The late great President Ronald Reagan famously declared in 1986, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” That may have been forty years ago, but those words hold true today.
There isn’t a problem in this country that a democrat doesn’t think they can’t fix by just adding another “tax and spend” program on the backs of the middle class. They claim we just want to help and we’ll “Tax the Rich” to pay for this new program. But in reality, it’s everyday folks who end up paying for these “pie in the sky” initiatives.
The latest genius idea from the democrats here in Kalamazoo County is the Child Care and Early Learning millage. The group behind this initiative claims the local child care system is broken. That local families are struggling to find affordable child care and child care workers are underpaid. https://www.yesforfamilies.org/
So in an effort to expand access to child care and make it more affordable, the group “Vote Yes for Families” lobbied to get a 0.5 child care millage on the August Primary ballot. What they don’t understand is that this additional millage is another tax on families already struggling to stay in their homes. Housing affordability here in Kalamazoo County is a real problem. The millage rate here is among the highest in the state, with families in the Kalamazoo City School district paying 50.7886 mills and Portage Public Schools paying 49.9366 mills. The only places higher are Ann Arbor around 52.67 mills, and the city of Detroit at 64.18 mills. https://www.michigan.gov/taxes/property/estimator/related/millage-rates
If this Child Care millage passes, the Kalamazoo County government expects to generate about $6.4 million dedicated dollars for child care services. But it doesn’t yet have a plan for exactly how that money will be spent. https://nowkalamazoo.org/2026/05/county-commissioners-move-child-care-millage-forward-for-kalamazoo-voters-to-decide/
Add to that these other millages on the August ballot: Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority, Texas Township Fire Department, Athens Area Schools, Lawton Community Schools, Plainwell Community Schools and Otsego District Public Library.
Most people agree, affordable child care is a real struggle for families and single parents. But adding another tax to this community isn’t going to solve the problem. It’s only going to make living in Kalamazoo County more expensive and likely will force young families and retirees to move out.