Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on February 7, 2006

Click here to view bill details.

Left to their own devices, the ignorant uncultured masses would spend their money on unworthy entertainments. Fortunately, we have wise legislators, and enlightened elites appointed by a wise governor to the government arts council, who have the courage to take the boob-geoisie's money and spend it more wisely than the ignorant dolts would on their own. Thank you, dah-ling Shirley, for protecting the public from this unseemly business of making their own choices on how to spend their own money.

Shirley Johnson, she knows best Which entertainment to invest You can't be trusted to know what's good The way a state senator clearly could. Some how I do fail to see How a tax on art, be art subsidy? She punishes first and then rewards Does this seem somehow untoward? Take ten dollars from my hand and then Give it back makes me no richer again. My beer I'll drink my self, thank ye, It is unimproved by your kidney.

I'll spend my own money on cultural events, thanks. I can choose for myself what to support. And we're going to spend millions of dollars of tax money to promote professional sporting events? No thanks. I don't need the state to give my tax money to the Ilich or Ford families. If I want to give them money, I'll buy a ticket.

The poem is wonderful. I think you deserve a 12,000 grant to write more of them. The 13th Senate District needs a better senator.

What the heck. Most people can't afford to take a family of 4 to most of these events anyway. Raise the price and tax the well off. Get some of Bush's tax cut back since you probably don't think it was good for the economy anyway. SHIRLEY do you know that raising the price on stuff makes customers go AWAY. Focus on spending cuts you idiot. Did Granholm put you up to this?

Call a spade a spade. The fee is truly a tax to subsidize what could not gain support. An Arts Tax!

If you can dump a cross into a septic tank they will give you $50,000 more of OUR tax dollars.

When will the sheeple of this state figure out that all the socialist democrats and about half of the rino's are just after your money. Fees, Fines, registrations etc. are all grabs for YOUR MONEY! At least this ignoramus has the guts to call it a tax. Remember, the imperial government produces nothing, makes nothing, sells nothing. Every penny they spend has to be stolen from working folks. Less Regulation + Less Taxes = More Prosperity

A Royal Oak republican has to be a little to the left of Shrillary to get elected.

Thanks for putting my thoughts into words!

I'm a Republican. Give me just ONE good reason why I should have voted for you. Change that 'R' beside your name to an 'RORINO'--Royal Oak Republican In Name Only. (Stole a point from a previous poster--sorry.) I'll choose my own method of contributing to 'noble' causes, thank you.

Yep, they are at it again. Tax the ones who go to events and then give it to others so they can spend the money the way they want, you and I are too stupid to spend our money the way WE want to, others are more enlightened to spend our money the way they want. Why don't the people that were elected go and stop the tax cuts that they propose to the owners of big business? If you are reading this I am sure that you have seen all of the proposals that have given tax breaks to, it seems, hundreds of different business interests. If those interests were not given breaks there would be millions left for other programs. Since it seems that neither party is willing to get along with the other one perhaps everyone should be taken out of office and something new, different, should be given a chance to try to solve our state's money problems. Just how many tax dollars have been lost this year alone with the big three closing down plants and laying off people? If the enlightened ones in government had taken their heads out of theiy butts some of this might not of happened and we would not be in the fix we are in today. It seems to me that George Orwell had it right.

Why don't they cut taxes on all people, business, fees everything. Then they can figure out which bloated government subsidies to stop funding. Within a year you would see businesses moving TO Michigan not out of, hiring people buying supplies etc. Wanna see boom times here? CUT THE TAXES

It is time to send Shirley HOME to flip burgers at Mickie D's. I am sick and tired of you idiots in Lansing spending MY money. We already VOTED the arts tax down.

don't you understand that those "idiots" know what's best for you? They are much smarter than you and know best how to spend YOUR MONEY. It's time for a part time legislature. Then they won't have so much time on their hands. Lets then try to elect a few normal folks who will cut the fat out of the budget. The people that vote for the socialist/democratic party are addicted to handouts. Then you throw in the pandering RINO'S and we have a real problem.

A 5% tax on entertainment? I have a better idea. Those of you who choose to "serve" the public as elected officials should do so on a strictly voluntary basis. We take the bloated salaries you are receiving for doing nothing but waste our money, and use it for... hmmm, promoting sporting events! Yeah, that's a good idea!

Who would want to come here as a tourist with a TAX on entertainment? This is bad timing and a bad idea. GO tax some cigarettes some more.

Really!

called them "useful idiots"

How could our government be so stupid? Michigan is the poorest state in the union, people have lost their jobs, and we have no idea where we are headed and this is the only solution you can come up with. Just hurt us some more. Why not cut your high salaries, stop your fancy trips (like the one to Mackinac Island) and put a stop to your expenses. That should bring in a lot of money. When are you going to stop hurting the little people? We have been taxed so much that there isn't anything left.

and I'll cut the bloated goat by 50%

What are they gonna tax next? The use of too many toilet paper squares? This is just getting rediculous.

how's about you take a 25,000 a year job, make the rent/house payment, pay 45 bucks gas a week, food, clothing, pay all the utilities, insurance, etc, and when you have a few bucks left at the end of the week, pay some more to your state government for the priviledge of taking in a matinee movie because the evening show costs more. you are an absolute tool, ass clown, self righteous pork politician who thinks because the state can't keep jobs here, it is right to make those who are left pay more. i worked for a company that refused to hire more people to replace those who quit and simply made those who were dumb enough to stay work longer hours. guess what? i quit that job. you will continue to make people leave this state because of your draconian tax ideas. then what?? figure out what else you can tax?? go to hell shirley, and take your fellow politicians who think like you with ya.

It`s an interesting idea but this means we will have to pay more for admission fees to zoos, live theater shows, museums, the opera, music, theatrical, dance, literary, or cultural festivals. There are not so many people that visit museums or opera and after applying a 5% tax the prices will rise and fewer people will come. I took my daughter to all the main events that took place in the city and now she is making a documentary film with the help of video production New York, she is very talented and received some help from our local authorities. They should allocate more money for such things but instead they want to impose a 5% tax...