Column for week of April 27, 2015
On May 5 Michigan voters will be asked to approve a
$2 billion tax increase. Of course, the $2 billion is only a
starter. With time and inflation the tax increase will grow.
The $2 billion tax increase is the price our "public servants"
demand before they will do anything to fix the roads.
The legislature says only 65 percent of the tax increase
will be spent on transportation. Transportation is loosely
defined to include mass transit and recreational grants. The
remaining 35 percent is the price our "public servants" demand
in exchange for their tossing a few of our dollars at pot holes.
They say "Give us an extra $700 million dollars to squander as
we see fit or we won't allow the roads to be fixed." This is
extortion.
Will voters grovel and lick the politicians' boots while
expressing gratitude for the crumbs? Or, will the voters stand,
scream "No way," and boot out the extorting politicians at the
next election?
Those politicians who can't find money to fix the roads
are spending hundreds of millions on corporate welfare,
including millions for "impoverished" Hollywood movie
makers. The claim is that those gifts create jobs.
The number of jobs promised is insignificant. The
number delivered is even smaller. Also, they fail to deduct the
jobs that would have been created by taxpayers spending their
own money.
In addition substantial amounts of highway tax revenue
are now diverted to non road uses such as city buses. The only
justification for the high tax on motor fuel is that it serves as a
toll where by road users pay for the roads they use. Diversion
to any other purpose, worthy or not, is the kind of breach of
trust we have grown too accustomed to.
Some legislators claim there is no other plan to fix the
roads. They want us to believe it is either submit to extortion,
or potholes forever. An alternate plan was introduced in the
legislature in December 2014. It included a way to provide
money for roads without raising taxes. I don't recall the details
of the plan. The important point is that its existence proves
that those saying there is no alternative are either liars or suffer
from severe amnesia. Either way they don't belong in the
legislature.
If the legislature's great plan didn't include a sales tax
increase it wouldn't require voter approval. There is no reason
why sales tax should be involved in road work. Use road tax
money and only road tax money for the roads. And, spend
road tax money only on roads.
The politicians included more money for schools in
their package. Every scam must include "Do it for the
children." No matter how much money we pour down the rat
hole of failed schools, many voters still fall for the claim more
money will fix the schools. Never mind that the worst schools
are already getting the most money. Failed schools, like any
other failed enterprises, need to be junked and replaced. There
is ample evidence that fixes don't work.
There is another neat feature to the tax package.
Vehicle registration charges used to be based on vehicle
weight. This made sense. Weight bears some relation to how
much vehicles damage the roads.
Then the politicians changed the formula and charged
based on price of the vehicle. Price has nothing to do with
road damage. At least they let the registration charges decrease
as the vehicle aged. The May 5 tax package eliminates that
decrease. If you drive a worn down old car you will pay an
annual fee based on what it cost new. When you are on a roll,
Why not rip off the low income people too?
I'm voting NO on the May 5 sales tax increase and all
its baggage. A NO vote will also be a stick in the eye for the
conniving politicians trying to ram the garbage down the
taxpayers' throats.
aldmccallum@gmail.com
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Copyright 2015
Albert D. McCallum
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