September 25, 2008 – 6:00 pm
(Part 7 in an 11-week economic plan to get Michigan moving again and get our people back to work)
Last summer, on a business trip out east, I decided on the way home to get off the interstate and travel some of the state highways and county roads that wound through the small towns I otherwise would drive right by. In one of these towns I noticed an old brick schoolhouse located on the main street, and above the schoolhouse door, carved there into the stone, was a single word: Opportunity.
That idea, of education as opportunity, and a chance to make something more of yourself than would otherwise be possible, is even more relevant in today’s globalized knowledge economy than when that word was first carved into that stone. And so today, as part of our comprehensive blueprint to get Michigan’s economy back on track, it’s time to look at the importance of investment in education to building the globally competitive workforce Michigan needs to compete.
In fairness, the language “building a globally competitive workforce” comes from my good friends over at the Center for Michigan, a non-profit “think-and-do-tank” that has been active in articulating a Common Ground Agenda for Michigan’s Future, working to move beyond narrow ideology and the petty partisan gamesmanship that has done so much to hurt our state and develop an action plan that addresses the big challenges we’re facing. I’m honored to be a Founding Champion of the Center’s Michigan Defining Moment campaign, and I believe I am the only candidate for State Representative in Michigan, of either party, to serve as a Founding Champion for this effort.
As the Center points out, building this globally competitive workforce means going beyond the traditional K-12 approach to education and delivering the learning infrastructure necessary and relevant to the challenges of the 21st-century. So here are five big ideas to make sure we’re delivering the opportunity only education can provide:
· universal, quality pre-school education for all Michigan children;
· additional teachers and support staff to reduce class sizes, providing the one-on-one attention that can boost student achievement;
· ending the inequitable funding formula that hurts local students;
· additional investment in higher education to keep tuition low; and
· greater funding for skills training (including expanding Michigan’s No Worker Left Behind program) for workers who have been displaced by changes to Michigan’s economy.
Today’s news that Tower Automotive is going to close their auto parts manufacturing plant in Traverse City, putting 350 local people out of work, shows the importance of investing in ongoing education and skills training, and I’m calling on Governor Granholm to make funds available through the No Worker Left Behind program to assist local workers in getting the education and additional skills they’ll need to transition to new jobs. As I’ve written earlier, efforts such as these are essential if we’re going to weather difficult economic times, and we must and can do much more to ensure that those Michigan workers who have lost their jobs because of global changes to Michigan’s economy have the skills training they need to reenter the labor force at a competitive wage.
We know that education is absolutely crucial to increasing Michigan’s economic competitiveness in a global, information-based economy. As State Representative, I look forward to leading efforts to ensure that, from early childhood through an affordable college degree to the skills training and lifelong learning opportunities for those currently in the workforce, we’re doing all we can to build the globally competitive workforce it will take to get Michigan moving again.
September 24, 2008 – 2:33 pm
Earlier today, at Senior Centers across the district, I launched an aggressive effort to ensure that our local senior citizens have a State Representative who is standing up for their interests in Lansing. Local seniors should be able to enjoy their retirement years with peace of mind and dignity. Unfortunately, as a result of the recent turbulence in the financial markets, many seniors fear that the money they saved for retirement may not be enough.
My plan will ensure a secure retirement for all Michigan seniors, hold drug companies responsible when their products harm or kill, and add needed protections from predatory lenders that threaten the ability of seniors to hold on to their homes. Finally, because many seniors live on a fixed income, my plan will ensure that property taxes don’t increase when home values fall, and I will reform state government to ensure that it is effective, efficient, and accountable to Michigan taxpayers.
Here are the specifics of the plan I laid out:
Promote a secure retirement for Michigan seniors
• I will fight efforts that jeopardize retirement security and weaken pension protections for Michigan seniors, including proposals to privatize public pensions.
• According to a June 2008 report by the global consulting firm Watson Wyatt, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, traditional pension plans outperformed private investment accounts, providing both more certainty and more money to pay for retirement.
End drug industry immunity and allow seniors to hold big drug companies accountable when their products harm or kill Michigan residents
• Repeal Michigan’s one-of-a-kind law that gives drug companies immunity from legal action so long as the drug in question has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• Make the repeal retroactive so that Michigan residents harmed by dangerous drugs since 1996 can seek legal recourse.
