And not only do I worry about the long term impact of an increased sales tax, I worry about the long term impact on businesses (and my own aging fleet of vehicles) if we turn down the increase and the deterioration continues….

You didn’t mention it, but let’s not forget that also on the ballot is their intention to raise our gasoline taxes which are currently capped – and that’s their real agenda; make the drivers pay for the better roads through higher gas taxes. I’m can tolerate that, since at least some of the increased revenue will come from the many out of state cars and trucks that drive across the state pounding on our highways, rather than from Michigan residents each and every time we purchase, well, anything (but groceries).

Why should we have to pay more in sales taxes to improve roads? The sales tax hike is being tossed in to increase the state’s revenue stream. But why since there’s virtually no inflation. Meanwhile our personal health care costs continue to rise each and every year and our annual raises are meager at best.

I love how they threw the education money in there too, for good measure. It reminds me of the Steve Martin Christmas “What I would do if I had three wishes” routine. In the beginning he says “I’d give every child…” but by the end he’s saying “on yeah, and that crap about the kids”…