ALEC Responds

A rebuttal by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-funded group, said taxes do influence businesses and individuals. Lower taxes promote economic growth, which in turn attracts more people seeking jobs, the report said.

Michigan seniors are angered by a combination of Snyder-led tax changes, including the pension rules and reduced property credits, said Mark Hornbeck, spokesman for AARP Michigan, based in Lansing.

“Some thought the tradeoff for a lower business tax was OK,” Hornbeck said. “Most of the feedback we got was that the pension tax was not fair.”

He said AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, lobbied to reduce the tax increase. AARP doesn’t endorse candidates, he said.

Pension taxes probably won’t decide the race for governor, “but stranger things have happened,” said Bill Ballenger, founder of the Lansing-based newsletter, Inside Michigan Politics.

“How often to Democrats have a chance to campaign against Republicans on taxes?” Ballenger said in an interview. “Snyder gave them a gift.”

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