Sunday, June 17, 2007

Well, duh...



From the "It Should Have Been Obvious" Department comes this- just a few months too late.



Wait until the rest catch on.



Cuts alone aren't likely to balance next year's budget. Raising the state income tax to 4.4 percent from 3.9 percent, as some in Lansing have suggested, would pose additional hardship for Michigan families. And a graduated income tax, while more progressive, would require voter approval.



That said, we were lukewarm toward the governor's initial proposal to impose a sales tax on some services.



Increasingly, however, that tax looks like the better option. With the economy shifting from goods to services, a levy that relies more on services is inevitable. And unlike an income tax increase, a tax on services at least gives Michigan families options. Some of the services the state is talking about taxing are luxury expenses, such as tickets for entertainment, spa treatments or sporting events.



It's also easier to absorb a sales tax increase on services -- a few pennies at a time -- than an 0.5 percent income tax boost.



Is Connie Francis available?