCain's. How much so? Find out!
  
• It was a creed written into a pumpkin that declared the destiny of a holiday: Yes We Carve.
  
• 
  
• I apologize for not blogging very much recently. To make up for it, I have a series of posts on leadership in the works; look for them in the next several days.
  
• A couple of weeks ago, members of the Maverick family - who descended from rancher Samuel Maverick, whose refusal to brand his cattle inspired the term 'maverick' as we use it today - were found to be unhappy with McCain's use of the word. You know what I do when a word is being misused? I ask LSSU to banish it!
  You know it's time to banish this word when even the Maverick family - who descended from the rancher who inspired it - says it's being misused.
  
• I finally (!) turn 21 next Tuesday! I'm not so much looking forward to drinking per se, but just being allowed to. That said, I'll probably have a cold one or two - any recommendations?
  

Bits of Tid: September 10, 2008

• I got a new job here at CMU; I'm gonna be working in the Towers Computer Lounge, which is a computer lab/coffee shop/video game area all in one room in the basement of my residence hall complex.
• So McCain is talking about change too. This is good for Obama in that he is setting the narrative in this campaign.
• According to CNN, we have a tied ballgame. Or is it?
• How much will Obama's tax cut be worth for your family? His plan would save my family several hundred more than McCain's.
• IOKIYAR.
• 
  

Bits of Tid: July 26, 2007

• Thousands of people across this great land heard my delightful voice on Monday. I called into Thom Hartmann's radio program and discussed how tax cuts have NOT had the impact on our economy some claim they would. Michigan has some of the lowest taxes in the US - and one of the highest unemployment rates in the US, I noted. More on that later.


• That train-wreck sound you heard? That was Alberto Gonzales. As far as I'm concerned, Gonzales can either stay for the remaining eighteen months of the Bush Administration, or he can step aside and allow someone else to take his place, offering the possibility that the cloud that has hung over the Gonzales DoJ can be lifted. But as long as Gonzo's in charge at DoJ, that cloud will remain.
  
• Call it Daschle's Revenge? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell just might be in trouble in his bid for a fifth term in the US Senate in 2008. Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo announced that he is forming an exploratory committee to run against McConnell. SurveyUSA released a poll showing McConnell's approval rating the lowest it's been in recent years.


• My latest pick for LSSU's Banished Words List (I have a couple dozen of them, folks):
  

  Smart bomb - I didn’t know that some bombs could be more intelligent than others. Of course, nowadays it can seem as though some of our bombs are smarter than many of our politicians.

• On Monday the Tigers lost both games of a double-header to the White Sox, a team that was 16.5 games behind them in the standings. Then yesterday they won one - also against the ChiSox! Oh well, they still lead the division by a game and a half.


• Coming soon to Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott:
  • My endorsement for the Oval Office
  • A look at the upcoming local elections - the primary is twelve days away!
  • Re-framing the tax debate
  • A preview of Congressional races across the country in 2008
  • Combating apathy, particularly amongst young people
  • How you can become a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver!

The WeekEnder: July 20-22, 2007

With exactly eighteen months until the end of one of the most diatrous Presidencies in American history, I welcome you to the fourth installment of The WeekEnder! The WeekEnder is a weekly series that will provide a hodgepodge of information to fill your soul, make you laugh, make you cry, and inspire you.

• Congressional Dems support students
• State court to voters: you need ID
• Oops - forgot about that
• A pricier alternative
• Achieving your goals
• Who needs work when you can vacation?
• Tim Ryan, champion of students
• Arnold Bennett dispenses some advice
• Cows and Enron
• Not a victim to what's popular

Good news: Congress passes relief for students

Thank you Democrats in Congress!

On Wednesday, July 11th, the House passed the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, and the Senate has now followed suit. The bill will provide the single largest increase in college aid since the GI bill in 1944. The legislation invests about $18 billion dollars over the next five years in reducing college costs, helping millions of students and families. It comes at no new cost to taxpayers, and is funded by cutting excess subsidies paid by the federal government to lenders in the student loan industry.

It's great to see a majority in Congress that actually cares about students!

Bad news: Michigan Supreme Court moves to disenfranchise voters

In case you needed a reminder of where Republicans stand when it comes to election reform:

The high court split along party lines in a 5-2 decision, with Republican justices voting to uphold the ID requirement and Democrats dissenting.
The Michigan Democratic Party is weighing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Having a driver's license is a luxury not a right," said Pete Vargas, chairman of the Lansing school board's Chicano/Latino Advisory Committee. "Voting is a right."

City Commission candidate forgets about debate
Well, at least he's honest.

Second Ward residents hoping for a rip-roaring debate among the four candidates for their City Commission seat were disappointed Thursday.

Only two candidates -- David LaGrand and Ruth Kelly -- showed up at Clancy Street Ministries for the 90-minute televised forum, and both went out of their way to be polite to each other and the no-shows.

Contacted at home afterward, candidate Michael Booker said, "I just plain forgot about it." (emphasis added)

Blog highlight of the week: How much more do you want to pay?
I don't know anyone who loves paying taxes. But as former Michigan House candidate Dan Scripps reminds us, taxes are preferable to the alternative:

The choice in the ongoing budget debate is not whether our costs will go up, but how. Are we willing to pay a modest increase in taxes that all of us share in to build our future and get Michigan moving again, or are we going to pass the buck to make the skills we know we need to compete that much more expensive to obtain? How our representatives answer that question will tell the citizens of this state much about where our priorities are and whether we care more about our children's future than our present situation.

Link of the week: 43Things
So what do you want to do with your life?

