I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
At an appearance of the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce last week, GOP candidate for governor Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Holland said he would support an increase in the state’s sales tax. He also said it should be expanded to services and other items not currently covered.
Those increased taxes would be used to fill the budget hole causes by eliminating other, unspecified taxes. Hoekstra mentioned small business taxes as well as property taxes, but did not get into details, reports the Hometown Life website.
But Hoekstra didn’t stop there, he took aim at lawmakers for not understanding how new small business tax rules and laws would impact businesses, and thrashed the executive branch for taking 10 months to announce the new rules and how they would be applied.
And don’t expect a feel good governor who “feels your pain” if Hoekstra gets elected.
Ferndale City Councilman Scott Galloway asked the Congressman about the budget deficits his city has faced, which have resulted in layoffs. Hoekstra chastised Galloway and the Ferndale leadership for not being aware the budget crisis was coming two years ago, claiming they should have. Galloway denied, and there is plenty of evidence with the state legislature’s consistent back and forth on revenue sharing cuts, that Ferndale had any idea how bad the budgets would be two years ago.
Hoekstra, according to the report, followed up his chastisement for being unprepared with the following quote:
“Why are you talking to me. Why not go to the legislators? You knew six months ago what the problem is…People have delayed making tough decisions.”
Yes, indeed, why would an elected official worried about declining revenue sharing with the state, bother a man who wants to be governor with such questions as how he would handle revenue sharing and cuts if he was elected governor?
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