Backbone over bipartisanship

Contrary to Phil Power’s assertions, bipartisanship and statesmanship will not get Michigan out of this crisis. What this state needs are legislators who understand basic economics and have the backbone to stand up to special interests such as the labor unions.
Bipartisanship has brought us to our current dilemma after many budgets have been “balanced” through accounting gimmicks. Over the years, the governor and our legislators lacked the fortitude necessary to make the right decisions and settled for compromises that merely put off the crisis.

Power, Governor Granholm, and state lawmakers claim taxes must be raised to fund state government. Unfortunately, there is some truth to this claim because our elected leaders have refused to implement the reforms necessary to keep state spending under control. Until the state takes action to fix the costly inefficiencies in our prison and education systems and the burdens imposed by forced unionism, the budget will be perpetually broken. Reform spending and tax increases won’t be needed.

In his column, Power alleges that the leaders of the “noisy anti-tax crowd . . . are not living in this century.” He may be right, but not for the reason he thinks. Sound economic principles follow the laws of human nature which have existed long before today. People respond to incentives. Raise the cost to do business in this state through higher taxes and onerous regulations and people will locate their business elsewhere. This was true last century; it is true this century; and it will be true next century.

[Letter to the Editor - Farmington Observer. Published 08/02/2007.]