For some perverse reason the editors and staff at the Detroit News are operating under the delusion that the group that created the Michigan budget crisis are the ones best equipped to fix it. They allege that the only serious players in this budget debacle are the republicans, specifically Senator Bishop.
Over the last several months the News has named republicans as the source for real budget reform and slyly bolster their argument in an April 20 article implying that Michigan is in worse shape than most other states because of the Governor’s poor management, citing a National Conference of State Legislators report as evidence.
The News is misleading its loyal readers as they appeal to the zero government lunatic fringe in our society. The NCSL summary points out that all States are facing the same dilemma Michigan is currently experiencing, declining sales tax revenues despite better than expected tax collections from income and business taxes.
Sounds like Michigan in 1999 before autos went bust. Some States are behaving prudently, putting money away or using their windfall to offset pension and health care costs, and others are preparing to adopt the 1999 republican strategy, reductions in taxes just like Engler did.
It is so unfortunate that citizens relying on the News for reporting with integrity and clarity are being manipulated as a way to assert republican power and conceal social, political and personal agendas.
Yellow journalism is alive and well!
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