The Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy's Tom Ivacko wrote a guest column for The Center for Michigan's electronic newsletter called "With local tax votes, citizens are trying to stop the bleeding."
In the column, Ivacko discusses the local-level impact of the state's fiscal crisis and the surprising extent to which citizens voice support for tax increases as a way to stop the deterioration of local infrastructure and services.
"My sense is that the majority of our citizens believe we can't cut our way to prosperity at this point, after so many years of cuts already (at least at the state level)," Ivacko writes. "I suspect these voters who have approved so many new taxes across the state believe it is time to start re-investing in our communities in order to create places that will keep their kids in Michigan, attract new residents and, hopefully, then the businesses that we've all heard will follow."
Read Ivacko's full columm