Yikes!  I can't think of a good way to write a graduated income tax. I also can't think of any good trade off. Sometimes politicians will vote for laws because there are parameters put on the bill and promises that the law will not be tampered with.

A case in point is the seat belt law. Some Republicans voted for the seat belt law on the promise that there would never be "primary enforcement" of the law. In the time it took to come up with the slogan, "Click it or ticket," the  Legislature had changed the law to include primary enforcement.  Legislators can't vote for laws that go against liberty on a promise of government restraint. If there is one thing the government doesn't do well, it is showing restraint.

We must hold our Legislators accountable and tell them that a graduated income tax is not what Michigan needs, no matter how it is packaged. We need less taxes and a simpler tax system, not a more convoluted one that will punish those who work hard, take risks and open businesses, and are successful.