Michigan Voters Reject “Roads Tax”

|| By FITSNEWS || Voters in Michigan overwhelmingly rejected a massive tax hike which supporters claimed would provide new funding for the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges.  The “Safe Roads Yes” campaign – embraced by Michigan’s “Republican” governor and dozens of GOP and Democratic lawmakers – would have resulted in a net tax hike of anywhere between $477 and $575 on Michigan households.

The money would have come from hiking the state’s gas and sales taxes, while some low-income families would have received modest tax relief in the form of an earned income tax credit expansion.

Voters were having none of the net $1.9 billion hike … in fact they defeated it by the broadest margin of any ballot initiative in Michigan history.

A whopping 1.4 million voters (80 percent) cast “No” ballots, compared to only 350,000 (20 percent) who voted “Yes.”

Opponents argued Michigan politicians had ballooned the state’s budget by $4.7 billion over the last four years – including money for corporate handouts, Hollywood film incentives and tourism marketing promotion.

“If Michigan has a budget problem, corporate welfare handouts should be the first to go,” the group Concerned Taxpayers of Michigan stated.

Indeed …

Good for Michigan.

Roads and bridges are – as we’ve repeatedly argued – core functions of government.  And taxpayers in Michigan – and all across America – send their governments more than enough money to responsibly discharge that function.

Government doesn’t need more money.  It needs to confine itself to core functions … and perform those functions responsibly.

(Hear that, South Carolina?)

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