Paperwork filed in effort to recall DeanBrian Ebbers is the sort of fellow that gives the right to vote a bad name. Here we have it: the "give me everything and make me pay nothing" John Q. Public who has no business voting on anything, because he can't quite wrap his mind around an actual public issue. When Britain wanted to deny us representation, it was people like Ebbers who were their shibboleth: "you wouldn't want thoughtless, selfish idiots like this running your public affairs, would you?"
Posted by The Grand Rapids Press October 25, 2007 16:23PM
Categories: Breaking News
GRAND RAPIDS -- The owner of a Cascade Township printing shop today filed a request to recall state Rep. Robert Dean, D-Grand Rapids, because of two tax increases Dean supported last months.
"I think there's a sentiment that the wrong votes were cast," said Brian Ebbers, a resident of the city's Northeast Side and owner of Cascade Printing Co.
Ebbers, who listed himself as a member of "Taxpayers to Recall Robert Dean," submitted a request for the recall election with Kent County Clerk Mary Hollinrake on Thursday.
In his request, Ebbers gives two reasons for recalling the first-term legislator: Dean's "yes" vote on a state income tax increase and his "yes" vote on a bill that imposes a 6 percent tax on a variety of services.
Hollinrake said she will convene a Nov. 5 meeting of the county's election commission to make sure the recall language is clear.
Dean said the recall effort will not affect his work. "To me, this is an abuse of what the recall is for," he said.
Michigan has budget problems. Big ones. And Mr. Ebbers would probably be first in line to piss & moan if a billions plus in budget cuts were taken out of the state budget "Why did I have to stand in line?!" "Why are the roads so bad?!" You can probably add to Ebbers' litany of compalints.
Well let's show him that citizen action need not be moronic (or toothless). If you live in or near Grand Rapids, take your printing business elsewhere that Cascade Printing. Mr. Ebbers would feel much better is he were out of business and not subject to this onerous new service tax. (Just look how the sales tax on goods has curtailed the traffic in stuff of all kinds!)
It's about time Michigan stood up and said, "You have every right to be willfully stupid. Just not with my money." Boycott the Recallers!
Oran,
ReplyDeleteCan you really make as broad sweeping a judgment about a person based on one newspaper quote? I didn't read anywhere that is taxpayer wants everything for nothing.
I am disappointed with the tax. In my opinion, there are way to operate government with less people and less cost, but I witnessed our governor spending her time defending the status quo within the state of Michigan, and absolutely no time working a compromise.
The next dilemma? There are many people who understand our state constitution to make an income tax increase illegal without a vote of the citizens.
I think the power of recall is a more dramatic reminder that elected officials have accountability to citizens. A recall can be very effective in raising awareness of the actions of elected officials, even if the recall fails.
. . . and what brilliant ideas did we get on how to cut expenditures from the Republicans?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, if you have some ideas about how a billions and a half dollars can be trimmed from the state budget, start listing them.
Otherwise you are nothing but another irresponsible "somethnig for nothinger." Fiscal conservatism isn't free, friend. You don't save money by imagining that there's room for cuts, you save money by actually cutting things.
And those folks who have notions about what the State Constitution says can take their notions to the state court system.