Detroit must jettison its losing tax scheme

STEPHEN HENDERSON
DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

Pay more. Get less.

That's the social contract Detroiters endure with city government.
They pay more kinds of taxes, at higher rates, than any other citizens in Michigan.
And the services they receive in return -- police response and fire coverage, public education and lighting -- are shoddy and embarrassing.

In most cities, taxes foot the bill for services, and in the most popular big cities -- Chicago, New York, Los Angeles -- it's common to pay more because of the amenities and social and cultural benefits of city life.

But in Detroit, our extreme tax rates have the opposite effect. Sky-high taxes help drive people and businesses out, yielding less of the revenue needed to deliver quality services, which encourages more people to leave. It's a destructive cycle that's driving the city's livability index into the ground.
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Did anyone make a New Year's resolution to quit making excuses?