Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Truth About Republican Leadership

"I will not compromise!"

That is Governor Scott Walker's battle cry.  Finally, our Republican leaders are being clear about who they are.  They have been unwilling to compromise for years.  Now they are letting the world know.  We have it in those four short words.

" I will not compromise!"

I wonder where we would be right now if our founding fathers had that attitude.  I doubt we would have the strong democracy we have had for all these years.

Now we appear to be facing the same thing right here in Michigan.

In 2007 we brought the film industry to Michigan and it has been steadily growing ever since.  Hundreds of millions of dollars have poured into our state because of it.  Jobs have been created.  A crew base has been established.  Studios have developed.  Our young people have come back to the state in droves.  Out of work carpenters and plumbers have been trained in a completely new industry. Spirits have been lifted.   It was the bright spot on the horizon of diversifying our economy.

And our new governor ruined it.  He put a $25 million cap on the rebates. 

Mitch Albom said that with that negligible amount, we might as well just fold it up and end our blossoming new industry right now -- in its tracks.  And basically, that is what has happened.  Projects that were in process have shut down and gone home.  We are the laughing stock in both New York and California. 

This legislation was passed into law in 2007 with a broadly bipartisan, nearly unanimous, vote.  Now Governor Snyder has irresponsibly and single-handedly ruined it.

"I will not compromise"

That mantra is now ringing throughout Michigan.  Governor Snyder isn't saying those words, but those are his actions.

And this is just the beginning.  There is a movement afoot in Lansing to cut public education to the nub, take over local governments and schools, end binding arbitration for police and fire, raise taxes for our poorest working families and older citizens, destroy prevailing wages, and  end item pricing. 

"I will not compromise."

That is their mantra, and that is what is driving this agenda.

The tax code in the state of Michigan is regressive, which means the more money you make, the less percentage goes to taxes, the less you make, the higher percentage goes to taxes.  In short, the poorest pay an undue share to keep our state going.  Nowhere, in any of the proposals they have put out, have I seen anything to rectify that sad situation.

How long will our poorest citizens have to shoulder this financial burden to protect wall street millionaires like Rick Snyder?

No one knows.  But this we now know.

They will not compromise.

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