Introduced by Rep. Goeff Hansen on September 8, 2005

This is another attempt by the government to add a new tax. It’s a fox in sheeps clothing. This new TAX will add ($.01) to every retail transaction. To supposedly pay for recycling initiatives, and start new ones in communities in Michigan. This sounds great from the sounds of it, but the problem as I see it is once they get the tax:

• Who is to govern them to spend it on recycling efforts?
• Once this tax is implemented what is to stop them from increasing it?
• What is to stop them from using the money for other purposes?
• If there is already money going for recycling purposed that would stop as this new tax would pick up the tab

So in effect no more money would be spent on promoting recycling, just funded differently. It’s like how the Lottery was to be used for education. It’s true it does but as the lottery grew the other funding for schools declined so in net no more money was used for Education. This is a similiar issue.

They use a cause that almost no-one can complain about to sneak in a new tax. Once they have the new tax they can increase it without much exposure. Once a tax is added it is almost impossible to remove, It’s almost always increased, and society is not any better then it was. Actually probable worse since they pay the government more money, and have less to spend on other goods.

Write to your government official, and tell them NO: here is one resource to find out who they are and contact them http://www.congress.org

More information can be found here: http://www.michiganvotes.org/2005-HJR-O