MEA Votes

If Gov. Granholm hadn’t been wearing a different suit, one could easily have thought tonight’s State of the State address was a replay of her past 7 annual speeches.

Act with urgency. Create jobs. Cut the budget. Give more tax breaks.

It didn’t work the first seven times. And it’s not going to work this year. It’s like we’re living the same nightmare over and over again.

The way to break the cycle is not more of the same failed policies, games and gimmicks. We need a balanced approach to fixing Michigan’s fiscal mess – addressing common sense reforms and our broken tax system.

A Better Michigan Future has that balanced approach – a Comeback Plan with just four common sense steps:

1. Audit Government Contracts – Reduce wasteful spending by conducting performance audits on $16 billion worth of government contracts with an eye toward efficiencies – ensuring Michigan taxpayers are getting the most value for their dollar.

2. Close Tax Loopholes & Giveaways – Eliminate tax incentives and loopholes for companies failing to create and retain jobs, while requiring yearly performance reviews for all remaining tax credits and incentives.

3. Modernize the State's Sales Tax – Our current sales tax is based on the old economy; we must expand the sales tax to include services and luxury items to ensure stable revenue into the future.

4. Implement a Graduated Income Tax – Michigan is one of only seven states with a flat-rate income tax. We must modernize our tax code to ensure fairness and equity, while offering a tax cut to 90 percent of Michigan families.

These four steps will help end our decade long budget crisis. But only if our rank-and-file legislators take action on these common sense steps – because it’s clear our gimmick-happy governor and legislative leadership are interested in just doing more of what they’ve done to date. And we can’t afford to keep reliving this past, lost decade.