Got something you want to get off your chest about House Bill 5194 or House Bill 5198? We want to hear from you! Send your rant to us at rant@takebackmi.info and be sure to include your name and city in the correspondence.

The following rants were originally posted in The Oakland Press:

Someone had to pay for the $1 Billion Single Business tax break that was given to businesses. And we just found out who.
Dan Davis Jr., Oxford

I think the tax increase is not required. There is more waste that could have been removed. Each department needed a 10- to 15-percent task to eliminate the waste. The employees know where to reduce costs. They should be given the task.
George Wheeler, Milford

Taxes should not have been raised. A reduction in the size of the state and local bureaucracies should have occurred first. Let me give you some examples. I did not hear one legislator talking about reducing the size of their own staff. Instead they talk about laying off police officers and teachers. If every legislator gets rid of two staff members, (assume $100.000 per person - total compensation), this will save at least $30,000,000. The Governor's staff can be reduced by four or five people. The Governor's husband does not need four state empoyees working for him. The politicians will say, that is a drop in the bucket. It's time they got their heads out of the clouds. To the tax-paying public, $30 to $50 million is a lot of money. The biggest amount of money can be saved in the school system bureaucracy. We have local school boards, intermediate school boards, county school boards, a state school board. That's too many layers of government. Reduce that number to two boards. I believe that savings will be $1 billion or more and not one teacher leaves the classroom. There are many examples of too much bureaucracy. Let's cut the fat from the bureacrats, not from the police, firefighters, and teachers.
Ken Huddas, Highland

Our state has a $1.8 billion shortfall in a $43 billion budget. My math tells me that equals 4.2 percent. How many thousands of Michigan families have had to make a 4.2 percent cut in personal spending over the last few years because of this economy? This tax increase will now only make it harder for those of us who have endured erosions in our income because of our economy. A single mom with two kids living in Pontiac who made $43,000 last year but only $41,200 this year will have to find ways to cut her families spending by 4.2 percent. Unfortunately for her and the rest of us the full-time Michigan Legislature does not have the courage to make a 4.2 percent cut in spending at the state level. Don't blame this on incompetence, they are all very smart people. Blame it on a lack of courage. It takes courage to do the right thing sometimes. As voters we need to have the courage to throw the " yes to a tax increase" legislators out of office come election time.
Tim Brown, Farmington Hills

I moved back to Michigan after eight years in Florida. I moved back knowing full and well of the economic situation in the Great Lakes state. I am, however, very displeased to see what has become of my home state since I left and the fact we now have a tax-and-spend liberal trying to run the state. Florida has no state income tax and seems to do just fine overall. Florida also has some of the most well-kept highway systems in the nation. In addition Florida is a very clean state that has no bottle deposit laws. It is obvious to me that the welfare state of Michigan with its throwback union mentality is not in the mainstream. I for one am looking forward to leaving my home state before long and heading back to a place that rewards hard work and not the liberal laziness that this state now represents. Taxes are out of control both here and across the nation.
Kirk Marshall Davis, Waterford

Imposing taxes on our citizens when jobs are so scarce is asking for more problems. Why not look at the budget and reduce spending?
Sonia MacLeod, Pontiac

A complete cop-out. They have failed to restructure our state government to meet the realities of today. Instead they have caved to special interests and the Governor and mortgaged the State's future. Sad, sad, sad day for Michigan.
Tony Messina, Clarkston

The "service tax" is ridiculous. The income tax is the usual solution for the Democrats. I do not recall a tax increase ever stimulating the economy and that is where the state coffers would best benefit. With the dire economy of this state, highest unemployment of any state, energy costs out of sight, losing companies every day, one of the top states for mortgage foreclosures and a continuing exodus of folks leaving Michigan, this was the absolute worse thing imaginable. It is at best, a short time fix, and Lansing will be facing this budget crisis again and sooner than they think if they do not learn to cut their spending.
Wally Knowles, Presque Isle, Mich.

No! Gov. Jennifer Granholm is strong-arming the House and Senate to pass a tax that will make her problem- the $1.75 billion budget shortfall - go away. What about cutting taxes to promote jobs so the taxpayers can pay their taxes. The Democrats got what they wanted - more taxes. How does that solve the state budget problem or the state economy? Everyone is hurting. Share our pain - don't make it worse!
Robert Hessler, Rochester Hills

I moved from Michigan two years ago - for me, a great move - I now have a job. But, why not tax golf fees? Oh, that's right, all the elected officials golf and they don't want to. More for their pleasure. Real silly if you ask me. You taxed skiing so go for golf. Now that might make a difference!
Peggy Blodgett, Winchester Tenn.

Not enough cuts. Business as usual. Granholm only knows tax increases and uses scare tactics to bully her way. We need a real leader and real reform. Sad.
Tony Messina, Clarkston

NO. Raising taxes never works to reduce budget deficits. The whole state government needs to be overhauled.
Charmaine Klaus, Waterford

With high unemployment and high taxes, we wonder why people are leaving Michigan in droves. When are we going to wake up, people!
Ed Mully, Walled Lake