tax policy Archives - Almena Township GOP

HB 5096 – Expand renaissance zones (corporate/special interest welfare)

admin — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 21:21:47 +0000

House Bill 5096 would amend the Michigan Renaissance Zone Act to allow the board of directors of the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) to designate all remaining Renewable Energy, Forest Product Processing, and Border Crossing Facility renaissance zones and to approve
extensions for other MSF-designated zones.

Generally speaking, renaissance zones are tax-free zones designed for businesses in specific geographic areas or for specific kinds of facilities or industries anywhere in the state. Under the act, the State Administrative Board designates certain areas in Michigan as Renewable Energy and Forest Product Processing renaissance zones upon the recommendation of the MSF’s board of directors, and the MSF can designate 25 additional areas as Border Crossing zones. As of 2020, there were six Renewable Energy,1 eight Forest Product Processing, and all 25 Border Crossing Facility renaissance zones available for designation.

“Renaissance zones” are special interest areas that politicians set up to allow special interest entities and developers to develop the land at taxpayer expense, while normal people are subjected to the normal oppressive tax and regulatory system. If the legislature was actually seeking to improve the economic outlook of the state, and particularly the poor, the would reduce taxes and regulations on all citizens equally to allow everyone to flourish.

Rep. Wendzel voted no.

B ill Details

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SB 129 – Expand brownfield taxpayer subsidy deal to include subsidized housing.

admin — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 22:23:17 +0000

The bill would add subsidized housing to the list of uses for redevelopment of brownfield projects. This provides developers with a tax subsidy to rebuild in these areas. Apart from the issues on whether housing should be directed towards brownfield properties, brownfield projects directed towards housing provide nice profits for developers and owners, but fail to provide the promised benefits for the constituents the politicians serve.

Melstrom, et al. – “Black and Hispanic households benefit less than White households from brownfield cleanup and vacant land development. Second, owners appear to benefit more than renters from cleanup and development. Overall, these results provide evidence of differences associated with race and housing tenure in who benefits from local land use actions.”

Sen. Nesbitt voted no.

Wendzel voted no.

Bill passed and signed by governor.

B ill Details

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SB 144 – Increase Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

admin — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 22:49:35 +0000

The bill proposes to increase the amount of the EITC. The EITC is portrayed as a tax cut for the poor. But while it does provide some tax relief for low-income families, it also provides tax handouts to those paying zero taxes. And it’s history is one of easy money for fraudulent tax filings.

Even the IRS admits over 1 in 4 EITC credits are fraudulent.

Heritage Foundation Article on reforming EITC.

Cato Institute – article on eliminating the EITC.

Nesbitt voted no.

Bill Details

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SB 55 – Extension of property tax poverty exemption.

admin — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 13:29:34 +0000

The bill would have amended the General Property Tax Act to extend a provision allowing an automatic poverty exemption under certain conditions for the 2022 tax year through the 2023 tax year for properties that were exempt in the 2019, 2020, or 2021 tax year. The governing body of a local assessing unit would have until December 1, 2023, to adopt a resolution to continue the exemption for those properties and would have to report each exemption granted by the
board of review for the immediately preceding tax year to the Department of Treasury. Additionally, the bill would allow a board of review to grant a partial poverty exemption equal to a 75% reduction in taxable value for the tax year in which the exemption was granted.

People should not have their property seized due to poverty. This bill would have extended the exemption process.

Sen. Nesbitt voted yes.

Bill Details

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SB 1 & 3 – EITC and pension tax deduction for government employees

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 19:39:00 +0000

This bill boosts the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit. This is a “refund” for those not paying taxes because of low reported incomes. It also repeals Michigan’s pension tax for government employees only. Rather than reward all seniors, it only rewards government employees, who have lucrative state pensions, with tax-free income, while leaving those who work in the private sector behind.

Sen. Nesbitt’s Statement: “We should provide relief to all seniors, not just a select few.”

Senate bill 3 also sought to increase the EITC.

Nesbitt voted against both.

Senate Bill

Gander News Article

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