In Joe's piece in the Oakland Press this morning, Joe admits that the reason new employers are locating in Michigan and Oakland county is not low taxes, it's our skilled work force. I think that's what Governor Granholm was saying in the 2006 election cycle when the Republicans kept repeating their "lower taxes" mantra.
Even the auto companies are getting the fact that we have to increase mileage our vehicles get and have started to introduce hybrid, fuel cell and all-electric vehicles to the market and guess what, they're still in business and hopefully they're finally catching on to the fact that 15 mpg SUV's aren't going to sell in a world of $4 per gallon gasoline. But Joe Knollenberg wants to protect the auto companies from having to build vehicles that get better mileage, even while they lay off workers because of poor sales, while companies like Toyota get the fact that higher mileage vehicles sell better in these times of high priced energy.
Joe Knollenberg wants to live in the past and push old ideas. We need new leadership that wants to move forward with confidence in ourselves that we can find new answers to the problems that face Michigan and the country.
We've seen what happens when taxes burden the middle class unfairly and too little regulation leads to disasters, like sick cows making it into our food chain, lead paint on our children's toys coming from China and airplanes that don't get checked for safety.
2 comments:
Bruce, higher taxes aren't going to cause Henry Ford's to show up either, and that's what your set of policies stands for. Henry Ford was part of that evil private economy you so hate - and I recall our tax burden at that time was significantly less, government did nothing to encourage or bribe Ford to be in Michigan, and Ford was not regulated heavily in his operation.
That said, do I agree that we need some protective regulation? Sure. And do I agree that Chinese toys and other product counterfeits are dangerous and should be subject to equal regulation. Yes.
Ironically, its Joe Knollenberg who has taken a lead, since long before even 2006, on product "counterfeiting". It's more than just leaded toys - its fake brake pads that are dangerous, placebo (or worse) drug imitations, and a number of other products. Enforcing laws against fraud is something we all agree on, and Joe is on top of.
I don't hate the private economy at all, Chetly. What I hate is Republican policies that think all problems are solved by lower taxes. Taxes are the cost of government services and the commons. Those costs tend to rise over time, just like the cost of goods and services in the private sector. The private sector can raise prices (taxes) at will to cover the increased costs of doing business and profits.
Republicans hate to take care of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, regulation enforcement, keeping the public safe, public safety. Then they complain when government isn't able to do its job of maintaining the commons and say, "let's privatize. Private corporations can do a better job anyway." Well, that isn't true. Private insurance has a cost of doing business of 25-30%. Medicare's costs are 2-3%. Private companies have to return a profit for their shareholders, government doesn't.
Enforcing Joe's laws costs money and takes competent people in place and the Republicans under George W. Bush have proven they are good at one thing, being incompetent. In fact, I give them all an A for incompetence.
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