Rally Photos

Yesterday I spent a fascinating couple hours at the State Capitol in Lansing.  AARP staged a rally to protest Gov. Rick Snyder's plan to raise taxes on seniors' retirement benefits and low-income wage earners in order to offset the cost of cutting the state's corporate tax rate.  Mine is hardly an official estimate, but I'd guess close to 800-1,000 people showed up — not a bad showing for a rally thrown together quickly by a group that doesn't often do street protests.  The crowd densely filled the area in front of the east steps almost to Capitol Ave., and fanned out on both sides.  The chant-of-the-day was "It's Not Fair!"

Tour buses brought protesters from Kalamazoo, Flint and Detroit

People signed in as they arrived...

...got an official "It's Not Fair!" sticker...

...and signed up to work on future actions.

Conspiracy theorist G. Beck would describe this crowd as drug-crazed, socialist-leaning tools of the Coming Planetary Caliphate and School of Beau-tee.  I saw something different — a lot of folk born in the 1940s (with some born earlier, plus a few young folk) who over the years may have walked a picket line or two, but who are pretty much like the crowd at any Walmart.  They were well-mannered, vocal, and decidedly unhappy with the Governor's "reverse Robin Hood" tax proposal.  The Mackinac Center, which supports the Governor's budget plans, estimates that a retiree with a $40,000 annual benefit will pay an additional $1,700 in taxes for choosing to remain in Michigan.  The Center guesses that quite a few would head for tax-free Florida.  But that would require selling their current homes.  Truth is, most seniors are trapped here in Michigan.

The crowd kept growing through the 90 minute session.

Even those with mobility issues showed up.

"Young radicals?"  Well, maybe 40 years ago!

The program began with a moment of silence on behalf of the Japanese people in a very difficult time.  There were speakers, of course — from AARP, the Senate and House, and various groups.  The head of Michigan's public employees retirement system noted that the average retirement benefit for a public worker in this state is about $37,000, with quite a few retiring on far less.  This is not the winters-in-Boca-summers-in-Petoskey crowd, but it certainly offered delightful variety.

AARP had a solid lineup of people to whip up the crowd...

...which included folks who clearly follow their own drummer,
even if they march a bit more slowly these days.

Yet victory on this issue won't be won by a single noontime rally.

Signs tell the story of this rally.  There was an admirable display of creativity.

Homemade signs predominated.

Note the printing.  This sign must have been teacher-made.

Simple, but eloquent.

"It's Not Fair!"

The Governor's proposal asserts that retirees should share the sacrifice needed to bring jobs to Michigan. His case doesn't seem to be playing well among Michigan's elders.  Stay tuned. •••