• Extend the Consumer Protection Act to cover drug companies.
Protect seniors by cutting taxes and cracking down on predatory lending
• Prevent property taxes from rising when the value of a home declines.
• Ban predatory lending practices, such as making loans without requiring a borrower to prove their ability to pay, encouraging a borrower to default, and charging fees for a payoff statement.
• Protect homeowners’ equity by prohibiting home refinancing to generate fees for the lender unless there is a tangible net benefit to the borrower and protect consumers from being steered toward high-cost loans when they would otherwise qualify for a traditional loan.
Make state government more efficient, effective and accountable to Michigan taxpayers
• Cut the salaries of elected officials by 5% to reduce the cost of government.
• End free lifetime health care benefits for lawmakers and other elected officials. No other job guarantees a person free lifetime health care after working for only six years.
• Prohibit lawmakers from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving office.
• Pursue a broad-based bi-partisan reform agenda that invests in key budget priorities by reducing government expenditures that fail to deliver value to taxpayers.
These common-sense proposals will improve the lives of local seniors, and ensure they have a representative in Lansing who is on their side.
You can see pictures of Dan’s visits here.
September 18, 2008 – 12:28 pm
(Part 6 in an 11-week economic plan to get Michigan moving again and get our people back to work)
This week’s installment of our plan to get Michigan moving again focuses squarely on renewable energy issues and their potential to help get Michigan’s economy back on track. I know I’ve covered much of this before, but with so much action this week on renewable energy – from some long-awaited legislation at the state level to an exciting project to manufacture a new form of wind turbine coming to Manistee – it really does deserve a post all its own.
To start, after a deal was reached on a comprehensive energy package yesterday morning, both the State House and State Senate finally voted to commit to meeting 10% of our energy needs through renewable sources by 2015. Locally, this bill had the support of all three of the individuals who cover the 101st District in Lansing: State Representative David Palsrok (R-Manistee); State Senator Michelle McManus (R-Lake Leelanau); and State Senator Gerald Van Woerkom (R-Norton Shores).
What’s more, these local Republicans also stressed the economic potential of this legislation, with Rep. Palsrok cited by the Michigan Information and Research Service as stressing that doing nothing was significantly more expensive than the cost of the package, and Sen. McManus saying “Had we done nothing, energy rates would have increased and Michigan would have lost out on billions of dollars worth of new jobs and investment. The cutting-edge, clean energy technologies brought forth in this plan will create good-paying jobs and will help ensure a safe and reliable energy future for Michigan residents and job providers.” This echoes the point made by State Senator Jason Allen (R-Traverse City) that “Passage of the bills definitely has the potential to help the region’s economy.” Despite the broad-based consensus of the economic impact of this legislation – including both the jobs it will help create and the long-range negative impact on Michigan residents of doing nothing – my opponent continues to oppose affordable, renewable energy, saying “alternative energy doesn’t work.”
The legislation passed by the state legislature yesterday is an important first step in building a long-range energy plan to make Michigan more competitive and in creating jobs now in this exciting growth area. What’s more, the fact that the legislation was supported by groups ranging from the Michigan Environmental Council to the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Manufacturers Association shows that renewable energy solutions can help slow global warming and protect our natural environment while creating jobs and sparking investment in Michigan. This truly is a win-win, and a step towards a more diversified economy and a more prosperous Michigan. The cost for this: $3 a month. Not bad for a plan that can add 30,000 jobs to Michigan, and as part of an overall clean technology strategy than can reduce our highest-in-the-nation unemployment rate by nearly two points.
