Mike Cox: Whitmer’s $88 Billion Spending Spree Is a Slap in the Face to Working Michiganders
“The Answer To Every Problem Can’t Be Higher Taxes”
LIVONIA, MI —Today, former Attorney General and Republican candidate for Governor Mike Coxblasted Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed $88 billion state budget, calling it “a slap in the face to working Michiganders who are already struggling in a shrinking economy.”
“This is what failure looks like,” Cox said. “Michigan just lost 19,000 jobs in a single month — 77% of all the jobs lost in the Midwest and 20% of the jobs lost nationwide — and Gretchen Whitmer’s answer is higher taxes, higher fees, and bigger government.”
Cox noted Whitmer’s proposal piles on hundreds of millions of dollars in new and increased taxes — hitting tobacco users, small businesses, digital advertising, sports bettors, and even online gaming — while also raising fees on hunters, anglers, landfill operators, boat owners, pilots, and job creators.
“She’s taxing your habits, your hobbies, your business, and your paycheck,” Cox said. “When families are struggling and jobs are disappearing, the last thing they need is Lansing reaching deeper into their pockets.”
Whitmer’s Proposed Tax Increases & New Taxes Include:
$232 million from increasing taxes on tobacco products
$95 million from a new 57% wholesale tax on electronic cigarettes and vaping products
$135.5 million from a new internet tax on the state’s largest casinos
$38.8 million from a new per-wager sports betting tax
$21.1 million by eliminating the free-play deduction for casinos
$282 million from a new 4.7% gross receipts tax on digital advertising across all media platforms
Proposed Fee Increases Include:
Higher hunting and fishing license fees
$11 million from increased landfill tipping fees
$7.3 million from higher land and water permit fees
$5 million from increased hazardous waste fees
Higher boat and airplane registration fees
Record Budget, Record Taxes, Record Failure
Whitmer’s proposal represents the largest budget in Michigan history, roughly 9% higher than the current budget.
“Michigan doesn’t have a revenue problem — it has a leadership problem,” Cox concluded. “We need to grow jobs, support working families, and demand results from our schools — not punish small businesses, hunters, workers, and consumers with more taxes to fund another record spending spree.”
Mike Cox’s Plan to Get Michigan Back on Track: Eliminate the Tax on Work
“As governor, I will eliminate the income tax, the tax on work, and give every Michigan family a raise,” Cox said. “If you work hard, Lansing shouldn’t punish you for it.”
“The spending increases over the last seven years are so massive that you could eliminate the income tax twice over just from the growth she’s added to the budget,” Cox said. “The problem isn’t revenue… it’s runaway spending.”