Thank Michigan Term Limits?
Michigan sure has problems. Big companies are leaving the state. Unemployment is up, foreclosures and bankruptcies increasing.
So, what to do? Well, the governor and many in the legislature pushed for huge tax increases. But a rising group of representatives challenged this plan, and nearly brought government to a halt.
One week the announcement went out that much of the government was shutting down. The next week it was announced that an agreement had been reached.
Taxes? Yup. They’re going up.
The near shut-down caused enough panic to scuttle the tax-blocking efforts.
Then came the explanations. How could government almost shut down?
Well, one popular-in-the-press theory blamed term limits. Yes, term limits!
You see, the argument ran, all the newbies just didn’t know how to co-operate to pass a budget.
Silly argument, but . . . maybe there’s a teensie-weensie bit of truth to it.
Before term limits, Big Government incumbents just steamrolled over all opposition to increasing taxes. Now, the back of the old system has been broken. The major players actually have to deal with other ideas. Like thrift. Like listening to impoverished taxpayers.
Of course, a panic about a government shut-down scuttled the newer ideas. But for a while there term limits did give taxpayers some hope.
Now, always-hopeful taxpayers can turn to recall!
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
