State laws redistribute wealth to beer and wine distributors.
… morePosted on August 18, 2011 at 10:35am
Low-tax metropolitan areas experience much greater growth than high-tax ones.
… morePosted on August 17, 2011 at 3:20pm
Rep. Doug Geiss (D-Taylor) wants to ease some of the regulatory burdens on Michigan’s hospitality industry.
… morePosted on August 17, 2011 at 2:03pm
In the latest government economic development failure in Michigan, Evergreen Solar files for bankruptcy.
… morePosted on August 16, 2011 at 2:37pm
Time to change liquor laws to finally favor consumers.
… morePosted on August 9, 2011 at 2:30pm
Published on Aug. 8, 2011 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on Aug. 4, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Published on July 26, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Published on July 20, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
One of MEGA's first "winners" ends up a loser.
… morePosted on July 19, 2011 at 8:20am
Published on July 4, 2011 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on June 29, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Lowering the cigarette tax would reduce smuggling and smuggling-related violence.
… morePosted on June 23, 2011 at 9:37am
Beer and wine monopoly "valiant" in fight against competition.
… morePosted on June 17, 2011 at 9:38am
Published on June 14, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Will Detroit pay attention to Pontiac's example?
… morePosted on June 13, 2011 at 11:45am
Michigan’s 2009-2010 state GDP growth rate was 2.9 percent, its best since 2002.
… morePosted on June 7, 2011 at 12:46pm
Published on May 25, 2011
Published on May 9, 2011 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on April 4, 2011 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on March 25, 2011
Published on March 18, 2011
Published on March 7, 2011 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Gov. Rick Snyder’s first budget fell short of the “atomic bomb” promised by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, in part due to the fact that a megaton of further spending and tax cuts were left on the table. Overall, the budget moves the state in a positive direction with greater tax simplicity, more transparency, less corporate welfare and fewer discriminatory tax policies.
… morePosted on February 18, 2011 at 11:20am
Published on Feb. 18, 2011
Published on Feb. 9, 2011
Published on Feb. 7, 2011 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Michigan currently provides a 100 percent income tax exemption for government retirement benefits, but the exemption is capped for benefits earned by retirees who worked in the private sector.
… morePosted on February 2, 2011 at 4:09pm
Although details are not yet clear, according to early reports Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed Michigan Business Tax replacement appears to be
good news for advocates of sound economic policy.
… morePosted on January 28, 2011 at 4:10pm
A scandal first
exposed by the Mackinac Center last June has led to a second set of felony fraud charges.
… morePosted on January 26, 2011 at 1:26pm
The first three weeks of Gov. Snyder’s administration has provided plenty to cheer, especially on fiscal policy issues.
… morePosted on January 25, 2011 at 3:04pm
Today is the 5th anniversary of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s promise that Michigan residents would be “
blown away” by the gobs of jobs her latest economic development program would create. How ironic then that she of all people would flee the state to
find work.
… morePosted on January 25, 2011 at 9:35am
The first bill introduced in the Michigan House this year would repeal the much-reviled
Michigan Business Tax 22 percent “
surcharge,” and the first Senate bill would repeal the MBT altogether. Gov. Rick Snyder has proposed replacing the tax with a 6 percent corporate income tax, a change that would mean a big net tax cut for job providers.
… morePosted on January 19, 2011 at 4:44pm
Applause is in order for the Grand Rapids Press Jan. 5 editorial “
How to save money for local governments,” which correctly concludes that removing barriers to freer association between local units of government can cut costs.
… morePosted on January 19, 2011 at 3:48pm
The Mackinac Center has tallied proposed expansions and limitations in each Michigan State of the State address since 1969. While not perfectly scientific, the exercise may provide some insight into an administration’s mindset. What do the past speeches tell us?
… morePosted on January 19, 2011 at 8:30am
As significant and real reforms and spending cuts are being discussed in Lansing, it’s hard not to feel a touch of sympathy for the “constituent services” staffers employed by lawmakers, and even for some of their politician bosses.
… morePosted on January 18, 2011 at 12:01pm
Published on Jan. 18, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
It’s probably no coincidence that the first bill (
HB 4001) introduced in Michigan’s new Legislature is to repeal the 21.99 percent surcharge slapped onto the Michigan Business Tax in 2007. The surcharge is despised by the business community, and is seen as a job killer by policy analysts and politicians alike.
… morePosted on January 12, 2011 at 11:07am
A story in the Jan. 10 edition of the MIRS
Capitol Capsule reports that, according to the National Institute of Corrections, Michigan spends more than $5,200 more to lock up a prisoner for a year than the national average. Also, nearly 29 percent of the state workforce is employed by the Department of Corrections, and it will absorb 23.1 percent of the current year’s general fund budget. This is hardly new
information.
Not surprisingly, Gov. Rick Snyder and others are looking to lower those costs.
… morePosted on January 12, 2011 at 10:06am
Early indications are that our new governor is acting boldly and wisely in his attempt to right size Michigan’s fiscal ship. That’s good news, and he should be applauded, in part due to the fact that he will need the moral support. Why? The budget is in worse shape than even he and members
of the media have probably fathomed. I’m not the first budget analyst to notice this, but I may be the first to say it out loud.
… morePosted on January 11, 2011 at 2:10pm
Ten years ago this month the Mackinac Center mailed a special, 28-page, full-color,
Detroit-specific edition of Michigan Privatization Report to editors across Michigan. We had recently completed a comprehensive review of the city’s budget, and were deeply concerned by what it revealed.
… morePosted on January 11, 2011 at 10:18am
In still-bad-but-not-worst-possible news, for 2010 — the first time since 2005 — another state (New Jersey) has beat out Michigan in the annual United Van Lines ranking of state outbound migration.
… morePosted on January 10, 2011 at 3:26pm
Published on Jan. 10, 2011
Michigan’s local governments face fiscal challenges in 2011. The state already has a pretty good policy in dealing with its local units as their finances are stressed, but this policy should be improved in a few ways so that local governments continue to be solvent as taxable property values fall and spending pressures increase.
… morePosted on January 7, 2011 at 9:54am
Saginaw County officials have quietly buried a previously scheduled vote to repeal its “prevailing wage” ordinance for construction projects costing more than $50,000. Prevailing wage laws prohibit granting a government contract to the lowest bidder unless the company pays above-market, “union-scale” wages.
… morePosted on January 7, 2011 at 8:20am
Published on Jan. 7, 2011 – Michigan Capitol Confidential
Published on Jan. 3, 2011 – Viewpoint on Public Issues
Published on Dec. 17, 2010 – Study
In a time of increasing pressure on local budgets, municipal managers should reach first for the lowest hanging fruit on the savings-tree: government golf courses. Let the slicing begin.
… morePosted on December 9, 2010 at 2:51pm
Ending the handouts would send a signal that this state is done playing games with ephemeral and failed "economic development" programs, and instead will focus on a
real economic growth agenda, including across-the-board tax relief, labor law changes and other regulatory reforms.
… morePosted on November 16, 2010 at 4:00pm
![[Photo of Michael D. LaFaive]](/media/images/people/LaFaiveMed.jpg)
