[MIhome]

Michigan has to take the helm somewhere,or again get left behind.

[magellan]

I found the website for the Michigan Fair Tax group:

Michigan fair tax proposal (http://www.fultonsheen.us/michiganfairtaxproposal.html - broken link)

This portion looks like it answers some questions here in this thread:

Raising the sales tax 3.5 cents would require a constitutional amendment. The amendment would repeal any statewide tax enacted after January 1, 2007, and no other statewide tax could be restored, or enacted, or the sales tax amount increased without a vote of the people. The ballot amendment would also add counties along with townships, cities, and villages to the constitution and combine the constitutional and the statutory Revenue Sharing distributions into one, making the entire distribution constitutional, giving municipalities a number they can budget on.

If you think this is a good idea (read the proposal first), shoot them an email and pledge your support, and send your support of this to your local legislators.

Contact (http://www.fultonsheen.us/contact.html - broken link)

house.mi.gov - Find a Representative (http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp - broken link)
Welcome to the Michigan Senate

[suydam]

I'd be completely in favor of this change with one exemption: food.
If you remove food from the list of taxed items, then you remove the regressive nature of the tax (poor people eat the same amount, give or take, that we middle classers eat) but $50/week for grocers might be 25% of their weekly income whereas it's just a drop of Dick DeVos's (just an example).

If you remove food from the list, you are helping make it fair. Tax everything else (gas even...ride your bike, buy a used Civic, take the bus) and I think you have a potential winner.

It certainly seems more fair. We're taxed an amount directly proportionate to what we spend.

[mich2fla]

As I had time to think about it, the Michigan Fair tax proposal would be a good thing for Michigan. It's going to get worse before it'll get better...the tax increase we saw last week is only for this fiscal year. The legislature will need to cut more for 2009, who knows if they are going to raise taxes again.

I read the link posted by magellan (post # 32). Take the time to read it and understand it. I will be e-mailing our representatives and let them know that I support it. Please do the same and sign the petition.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by mich2fla

As I had time to think about it, the Michigan Fair tax proposal would be a good thing for Michigan. It's going to get worse before it'll get better...the tax increase we saw last week is only for this fiscal year. The legislature will need to cut more for 2009, who knows if they are going to raise taxes again.

I read the link posted by magellan (post # 32). Take the time to read it and understand it. I will be e-mailing our representatives and let them know that I support it. Please do the same and sign the petition.

Just to let everyone know, I am NOT affiliated with this group, or part of any PAC, or involved in politics at all (other than arguing with my friends and neighbors and voting) Like mich2fla, read the links and see what you think.

[Virginia1]

Just to chime in......Flat Tax all the way. OVERALL it is the best system. Perfect? What is. But....in the long run if this makes Michigan look attractive for businesses..."whisper" it brings jobs, then go for it. Wow..... would n't be awesome if Michigan comes to the forefront, decides to do it and it becomes a success. But watch out for the politicians, they will try to kill it, saying it only helps the rich, that drum is getting old.....and I am not rich. Yeah....Flat TAx.

[bryan61]

Originally Posted by MIhome

No magic bullit, even a flat retail sales tax

First of it's B-U-L-L-E-T





Still no real facts just alot of speculation about what if, this and that laa dee daa. Thinking a flat retail tax will magically make politicians accountable is guileable at best. If you want to finally kill Michigans Economy and create a boon for our neighbors implement a flat retail tax so anyone within a 3 hour drive to a bordering state will be making their major retail purchases there.

[bls5555]

Originally Posted by bryan61

First of it's B-U-L-L-E-T





Still no real facts just alot of speculation about what if, this and that laa dee daa. Thinking a flat retail tax will magically make politicians accountable is guileable at best. If you want to finally kill Michigans Economy and create a boon for our neighbors implement a flat retail tax so anyone within a 3 hour drive to a bordering state will be making their major retail purchases there.

You have just invalidated every single one of your other posts.

Someone will drive three hours to avoide a 9.25% tax, when the money they spend in gas will eat up those savings? Come on now. Think a little bit.

If this is explained truthfully (not spun by politicians against it) NOBODY would be against it.

What do you lose? 3 cents on a dollar purchase.

What do you gain? No Income Tax, No spending money on an account to do that income tax, no tax on necessities, etc, etc, etc...

You want facts? Go here. This is a national scale fair tax. The same holds true on the state level.

Americans For Fair Taxation: Research Papers

Heres a Macroeconmic analysis of the Fair Tax. Knock yourself out, OR you can just take the majorities word and believe it would be good for the state, just as it would be good for the nation.

http://www.fairtax.org/PDF/Macroecon...sofFairTax.pdf

Based on this criterion, the current tax code is an abysmal failure. First, the compliance costs are too large. Studies estimate the costs of compliance with the current tax system to be around $200 billion annually.2

[bryan61]

Ive already researched and discussed the issue ad nauseum on 15 different political forums over the last 10 years. I dont need the "majorities"

word

Im am completely open minded and will listen to logic and reason that makes sense and is backed up with facts.

So if I want to re-furnish my house and have $15,000.00 to spend how much do I save buying in a state where I pay 3.5% less in tax.

[bryan61]

Of course im poor, so I will never be able to afford to spend that kind of money on furniture. Only the well to do will be motivated to shop across the border and save on the tax gouge. Us poor folk will pay 9.5 at rent to own.