Michigan transit tax Rejected [MI Prop 15-1]

[Wesley Mouch]

Do you have any specific examples of the "the VAST number of public employees I see nudging up to the trough everyday" who are completely ineffective, and should be reassigned to pothole patching detail?

#1 would be public school employees nudging the charters away from 'their' trough saying only they know how to education

There are always opportunities to make processes and procedures more efficient and effective, so if you can offer any specific and practical suggestions that would help to improve government services and give us taxpayers more bang for the buck, I would love to hear them, and then join you in advocating li for those changes.

1) No pensioners paid more than $50,000 per year in retirement. 2) No pensioners making more in retirement [[inflation adjusted) than while working, 3) Pension payments prorated to years of service [[work 10 years, get about 1/3 of pension of someone who works entire career).

There's a school of thought these days that we need more taxes. I think the level of taxation in Michigan is appropriate. Thus, I don't favor more taxes. If you want to do something new, find something old that you can adjust and use the savings.

I do also agree that taxation on the rich can be increased, but mostly by elimination of programs that favor the rich such as the mortgage interest deduction. Kill that unfair deduction.

[Gpwrangler]

I do also agree that taxation on the rich can be increased, but mostly by elimination of programs that favor the rich such as the mortgage interest deduction. Kill that unfair deduction.

Mortgage interest deduction favors the rich? How ya figure?

[Wesley Mouch]

Mortgage interest deduction favors the rich? How ya figure?

Look at two cities. Take Hamtramck. Take Franklin.

Grab 10 people at random in each city. Look at average mortaged amount, and thus average interest paid. Who pays more. Second look at who is able to itemize their deductions. Then look at how many people in each town own a second residence. That interest can be deducted too. So can home-equity loans taken against those properties. The super-rich do run up against a limit of $1,000,000 limit of equity value. Poor them.

[Gpwrangler]

Look at two cities. Take Hamtramck. Take Franklin.

No, take the average two-income family in Roseville, Allen Park or Wyandotte in a $175,000 home who may or may not have a cabin up north. They are not super rich and that deduction helps a lot. Thankfully it is only up for discussion in places like this board. Homeowners help the economy in many ways. And those home equity loans [[ that get so many in trouble) often fund college educations or needed repairs that keep many homes from going downhill.

Start penalizing homeowners and and hard working people and maybe more communities will circle the drain. If you want hard-working people to stop buying cars and real estate that's fine. Put up a bill to remove the interest deduction. It will probably be less popular than this bullshit road bill. I swear to God extreme wealth to some on this board means your car is all painted factory color with four matching tires. Geez my spare is even original I must really be wealthy.

I can't wait to see this get voted down. Maybe it will be just the start of turning this train around before we turn socialist. Last I heard there was almost 70% disapproval of the road bill.

[sumas]

I have not heard that radio spot. Praise powers that be. Voting NO.

Don't blame liberals for a bill that smacks of Republican boondoogles.

Roads need fixing, lighting, water, sewer isues, need to be addressed. Has to be paid for somehow. Just not with idiot bills that put sticky hands in the pot. The tax increase wouldn't bother me, if/when I saw results. Not happening with this bill.

I donate money privately, not to wasteful government.

[Mikeg]

.....Don't blame liberals for a bill that smacks of Republican boondoogles......

What are you talking about?

Even the Detroit Free Press has made it clear that Proposal 1's "increased funding for schools, local governments and the EITC are all concessions Democratic lawmakers extracted for supporting the road-funding package when leaders of the Legislature's GOP majority couldn't muster enough Republican votes to pass it."

[Dan Wesson]

What are you talking about?

Even the Detroit Free Press has made it clear that Proposal 1's "increased funding for schools, local governments and the EITC are all concessions Democratic lawmakers extracted for supporting the road-funding package when leaders of the Legislature's GOP majority couldn't muster enough Republican votes to pass it.

Now you went a did it Mike!
St. Sumas is gonna change her vote!!

[Wesley Mouch]

No, take the average two-income family in Roseville, Allen Park or Wyandotte in a $175,000 home who may or may not have a cabin up north. They are not super rich and that deduction helps a lot. Thankfully it is only up for discussion in places like this board. Homeowners help the economy in many ways. And those home equity loans [[ that get so many in trouble) often fund college educations or needed repairs that keep many homes from going downhill.

Start penalizing homeowners and and hard working people and maybe more communities will circle the drain. If you want hard-working people to stop buying cars and real estate that's fine. Put up a bill to remove the interest deduction. It will probably be less popular than this bullshit road bill. I swear to God extreme wealth to some on this board means your car is all painted factory color with four matching tires. Geez my spare is even original I must really be wealthy.

I can't wait to see this get voted down. Maybe it will be just the start of turning this train around before we turn socialist. Last I heard there was almost 70% disapproval of the road bill.

Wrangler, I do not favor 'penalizing' average families with $175,000. However I see rich people getting 5 times the tax savings of an average family, and I see inequality being applied.

The inequality is even more pronounced when you consider that poorer families get ZERO credit.

