Coalition to Lansing: 'Get us out of this hole' NOW!
Groundhog Day event calls on Governor, Legislature to stop repeating same budget mistakes
Lynn Jondahl, a coalition spokesman, at a Feb. 2 press conference. He was joined by “Dan, Michigan’s groundhog” and representatives from several partner groups.
On the eve of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's final State of the State address, a citizen coalition called for her and the Legislature to enact a balanced solution to Michigan's budget crisis. A Better Michigan Future, a group including MEA and more than 30 other progressive organizations, called for a four-point plan to put Michigan back on track.
The call for action came on Groundhog Day, which was also the third anniversary of a report from a 2007 Emergency Financial Advisory Panel task force, whose recommendations have been ignored repeatedly. A human-size groundhog emphasized our "recurring budget nightmare" as it unveiled a new video to raise awareness about Michigan's structural deficit and broken tax structure.
"Some of you may have seen the movie 'Groundhog Day,' where actor Bill Murray relives the same day again and again," said Cyndi Roper, campaign director for A Better Michigan Future. "Unfortunately, the people of Michigan have been reliving the same nightmare year after year, talking about the same problems and having the same solutions get ignored, year after year. What we need is real change to fix Michigan's finances now."
Added Lynn Jondahl, a former lawmaker who now serves as a coalition spokesman: "Our leaders must end this madness or we'll be here again next year. It's time to build a better Michigan future."
A Better Michigan Future suggests the following reforms to fix Michigan's broken budget:
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 our 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.
For details about these ideas and other coalition work, go to www.ABetterMichiganFuture.org.
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Updated: February 9, 2010