What does Gov. Snyder's budget mean to you? Town hall meeting to address question
State Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, will host a budget town hall meeting March 21 to give residents an answer to the question: “What does Gov. Snyder's budget mean to you?
Rebekah Warren
The event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Room 101 of the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College.
It's expected to feature a presentation outlining the impact of state budget cuts on the business community, working families, schools, seniors and local communities.
Also on the agenda is a panel discussion with various local representatives and a question-and-answer session at which people can raise individual concerns.
Representatives on the panel include:
- Dedrick Martin, superintendent of Ypsilanti Public Schools
- Paul Schreiber, mayor of Ypsilanti
- Howard Bunsis, Eastern Michigan University professor and chairman of the American Association of University Professors Collective Bargaining Congress
To close a $1.4 billion state deficit and finance $1.8 billion in business tax cuts, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has proposed deep cuts that impact schools, universities, cities, townships, counties, senior citizens and low-income wage earners, among other groups. He talked about his rationale for those cuts in a speech Thursday at Washtenaw Community College.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.
Comments
Domey
Sun, Mar 13, 2011 : 2:50 p.m.
For a nice explanation of how dangerous and evil this governor is watch this youtube video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpO1QFMDtM&sns=em" rel='nofollow'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpO1QFMDtM&sns=em</a> Government Inc. has big plans for all of us. Will we stand for it?
bugjuice
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.
There is a huge transfer of wealth going on in this country and around the world . It comes from the paychecks of working people and flows to the offshore bank accounts of the wealthy. This is what many people, left and right, are saying but most of the Right continues to be duped into support the corporations, CEO's and the wealthiest at their own peril.
Townie
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 5:43 p.m.
I can remember our governor saying how he didn't want incentives and taxes to pick 'winners and losers' in terms of businesses. So he's turned it around and what he really meant was he was going to pick winners and losers with his budget and he's done it. Result: Losers: lower, middle income folks and senior citizens. Winners: the wealthy and corporations. What a surprise coming from him; I'm shocked, just shocked. Hope you're rich and own a nice corporation. (PS: cutting taxes doesn't create jobs...nope).
arborani
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 5:13 p.m.
Please consider this: <a href="http://youtu.be/AUpO1QFMDtM" rel='nofollow'>http://youtu.be/AUpO1QFMDtM</a>
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 3:53 p.m.
Can't imagine that it impacts me whatsoever. Well, except for the fact that my car will go through tires and shocks much more quickly as our roads continue to deteriorate. So much for shared sacrifice. Good Night and Good Luck
DonBee
Sat, Mar 12, 2011 : 3:18 a.m.
Well - How about a bake sale then? (-:
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Sat, Mar 12, 2011 : 2:16 a.m.
Very cute stun. Yes, me sending another hundred or two hundred or one thousand will solve the problem. A 5th grade solution. Not surprising. Good Night and Good Luck
stunhsif
Sat, Mar 12, 2011 : 1:31 a.m.
Some of us have said under Rick's plan we will suffer no increase in taxes. For those I suggest they send money to Lansing to fill some potholes. Whatever amount one feels compelled to give !
cinnabar7071
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 3:38 p.m.
I just cant believe the democrats want to continue to spend money like theres no tomorrow, the debt is getting unreal and all they want do is continue to give nonproductive people our hard owned dollars. It has to stop! It would be nice if they talked about what this out of contol spending and debt will do the entire nation.
bugjuice
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 7:24 p.m.
What will continue to happen to the entire nation is the divide will get ever larger between the rich and poor, the haves and the have nots and between working people and CEO's
John Q
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 4:21 p.m.
Would those "nonproductive" people be all the hard-working retirees now collecting Social Security and Medicare? If you think that it's food stamps or other assistance for the poor that is driving the federal budget deficits, it shows you don't have a clue where the money goes.
Mikey2u
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.
What does Gov. Snyder's budget mean to me? It means that I was right all along when I voted for Virg Benero.
Dog Guy
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 3:24 p.m.
I am looking forward to Senator Warren's campaign rally. Tax-supported Ann Arbor will sing the familiar protest folk songs and relive the good old days.
Top Cat
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 3:18 p.m.
Rebekah Warren and all the supporters of the stagnant quo in Michigan have no plan to balance the state's budget AND get our economy growing. They have the right to throw a tantrum about Governor Snyder's plan but at some point they have a responsibility to put their plan forward.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Sat, Mar 12, 2011 : 2:34 a.m.
<a href="http://janus.pscinc.com/budgetsim/default.aspx" rel='nofollow'>http://janus.pscinc.com/budgetsim/default.aspx</a> As the above website makes clear, there are lots of ways to fix the budget. But you two are only kidding yourself if you think that Snyder and his legislative goon squad will listen to anyone else's ideas. But kidding oneself is a requirement for teapartyist activity. Good Night and Good Luck
stunhsif
Sat, Mar 12, 2011 : 1:29 a.m.
They have no plan, they have no reasonable response and with that comes only knashing of teeth and angry rhetoric, just like the union thugs up in Wisconsin.
denise1inaa
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 3:17 p.m.