Recently (i.e. less than 24 hours ago!) I discovered 43things.com. Create an account on 43Things, and you will be able to list things you would like to do during the course of your life (i.e. get married, write a book, visit a certain place). You can also see how many other people want to do the same thing, and hear from people who have done it.

Photo of the Week: Senators On Vacation
This photo won me $25 on a recent contest on Michigan Liberal:








Video of the Week: Tim Ryan speaks out for ordinary Americans
You go Congressman Ryan:



Quote of the week: Arnold Bennett
"The best cure for worry, depression, melancholy, brooding, is to go deliberately forth and try to lift with one's sympathy the gloom of somebody else."

Joke of the Week: Economics explained
Feudalism: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

Communism: You have two cows. You must take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.

Enron Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell three of them to your publicly listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a debt-equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred through an intermediary to a Cayman Island company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to your listed company. The Enron annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more.

Final thought
I don’t care about Harry Potter. There, I said it.

Twelve facts about taxes in Michigan

Lawmakers in Lansing have been debating a fix to Michigan's budget crisis for several months. While the Fiscal Year 2007 budget is balanced, that for Fiscal Year 2008 (which begins October 1) is not.

A key sticking point in budget talks has been whether to raise taxes. Tax hikes aren't an easy pill to swallow, but neither are poor schools, lousy healthcare, or more potholes.

So to make the tax-hike pill easier to swallow, here are some facts about tax policy in the Great Lakes State for you to ponder.

1. In February, a bipartisan panel said that Michigan "must develop a fiscal plan that includes a combination of revenue increases, spending cuts, and reform of how public services are delivered." (emphasis added)



2. For someone earning $50,000 per year, Michigan's income tax is the eleventh lowest in the country (including sttaes which have chosen to fund their revenues through means other than income taxes).



3. State spending is lower now than anytime since 1974, following several years of budget cuts.



4. Governor Granholm has cut business taxes nearly one hundred times since becoming governor.



5. It's not like the state wastes your taxpayer dollars. Michigan has been ranked the third-best-managed state in the nation by Governing Magazine.



6. Wall Street is watching. Citing uncertainty surrounding the state's budget, particularly with regards to the elimination of the Single Business Tax, Standard & Poor’s recently dropped Michigan’s credit rating. This rating affects Michigan’s ability to attract businesses and create jobs.



7. Raising taxes isn't all that unpopular either. The people of Michigan believe a tax increase is needed as part of a solution to the budget crisis.



8. The Chamber of Commerce also supports a tax increase. The Chamber, people, the Chamber!



9. Republican Kalamazoo County Administrator Don Gilmer recently told the Detroit News that "Taxes are the price you pay for a civilized society."



10. Well, we need a tax hike right now. Without tax increases, funds for cities and counties are often cut, often resulting in jobs for firefighters and police officers being cut. This not only hurts the economy, it can also cost lives.



11. Still unconvinced? Without tax increases, funding for education is often cut. This results in higher tuition for college students, cuts to programs in K-12 schools, and layoffs in both.



12. Finally, it's not like Republicans are completely opposed to raising taxes. When John Engler was governor, the sales tax was raised from 4% to 6%, the gas tax was increased by two cents, and the cigarette tax jumped fifty cents - not to mention numerous fee increases.

The people want a tax increase. Engler wasn't afraid to raise taxes when he was governor. So why are so many legislative Republicans so afraid to do so now?

Ford CEO, Chamber spokeswoman support Democrats' business tax plan

Here's an item from the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island:

Blue and white stickers proclaiming "Pass the MBT" began appearing on lapels Thursday afternoon, about the same time that Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, told reporters that the House's Michigan Business Tax plan needed work.

Democrats like the House plan because it's a better deal for manufacturers, especially carmakers. Republicans prefer a plan that offers more incentive for small businesses.

Ford said the Democratic plan would create a more competitive tax structure for Michigan manufacturers, shift more of the tax burden to out-of-state companies that do business in Michigan and encourage research and development in the state.

...

The Detroit Regional Chamber, which helped write the House plan, weighed in to support it. "We really feel the House approach is better," said Sarah Hubbard, spokeswoman for the chamber.

If the GOP was truly the 'pro-business party,' then why are business leaders flocking to the Democratic plan instead?

Bits of Tid: February 10, 2007

633 days from the 2008 election! (BTW: I haven't received a reply to any of my posts in several weeks!! I feel lonely when no one replies!)

• I went to the Kent County Spring Democratic Convention today. Kinda light turnout; only 60- or so people, compared to the 200 or so people at the one in August (granted, that was just before the last election). The high point was getting a warm reception after discussing Eye On Ehlers. I posted a blurb about that on Daily Kos.
  
  
• The 2006 State of the State was Tuesday. As usual, another great speech by our Governor, as she did her best to outline the crisis Michigan faces, and how we can get out of it. I'm especially glad she discussed the importance of taxes, and how cutting them doesn't help the economy as much as some would have you think. If you didn't get a chance to see the address, read the transcript or watch the video.
  
  
• The Guv has proposed a 2% tax on services (excluding healthcare and education-related services). Look for my thoughts on that later.
  
  
• Barack Obama has officially joined the race. I like him. More thoughts on that later. Also, Mitt Romney came to town for the state GOP Convention. More on Mitt's flip-flops later.
  
  
• Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) - known for his strong opposition to the Iraq War - wants the Guantanamo prison closed.
  
  
• The head of the Michigan Young Republicans has been charged with rape. I donb't care who you are or which party you support... rape is absolutely inexcusable. Then again, he is innocent until proven guilty.