Check out this baby wingnut, been pretty active for a freshman. All summaries provided by Michigan Votes - using the Mac Center money for the benefit of society.
Rule number one - always try to bust the budget. Basically, he tried to change the criteria laid out in the 21st Century Jobs Fund. This fund is targeted to high-growth business that the state has been trying to nurture to diversify our economy. This is an amendment to a bill originally offered by Dan Scripps that would lower the investment threshold for those targeted business. House Repubs are always trying to piggyback on Dem legislation like this.
House Bill 4230 (Expand certain business subsidy tax credit eligibility)
Amendment offered by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 26, 2009, to extend the lower taxes that the bill would allow for the owners of certain companies selected by state officials to instead apply to all Michigan businesses. The amendment failed in the House by voice vote on February 26, 2009, to extend the lower taxes that the bill would allow for the owners of certain companies selected by state officials to instead apply to all Michigan businesses.
Every wingnut must go after the state employees! It's like a hazing ritual or something.
House Bill 4275 (Cap government employee health benefits at national average)
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 17, 2009, to prohibit the state from paying a higher percentage of the premium or other cost of health benefits for each state employee than the average for all the other states.
Go after the legislators too! Somehow they are to control the national economy, as well as the fortunes of the auto industry. Most people understand that there is really little state government can do about this - but McMillin would dock them a month's pay for circumstances beyond their control.
House Joint Resolution K (Dock legislators pay for high state unemployment)
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 17, 2009, to place before voters in the next general election a Constitutional amendment to establish that would dock legislator’s pay the last two weeks of the year if the state unemployment rate has been above the national average for the first 10 months of the year, and dock them another two weeks if it’s been higher than 90 percent of the other states’.
In Wingnut World, the Fairness Doctrine is No. 2 threat to America right now, behind Al Qaeda. Or maybe socialism. Yeah, I guess socialism is No. 1 at this point.
House Resolution 25
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 17, 2009, to urge Congress to oppose the restoration of the Fairness Doctrine.
On this next series, he hits the Wingnut Trifecta. He cuts the MBT, cuts the income tax, and bans all government competition, all in three easy bills...
House Bill 4226 (Cut Michigan Business Tax rate)
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 11, 2009, to cut the rate of the “modified gross receipts” component of the Michigan Business Tax from 0.80 percent to 0.70 percent. Senate Fiscal Agency analysis of the tax at the time it was adopted suggest that this component accounts for approximately 60 of the money the tax takes from businesses.
House Bill 4227 (Cut personal income tax rate)
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 11, 2009, to cut the personal income tax rate from 4.35 percent to 4.25 percent starting Oct. 1, 2009; 4.1 percent one year later; and 3.9 percent on Oct. 1, 2011.
House Bill 4228 (Ban government competition with private enterprises (“yellow pages test”) )
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 11, 2009, to prohibit government agencies from competing against private enterprises, or subsidizing any charitable or not-for-profit institution that would use the support to compete against private enterprises. Activities normally provided by government would be exempted, including "essential services" and "necessary services," both defined in the bill. "Vital services," including things like food stores, drugstores, child care, elder care, and telecommunications services could only be provided if there were no private sector alternatives. Privatization of essential and necessary services would be explicitly allowed, including water supply, sewers, garbage and trash removal, recycling, utilities, streets and roads, public transportation, correctional facilities, fire departments, emergency services, and medical services. A private enterprise could sue to obtain an injunction forcing the government competitor to stop, and would only have to show prima facie evidence that the government entity is or is planning to compete, not that the private enterprise has been damaged. Governments already providing commercial goods or services would be grandfathered, but could not expand.
This next one is a funny - I called for this out of snark the other day, although I was half serious to bust Nancy Cassis for going after the MEGA credits. This would be an insane amount of work for the Treasury Dept. Did Rep. McMillin offer a way to pay for something like this?
House Bill 4274 (Require tax break “effectiveness” report)
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on February 17, 2009, to require the Department of Treasury to prepare and post on the Internet a list of every tax credit available under the Michigan Business Tax, and to submit to the legislature a report showing the number of taxpayers who claimed certain types of credit, including their names and addresses. Also, to require the department to report its assessment of the “effectiveness” of certain types of tax credit.
And to wrap it up, one more big 'ol database that the state would have to maintain.
House Bill 4121 (Place state’s “check register” on-line)
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on January 27, 2009, to require the state to post on an internet website by Jan. 1, 2008 (sic) a free searchable database containing the details of every expenditure by each state department and agency, including the name of the entity receiving the funds, the amount, the type of transaction, the budget source of the funds, and a description of the purpose expenditure. The bill defines "expenditure of state funds" as the expenditure of all appropriated or nonappropriated funds including purchases, contracts and subcontracts, and grants. Essentially, the bill requires the state make public its “check register” in an accessible form.
Now, I know you are asking, what has Rep. McMillin offered in the way of payment for all his ideas? Did he suggest what we could cut from the budget? Did he have a plan to pay for his enormous web ideas?
* crickets *
Silly. That's not how they do it in Wingnut World. The heavy lifting is for other people. You should know that by now! This guy has a future in the Republican Party leadership, unless they come to their senses and start promoting fiscally responsible people.
Nah, never happen...