Come for the Politics, Stay for the Pathologies



Monday, July 27, 2009

Sometimes When You Go Fly Fishing, All You Catch Are Flies.

Michigan Democrats must be vying for the Arnold Schwarzenegger Irresponsibility In Government Award. Right Wing News describes why they will undoubtedly win this year’s Hope and Change sweepstakes.

In a nutshell, here’s what Mark Brewer, Chairman of the Michigan Democratic party wants his fellow Dems to put in place in the upcoming year:

  1. Increase the minimum wage to $10 from $7.40.
  2. Increase and extend unemployment insurance and benefits.
  3. Slash utility rates 20% across the board.
  4. Impose a 12 month moratorium on home foreclosures.
  5. And last, but hardly least, mandate all employers provide health care for their employees and their dependents.

Brewer plans to pursue the minimum wage and mandated health care through ballot initiatives – another rip off of  California’s successful model for state governance. He knows even Michigan’s stupid legislature won’t swallow these suicide pills, so he’s “taking it to the people.” While no political party has a corner on it, this has to be the penultimate in pandering.

Since Obama doesn’t have to run again until 2012, the Democrats need to put something on the ballot that will get out the Detroit vote (which is about 110% Democratic, thanks to ACORN).

We have a state with unemployment at 15.5% and rising - with no end in sight. The taxpayers are already funding a desperate “Relocate Your Business to Michigan” campaign run by a hapless Michigan Economic Development Corp.. This campaign hands out tax credits and shovels out millions of dollars for ads and “business development” boondoggles to other states and countries to persuade companies to relocate to the Mitten State. And on the other hand, we have the leader of the state’s ruling Democratic party promoting proposals that virtually assure that will never happen.

What genius. We need to attract new businesses, so how about we raise minimum wage and mandate health care? Not only will no new businesses come, but scores of existing companies will leave, or more likely,  simply close. The only thing attracted by this plan will be unemployed workers. Of course, when they get here there won’t be any jobs so they’ll be added to the state’s welfare rolls. But what the heck, ACORN can sign them up to vote 2 or 3 times too.

Michigan needs beef, All Brewer’s got to offer us are flies.

As that penny pincher Ben Franklin said: “When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” For the record, I don’t believe in taxation without representation. But I think it’s time to enforce its inverse as well: no representation without taxation.