I disagree with your column about pushing through a timely a budget. I understand the benefits however, I think your missing the point. Should legislators push any budget through so they don’t lose a pay check ? That was the philosophy on the assembly line that got the big three into trouble regarding quality, and that’s what has gotten Michigan in trouble the last seven years.

Most people want the state to shut down. It needs to, in order to shake some sense into our nitwit governor. There has to be structural change. Period. No more new taxes until it’s fixed. I write Mike Bishop all the time encouraging him to hold the line.

State workers and MEA are going to have to start working with the citizens of this state, or the whole place is going to look like Detroit in two years.

Best Regards

Bob

However, many people talk about the need to reform our tax structure, to have a tax system that better reflects our evolution to a service society, to reform the Michigan Business Tax and its hated 22% surtax, to make the state more business friendly, and to improve the business climate to create jobs.

An out of the box solution that few have yet given great thought about that does all of those things is the proposed Michigan Fair Tax For details go to http://mifairtax.org, but, in short, it eliminates the current sales tax, personal income tax, Michigan Business Tax, Personal Property Tax, 6 mill State Education Tax on business and sales tax on all business purchases and replace them all with a simple retail sales tax, which at 9.75% is estimated to be revenue neutral.

I don’t know that the current proposal is perfect, but it sure warrants discussion and evaluation. My bet is, if that were done, people would see that this is far better than what we have, and much more likely to spur job growth in the state.

Now this is not the only thing that needs to be done, as the suggestions in the article regarding the public service unions are also needed. We need to get beyond the entitlement mentality that is crippling Michigan and encourage entrepreneurship, innovation, deferred gratification and hard work.

Hear, Hear! Finally, someone that understands what “planning” is.

Thank you. I hope a personal copy was provided to each member of Michigan’s legislature so they may act now to change the law that supports the outdated process that is in place today.

This is very hopeful-could you share with us the 14 proposals? It would be good to publicize this and get a larger public debate going