Locally, Northwest Michigan is well-placed to benefit from statewide efforts to promote renewable energy technologies. Earlier this week came the announcement that Manistee-based MasTech Manufacturing, Inc. had verbally closed a deal with Mariah Power to manufacture Mariah’s “Windspire” vertical wind axis in Manistee. The $4 million deal will generate 40 new jobs in Manistee over the next few months, with more than 100 jobs to be created over the next three years. This deal was the result of local leadership and collaboration between private companies, local economic development officials, and Manistee County and City governments, as well as a number of committed local citizens. During the process I wrote to both Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Jim Epolito and Governor Jennifer Granholm to formally request that MEDC reconsider its earlier decision to reject a $2 million low-interest loan for the two companies from the state’s 21st Century Job Fund; ultimately the project went ahead without any backing from the state. Bringing the company to Manistee will help create good jobs right here in our community. It will also build on the Michigan Energy Fair – held each June in Manistee County – and the many other local efforts being made to position our area to lead in the high-growth renewable energy industry. The economic potential of renewable energy is not theoretical; we’re seeing first-hand how important it can be to our region, and how we can compete to lead in the high-growth renewable energy arena.
Finally, this week also saw a visit from New York Times columnist Tom Friedman to our state, where he reminded us that as important as the energy bill and other efforts are, they are only a first step in building our energy future. Friedman has been a strong proponent of efforts to promote clean technology, and has argued that investing in renewable energy and other “green” initiatives is, in his words, “geostrategic, geoeconomic, capitalistic and patriotic.” His essay last year, “The Power of Green,” is a must-read for anyone who hopes to truly understand the global forces, scientific evidence, and economic opportunities that climate change presents. So when Tom Friedman comes to Michigan to talk about how we can position ourselves on the cutting edge of the green economy to improve our state’s economy, we should all pay attention. In his speech, Friedman argued that Michigan needed to go beyond simply joining the ranks of those states with Renewable Portfolio Standards and should instead “have the highest renewable portfolio standard in the country,” saying that this will help ensure that Michigan-based innovators have a domestic market for their products.
Friedman reminds us we need to measure our success not by how we compare to Michigan five years ago, but whether we’re truly positioned to lead renewable energy efforts in an increasingly globalized world. The announcement earlier this week by MasTech and Mariah Power shows just how exciting an opportunity this is for our region, and the jobs impact leadership in this sector can have. And the passage of the energy package by the state legislature is the necessary first step to diversifying our economy, securing reliable, affordable energy for Michigan residents, and bringing jobs back to Michigan. It’s an exciting week to live in Michigan!
September 17, 2008 – 2:44 pm
For the past 2 years, legislators in Lansing have been dragging their feet about whether or not to pass the renewable energy portfolio standard.
C’mon already!
Time and time again I have highlighted the importance of Michigan’s investment in renewable energy. The faster we pass this legislation; the sooner companies will be given the go-ahead that it is safe to invest in Michigan. Indeed, a report released earlier this month shows that investment in renewable energy has the potential to create 60 thousand jobs right here in Michigan. With a quality workforce that is ready to embrace the ‘green-collar’ jobs of the 21st century, and the quality of life to keep them here, we are well placed to lead America into the jobs of the future.
My opponent disagrees. In launching his campaign earlier this year he told the Ludington Daily News that “Alternative energy does not work.” Not only that, he doesn’t even believe in climate change. This shows that not only is he wrong on the science, but by putting ideology over common sense he costs Michigan jobs and continues to hurt efforts to improve our economy.
Even local Republicans disagree with my opponent on this issue.
State Senator Jason Allen, told the Traverse City Record Eagle last Sunday that, “Legislation is important to show how the state will use renewable resources in the future. Passage of the bills definitely has the potential to help the region’s economy.”
Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country, and by pursuing a right-wing ideological agenda instead of the common-sense efforts needed to create jobs now, my opponent shows just how out of step he is with the concerns of ordinary residents of this district.
We can do better.
September 11, 2008 – 2:07 pm
(Part 5 in an 11-week economic plan to get Michigan moving again and get our people back to work)
In 1935, President Roosevelt issued an executive order creating the Rural Electrification Administration; Congress followed Roosevelt’s lead the following year by passing the Rural Electification Act, called one of the most important elements of the New Deal. Prior to Roosevelt’s action, just 10% of rural families had electricity, a number that jumped to 40% of rural households in five short years! Congress amended the REA in 1949 to extend telephone service to rural areas, and today the agency also helps modernize water and sewer systems in our rural communities.
By making loans available to local electrification cooperative, which were often driven by farmers, the Rural Electrification Act helped farmers modernize their operations, provided the encouragement necessary for private electric companies to connect rural households (which ultimately lowered electric rates), and made it possible for businesses to remain and grow in rural America.
