“Without employers, you don’t have employees.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, the state of Maine became an official “pro-business” state with their implementation of a flat tax, essentially, a tax cut on the rich;
This month the Democratic legislature and Governor John Baldacci broke with Obamanomics and enacted a sweeping tax reform that is almost, but not quite, a flat tax. The new law junks the state’s graduated income tax structure with a top rate of 8.5% and replaces it with a simple 6.5% flat rate tax on almost everyone. Those with earnings above $250,000 will pay a surtax rate of 0.35%, for a 6.85% rate. Maine’s tax rate will fall to 20th from seventh highest among the states. To offset the lower rates and a larger family deduction, the plan cuts the state budget by some $300 million to $5.8 billion, closes tax loopholes and expands the 5% state sales tax to services that have been exempt, such as ski lift tickets.
Imagine that! They also slashed their budget – who knew Democrats understood the process? The quote in the title of this post if from Maine’s Governor Baldacci response to the question how he convinced the Democrat legisture to lower taxes on the rich.
I’m hoping my Governor O’Malley is paying attention, since the only thing he knows how to do is raise taxes and threatens to fire cops and firemen in order to get tax hikes so he can raise bureaucart wages.
Category: Politics
Sounds like your Gov and mine (Jennifer Granholm, MI) are one and the same. I just heard a radio news snippet on poll results that show Michiganders are now in favor of a graduated tax that Jenny has been pushing…..you know, because business is booming in Michigan these days…….oh ya, and we are slashing state police budgets and prison budgets because we need more unemployed criminals on the streets
FINALLY, SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE! has the right idea. Universal flat tax, closed loopholes, reduced government budget. Lead by example! If Maine can make this work, MAYBE, just MAYBE, it will set an example to the Federal government (but I’m not holding my breath waiting).
“oh ya, and we are slashing state police budgets and prison budgets.”
All the more reason to CCW. Kind of funny how cop/prison guard unions fight like hell to keep certain victimless crimes on the books. Good for bidness, keeps those jails & prisons full of peeps who could be paying extortion, oops, taxes ya know!
“Universal flat tax, closed loopholes, reduced government budget.” Yup, no need for a taxpayer funded bureaucrapcy like the IRS to harass Joe/Jill Sixpack.
The problem is that the story is an out-and-out lie. Folks everywhere will be seeing their cost of living go up because of this tax. The papers in Maine are all lap dogs of Baldacci and his legislative crew of professional thieves. You won’t EVER get the truth of the matter from them. Sales taxes were expanded to cover virtually everything, from automobile repairs to haircuts. The whole premise of this new tax-scheme was to put the onus of taxation on tourists. Guess what? They EXEMPTED ski lift tickets from the new tax. They also exempted lawyer fees too. Imagine that. Maine’s problem is it is the welfare whore of the nation. There is no requirement for residency here. Just show up and apply. No need to try and find work. Just bring along a couple of rug rats, or, better yet, be a refugee and you’re in like Flint! Catholic Charities has been literally sending up bus loads of Somali refugees. When they get off the bus, they have a flyer in their hand which lists all of the contact info for state and local welfare departments. Mainers are having trouble finding jobs, but Somalis get subsidized housing, food stamps, and free medical care. In Lewiston, they even got local help in acquiring a building to convert into a Madrassa and Mosque. What could possibly go wrong there, eh? The typical crap with taxis has also started up. Somali cab drivers (and who isn’t, these days in Maine?) have been refusing to drive unaccompanied women, people with dogs or alcohol, or take people to bars and clubs. Somali women are refusing to work without wearing veils and headscarfs, and are demanding that local schools serve haram food. But I digress. Maine’s largest employer is the State of Maine. We have one of the largest percent-of-population rates for government workers in the nation. Yet, the crooks and liars in Augusta can’t find a way to cut the budget. All they can do is raise taxes. 2 years ago, Maine raised the cigarette tax. They figured they’d pull in an extra… Read more »
Junior, do you have any idea how HARD it is to get into a prison in Michigan? You would have to be a 3 time offender to get into prison here, unless we’re talking murder or armed robbery. Burglaries get bargained down to larceny, felonious assault gets bargained to assault and battery, etc. etc. And, anyway, what makes you think the “peeps” in prison would be paying taxes if they were out?
Old Tanker, don’t worry too much, the polls are always, always taken in Detroit, Pontiac, and along the I-75 corridor. Guess who runs those failing, bankrupt cities?
“certain victimless crimes on the books.”
“Burglaries get bargained down to larceny, felonious assault gets bargained to assault and battery, etc. etc.”
Are not victimless crimes, and often can be dealt with using buckshot or hollow points.
“Catholic Charities has been literally sending up bus loads of Somali refugees. When they get off the bus, they have a flyer in their hand which lists all of the contact info for state and local welfare departments.”
Idiotic. Catholic Charities should be assisting Catholics, not Moslems, who have their own charities and, according to their Koran, only help Moslems.
I agree, but sometimes the burglaries happen when the resident or business owner is not on premises, what then, sparky? I notice you still didn’t address the “peeps” and taxes, but then, it isn’t surprising. And, apparently, you DON’T know how hard a bad guy(or gal) has to work to get into a Michigan prison. There are no cherries in our prisons,
“Old Tanker, don’t worry too much, the polls are always, always taken in Detroit, Pontiac, and along the I-75 corridor. Guess who runs those failing, bankrupt cities?”
Gee who?
/sarc
I’m not too far from the I-75 corridor so I know all too well. Hell, I live in the birthplace of the Republican party and we have nothing but Dems representing us at local, state, and federal levels.
“the burglaries happen when the resident or business owner is not on premises, what then, sparky?”
A police report is filed & perhaps, if the planets are aligned correctly, the property is recovered (doubtful).
“And, apparently, you DON’T know how hard a bad guy(or gal) has to work to get into a Michigan prison. There are no cherries in our prisons.”
You are right, I don’t know the stats on how hard it is to go to the pen. I made a general, national level comment regarding victimless crimes & Cop & Corrections unions pushing to keep victimless crimes on the books, which does happen at a national level. Check press releases from their unions when marijuana legalization legislation is proposed.
A Michigan example of $$$ being flushed down the toilet for victimless crime. Senator Stabmenow’s (misspelling intentional) asshelmet whoring hubby Tom Athans walked after “helping police” with their investigation when he was busted with a hooker. The hooker got jail time for selling victimless “quality time.” County tax $$$ were spent to incarcerate her for a tasteless career choice. What’s the logic to that? I have no idea if her case went beyond the county level.
“I agree, but sometimes the burglaries happen when the resident or business owner is not on premises, what then, sparky?”
Elect a Libertarian. Reduce taxes for a police force that can react in (many) minutes to crimes that happen is seconds and spend their own money on private security which would remain on site. FYI, according to a Supreme court ruling, the Police have no duty to protect Joe/Jill Sixpack.