[animatedmartian]

What to do with $1.3B Michigan revenue windfall? Lawmakers talk up a tax cut | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Lawmakers urge that they won't be across the board tax cuts, but they'll be targeted and aimed at the individual taxpayer (rather than notable business tax cuts they've already made). So far no plans are official yet.

Good news for Michigan's economy? Or at least the current state that it's in?

[leroythelion]

Don't cut taxes in a surplus year. Pay down the debt or FIX THE ROADS!!!!!!

[zthatzmanz28]

Restore public education..

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by leroythelion

FIX THE ROADS!!!!!!

That would make a lot of sense actually since Synder touts raising the gas tax in order to fix said roads.

[JimmyInGreatLakes]

Originally Posted by leroythelion

Don't cut taxes in a surplus year. Pay down the debt or FIX THE ROADS!!!!!!

YES, roads please!

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Since we are talking about a one-time revenue surplus, I agree with returning it to the taxpayers. Allocating those funds anywhere else will lead to pain down the road when the money dries up.

[magellan]

Roads!!

Plus, over the last decade the State cut revenue sharing tremendously to local governments. A lot of that money went to schools and local roads (non MDOT roads). They should restore a lot of that money. You know, smaller government, local control Snyder.

[313Weather]

Actually spending our taxpayer dollars to improve public services like they're intended to be used for will prevent folks with a certain political agenda from maintaining the illusion that the state ain't broke.

You're trying to convince outsiders that your state's largest city isn't a hellhole, yet the first thing outsiders see when they come to the state's largest city is half of the freeways have no lights on at night.

[snoopygirlmi]

I'm okay with giving individual's a tax 'refund', but I'd rather see some road projects moved up the schedule. They are already planned and we have the money to do the work now.

[VM1138]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

Since we are talking about a one-time revenue surplus, I agree with returning it to the taxpayers. Allocating those funds anywhere else will lead to pain down the road when the money dries up.

Agreed. It's a one-off, not a new revenue stream for new projects. As much as I'd like to see Michigan return to the world of functioning governments, it's not going to do that from a one-off revenue surplus. We need the roads fixed, but that's an ongoing issue. It's wasted money if they just go back to disrepair next year.

Might as well give struggling people a tax cut of some kind. It probably won't be a massive help to anyone, but it's better than it just disappearing down a rabbit hole of pet projects that will then either disappear or need new ongoing funds.

Ideally, I'd like to eventually see the roads fixed, public education restored, government hiring pick up, and see the Historical Department restored, but I have to be realistic, even if the politicians don't: those are expensive things that can only happen when government becomes more efficient, the revenue is handled better, and the overall economy (and thus, tax base) improves.

Seems like we're going in the right direction, though.