The GOP dominated Michigan Legislature is preparing to con(vince) voters into jacking up Michigan’s sales tax by 16.67% to fix Michigan’s crumbling infrastructure with a special low turnout May referendum just like they did 20 years ago with Proposal A.  In the early 1990s, they convinced voters that an increase of the Michigan Sales Tax from 4% to 6% would preserve Michigan school funding. Now they’re saying an increase in the sales tax and a tax break to the trucking companies who do the damage will not only fix the roads but “preserve school funding”

Just so people won’t flood me with emails telling me I don’t know how to do math. An Increase in the Sales Tax Rate from 6% to 7% is NOT an “increase by 1%”. An increase by 1% would result in a Sales Tax Rate of 6.06%. It IS an increase of 16.67%.

All this talk made think of an English Nursery Rhyme. I’ve taken the opportunity to update it for the occasion.

Michigan Bridges Falling Down, My Dear Snyder

Michigan bridges falling down,

Falling down, falling down.

Michigan Bridges falling down,

My fair Snyder

Michigan roads are broken down,

Broken down, Broken down.

Michigan roads are broken down,

My fair Snyder

You’ve tried to prop them up with wood and clay,

Wood and clay, wood and clay,

You’ve tried to prop them up with wood and clay,

My fair Snyder.

Wood and clay washed away,

Washed away, washed away,

Wood and clay washed away,

My fair Snyder.

You’ve tried to patch them with asphalt and glue,

Asphalt and glue, asphalt and glue,

You’ve tried to patch them with asphalt and glue

My fair Snyder.

Asphalt and glue did not stay,

Will not stay, did not stay,

Asphalt and glue did not stay,

My fair Snyder.

Build it up with iron and steel,

Iron and steel, iron and steel,

Build it up with iron and steel,

My fair Snyder.

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

Bend and bow, bend and bow,

Iron and steel will bend and bow,

My fair lady.

Now you want to build them up with tax increases of silver and gold,

Tax increases of silver and gold, silver and gold,

Build them up with tax increases of silver and gold,

My fair Snyder.

Silver and gold will be stolen away like school funds under Proposal A

Stolen away, stolen away,

Silver and gold will be stolen away like school funds under Proposal A

My fair Snyder.

You and the GOP Legislature want to pass the buck

Pass the buck, pass the buck

You and the GOP Legislature want to pass the buck,

My fair Snyder.

You’re hoping the people will fall asleep,

Fall asleep, fall asleep,

You’re hoping the people will fall asleep?

My fair Snyder.

So the Legislature can mismanage the silver and gold

Silver and gold

So the Legislature can mismanage the silver and gold

My fair Snyder.