a:1:{s:15:"field_blog_body";a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:5:"value";s:2122:"A <a href="http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/tax_breaks_michigan_republican.html">Republican plan</a> in the Michigan House may lower our taxes by a small amount:<br />
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<div>Under the plan, the personal income tax rate would decrease from the current 4.35 percent to 4.25 percent, effective Oct. 1. That is three months ahead of the scheduled rollback now called for in state law and would result in relatively small savings for taxpayers, particularly those of middle or low income.</div>
</blockquote>But I believe &quot;relatively small&quot; still means paying less than we are now, right? Though Warren Buffet may like paying more in taxes, I don't, so a 0.1% decrease in my tax rate is better than a 0.1% increase. Let's compare the attitudes of the Republicans and the Democrats in the Michigan House on this issue. First, the Republicans:<br />
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<div>&quot;Every dollar state government has is a dollar earned by a hardworking Michigan taxpayer,&rdquo; House Speaker Jase Bolger, R-Marshall, said in a statement. &ldquo;We have a responsibility to spend taxpayer money wisely and return any additional money rather than finding new ways to spend it.&rdquo;</div>
</blockquote>Now, the Democrats:<br />
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<div>&quot;The Republicans proved they still can't relate to the average Michigan middle-class family by offering a tiny tax cut that wouldn't help an individual let alone a family,&quot; said Rep. Richard Hammel, the leader of the House Democrats.</div>
</blockquote>So a little extra money isn't going to help an individual or family?&nbsp;I'd be happy in my representative walked up to me and handed me a $5. It wouldn't make a big difference in my life, but every little bit helps. If I can keep a tenth of a percent of my income and stop it from going into yet another wasteful government program, so much the better.&nbsp; If the new rule saves me $50 (or whatever it will save me), that's $50 I can use for a dinner at Red Cedar Grill and not sent to the Michigan Department of Bureaucracy for Bureaucratic Matter.<br />";s:6:"format";s:1:"2";}}}