Michigan Rules and Regulations—
Silent Tax Increase/Silent Job Killer
By Representative Dave Robertson
March 15, 2009
Tax increases always draw public attention- whether income, business, property, or gasoline. All proposed tax increases receive attention and as Republicans we have rightly objected to them. However, there is another form of taxation,- taxation by regulation, which receives far less attention by taxpayers, but can be just as costly.
Here are just a few examples from my own experience as a member of the House of Representatives:
In the summer of 2003, a small pizza shop owner was delayed three weeks in opening his restaurant, as his “state of the art”, nationally-recognized, testing firm approved, pizza oven waited for further approval by state bureaucrats.
In October of 2006, a mid-Michigan O-ring manufacturer, explained how he would be able to add an entire production line of new employees, if only the State of Michigan would grant approval to a mining operation in the Upper Peninsula. After years of regulatory scrutiny, and a commitment by developers to the most up-to-date mining methods known, final approval for the mine has yet to be granted by the State of Michigan. The manufacturing jobs continue to go uncreated.
In 1995, a southern Genesee County resident, building his dream home, secures local and county government approval for his site-plan. Well into construction of his home, the MDEQ informs him that within the parcel of land which he owns, he has encroached 1/10 of an acre into a wetland. In spite of acknowledged error on the part of the local government in the initial approval granted, the property owner faces fines and penalties by the State of Michigan. Nearly 90% of the encroached upon land has been restored on site by the property owner, but the issue continues to be unresolved.
Last month, in his remarks before NORC, Sen. John Pappageorge spoke eloquently on the harm caused to our economy by over-regulation His remarks hit the nail on the head. While rulemaking doesn’t make headlines like tax increases do, it can be just as costly and lethal to job creation or to our rights as property owners.
The legislature’s most powerful weapon in fighting runaway bureaucratic over-regulation is to deny rule-making authority in statute when laws are first written. Simply put, the legislature needs to write our laws more clearly. leaving less opportunity for bureaucratic mischief.
Michigan needs rules and regulations to protect our health, safety, workplace and environment. However, the rules we implement must be fair, reasonable, and easy for our citizens to understand. They must preserve our fundamental property rights. Both the Legislature and the Governor must reign in the agendas of unelected bureaucrats, and the special interests which wield influence in the largely unnoticed rule making process.
While we continue to fight the good fight against liberals who argue for ever-increasing taxes and spending, we must not forget the hidden tax of misguided or over-zealous regulation.
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