The problem with Michigan is liberalism

David Broder comments on the Republican debate in Michigan and loses the plot.

...

But what was striking about the performance of the leading Republicans was the absence of fresh policy ideas. A listener satisfied with President Bush's economic policies would be safe to assume their continuation -- if any of them wins. But given the economic travail in Michigan, such complacency seemed more than a little odd.

...
Michigan's problem is that it has been stifling its own economy with its high tax high spending policies and it can't compete with other states for jobs because of it. It is not Bush's economic policies that have caused Michigan's problems, but the Democrats in Michigan who are responsible for their moribund economy. Certainly Texas is not having that problem. The state of Texas has found a $1.5 billion surplus over the budgeted amounts because of increased revenue and less spending. Meanwhile Michigan is passing more tax increases. Michigan is in fact a microcosm of what the US would be if Democrat economics were to prevail.

Comments

  1. Public D9:53 AM

    Spoken like a true, isolated, lah-lah land capitalist. As of 2006, Michigan was right in the middle of 'business tax climate' in the US. # 26. Just ahead of Massachusetts (#27) and well ahead of California (#40). California still manages to account for nearly 20% of the entire country's GDP. And both Massachesetts and California are leaders in the "transitioning to the new economy" race. The reason has more to do with their institutions of higher learning than business taxes. So we, who actually live in Michigan, should be grateful that Michigan's universities weren't forced to bail out Engler's botched tax policies.

    http://www.kauffman.org/items.cfm?itemID=771

    http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/f28e646e21f1ad490e1f8d1d5204b5ec.pdf

    Now I agree. There is more to being 'business friendly' than business taxes. Things like an educated and skilled workforce, good schools, low crime, a clean and healthy environment and other considerations are (or should be) wieghed by business leaders before opening up shop anywhere. It's a little thing called 'quality of life.' And it's a proven fact that the business community would never, on its own, financially support public needs at the scale needed to effectively deliver fundamental, common good services to those who aren't lucky enough (or cold enough) to be labor exploitors or those who enable, encourage and otherwise benefit from their exploitation.

    If you lived here, you would know Michigan is not a case study of what will happen if Democrats win. It is a case study of what has already happened in the wake of blind, 'everything's fine,' free-trade globalization run amuck and racing to the gutter.

    The problem is rugged indivualism defined as indivual net worth and CNBC bravado, rather than what an individual must try to do to help all Americans.

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