But seriously, he's had every bit as long as the Senate to figure things out.  And now there's a solution on the table.  It's time for a vote, Mr. Speaker!

I have a sneaking suspicion he's terrified of putting the Senate bills before his body.  The will to raise taxes just isn't there in the House.  Unlike the Senate, his caucus has to worry about winning an election next year and they've been very hard for the governor to control since they were sworn in back in January.

If it actually came to a vote you'd see some serious Dem defection and that'd paint Granholm into a tough spot, wouldn't it.  How would that make her feel?  How would that affect the way she treats Dillon as he prepares to run for her seat a few years down the line?

First, we should not be bailing out any company. Period. If a company is doing badly, it is not up to the citizens of the state to bail them out from poor management, undesirable products, lackluster service and/or questionnable accounting practices.  If a business can't succeed through it's own abilities and endeavors, they need to be allowed to fail.

For every business that ends, one starts up. One disappointing loss can eventually be a gain as another begins.  

Second, we cannot grow and prosper as a state when the legislatures use "the have" against the "have nots". No business who is worth their weight should want or need tax breaks, Ren-Zone status and/or tax deferrments. If one company gets a big fat break like that...you can bet someone else is paying for it. It's only a freebie for the one getting it. Everyone else pays the tab - one way or another. Perks that certain companies get are simply another form of corporate welfare and that will cripple the rest of the paying system in time.

Third, if the SBT had not been such a long term negative on our state's business record, more growth could have occured over time to replace the businesses that did not work out. Instead, we over relied on this tax to support a system that was breaking down years ago. You cannot keep taxing a business on top of income earned along with each employee and every improvement made (machines, buildings, equipment etc.) and expect a business to survive. They were being taxed to death. Growth cannot occur when it's deprived of the oxygen it needs to breath. That oxygen is a business friendly climate, both it's laws and tax base.

Fourth, small businesses make up the bulk of businesses in this country and in this state. The majority run a clean, honest and hard working company. Business operating laws need to be fair and balanced for all parties involved. Business tax base needs to be fair and balanced as well. When those things happen, a business can prosper i.e., new jobs, office and plant expansions, rising wages and maximum worker benefits.  

Make the climate tough to exist and all these things go away (like Michigan has been and continues to experience now).

Fifth, when governments get in the business of trying to 'run private buinesses' like writing extra laws, creating new tax burdens and requiring additional processes for a business to open, operate and try to succeed...they simply write a business plan for failure. For the most part, smart legislatures and government bodies need to understand that they simply need to get out of the way.  Let the busines men and women of this state do what they do best, run a business without government intervention.

Our legislature would not need to beg, borrow and steal to get companies like Comerica, Pfizer, Whirlpool/GE, Lear, the Big Three, etc. to not leave the area and/or state if the environment was more business friendly and favorable.  

By friendly and favorable, I do not mean lots of give-a-ways at everyone else's expense.

I'm at a loss as to why suddenly they're bad news when a week ago the same critics were calling the Senate Majority Leader names and telling him to "act now."