gdp's Comments

WOODTV.com : Mich OKs tax breaks for projects | WOOD TV8

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:44:42 +0000

We possibly bring 1,000 jobs to Michigan, but it takes 85,000 people paying taxes to make it happen. The other way to look at it--thousands of existing businesses must pay taxes to bring this one company to Michigan. People need to realize how much $61.5 million in tax breaks actually is. It's enough to run a medium sized manufacturing company with 2,000 employees for an entire year. But, that isn't the only cost. State funded lawyers, accountants and bureaucrats must be paid massive amounts of taxpayer money to coordinate these deals for what is really a special interest.

WOODTV.com : Mich OKs tax breaks for projects | WOOD TV8

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:01:32 +0000

"the state has approved" I did not vote for this colossal waste of taxpayer money. $61.5 million means it will take over 85,000 people paying income taxes at an average of $716 each to fund a single company coming to Michigan. http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/36.ht... We would be much better with lower taxes so many SMALL businesses could flourish, rather than this single large company (temporarily) moving to Michigan.

Big Government : The Center Of American Politics

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:24:05 +0000

People in the center believe that FREEDOM is the most important commodity in America. It is more valuable than gold. The loss of individual freedom is the end result of more government regulation and spending. So many well intentioned people are willing to give up their own freedom and take the freedom away from other people for the supposed "benefit" of others. These people do not understand the tremendous harm they are doing. When individuals make their own decisions and allow other people to decide things for themselves, then it benefits all people.

WOODTV.com : Sundstrom more cuts without tax hike | WOOD TV8

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 18:31:09 +0000

Sundstrom is a self-interested bureaucrat trying to protect his interests. In his opinion it would be better to add a permanent tax increase to the citizens of GR than to lay off 80 workers. He first mentions firemen because it helps him win a political battle for more money. It costs him nothing to make these kinds of statements because it isn't his money that he is spending. Hopefully the commission will side with voters who put them there to cut spending, not raise our taxes.

WOODTV.com : Board weighs new 70m library at GVSU | WOOD TV8

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 03:55:50 +0000

One other thing to consider in physical construction is that it will require prevailing wages. Adding digital libraries avoids much of this wasteful spending. If there is doubt about future enrollment, then the money would be better spent on technology, which can be added gradually. Building is more of an all at once proposition, but technology can be added one piece at a time depending on actual enrollment.

WOODTV.com : Board weighs new 70m library at GVSU | WOOD TV8

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 16:38:56 +0000

It would be interesting to know what the board thinks about the movement to electronic media. Building can't be an easy decision. So much research is done online these days. How much does this reduce the need for physical books and facilities?

WOODTV.com : Granholm creating employers equals jobs | WOOD TV8

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 22:47:52 +0000

I don't think it is a good thing to tax business people who have chosen to stay in Michigan and are struggling in this economy in order to try to start new businesses. Many of these new businesses are from out of state. Lower taxes are enough incentive to stimulate the growth of businesses in any economy. Lower taxes help existing business owners who are already struggling in this economy. I don't like to see money taken from one person's business and given to someone else. It isn't fair.

WOODTV.com : Granholm creating employers equals jobs | WOOD TV8

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 17:49:23 +0000

In order to provide $43 million in loans for small businesses the government first had to take $43 million from businesses. Are people in business really desperate to learn how to run a business from people in the government? Or, are people in government desperate to tell people in business how to do things?

WOODTV.com : City floats tax hike plan | WOOD TV8

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 00:14:40 +0000

"But the question has to get on the ballot first. That will be up to city commissioners." If these commissioners vote to put this tax increase on the ballot they will never receive another vote from me.

WOODTV.com : $500K worth of drugs seized in Wyoming | WOOD TV8

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 20:27:26 +0000

The vast majority of people don't do drugs and won't do them because they understand that drugs hurt them. Laws meant to stop people from doing drugs don't stop them, but they hurt other people. The result is that drugs become very expensive and profitable because only criminals are willing to take the risk, our prisons are filled with people whose lives are ruined, and innocent people are killed by criminals trying to hide their highly profitable activities. If some people want to hurt themselves, but cause no harm to others, then let them. It isn't ideal, but it is better than the alternative. Ideally people would be perfect, but they are not.

