A new state tax on bronzing baby shoes, skiing, landscaping, and dozens of other small-business services?
Henry Woloson of Independence Township has a better idea ? taxing political campaign advertising.
“We want to impress on the legislature that this is unfair,” Woloson said. “Nothing on the list impacts lawmakers. For them, at the top of the list is campaign financing.”
Representing a grass-roots reform effort, he invites those who agree to an organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 15, at Independence Township Fire Station at 6500 Citation Drive.
On the agenda: petition proposals to extend the sales tax to campaign advertising and downsize the state legislature to part time.
“My view is that you lost the right to complain if you’re not willing to take action,” he said. “Are people upset enough to do something about it?”
Backed with page after page of research, he views state government as inefficient and costly, especially compared to most of the rest of the country.
In his research, he found the National Conference of State Legislatures places Michigan among four states with the biggest government, with full-time legislators, large staffs, and the highest pay and benefits ? the others are California, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Donations to political candidates can’t be taxed, but should be fair game when politicians spend them on campaign commercials and ads, he said.
“It would be a simple process ? campaigns are already regulated,” he said. “It would be an additional source of revenue far in excess of baby shoe bronzing and more collectible than lawn cares services ? it’s enforceable and growing.”
Woloson has been featured in several newspapers and radio programs, but has not found any interest from government officials or candidates, he said.
“That’s why we are doing the petition drive,” he said. “I would love to have the people who should be doing this take the initiative. But this involves cutting their staff and benefits ? they have no incentive to do it.”
To downsize government, the proposal would limit state legislative sessions to 90 days, eliminate lifetime benefits, freeze salaries, and reduce its size from 110 to 75 state representatives and 38 to 25 state senators.
“The reason for this is for them to feel our pain,” he said.
For more information, call Woloson at 248-922-1354.