| LANSING, MI - In a rare display of bi-partisanship, Democrat and Republican candidates for the state House and Senate spent a day together in Lansing discussing and learning more about an overall tax replacement plan for Michigan.
"The Michigan FairTax Association (MFTA) organized this Candidate Summit to provide factual answers to hard questions candidates are hearing from constituents on the campaign trail", explained Michigan FairTax President Roger Buchholtz. "The Michigan FairTax plan is neither a Republican nor a Democrat idea and we find support for it on both sides of the aisle. It is a tax replacement plan that will put Michigan atthe very top of states in terms of attracting capital investment, businesses and jobs to our state."
Gubernatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra, who has endorsed the MFTP, addressed the Summit and explained the benefits of moving Michigan to a FairTax system, as well as the "political realities" that candidates will face as they work toward making the FairTax the law in Michigan. Conferees also heard by video from former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a FairTax supporter who came close to winning the Republican nomination for President in 2008.
The candidates all agree with the MFTA and strongly oppose elevating the state Sales Tax or spreading the Sales Tax to services, unless those moves are part of an overall strategy to increase worker take-home pay and make Michigan a haven for business capital investment by repealing other taxes.
Democrat Hans Barbe served as the Michigan Campaign manager for Presidential hopeful Mike Gravel, D-Alaska, in his 2008 bid for the Democrat nomination. Barbe actually received a round of applause from the conferees when Gravel, who addressed the Summit by video, complimented Barbe's staunch support for the MI FairTax plan. Barbe, D-Grosse Pointe Park, is running for the 2nd Senate District. "I am excited not just about the jobs that will begin to grow right away in Michigan with a FairTax system", Barbe said, "but by abolishing the state Income Tax we are giving EVERY Michigan worker a permanent 4.35% pay raise!"
Dave VanHouten, R-Wyoming, a candidate in the 77th House District, was grateful for the opportunity to study the FairTax plan in detail. "I learned that I can be much more aggressive in explaining the benefits of the Michigan FairTax plan", said VanHouten. "The charges against the plan that I have heard in my District are simply false claims."
MFTA Executive Director John Crawford commented on the non-partisan nature of the Michigan FairTax. "We get barked at by our friends on the Left because they complain about the power transfer from the government to the People due to the revenue growth restrictionsunder the (FairTax) plan", explained Crawford, "while our friends on the Right object that the MI FairTax does not dramatically reduce revenue to the Government in an effort to make government smaller. That tell s me that the Michigan FairTax is completely on the correct track to bring our families what we need most - JOBS to CHOOSE from." The benefits of the MI FairTax come from the change in method of collection, not a change in revenue levels - that would now be up to the people to control!
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More information on the MI FairTax, including how citizens can become involved in the tax reform effort, is available at: www.mifairtax.org | | Highlights of the Michigan FairTax Proposal By backing the Michigan FairTax proposal and the people's right to vote on the Constitutional amendment, FairTax Democrat and Republican candidates have adopted a solid concrete plan that will - Provide state government all the revenue it needed last fiscal year
- Change the paradigm that we will no longer tax ourselves at the point where we EARN our money, but rather at the point where we SPEND our money
- Give every Michigan worker a permanent 4.35% pay raise by completely eliminating the state Income Tax system
- Make Michigan a business investment magnet by eliminating
- The Business Personal Property Tax
- Business-to-Business Sales Taxes
- The 22% Michigan Business Tax (MBT Surcharge)
- The MBT itself
- Thus, making Michigan a state business tax-free zone
- Make Michigan workers and businesses very competitive by un-burdening Michigan-made prices from the high costs of Business Taxes and their compliance
- Lock away 100% of Local Revenue Sharing away from the political whims of the Legislature
- Restore Faith in our government by taking away its ability to grant special tax favors to its favorite businesses or groups
- .... and that eliminates the need for much of the lobbying done today in Lansing by special interests
- Completely un-tax the Poor
- Today we tax the Poor with a 6% Sales Tax
- Broaden the Tax Base as far as it possibly can be which results in a Tax Rate as Low as it possibly can be
- Put the true cost of our state government in plain view of all of us when we purchase new goods and services rather than the current practice of burying a large part of its cost in the prices of everything we buy
- Provide for the Sales Tax to be the primary source of revenue for the state - a much more stable tax revenue than is an Income Tax source
- Assure that NO Legal Michigan resident will ever pay the full 9.75% net Sales tax Rate
- Effective Tax Rate for ANY household of four legal residents determined by SPENDING on New Goods & Services
- Spend $22,050, Effective Sales Tax Rate = 0%
- Spend $25,000, Effective Sales Tax Rate = 1.16%
- Spend $40,000 , Effective Sales Tax Rate = 4.38%
- Spend $75,000 , Effective Sales Tax Rate = 6.89%
- Spend $500,000, Effective Sales Tax Rate = 9.31%
More details and documentation are available online at www.mifairtax.org. | |
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