The (CENSORED) is Hitting the Fan
Michigan is hours from a crisis.
A major one.
At midnight Sunday night - Monday morning the state government will be largely shut down.
This has been coming for a long time. You can't strangle the goose that lays the golden eggs and then wish for more golden eggs. Michigan has done that by taxing and punishing successful businesses and driving them into other states and countries. When total business revenues in a state drop so do tax revenues.
How many tax dollars does it take to kill a job?
How many private sector jobs do you have to destroy to create one state job?
These are questions I'd like to see the answer to.
I am not going to analyze the situation or blame this or that politician because as I have said many times: it is a cultural problem in the state and not simply a political one. Instead I want to point out a couple of things.
1. Everyone needs the government now and then but we depend on it for way too much and it is involved in things it doesn't need to be.
I was on unemployment and while I was I was spending 3 to 5 hours a week in a state office getting state help finding a job. In the end I heard a rumor from a friend, followed it and found a job that the state didn't have a clue about. How many tax dollars were wasted on me to no avail and I solved the problem the old-fashioned way? Most of my old co-workers who have found work found it the same way. I have not found one of them yet who got their job through the state agency. It sounds like a good idea, as so many government programs do, but what percentage of people does it really help and what percentage in the end find work elsewhere in other ways? Is it the most effective way for people to find jobs?
We need to depend on the state for less.
2) We need to look at other things too and wonder if the state really needs to be involved and we need to look at user fees and licenses in some areas where the state is involved but only a small number are effected. (User fees being funds paid directly to a state agency by those who use its services.)
I understand the state controlling licenses and regulating the flow of liquor in the state but shouldn't that be paid by a user fee rather than general tax dollars? The same with running the lottery commission.
I just hope we can solve the problem without completely destroying our state economy.
There is no painless answer.
A major one.
At midnight Sunday night - Monday morning the state government will be largely shut down.
This has been coming for a long time. You can't strangle the goose that lays the golden eggs and then wish for more golden eggs. Michigan has done that by taxing and punishing successful businesses and driving them into other states and countries. When total business revenues in a state drop so do tax revenues.
How many tax dollars does it take to kill a job?
How many private sector jobs do you have to destroy to create one state job?
These are questions I'd like to see the answer to.
I am not going to analyze the situation or blame this or that politician because as I have said many times: it is a cultural problem in the state and not simply a political one. Instead I want to point out a couple of things.
1. Everyone needs the government now and then but we depend on it for way too much and it is involved in things it doesn't need to be.
I was on unemployment and while I was I was spending 3 to 5 hours a week in a state office getting state help finding a job. In the end I heard a rumor from a friend, followed it and found a job that the state didn't have a clue about. How many tax dollars were wasted on me to no avail and I solved the problem the old-fashioned way? Most of my old co-workers who have found work found it the same way. I have not found one of them yet who got their job through the state agency. It sounds like a good idea, as so many government programs do, but what percentage of people does it really help and what percentage in the end find work elsewhere in other ways? Is it the most effective way for people to find jobs?
We need to depend on the state for less.
2) We need to look at other things too and wonder if the state really needs to be involved and we need to look at user fees and licenses in some areas where the state is involved but only a small number are effected. (User fees being funds paid directly to a state agency by those who use its services.)
I understand the state controlling licenses and regulating the flow of liquor in the state but shouldn't that be paid by a user fee rather than general tax dollars? The same with running the lottery commission.
I just hope we can solve the problem without completely destroying our state economy.
There is no painless answer.
posted by shoprat at 6:56 PM
3 Comments:
I can see why Mitt is doing well there, Granholme is worthless
Michigan's government is shutting down? WOW! Isn't that newsworthy? Where's the MSM on this? Nevermind... out to lunch as usual.
The Democrats are bent on doing the same thing to Ca., I am thankful to be a highly skilled, licensed tradesman in a wide open market. It is crazy out here buddy, so I can empathize with you Michiganders.
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