Public Support For Employer COVID Mandates, Michigan Poll on K-12 Masking, Corporate Tax Rates, Houghton Co. Administrator, and 9/11 Losses from the UP
This week on Rural Insights
On Wednesday we are featuring a new episode of the Rural Insights Podcast, featuring David Jahn, President and CEO of Chippewa County War Memorial Hospital.
In this episode, David discusses healthcare in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, the difficulties that are being faced not just at his facility but in hospitals throughout the UP, and also some opportunities his organization is pursuing to attract more doctors and nurses.
If you haven’t yet, make sure to subscribe to our podcast on any of the major podcast platforms.
Thanks to our readers for the data!
Many of our readers forward data to us about various issues. We appreciate you doing that and we will use it when appropriate.
Please always include the source of the data. We publish this data because we believe that it is important to the citizens of the UP and useful to them in their personal deliberations on important issues.
Speaking of data from readers, here is one:
58% of registered voters support requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to mandate Covid-19 vaccines or weekly testing. (Morning Consult Polling).
Poll on masking in K-12
The K-12 Alliance of Michigan recently commissioned a poll that found that:
- 54% of Michigan parents say they–and not the government should decide if their kids wear masks in school.
- 49% said all kids should be required to wear masks.
- 45% said they oppose all mask mandates.
Is this a clue as to why we have not seen as much on mandates from Michigan political leaders?
Maybe, maybe not. Let us know your thoughts on this poll, and on mask mandates as well.
Another new poll on employer vaccine mandates in swing states
Republican national pollster Frank Lutz has issued a poll on this topic and it reports the following info on vaccination mandates in these states:
Michigan:
- Favor: 61%
- Oppose: 39%
Wisconsin:
- Favor: 68%
- Oppose: 32%
Arizona:
- Favor: 68%
- Oppose: 32%
Georgia:
- Favor: 61%
- Oppose: 37%
Lots of reporting on corporate tax rates lately
Lots of talk in Washington, D.C. and Lansing about tax rates, taxing the rich and corporations paying their fair share of taxes, etc.
Raising and lowering taxes always gets the media pundits going and gets lots of comments from taxpayers. As Congress debates this in the coming weeks we thought a little history might interest our readers.
Here is a short review of corporate tax rates under recent past US Presidents:
- Carter: 39%
- Reagan: 34%
- Clinton 35%
- Bush: 35%
- Obama: 35%
- Trump: 21%
Houghton County administrator resigns
The popular Upper Peninsula public administrator, Ben Larson, has resigned his position as Houghton County Administrator to go into the corporate world. He will be joining a corporation in the region. He is an alumnus of both Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan University.
Many of our thriving communities are administered by graduates of NMU, including Houghton County, Marquette County and Sault Saint Marie–plus many other positions in the public sector throughout the region.
Houghton County is immediately beginning a search to replace Ben Larson. Interested? Contact the Houghton County Board of Commissioners.
911 Pentagon losses from the UP
Just a reminder that the Upper Peninsula lost one of its own in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
Lt. Colonel Kip Taylor was an aide to the Army’s Chief Of Staff for Personnel. He was 38 years old and among the 125 people who perished in the Pentagon attack. He was a 1985 graduate of Northern Michigan University.
He is memorialized in the Pentagon and on the NMU campus at the Veteran’s Rock. Let’s not forget him or the others who perished.
Public comment sought for mining report
The Michigan Committee on Michigan’s Mining Future has written a draft final report “regarding ways the state can strengthen and develop a sustainable mining industry.”
They are seeing public comment before finalizing the report. You can comment by email and can go to michigan.gov for more information.
The report is due by October 6th and will be given to the legislature and the governor.
Books recommended by our readers
“Never Split The Difference. Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It”. Chris Voss and Tahl Raz. 2021.
The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch by Miles Harvey. 2021.
Quote that make us go hmmm
“Someone once said of a British politician of notably flexible moral principles that his frequent wrestling bouts with his conscience must have constituted one of the longest winning streaks in sporting history . . .” Gerald Baker.
“When statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country to a short route to chaos.” Sir Thomas More.
“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” Unknown.
How are we doing?
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WE REPORT, NOT ADVOCATE.
FACTS, DATA, INFORMATION AND RESEARCH.
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You are leftist propaganda group. 61 percent of Michigan DOES NOT. support vax mandates.
Frank Lutz is a leftist? Diane, please cite your study that refutes Mr Lutz’s survey.
Howard,
Asking more of the commentors than the publication? Propagandist much?
David cited where he got his numbers. Diane disputed those numbers. Asking her where she might be getting her information is a reasonable request. Might even spark further discussion.
Re: Corporate tax rates
What corporations (& individuals) actually end up paying should be the focus of any future tax rate decisions.
Want to know when the propoganda is trying to hide that its propoganda? When they use ‘facts and data’ from someone only viewed as a Republican by those who aren’t Republicans. Add to that, its the only party mentioned…..chances are good this entire publication is wasted efforts.
Frank Lutz has not been considered a Conservative by Conservatives ever. He is a “self-proclaimed” Republican pollster. I have been vaccinated for COVID-19. But that is because I am old and have asthma. My immunity to COVID from the vaccine is only a fraction of the immunity I would have had IF I had contracted, and recovered, from the virus. Vaccinating young people, and those who have recovered from COVID is not medically justifiable. Mandating that these latter citizens get the vaccination is non-constitutional and probably illegal. Pfizer has profited 33.5 BILLION dollars from the COVID-19 vaccine and will probably reap an equal amount if boosters and vaccines for the young and naturally immunized is mandated.
“Frank Lutz has not been considered a Conservative by Conservatives ever.”
Really? Just Google Newt Gingrich and Frank Luntz.
I think I lost my scorecard for who is a “real” Republican these days.
Correct! Frank Lutz is a leftist
My doctor told us that young people and kids should not be getting the Covid vaccine. Our kids are in early 20s and late teen. He also told us that doctors do not know anymore about Covid than their patients. This has been a recent comment by him..and a change of opinion.
If the numbers about people wanting to wear mask is accurate and in no way altered to push an agenda then why don’t we see more masked then unmasked people in stores etc…. Only speaking from personal knowledge but I see maybe 5% of people wearing masks 😷 just saying.