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Study Finds Michigan Fed-Up with High Taxes and Wasteful State Spending

For Immediate Release – March 4, 2009
- Lower-Income Residents Oppose Tax Hikes, Even if They Don’t Pay -

LANSING ? A new survey by the free-market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity finds that a massive 73 percent of Michigan residents disapprove of the state legislature’s handling of budget and tax issues. In addition, 57 percent believe the state’s taxes are too high. When asked to identify the most important issue in state budgeting, 54 percent identified wasteful spending on programs that do not work.

“Michigan taxpayers have simply had enough,” said Scott Hagerstrom, state director of Americans For Prosperity. “They’re sick and tired of politicians in Lansing raising taxes to pay for liberal spending programs that do not work.”

One way to restrain the growth of government is to require a two-thirds vote of the state legislature for any tax hikes. An overwhelming 72 percent of survey respondents supported such a proposal being enacted in Michigan.

The survey also finds that lower-income Michiganders oppose higher taxes, even if they are not forced to pay them. 54.7 percent of respondents earning under $30,000 rejected the idea of raising taxes on others.

Respondents also rejected the idea of taxes that are paid for by working poor and lower income groups, with a decisive 89 percent opposing the taxes.

The survey was conducted by Voter/Consumer Research, and is based on the responses of 600 registered voters across the state, conducted by telephone Jan. 22-27 of this year. The margin of error is +/- 4 percent.

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