Free Republic

LANSING, Mich. – GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder wants to exchange Michigan's main business tax with a flat corporate income tax that would cost businesses less but could leave the state with $1.5 billion less in revenue each year. In unveiling his proposal Wednesday, the Ann Arbor businessman adds his voice to those of other Michigan gubernatorial candidates who have called for changing the way Michigan taxes businesses. Under Snyder's plan, the Michigan Business Tax — which generates $2.2 billion a year — would be eliminated. Instead, the state would examine what businesses list as federal taxable income and levy...

About a month ago, I did a story about a voting battle being played out in Pierce County in Washington state. Back in 2006, Pierce County put on its ballot an initiative to change its voting system to ranked choice voting. RCV) is the American English term for a voting system used for single-winnerelections, in which voters rank candidates in an order of preference. If no candidate is the first preference of a majority of voters, the candidate with the fewest number of first preference rankings is eliminated and that candidate's ballots are redistributed at full value to the remaining...

Much like no-limit Texas Hold ‘em poker and hermit crab racing, politics is a game where you are rarely offered a second chance these days. Perennial candidates in national or statewide races — a regular feature in America through the first half of the 20th century — have been largely driven toward extinction by a prevailing political wind which banishes losers to the gulag of the Trivial Pursuit realm.

JEFFERSON CITY — As reported on the Mother Ship this morning, state Rep. Michael Corcoran, D-St. Ann, has been charged with drunk driving related to a traffic stop that occurred on Feb. 6 in St. Louis County. Corcoran’s attorney says he’ll fight the charge. But just facing the charge doesn’t bode well for Corcoran’s political future. Corcoran is one of three Democrats who has announced his intention to run for the 24th District state Senate seat in 2010. The seat is currently occupied by Sen. Joan Bray, D-University City. She is unable to run again because of term limits. The...

"I support gay marriage, and I support prayer in school," he said, sitting in the living room of his cabin in Medina last month. "You know why I support prayer in school? What's wrong with a kid believing in something?" [. . .] . . . "What politicians lack is a sense of humor, a sense of reality and a sense of community service. That's what I bring to the party. "The only time the Democrats and Republicans get off their asses is to attack each other. The Democrats can't get any traction, and the Republicans can't get any legislation....

<p>Governors always bring their own people with them when they assume power, but the way Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's staff is getting rid of some top officials is rattling nerves at the Capitol. The state's motor vehicle director was called on his cell phone a few hours after Schwarzenegger was sworn in Monday and told to immediately clear out his desk.</p>

The Free State Project: The Real Deal I remember hearing about the Free State Project back when Jason Sorens was recruiting feedback for the idea. Having heard of plenty of other "let's form our own group" schemes, I smiled, nodded, and pushed the delete key, and expected to hear maybe one or two more things about the project at most. I'm delighted to say that I was wrong. I am not a porcupine -- that's the animal FSPers have fittingly chosen as their mascot. Thus, I'm not an expert or an insider. My interest in the FSP lies in two...

FRANKFORT - U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher of Lexington officially launched his campaign for governor yesterday and tapped Hunter Bates, an aide to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, to be his running mate in next year's Republican primary election. The move signaled a potentially heated Republican primary next spring, and disappointed state Rep. Steve Nunn, a Glasgow Republican who also plans to run for governor. Nunn said McConnell had told him he would remain neutral in the GOP primary, but Fletcher's selection of Bates "gives the appearance that McConnell is right in the middle of all this, and it's contrary to what...

FLETCHER TO ANNOUNCE RUN FOR GOVERNOR & LT. GOVERNOR CANDIDATE Lexington, KY: Congressman Ernie Fletcher will announce his run for Governor and choice for Lieutenant Governor candidate Monday December 2, 2002 in Room 316 of the Kentucky State Capitol. Listed below is a detailed schedule of Congressman Fletcher’s announcements on Monday December 2nd. Monday December 2, 2002 9:30 – 10:00 AM – Announcement State Capitol Room #316 – 3rd Floor Frankfort, Kentucky 11:00 – 11:30 AM - Announcement Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport ComAir Aviation Lobby Area 2042 Tower Drive Hebron, Kentucky 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM - Announcement Taylor County...