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State's Rights is back.

It's gonna be ugly.

Bouchard: Halt state payments to federal government

By Chad Selweski, Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Candidate for Governor says health overhaul holds states hostage, but two can play that game.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Bouchard said Wednesday that, as governor, he would withhold federal tax revenues generated in Michigan to force the federal government to abandon health care reform within the state.

Bouchard, the Oakland County sheriff, said federal enforcement officials have previously held back funding for Michigan's child support enforcement system until the state surrendered residents' Social Security numbers. The federal government has also tied federal highway funding to strict seat belt laws and highway speed limits.

"They hold us hostage to get our own money back. We're going to play that in reverse. We're going to stop sending money to Washington in the first place," said Bouchard. "They're withholding our tax dollars until we comply with their policy directives, so why can't it work in the opposite direction?"