Raising Taxes On Michigan Businesses Won’t Bring On The Armageddon

So says Michigan Advance’s business writer, and friend of the LOL podcast, Rick Haglund. Governor Gretchen Whitmer is proposing a 6% income tax increase on small businesses. Business groups and Republicans are warning of economic peril if Whitmer gets her way. But Haglund refutes critics of the tax increase proposal by saying: Nonsense. None of…

“I Need A Dollar-Dollar, A Dollar Is What I Need.”

Michigan’s minimum wages increased 20 cents today to $9.45 per hour Friday. It won’t reach $12 an hour until 2030 after Republicans delayed the increase by eight years. — Motor City Muckraker (@MCmuckraker) March 29, 2019 Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders signed petitions to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2022….

Left Of Lansing Podcast: Episode 5–Rick Haglund from Michigan Advance

Here’s Episode 5 of the Left of Lansing podcast! This week, Rick Haglund joins us to talk Michigan economics. Rick is the business columnist for the fantastic Michigan Advance news site. I’m telling you, check it out. They do some awesome work over there. I talk about how conservatism is no longer based on solid…

“The World We Live In”

Word of an active shooter on the University of Michigan campus caused a wave of panic during a vigil for the 50 Muslim victims who died in a New Zealand terrorist attack. The good news is that the active shooter turned-out to be a false alarm. University police determined people heard balloons popping, and assumed…

The Right Wing 2020 Playbook…

In a nutshell: Remember when the Muslims, teachers unions, undocumented immigrants & trans ppl outsourced your job to Asia, jacked up your premiums, cut taxes for rich ppl, killed the labor movement to keep US wages low, shielded wall st crooks, deregulated polluters & cut education funding? — John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) March 17, 2019

Rep. Tlaib Demands Trump To Denounce White Supremacy

Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is certainly a breath of fresh air. While some congressional Democrats hem-and-haw over how tough they should be on President Trump, Tlaib isn’t afraid to go after him. Tlaib is calling on Trump to denounce white supremacy after a right-wing terrorist killed 50 Muslims, who were worshiping at two Mosques…

Will Business Leaders Push GOP On Roads?

Susan Demas from Michigan Advance writes: During Snyder’s tenure, there was rarely any daylight between Republican politicians and business leaders. But on Thursday, Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sandy Baruah was candid about a “growing split” between the two groups on infrastructure. Business leaders have certainly enjoyed their tax breaks, but they’re feeling…

Left of Lansing Podcast 4–David Hecker, President of AFT Michigan

Here’s the Left of Lansing podcast for March 14, 2019! You’ll hear me talk about how decades of Republican laissez-faire politics failed Michigan. And how refreshing it’s been that Michiganders are finally waking up to their game. I also interview David Hecker, President of the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan. We talk about how Republican rule…

Yes, Gas Taxes Suck, But What’s The Alternative?

As I stated in my weekly podcast, I’m not crazy about Governor Whitmer’s 45-cent tax increase either. Like my guest, Democratic state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky correctly described it, the proposed tax is regressive. The tax really won’t hurt rich Michiganders, but it will affect the rest of us in a negative way. Which is why…