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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

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 [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

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.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

foreclosure
By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

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.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

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.

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Snyder pension tax plan prevents voter repeal

By Todd A. Heywood | 03.11.11 | 11:35 am

Legislative Democrats and activists for senior citizens are crying foul over a legislative ploy by the GOP to prevent a budget proposal to levy taxes on retirement pensions from being placed on the ballot for voter approval.
 
The legislation contains a $100 cash appropriation, and as such, is immune from voter initiatives to repeal the tax if it is approved by the legislature, reports the Detroit Free Press. That move shields the legislation from recall by voters under a 2001 Supreme Court ruling. That ruling determined that bills containing appropriations were not subject to voter approval.

But Democrats say a vote on the issue should be open to the public.

On Thursday, minority House Democrats assailed the move to block a potential repeal vote. “I think there’s a natural, built-in constituency that would sign that petition” to repeal tax changes, said Rep. Vicki Barnett, D-Farmington Hills.

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, however, sees things differently. He says the appropriation is a legitimate cost of implementing the new tax and would likely increase during the budgeting process.

Currently, pension income for senior citizens are not taxed in the state. Snyder has proposed taxing that income as part of his broad budget proposal he has said contains “shared sacrifice.” In addition to the pension tax, Snyder has proposed eliminating the Earned Income Tax Credit which gives low income residents money for working, rather than being on welfare; elimination of business tax credits and the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax and surcharge. The business tax cut would add over a billion dollars to a projected budget deficit of $1.4 billion.

Comments

  • http://twitter.com/dawn9476 Dawn

    Shared sacrifice my foot. This all about taxing the middle class and the poor to pay for Snyder’s tax cuts to his rich puppet masters.

    • Anonymous

      Type your comment here.why ya think i dislike voting republican, this is a typical result

  • Anonymous

    I hope the legislators realize that we may not be able to repeal the tax, but we can sure as hell vote the ones that supported it out of office!

    • Anonymous

      That’s right.
      Vote them OUT!

  • Anonymous

    “Conservatives trample on federal, state, and local laws, News at 11.”

  • http://zeraland.wordpress.com/ Zera Lee

    Seniors have been falling behind the inflation curve – and even more, the rising cost of health care even as they need more of it. Those who own their homes or have mortgages have lost much wealth in falling home prices.

    Now conservatives want to add to the burdens of those who can no longer adjust for the change. And what of the baby boomers? Most have not saved as much as they should have for retirement, and some face cuts in Social Security.

    How many will be driven into insolvency and bankruptcy? Are we to end the American Dream and return to the days of multigenerational homes? Is that even possible in these days of fickle employment and migrant careers?

    I do not think that anyone, especially conservatives, know where conservatives are driving this country.

  • Anonymous

    When will people wake up and see this tyrannical ruler for what he is! Taking away elected representation to local government and not allowing the peoples voice to be heard through referendum on proposed pension tax and tax breaks to business under the pretense of job creation. Sounds like it’s time for another corporate bonus!!!
    Recall King Snyder

  • http://www.facebook.com/devon.kobylinski Devon Kobylinski

    It’s always interesting to view these blogs. All I ever see are comments saying how horrible the ideas are. Instead of criticizing, how about some solutions? Pensions should be taxed as an income, because it’s money that has never been taxed before. People that contribute to their 401K’s have to pay tax on it, and that’s money that they actually had to save above and beyond their normal pay.

    “The business tax cut would add over a billion dollars to a projected budget deficit of $1.4 billion”

    This is a tax that is exclusively used in Michigan, every other state gets by without one. Think about this also: MBT Tax is 1.4 billion and personal income taxes make up 3.7 Billion. So 27% of these revenues are pushed on to businesses.

    Michigan Needs to spend less money.

    • Anonymous

      You are wrong about private pensions.

    • lala41

      We the poor and middle class people – need a break. You work hard and long hours (most of us) and you save and struggle to send your kids to college – then when you retire – you retire into poverty instead of middle class like you hoped. Happy Trails to you. If you aren’t at any of those stages in your life – you will find out. It is easy for someone to add expenses into the life of others especially when he is a millionaire or wealthy (whichever) and can handle all his finances without a wink.

  • Anonymous

    There is a consumption tax coming in 2013-14, on everything, not just energy, gasoline, oil, natural gas, coal, etc. everything. Tax preparers were in DC testifying to the Senate Finance Committee, and it’s all bad. Stabenow & Levin were silent on MI – refused to comment due to politics. How will jobs be produced in MI, when no one in MI will be able to buy anything because of the new FED & ST taxes? School districts being cut $450-800 per student will cut everything they can. Snyder should have consulted, instead of being a “bean counter”, and striking the obvious “easy” targets that Grandholm wouldn’t. We need statesmen, not “geeks” or “politicians”. It is about money….. not “politics”.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ERMGYWPU72V6MD2Q6KRCKJRMOQ judic

    Public pensions of mayors and city councils will not be taxed. this is an unfair tax

  • Anonymous

    The biggest problem with this, and this does not have to do with whether you agree with the proposal in general or not, it the attempt make it immune to any efforts to get it on the ballot so Michigan citizens can decide yes or no. Think about that. It means your ellected officials want to make sure that what they want remains the law and the people do not under any circumstances get a chance to decide whether they want something or not. Generally, I would consider such a move as made by people who are sure they are doing what the people they represent do not want them to do, but what if this technique is applied to every law they pass and we can never get a chance to put our feet down and say, “No! That is now what we, the people want.” It is one more step in the erosion of the democratic process, regardless of the party in charge. One more step toward the fascism that has destroyed democracies in the past.