I would be more accepting of taxing my pension if Gov. Snyder and the members of our Michigan state house taxed theirs. BUT NO, those officials are exempt to the pension tax. Oh, and they get lifetime medical if they last 6 years in the state house. The republicans talk the talk but they don't walk the walk.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 4 p.m.
How about this? January 2001 Unemployment Rate = 4.2% January 2009 Unemployment Rate = 7.8% Evidence that the Bush tax giveaways to the richest of Americans created jobs!! Wait. Maybe not. Let me get back to you on that. Good Night and Good Luck
Roaring_Chicken
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 3:10 p.m.
I need a lesson in Economics here. Sincerely. Because I've heard this over and over again: "Cut business taxes, generate jobs. CUT TAXES = MORE JOBS." But it's purely theoretical, is it not? The model makes a number of assumptions: start a business ... hire a few employees (like your own family members, let's say). Get a start, begin to grow. With growth comes competition for sales or services in your business's niche. IF you're successful in competing, your profits are plowed back in to the investment in better facilities/logistics/more staff. IF you want to, or need to, hire more staff. If, if, if. Can anyone prove, with statistics, that cutting business taxes automatically leads to job creation?
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 4:01 p.m.
How about this? January 2001 Unemployment Rate = 4.2% January 2009 Unemployment Rate = 7.8% Evidence that the Bush tax giveaways to the richest of Americans created jobs!! Wait. Maybe not. Let me get back to you on that. Good Night and Good Luck
golfer
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 2:59 p.m.
Will Warner sorry you could be right some but not ALL fall in this group. i would say it is like the three groups of income. most to would fall in the lower to middle. check the supermarkets and see what they buy. check the benfits that keep going up and the money stays the same. i just think they should do a flat tax and make all pay for what they make.
Bones
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 2:31 p.m.
I think this is worth a watch to give you a idea of what this means for us. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpO1QFMDtM" rel='nofollow'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUpO1QFMDtM</a>
Christopher LeClair
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.
PLEASE JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP "RICK SNYDER MUST GO". I don't think he will actually "go" anywhere but it would be great to have people come together to talk about this man. I voted for him and was proud to vote for a Republican for the first time and have only been embarassed by my vote. What he is doing isn't right. This isn't about partisan politics.
stunhsif
Sat, Mar 12, 2011 : 5:11 a.m.
good luck, you will get as much traction as a bicycle in 10 inches of mud !
stunhsif
Sat, Mar 12, 2011 : 5:05 a.m.
not getting much support here, we will make the assumption that it will be even weaker on Facebook !
braggslaw
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 2:06 p.m.
The new budget means the growth of private industry which will translate into jobs. We will move away from everyone fighting for the crumbs and people instead will start baking the bread.
bugjuice
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 7:28 p.m.
Don't you have a better metaphor? The one from the capitalist playbook is getting a little tiresome. How about this one. A plate of a dozen cookies sits in the middle of the table. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies, turns to the tea partier and says, 'Watch out for that union guy. He wants a piece of your cookie."
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 6:33 p.m.
Any proof of that aside from blind faith? Here let me offer some: January 2001 Unemployment Rate = 4.2% January 2009 Unemployment Rate = 7.8% Evidence that the Bush tax giveaways to the richest of Americans created jobs!! Wait. Maybe not. Let me get back to you on that. Good Night and Good Luck
tim
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 1:57 p.m.
I think the Republicans were falsely over confident coming out of the last election. Workers are't going to sit around and watch their unions get destroyed. At the same time the state has to balance the budget --which means less spending or higher taxes or both. How this hole thing effects me depends on what happens to public schools---- if cut too severely I'd rather pay to send my kids to private schools.
Linda Peck
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 1:54 p.m.
We are now officially slaves, bought and paid for.
Carole
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
Frankly, I am very, very concerned with where the new governor is going. I voted for him with hopes that he would bring about changes needed to bring the state back around to being fiscally sound. However, I have major concerns with having appointed individuals being moved into cities that are struggling and taking over -- this just is not right. Taking, increasing taxing Michigan residents, old and young, to give to big corporations, is just not right. For those of you who still seem to think that the seniors on pensions are all wealthy and very well off, this is just not the case in with the greater majority. We, seniors, have worked hard to put our pensions in place (many are still working and paying taxes) with the hopes of living comfortably on them when we retire, comfortably means housing, food and enough left over for other expenses. Most do not get increases each year to offset increases in everyday costs. Frankly, I would like to see cuts in those who are sent to the state to conduct the state business -- the elected officials who receive a pension even after a short time -- don't think they contribute to the fund. And, I still have not forgotten that a few years back, these elected officials voted themselves a 36% salary increase -- we, the community, did not have an opportunity to stop this -- who in the private sector gets that type of increase. I've always been a-okay with paying my taxes and on a timely basis, but I also believe that those in power need to be fiscally responsible in seeing that that funds are spent accordingly and ending each with a balanced budget. When I worked with state and federal dollars, I always had to balance those budgets at the end of the fiscal year -- audited many times and never failed.
Olan Owen Barnes
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 1:41 p.m.
