Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeffrey Lamonde Tim Skubick, left, host of "Off the Record," poses a question to Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, and Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek during the "Now What? Managing the budget crisis while promoting a positive future for the state of Michigan" panel event Tuesday evening in Warriner Hall's Plachta Auditorium. [Click to enlarge]

Despite taking place at the same time as the Central/Western football game, a record crowd of 700 came to the Griffin Forum on Tuesday in Warriner Hall's Plachta Auditorium.

Four of Michigan's highest ranking legislators visited CMU on Tuesday night to discuss the Michigan budget crisis.

"On the most competitive night to hold the forum, we had the largest attendance," said Griffin Endowed Chair Gary Peters, who hosted the forum.

The leaders included Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, D-Redford Township, Majority Leader of the Senate Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, Minority Leader of the Senate Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, and Minority Leader of the House Craig DeRoche, R-Novi.

All four legislators agreed Michigan's budget crisis is not over. The service tax, approved during budget agreement talks, is unlikely to take effect as is, they said.

"The most important thing we can do as a legislature is repeal this tax," Bishop said. "We may be divided by party lines, but unified by common purpose to the people of the state."

Schauer said the tax was enacted at 3 a.m. while trying get revenue together and, because Michigan has switched from a manufacturing based economy to a service based economy, it seemed to make sense at the time.

"There was a transformation in our economy," he said. "But a very small number of legislators devised this and a solution is putting it on the ballot to make a final decision. It may not pass, but the tax should not take effect."

Continued...

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