Merlee Designs Blog

I just found out that Michigan is instituting a new 6% services tax that is supposed to go into effect December 2007. See details here: http://arborlaw.com/blog/2007/10/01/new-michigan-tax-on-services/

Now, I am not an economist, or a politician. However, this just seems ass-backwards to me. Here in Michigan we have the highest unemployment rates, high foreclosure rates, and a plummeting economy. Our state is in trouble. The state is always saying they want to bring more business and jobs to Michigan….but….with this new tax, people will steer clear. Michigan residents are already fleeing the state at a phenomenal rate.

Michigan governments answer? To raise taxes. Last year Michigan introduced a new 4.95% business income tax, which will be applied on top of the sales tax. This year, the state’s personal income tax will rise to 4.35% from 3.9%, and there is a new 6% sales tax on business services.

Speaking from a common sense point of view….how does making things more expensive, for both business and residents, draw in more business and people? It doesn’t. This is just ridiculous.

As it is, there are no jobs in Michigan. In 2004 I was basically forced to go into self-employment. I have not regretted it, it is probably the best thing I did, however, I am hardly doing well. I make enough to barely scrape by. I don’t have health insurance or any other of the benefits of working for someone else. I certainly don’t have a regular paycheck.

Add to this an increase of 6% on all of my service purchases, whether for business or personal use. Add in the increase in personal income tax. Add in the fact that clients will move to someone else to save the 6% tax that I will have to charge them for my services. And also add in the increased accounting required to collect, report, and pay this new tax. Whew! How does this help small businesses or the people who are barely getting by in Michigan?

Granted that Michigan’s economy is largely tied to the auto industry, wouldn’t one think that it is time for Michigan to reinvent itself? Remove that dependency? Hmmm….let’s see, how could that be done? Possibly doing everything possible to bring in new industries? We have a great educational system…why not leverage it and the people who are born from it and go down a different path instead of remaining dependent on manufacturing?

Dunno…perhaps common sense is not a requisite for being a politician.

For more insights and information, please visit the following links:

Michigan Economy At a Glance - US Dept. of Labor

Worst Yet to Come for Michigan Economy - Detroit News

Michigan’s Economic Woes - NY Times Blog

Todays GOP Debate: Its Jobs Stupid! - AOL News (Great stats here - well…scary)

Maryland and Michigan Committing Economic Suicide - Cato-at-Liberty

Being a designer can be a challenge. And like most professions I think, it is much more difficult to work on your own projects, than it is to work on ones for other people.

Ever since I started going freelance, and had my own website, I have faced the challenge of designing my own site. I have no problems coming up with ideas for other people, other businesses, but my own….is hard. I think perhaps because one has to take into consideration so many different variables and tastes. Plus…the lack of a definate theme…I mean, DESIGN…it’s so open to so many options.

So, to combat this problem, I have decided to do multiple designs. This way the visitor can view different styles applied to the same site/page. Rather than re-code/re-design the entire site for each different layout, I have simply redesigned the home page, and kept the remainder of the site in a very simple, clean format so as not to “clash”.

I would LOVE to hear any feedback on these different designs, along with your comments on the idea in general.

I tend to have numerous pet peeves regarding the use of the English language, so this really caught my eye.

Guide To Correct Use Of English
===========================

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.

2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

3. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.

4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

5. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They’re old hat)

6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.

7. Be more or less specific.

8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.

9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.

10. No sentence fragments.

11. Contractions aren’t necessary and shouldn’t be used.

12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.

14. One should NEVER generalise.

15. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.

16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.

18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

19. The passive voice is to be ignored.

20. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.

21. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.

22. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.

23. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.

24. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.”

25. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.

26. Puns are for children, not groan readers.

27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

28. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

29. Who needs rhetorical questions?

30. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

And the last one…

31. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Here is a link to an interesting blog post regarding the role of women in web design, and in IT in general. The comments are probably even more interesting. I must admit, I hadn’t thought of this aspect before, never really even considered it. I never felt that I was a rarity in my field, but then looking back, I suppose that I may be. In all of my corporate background, I have never worked with another female designer or developer. In IT in general, women are, or were when I was out there, few and far between.

I posted a new article on my Articles page called “Does Your Business Need A Website?” for those business owners who are not sure whether they are ready to make the move to online, particularly in the E-commerce arena. The article discusses the latest trends in internet shopping, statistics on internet usage, and some demographics.

I think the average brick-and-mortar store owner will be surprised at how much retail selling is actually going on online. Even though I do a significant portion of my shopping over the internet, I was excited to see the dramatic results of these numbers. The rise in internet shopping and internet use in general over the last few years is staggering.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that creating an E-commerce presence is a significant investment, especially if one is to do it right. However, when compared to the cost of opening another physical location, or simply in terms of the sheer reach of your market when you go online, the investment is definitely worthwhile.

You can view the article here, and please don’t hesitate to let me know of any comments you may have.