Budgets Signed, But Battle Against Tax Increases Not Over

The Governor has signed the final budget bills for fiscal year 2010, but the battle to protect your wallet is far from over as Governor Granholm and her fellow Democrats continue to advocate raising taxes to increase government spending. Throughout this budget process, taxpayers were well served by the Senate Republicans as they remained steadfast in their belief that increasing revenue to avoid rightsizing government is not a viable option. While some cuts were no doubt painful, they were necessary to ensure that Michigan was living within its means. As House Democrats and the Governor continue to call for more revenue, the Senate Republicans have a better alternative: they are proposing meaningful reforms to make government more transparent, efficient and cost effective.
The Michigan Chamber has been an active leader in the fight for a balanced budget through the enactment of reforms, not tax increases. We are pleased with the Senate's strong fiscal leadership. At the same time, we are mindful that we must continue our aggressive advocacy throughout the fall session to fight against the job-killing tax-and-spend policies being proposed by those unwilling to make the tough decisions to move Michigan forward