WOODTV.com : Obama\'s goal: Get agenda moving, people believing

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:07:29 +0000

Education isn't the main problem and it isn't the solution. After going to school, people want to be rewarded for their efforts. Instead, government takes 40-50% of their income. The size of government and the taxes required to support it is the problem. The solution is to cut government and lower people's taxes. Getting to keep/spend their own money is all the incentive people need to go to school, get educated and work hard.

WOODTV.com : Obama\'s goal: Get agenda moving, people believing

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:51:55 +0000

I don't care what he says. I only care what he actually does. The last "stimulus" should have been an across the board tax cut with an equal cut to government programs. But, he blew it. Now I don't believe him. Stop playing favorites. Let people decide how to spend their money. Stop giving money to government bureaucrats.

WOODTV.com : Proposed: raising fuel tax to fix roads | WOOD TV8

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:46:51 +0000

"This is a matter of doing what's right for Michigan drivers, businesses and taxpayers," Mike Nystrom of the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association said in a statement. Do these people realize that there is 15% unemployment in Michigan? The last thing we need is a tax increase. Rep. Richard Ball, R-Laingsburg and Rep. Pam Byrnes D Lyndon Township: Who are you really representing? What special interest are you really hiding? You both should be voted out of office for presenting a tax increase in a horrible economy.

WOODTV.com : 1,100 pounds of pot in 2 Detroit busts | WOOD TV8

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:05:34 +0000

A bail of hay weighs about 60 lbs and costs about $20. They found 1,130 lbs. If they legalized it, then it would be worth about $400. Very few people would find it profitable to sell it. Instead, it is illegal and we spend billions of dollars trying to prevent people from buying it. People's lives are ruined in prison and innocent people are killed by criminals trying to hide it.

WOODTV.com : GR Manager: City services will suffer | WOOD TV8

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:11:07 +0000

Experience is important and should be rewarded, but it isn't the only factor. Performance matters just as much. I don't like to see a harder working person laid off just because someone else has been there 1 day longer. After decades of this folly, then taxpayers have to pay $50,000 (or more) to get the more experienced person to leave. This system rewards people for not working as hard as others.

WOODTV.com : GR Manager: City services will suffer | WOOD TV8

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:54:55 +0000

"That's just incredible that our fire union and the city could work together to try to maintain those jobs," Sundstrom said What's incredible is that we allow unions to dictate who gets to keep their job and who loses it. This isn't in the interest of the public. If managers were allowed to fire employees who did not do their job, then it would lead to lower costs and better performance.

WOODTV.com : High court overhauls campaign financing | WOOD TV8

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:03:49 +0000

For some reason people think that government is some noble institution, but most/all business owners must be corrupt. Do people think that people in government are not corrupt? Do people think that angels are pursuing political office and running our government ? Is political ambition somehow more noble than ambition in business? If government wants to tax companies, who are owned by people, the same way it taxes people, then it has to give companies the same rights as people. To the extent that people who own businesses are successful, they should be allowed to spend their money to influence politics.

WOODTV.com : US to appeal Blackwater case dismissal

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 04:17:44 +0000

What does the Vice President have to gain from making this announcement? Isn't this kind of thing usually reserved for the Attorney General? As a citizen wouldn't you feel violated if the Vice President was pursuing and politicizing a case against you?

WOODTV.com : GR tops list: steepest poverty spikes | WOOD TV8

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:34:56 +0000

Blaming people for making poor decisions is only useful if it helps change the specific policies that are causing the problems. When taxes rise it hurts the poor the most. When the minimum wage goes up, employers no longer hire as many people. When unions require high wages and benefits, but do not deliver as much work as non-union employees, it hurts all people. When government restricts land uses it hurts poor people and creates slums. Only rich people can afford to buy land in the suburbs. You're right, it would be better to focus on the specific issues than to blame people.

WOODTV.com : GRPS considers closing schools | WOOD TV8

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:16:58 +0000

School choice is not a complete "right to choose". Vouchers provide more freedom for people. 10 years ago there were no charter schools, but many people wanted them. Simply because there are no charter schools that provide for special needs kids does not mean that there cannot be in the future. The Mayo Clinic provides some of the most advanced treatment for special needs kids: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aboutthissite/ab... Mayo Clinic is not run by the government. Educating special needs kids is not more difficult than giving them advanced medical care. The idea that only government can provide education for special needs kids is false.