[Gpwrangler]

Wrangler, I do not favor 'penalizing' average families with $175,000. However I see rich people getting 5 times the tax savings of an average family, and I see inequality being applied.

The inequality is even more pronounced when you consider that poorer families get ZERO credit.

I'm not gonna get hung up on the edges of the bell curve. There are also quite a few people who pay ZERO tax. Incentives drive the economy. We need people to keep buying houses and mortgage tax credits do that, and aren't going anywhere.

I guess you could impose a flat tax with no deductions for anyone if you really want to be fair. No stupid forms or IRS, just automatic 25% withholding for everyone. Sound good? Sure would be equal, wouldn't it?

[emu steve]

I'm not gonna get hung up on the edges of the bell curve. There are also quite a few people who pay ZERO tax. Incentives drive the economy. We need people to keep buying houses and mortgage tax credits do that, and aren't going anywhere.

I guess you could impose a flat tax with no deductions for anyone if you really want to be fair. No stupid forms or IRS, just automatic 25% withholding for everyone. Sound good? Sure would be equal, wouldn't it?

No.

Actually doing away with the capital gains system and treating all income as income would be fairer. Do away with 401K type programs.

Those who want 'simpler' taxes should agree to treat all income alike. What could be simpler?

Just 25% withholding for everyone for SOME income [[mostly income on wages and salary????) but not Mitt's capital gains???

Mitt [[Romney) et. al. get rich on this stuff: No payroll taxes on capital gains income. low capital gains tax rate.

Believe me, CONSERVATIVES do NOT believe in simple taxes, fairer taxes, etc.

They believe in simple, flat taxes for those who live on wages and salaries and a completely different scheme for those who make money tons of money in capital gains, etc.

[msamslex]

Got two robo calls on 3/28, @11:39am & 6:38pm CID said Safe Roads Yes. No more calls since then. I didn't answer and no message was left.

[emu steve]

Look at two cities. Take Hamtramck. Take Franklin.

Grab 10 people at random in each city. Look at average mortaged amount, and thus average interest paid. Who pays more. Second look at who is able to itemize their deductions. Then look at how many people in each town own a second residence. That interest can be deducted too. So can home-equity loans taken against those properties. The super-rich do run up against a limit of $1,000,000 limit of equity value. Poor them.

Absolutely.

If someone buys a 25K house in Detroit how much mortgage interest could they have [[hell, do banks even want to make mortgages less than 25K)?

Indeed, big mortgages, home equity, etc. are the financial products of the middle and upper income folks... Can't get a 400K mortgage with a 25K annual salary.

[Gpwrangler]

Absolutely.

If someone buys a 25K house in Detroit how much mortgage interest could they have [[hell, do banks even want to make mortgages less than 25K)?

Indeed, big mortgages, home equity, etc. are the financial products of the middle and upper income folks... Can't get a 400K mortgage with a 25K annual salary.

So does that imply there is something unfair about this? Seems like basic math to me. It's all proportional. I had a $37k mortgage when I had a $25k salary. I also took the interest deduction. It it wasn't as big as the deduction my rich boss got on his $400k home but I don't recall any outrage.

[ABetterDetroit]

My biggest reason that I will vote NO.

486,892 Million dollars. That is roughly what Oakland, Wayne and Macomb county's sent to Lansing with 1 cent of sales tax in 2011 according to them. The number one, two and three largest sales tax generators by county in the state respectively. I am tired of sending tax money to Lansing and getting the shaft. If anyone actually believes that we would see anywhere near that spent back here in the tri-county area they are dreaming. We would be lucky to see one third return for infrastructure of any kind. Vote a tax increase on myself and neighbors so we can once again get a few dimes on the dollar? No thank you.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/tr...2_432538_7.pdf

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[jerrytimes]

I'm a Snyder supporter, he's done an OK job in my opinion, but new taxes will fix nothing. I pay enough. Make these construction companies accountable for their garbage work. I696 should be like it is already, I believe it was re paved in 2002 or something.

[248lurker]

I'm a Snyder supporter, he's done an OK job in my opinion, but new taxes will fix nothing. I pay enough.

I've liked Snyder, too. I find it hard to blame him for the road mess when the state legislators seem to be such polar opposites they are unwilling to compromise ... and probably disagree on what day of the week it is . Snyder has been wanting something for the roads since he first took office and the legislature can't seem to come up with anything.

I feel as if voters were given a rather inferior proposal to vote on with the usual promise of doom and gloom if we reject it. Note to the pols: We voted you in office to make these difficult decisions. Don't make us do your dirty work. [[/soap)

[Danny]

It's NO NO NO! prop 1. No new taxes! Now Snyder and his geek squad will have to go back to Lansi-- I mean Rome! to work out a plan b. Wait a minute there is no plan- b!


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

I'm waiting until the I-75 Rouge River Bridge to collapse anytime. You all folks better remember the Zilwaukee Bridge collapse in the late 1980s.

For Neda, Guy Fawkes and all our black males who been killed by cops.

[Scottathew]

You all folks better remember the Zilwaukee Bridge collapse in the late 1980s.

This does not seem to be consistent with recorded history.