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A PARTING MESSAGE:<br />
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It has been an honor to help keep all of you informed and updated on what is happening politically in Clinton County, around Michigan, and in Washington D.C. by periodically providing you with opinion polls regarding issues of importance and concern to all of us.<br />
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For the past 5 plus years both Carol Bechtol and I have maintained the CCRP website by posting information and articles relating to what is happening in the political world we live in. In addition we have periodically asked for your input in regard to issues going before the various legislative bodies in the form of opinion polls. Hopefully you have found the website informative and you have participated in our polls expressing your feelings on these important issues.<br />
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I would also like to acknowledge our website blogger Scott Stoecker who will continue to do his blog going forward into 2015.<br />
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As of January 1, 2015 Carol and I will be stepping back from our responsibilities for the maintenance and updating of the CCRP website and looking forward to finding out what </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span>retirement</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span> really is like.<br />
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The poll associated with this newsletter will be our last poll. The poll results for the last poll will be sent to you on December 31, 2014 at which time the polls will be discontinued.<br />
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Hopefully you have found the CCRP website beneficial over the last 5 years and that you will continue to use it as a resource in the future.<br />
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As for me, I will still be around and active politically -- just in other ways, always with the desire to make things better and to keep politicians accountable.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Steve Willis<br />
CCRP Webmaster and outgoing Clinton County Chair<br />
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NEW POLL OVERVIEW:<br />
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&nbsp;The Michigan legislature has approved plans for a statewide ballot proposal that will appear on the ballot in May of 2015 that could yield $1.2 billion a year in new funding for roads and bridges.<br />
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The linchpin of the package is a proposed constitutional amendment to increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.<br />
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If the ballot proposal is turned down a series of other roads-related bills would not take effect but the INTERNET SALES TAX will still be enacted.<br />
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THE FOLLOWING WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF THE ROAD-FUNDING PACKAGE IF IT IS APPROVED BY THE VOTERS?<br />
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TAX HIKES - <br />
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$1.2 billion gas tax hike. -- Michigan drivers will pay 23 cents-per-gallon more in gas taxes for a total of more than 60 cents-per-gallon. That would give Michigan the highest gasoline excise tax in the nation. Additionally, over time, as the price of gas rises, that tax will go up without a vote of the legislature or input from taxpayers as part of this ballot proposal.<br />
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$1.34 billion sales tax hike -- There would be a 16% tax hike in the state sales tax on the Michigan ballot. If approved, the rate would rise from 6% to 7%, including on Internet sales. <br />
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$95 million dollar increase in registration &quot;fees&quot;&nbsp; <br />
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SPECIAL CONCESSIONS AS PART OF THE BILL:<br />
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$260 million for EITC assistance -- The Earned Income Tax Credit resembles direct government assistance, such as welfare and food stamps, more than a tax credit. Filers who pay out nothing in income taxes still get a check from the government under this program.<br />
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$300 million more for education establishment -- More money would be allocated for&nbsp; public school apparatus, even though Michigan is one of 21 states that employ more non-teaching staff than teachers.<br />
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$130 million more for mass transit -- The package would allocate mass transit programs $130 million, a move that was viewed as necessary to buy support from Detroit-area politicians.<br />
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BREAKDOWN OF ALLOCATION OF FUNDS BY RECIPIENT:<br />
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Based on Governor Snyder&rsquo;s administration estimates of the full-year impacts of the bills in this package, the total net impact of the package, assuming voter approval of the proposed constitutional amendment, would be an estimated ANNUAL increase in state revenue of $1.7 billion (and automatic increases). <br />
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Estimated net impacts for individual funds would be as follows:<br />
-- $1.2 billion per year for distribution to road agencies<br />
-- 39.1% to the State Trunkline Fund, ($ 492.2 Million)<br />
-- 39.1% to county road commissions, ($ 492.2 Million) and <br />
-- 21.8% to cities and villages, ($261.6 Million)<br />
-- Except that for FY 2015-16 the first $800 million of this revenue would be dedicated for pay-down of transportation-related debt. <br />
-- For FY 2016-17 the first $400 million would be dedicated for pay-down of transportation-related debt.<br />
-- $300 million to the School Aid Fund (SAF).<br />
-- $130 million to the Comprehensive Transportation Fund (CTF), for public transportation purposes.<br />
-- $95 million for constitutional revenue sharing payments to cities, villages, and townships.<br />
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NEW POLL QUESTION:<br />
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Should Michigan voters pass the tax increase ballot proposal in May 2015 to raise the sales tax from 6% to 7%?<br />
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Yes<br />
No<br />
Undecided<br />
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TO VOTE IN THIS POLL CLICK ON THIS LINK<br />
<a href="http://www.clinton-countygop.com/content/should-michigan-voters-pass-tax-increase-ballot-proposal-may-2015-raise-sales-tax-6-7">http://www.clinton-countygop.com/content/should-michigan-voters-pass-tax-increase-ballot-proposal-may-2015-raise-sales-tax-6-7</a><br />
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(To enter your comments click on </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span>Add new comment</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">'</span></span> after you vote.)<br />
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PREVIOUS POLL QUESTION:<br />
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Do you feel a new Department of Talent and Economic Development is needed in Michigan?<br />
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Yes - 46%<br />
No - 49%<br />
Undecided - 5% <br />
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THREE COMMENTS WERE MADE ON THIS POLL:<br />
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COMMENT #1<br />
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New State Department<br />
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We would be in favor ONLY if it didn't involve raising taxes; not now, not in the future!<br />
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COMMENT #2<br />
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TALENT VS SUBSTANCE AS A &quot;PUBLIC SERVANT&quot;<br />
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WE NEED TALENT IN ELECTED NOT &quot;SELECTED&quot; OFFICE WE NEED THOSE IN OFFICE WHO ARE GOING TO &quot;MAN UP&quot; (WOMAN UP) TO LANSING POLITICIANS !<br />
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE UP AND QUIT PLAYING POLITICS ! I JUST HAD A CLIENT ANNOUNCE THE CLOSING OF THEIR US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OPERATION HERE LOCALLY. WHY ? BECAUSE THE US GOVERNMENT HAS MOVED ALL OF THOSE OPERATIONS TO OFF SHORE CONTRACTORS ! THE SILENCE IS DEFEANING !!<br />
OFFICE OF TALENT AND WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT ??? PLEASE ! HOW MUCH MORE OVERLAP DO WE NEED !!<br />
http://www.stateintegrity.org/michigan<br />
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COMMENT #3<br />
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New department<br />
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Typical government, add new departments. Never really seems to fix the problems but does expand government and increase taxes over time.<br />
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