It's snow joke: Snowmen protest tax increase

LANSING, MI Common Sense in Government crafted more than three dozen snowmen on the state Capitol lawn to greet lawmakers Tuesday. The snowmen, complete with menacing or sad faces, hold signs with slogans including "Don't raise our taxes!" and "I'm mad and I vote."

To stop a widening budget gap, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proposed extending the state sales tax to cover some services, while lowering the sales tax rate by half a percentage point.

Michigan faces a budget shortfall of roughly $1.7 billion for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

Common Sense in Government says lawmakers should cut spending before raising or extending taxes.