Please tell the Michigan Legislature and governor to raise my taxes. The state, led by the Republicans, for many years has been cutting taxes and it isn't working. We are now suffering the negative effects of this approach.

You can see it when you drive on our roads. You can feel it in your wallet if you have college tuition to pay and many other important programs are being starved of needed funds. The cities are being devastated by state funding cuts.

We've been told that Michigan is a high tax state which has a restrictive effect on business, but this isn't true. Surveys put Michigan in the middle or bottom half of state tax burdens. Other research shows that taxes are only one factor which businesses consider when deciding where to invest. High quality public education, public services and cultural attractions often come out ahead when business people decide where to locate facilities and hire staff.

So please raise my taxes and invest those dollars in rebuilding the infrastructure and services this state once had. As the tired old saying goes, "there's no free lunch." And I don't want one. I want to invest in my state and live proudly in a first-class community.

John P. Sullivan
President, Men's Alliance for Progress
East Grand Rapids