A Reader Wonders...and I can't help but agree

Every once in a while, I get email from those of you who read my stuff on here, MichganLiberal, or Daily Kos. Whether it's fan mail or hate mail (just as long as it's rational) I always read it and usually enjoy it, because it makes me think about things in a different perspective. This morning I got this bit and I thought I'd share it.

Dear Liberal Lucy,

I just opened up my Detroit Free Press this morning and saw the awful numbers about our Michigan Budget Deficit. My husband and I were in Chicago over the weekend and saw a wonderful TV campaign from their Governor (I think his name is Gov.Voinovich) -- not sure. Anyways he is "taking the bull by the horns" and saying that the medium, big, and even some small companies have to have their TAXES INCREASED. These companies can jump thru many loopholes and get away with not paying "their fair share of the taxes" and of course it is us the hard working middle class that end up paying these taxes. He really had a very good presentation.
Perhaps Gov. Granholm could take a page out of his playbook and do the same thing. Certainly we have to do something to make Michigan whole again. In a cilvilized society everyone has to pay their fair share of the taxes and this includes those "uppity corporations" as well. Thanks for listening.

~M

Here's my response -

Dear M -

I couldn't agree with you more. I know Governor Granholm has been fighting an up-hill battle with the Senate Republicans to get a budget plan passed.

Since you seem like a very well informed person, I'm sure that you already know that the Governor's proposed budget included a number of cuts and a very small, but fair, tax increase for services (for everything from lawyers to hair cuts, to funerals) which amounted to a 2 cent increase. Of course, all the Republicans have done is wail and moan about tax increases. All they want to do is continuing slashing taxes and funding for much-needed government services left and right. Rational people like you and I know that a government needs revenue to operate on, and if we keep cutting taxes, we'll never get anywhere.

We can support the Governor and the Democrats by having conversations just like this one with our friends and family, sending in letters to the editors, anything to educate people. Of course no one wants to pay more taxes, but if people understood that it's taxes that keep our state and our schools running, they might think twice before screaming for more cuts.

Keep up the good work M, we need more people like you out there.

All the best,

~Lucy

Everyone is welcome to email me anytime, and I always do my best to get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for your thoughts and your efforts on behalf of everyone in Michigan!