Steve Carlson considered buying a couple of new machines for his plastic molding business near Lansing, but he and the company’s other owners decided to hold off for now. One reason, he said, is Michigan’s personal property tax on the new equipment would drive up the cost of doing business, adding another 30 percent to […]
Rick Snyder
Posted inMichigan Government
Business, Republican leaders express confidence in personal property tax repeal
In the looming battle over Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed personal property tax repeal, both sides agree on one thing: It’s a tax neither particularly likes. “This is an investment penalty,” said Lt. Governor Brian Calley before a Senate committee Wednesday. “The more you invest, the more you pay.” The Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Schools fear property tax cut will be permanent
Like many other Michigan public schools, the River Rouge School District is struggling to stay afloat. In recent years, it has laid off teachers and eliminated music, art, gym, libraries and athletics — but it’s still running a deficit. In February, voters turned down a request for a millage increase. So, if the Legislature and […]
Posted inPeter Luke: Eye on the Capitol
Hey Grandpa, how about a little help?
A 5-year-old child born to a mother who has exceeded 48 months on cash assistance was being reared in destitution before the state yanked $5,000 in annual welfare benefits. A 75-year-old residing in a nursing home, meanwhile, receives $80,000 in Medicaid-funded care. Not that future fiscal choices should favor the young at the expense of the old, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Snyder administration cleaning up state rulebook
The state has too many regulations and it costs too much to comply with them. That has long been a mantra of business groups. Now Gov. Rick Snyder has adopted the approach for state government as well. His Office of Regulatory Reinvention has been given the daunting task of sifting through all of the several […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
When a license plate just isn't enough
One person’s infuriating government regulation is another’s measure to protect public health and safety. That philosophical split plays out every day in how Michigan is enforcing regulations on commercial motor vehicles. In recent years, farmers and small businesses that rely on pick-up trucks to haul equipment, supplies and inventories have chafed at the Michigan State […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan has its own apprentice drama
A fight is likely coming soon at the Capitol over how many fully qualified electricians must be present during electrical work when apprentices also are on hand. In 2008, the state began enforcing a requirement in its basic law governing the electrical industry, the Electrical Administrative Act, mandating that one fully qualified electrician be present […]
Posted inLand O Links
Land O Links
“Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice” — Anton Chekhov, 19th century Russian playwright. * It’s high season for complaining about taxes. But have you ever wondered exactly how Michigan’s tax system operates. The inestimable Citizens Research Council of Michigan does an annual overview of the state tax system. The latest […]
Posted inPhil's Column
Everyone loses if Detroit's course doesn't change
Oddly, the first question the politicians asked after the Detroit City Council finally voted to approve the consent agreement with the state of Michigan was not “will it work,” but “Who won?” Short Answer No. 1: Too early to tell. Short Answer No. 2: Wrong question. Third Answer, a little longer: Sadly, in most cases, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Awaiting green energy's payoff
A North Carolina company canceled a wind farm project in January that would have placed as a many as 112 towering turbines across two counties in northwest Michigan. Energy Conversion Devices, one of the state’s pioneer manufacturers of advanced batteries and solar panels, filed for bankruptcy protection in February. Several ethanol refining plants planned for […]