The odds of a local municipality in Michigan passing a tax increase in the current economic climate are fairly low, according to Michael LaFaive, director of the Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative.
"This is the wrong time to reach deeper into American pockets," he told The Bay City Times. "It will only remind voters of the new class warfare - government employees vs. those who pay their bills."
That concern is echoed in this Detroit News column, which cites figures compiled by Center analysts that show public-sector compensation is up 11.4 percent since 2000, while private-sector compensation fell nearly 20 percent over the same time period. A 3 percent raise is scheduled to take effect for state employees soon.
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