It is a new tax for me that when passed I as a senior citizen will be taxed on my pension. It seems a new tax on a senior citizen is not the way to go and will cause a political backlash. The normal political mantra is no new tax for the GOP and taxing for the Demarcate Party - this throws it on it's head as we are Taxed Enough Already and life decisions were made on the current tax situation.
Megarz
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 5:24 p.m.
Yes, exactly. I am young, and at the beginning of my career but I can see how incredibly unfair this is. How can anyone justify regulating the economy on the backs of our elderly population? And as you said, people made life decisions that they cannot go back on, believing that they had a certain level of income they could count on. State workers were denied salary increases under the pretense that their pensions would not be impacted. And now, they want to take this away to give tax breaks to businesses? REALLY?!?!?!
local
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 1:39 p.m.
This will be a collection of people angry that this governor has decided to play god with those within the state. To put in place emergency advisers to take over local towns, getting rid of elected officials, and then having the ability to void legally binding contracts with unions, seems a little outrageous. And who gets to decide what towns/cities are in financial crisis, Gov. Snyder himself. To tax our elderly and poorest people in Michigan to help close gap, okay. Wait, no these new taxes on elderly and poor will then be replaced with tax cuts to businesses, thus not closing our budget deficit at all. These Republican governors in the Midwest are slowly losing touch with the people within there states. This is a domino effect, Wisconsin first, now others states. I'm not sure any of the general public can do anything about it and that is sad.
snoopdog
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
"This takeover of the rights of Michiganders needs to be stopped." Let's get real folks. NIMPBF (not in my pocket book folks) need to understand that everyone now is going to share in this recovery for our state. Everyone, including those in the public sector are going to have to feel the pain and cuts will have to be made. Those getting pensions will have to start paying tax on that income which is fair and reasonable. As the state ages dramatically, pension income will rise dramatically and that income must be taxed, everyone else's incomes are taxed. All the complaining and crying will not bring recovery to this state. We must make this state an attractive place to do business once again so we can bring jobs back to the state, there is no other option. Good Day
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 6:31 p.m.
There are far too many in this state--myself included--who will suffer no pain whatsoever under the governor's proposals. People like me ought to take a hit before the poor and the elderly do. Good Night and Goo Luck
Will Warner
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 12:49 p.m.
Some things Sen. Warren is not likely to hear at her meeting: It seems highly plausible to me that the prospect of higher after-tax profits for business (i.e., lower business tax rates) would lead to greater business investment in MI, leading to more employment and higher incomes. For this to be most effective, of course, the State must not be anti-business in other ways. If someone is manifestly overtaxed (I say IF) then lowering his taxes is not a tax break. And if this is coupled with a tax increase on someone who is arguably under taxed, it is not useful to describe this as robbing the poor to fatten the rich. A tax on pensions is not manifestly unfair, if, as I suspect, most of the money in the country is in the hands of seniors, who, after all, have had the time to accumulate it.
Brad
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 2:06 p.m.
Yeah, except that those "fat cat" seniors have ALREADY PAID income tax on their "accumulated wealth". Taxes that paid for things like the school that you went to and the roads that you drove on. The taxes would be on their current pensions. The median income currently for seniors is $23,787. Could you live on that? Are Michigan businesses overtaxed? Not according to the Tax Foundation. They rank the 2011 Business Tax Climate for Michigan 17th. Who ranks worst? California and New York. Obviously, tax burdens do not have much to do with where businesses locate. Why do they choose to locate in a state? Good infrastructure, good schools, good quality of life.
Cash
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.
Good plan, Sen Warren. This takeover of the rights of Michiganders needs to be stopped. The trick of throwing $100 into his budget plan to prevent citizens from voting on it, shows how truly evil this is. First Snyder wants to take over at his whim any community ...led by people YOU elected and run it himself however HE chooses. You have now lost the right to elect officials at a local level. Second he and his party thrown a trick ($100) into his budget to assure that citizens of Michigan have NO RIGHT to vote on it. Now you have a party in charge BANNING you from voting on your own state issues!! Just imagine what is coming next. Well as he sells our freedom and right-to-vote for a one hundred dollar bill. I guess he shows what he thinks of us. <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20110311/NEWS15/103110454/-100-cost-shield-Gov-Rick-Snyder-s-tax-proposal-from-voters?odyssey=tab" rel='nofollow'>http://www.freep.com/article/20110311/NEWS15/103110454/-100-cost-shield-Gov-Rick-Snyder-s-tax-proposal-from-voters?odyssey=tab</a>|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE Imagine how our foundling fathers would react to this clear violation of our rights as American citizens.
Urban Sombrero
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 12:36 p.m.
Is this something that can be challenged in court? I can't see the Democrats taking this lying down and it does seem like it's of dubious legality.
Hillbillydeluxe
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 12:15 p.m.
Republicans trying to smash the democrats,also the middle class getting more poor.
Macabre Sunset
Fri, Mar 11, 2011 : 11:22 a.m.
I don't quite know why, but something tells me this collection of people aren't exactly going to voice support for our governor's plans.