Rick Snyder (R), Governor of Michigan, has a budget proposal that includes cutting the Michigan Earned Income tax credit that goes to the poor. His proposal also includes, for the first time, taxing retirees' pensions.
People are upset and have started talking about putting a referendum on the ballot to attack one or more of the proposals.
That sort of democracy won't do. As a result, Snyder will spend $100 to kill any of that silly refendum talk.
Whether you think it's a dirty trick or a smart move, a House bill to implement Gov. Rick Snyder's proposal to eliminate tax credits and exemptions contains a $100 appropriation -- enough to make the plan immune from a voter referendum.
The plan has incensed some Michiganders. On Tuesday, AARP is holding a rally at the Capitol for senior citizens angry about Snyder's plan to tax pensions and other retirement income while cutting business taxes.
In 2001, the state Supreme Court ruled that legislation with a state expenditure -- even just $1 -- can't be repealed by voters.
http://www.freep.com/...
These of course are the same people that are trying to allow Snyder to appoint "Emergency Financial Managers" for financially troubled localities. And given the fact that there's a 40% cut in revenue-sharing to local government, there will be lots of financially troubled localitites. The State Treasurer has been training 100 people for the EMF jobs.
What's worse, Snyder wants Emergency Financial Managers to have the power to dissolve elected bodies, disincorporate your city and to void union contracts... AND to appoint a for-profit corporation for the job, without any limit on how much it can get paid. You can't make this up.
This is getting as bad as Wisconsin... except the GOP has a supermajority in the MI Legislature and the Dems can stop these bills or even hold them up. Did I hear "general strike"?