John Bailey on Michigan Taxes and Budget
Everyone knows the line about a “spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.” Well in the case of the leaders in Lansing proposing tax increases and budget cuts to the public, effective communication is the spoonful of sugar.
The people of Michigan will be more supportive of spending cuts and tax increases if they understand the proposals and their impact – and the consequences if nothing happens.
The governor is a tremendous communicator and needs to explain to voters how dire Michigan’s budget situation is. It will help tremendously if the voters see the governor and Legislature working for a common purpose together rather than for a chosen political ideology.
In particular, business owners in the service industries like public relations, law, accounting and advertising will be a key audience because of the proposed new tax on services.
With such thin profit margins already, there’s the potential for job losses or companies changing locations or billing practices to avoid paying a new Michigan tax. We all need to be willing to look at it because we need to consider all the options if we are going to put the economic health of Michigan first.
Michigan’s budget situation requires a sense of urgency or the state will continue to flounder. Outside of Lansing, there is an apparent apathy – or perhaps a lack of empathy – from the public regarding government budget problems. A recent poll published in the Detroit Free Press said 64 percent of Michiganders would prefer spending cuts to solve the state’s budget problems.
All of Michigan’s elected leaders need to embrace technology to communicate with voters, using Web sites, e-mail, blogs and pod casts. The governor knows from her successful town hall meetings four years ago that two-way communication is always more productive and effective. She can revisit this tactic to communicate her plan and budget. She could even do a 30 to 40 minute movie of her presentation to communicate with community and business groups, cable channels, church groups, etc.
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February 9th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Much low hanging fruit remains ripe for cutting in the state budget. With our financial condition so dire, avoiding pain and sacred cows is not an option. For example, let’s get serious about consolidating school districts in older communities that no longer have the student population to support all the buildings, infrastructure and resources. My community, St. Clair Shores, still has three high schools, three middle schools and many elementary schools. This made sense in the 1950s through the 1980s, but no longer is justified by the population. Today, suburban districts of comparable student population only have one high school and far fewer feeder schools. Is the governor willing to force this issue with the education unions?