"The most important thing I learned (this year) is I'm not ever going to raise taxes again. It's too hard. It's too impossible," Granholm told The Associated Press.
All true. It was a brutal year. You were there. So were we. All in all, it was probably harder than the election last year.
Now ask yourself, why was it hard? Why was it impossible? Why was protecting our quality of life in this state so difficult?
First of all, the endless Republican obstruction and foot-dragging managed to waste a lot of our time, but the reason it is so hard is because the second that anyone is ever honest about these things, the Republican noise machine dial gets turned up to 10, and the press is ready to oblige. Cue Chatty Matty Marsden-
"The governor's position indicates she now sees what Republicans have been fighting to convey for the last 11 months that Michigan cannot and will not tax its way to financial revival," said Matt Marsden, Bishop's spokesman.
Michigan couldn't cut its way out, either, but Matt won't mention that. Even the Detroit News called for a tax increase. You remember. It had to be done, period, and everyone knows it.
So, they turn up the volume in an attempt to divert you from the truth behind the noise. What the Republicans want you to forget is that they readily SPENT that money they were "fighting". Let's return to Peter Luke, Nov. 4th-
When the Democratic-controlled House voted to adopt a new use tax on consumer and business services on Sept. 30, the vote was a near party-line 56-53.
When the chamber last Tuesday voted on a new school aid budget that spends more than $200 million of that new use tax, the vote was 104-5.
Now you would think all those lawmakers who voted against the use tax, all but two of them Republicans, would, on principle, reject the school budget as well since it relies on a tax hike. Nope.
And let's not forget this fun fact from MIRS, with a great quote from Switalski, back in this diary written during the time this all went down.
The 13 budgets that had cleared the Senate by 6 p.m. today were passed, on average, with 35-3 support. The 14 budgets that had cleared the House by 6 p.m. today were passed, on average, with 88-21 support.
"It does get you mad that they're ready to spend, but they weren't ready to do the hard work," said Sen. Mickey SWITALSKI (D-Roseville), the Senate Democrats' lead on the Appropriations Committee. "I don't know how they justify it to themselves. I find it difficult to understand."
And now they are going to yell when the governor has the guts to be honest about what a major pain in the ass this has all been.
Figures.
Sure would be nice if someone besides Peter Luke would call them out on the hypocrisy of their actions, but then again they probably get tired of all the noise, too.