We are fast approaching Dec. 1st, a full two months after the budget for '08 was due, and believe it or not, Senate Republicans are still finding ways to stall this process. Good thing we didn't give them that continuation budget, huh?
Service taxes. At first they said they wouldn't touch it. Then they said they would, and admitted they needed a full replacement. Then they changed their minds on that and started calling for cuts. They passed a delay and a repeal, but didn't pass replacement revenue. Go read this diary again for all the details, or this diary that shows they have been doing this all year. Tick, tick, tick, goes the clock, and, oh look!, we are done for the year, gotta go.
The press tries to play this off as "inexperience", but if they would look closer, they would see willful obstruction. Just try. It's there.
All the while, they blamed the Democrats for the whole thing, when it was their delays and waffling and Valde Garcia that came up with the idea in the first place and their refusal to look at a higher income tax back in the summer that forced ALL of this to come about.
Whew. That's a whole lotta obstructin' going on.
Sooooo, we come to today, and finally a Senate vote on the replacement, 12 days after the House passed one. First of all, check the framing from Dillon-
House Democrats on Monday called on Senate Republicans to pass the replacement tax plan the House approved on Nov. 8. The House had tentatively planned a session for today but called it off Monday afternoon.
"Business leaders and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in the House worked together to craft a plan that promotes economic growth while protecting essential funding for our schools, public safety and health care for our seniors," Dillon said.
Good job guys. The House Dems really stepped up this time. Looks like they have learned their lesson. So proud of them.
But then, we get the newest, latest, greatest, obstruction to progress from the Senate- * drum roll * - placing a sunset provision in the replacement, something that Granholm said she wouldn't agree to when we started down this road in the first place.
Senate GOP spokesman Matt Marsden said the Senate proposal, like the House plan, would fully replace the revenue lost by repealing the tax on services.
But unlike the House plan, the Senate proposal would make the business tax increase temporary, he said. That could be problematic because Gov. Jennifer Granholm has threatened to veto any replacement of the services tax that is not a permanent tax increase.
Not only do Senate Republicans intend on screwing things up for the current legislature, they intend on sticking it to the future legislators, who also have to deal with the sunset on the income tax. Since they couldn't blow up this budget; they will blow up some budget down the road. Just like Engler.
Why not let the future lawmakers decide if economic conditions can provide for a cut in the revenue? Gee, what fun would that be?
The House isn't coming in today, so nothing will be final until after break. You're shocked, we know. One more time they push it right to the wire, and we sit back and wonder why nothing else ever gets done.