So what?
Well, as important as extending electricity to rural areas was to reviving the economy of the 1930s, access to broadband is at least as important to growing Michigan’s economy today. Indeed, as former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and media expert Robert McChesney noted, broadband represents “a technology that, in terms of powering economies, could be the 21st century equivalent of electricity.” Moreover, while many assume that access to broadband is universal, 60% of American households do not have access to broadband either because it is unavailable or unaffordable, and our global position is getting worse: “since 2001, according to the International Telecommunications Union, the United States has fallen from fourth to 16th in the world in broadband penetration.”
We can do better. Indeed, a number of efforts to expand access to broadband are already underway in our communities.
Fittingly, many of those leading the charge to connect our local rural areas to high speed internet are also farmers, inheritors of the legacy left by those who helped bring electricity to rural America nearly 75 years ago. In my experience as co-chair of the economic development committee for the Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce, it was a local cherry grower, concerned about his ability to conduct his business in the 21st century without high speed internet, that led our local efforts to bring broadband to those parts of Leelanau Township that currently have only dial-up.
Access to broadband is particularly important to employers and employees alike in an era of high gas prices. Some states are already experimenting with the idea of a four-day work week, and at least one Michigan county is following suit. While many of these changes are simply a reshuffling of hours, efforts to expand broadband connections can help accelerate these workforce changes. In addition, an increasing percentage of our workforce – especially the knowledge workers Michigan is trying hard to attract – are able to work from anywhere they have a high speed connection. With all that Michigan has to offer, from natural beauty of our state to the unique character of our communities, we need to ensure we’re not placing obstacles in the way of these knowledge workers locating their business operations in Michigan.
I have seen first-hand the opportunity access to broadband presents for Michigan’s economy. My work with my local chamber of commerce on these issues, as well as knowing people across the district who would be forced to live and do business elsewhere without access to high speed internet, have made me a true believer in the economic impact a more aggressive broadband strategy can have. Indeed, according to a 2001 study from the Brookings Institution, the widespread adoption of basic broadband could add $500 billion to the U.S. economy and create 1.2 million new jobs per year. Here in Michigan, we simply cannot afford to allow those jobs to pass us by, and as State Representative I will work to ensure we’re enabling all Michigan residents – regardless of where they live – to plug into the economic opportunities broadband access can provide.
September 8, 2008 – 4:27 pm
Scripps Launches
‘New Michigan Now‘
Campaign will fix broken Legislature, create jobs for Michigan workers
MANISTEE – House candidate Dan Scripps (D-Northport) today launched the “New Michigan Now” campaign, a sweeping plan that aims to create good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced, reform Michigan government, strengthen education and expand the role of renewable energy in Michigan.
“Our residents deserve a ‘New Michigan Now‘ – they are sick and tired of watching their jobs outsourced to other countries while the Legislature does nothing,” said Scripps, a candidate for the 101st House District, consisting of Benzie, Leelanau, Manistee and Mason counties. “The special interests and big corporations have far too much power in Lansing. As State Representative I will be a strong voice for working families, and that means returning the Legislature to the people, where it belongs.”
Announced across the state today, the “New Michigan Now” campaign encompasses a six-point plan to move Michigan forward by:
• Creating good-paying jobs and protecting Michigan workers.
• Reforming state government, cutting government spending and cutting taxes for homeowners.
• Strengthening education to create the new workforce for the 21st century.
• Building our energy independence and creating jobs.
• Protecting Michigan’s land, air, water and quality of life.
• Strengthening health care and protecting Michigan residents.
Scripps is an active member of his community, serving as the co-chair of the economic development committee for his local chamber of commerce and as Vice President of the Leelanau Children’s Center. An attorney, he is an expert in environmental and energy issues, and participated in a think tank discussion on climate change and energy policy solutions at the Rothbury Music Festival in July. Scripps and his wife Jamie are members of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church near Beulah.
“Northwest Michigan is home to the hardest workers in the country,” Scripps said. “They deserve good-paying jobs, quality health care and a great education for their children, and that’s exactly what ‘New Michigan Now‘ will give them. We need to get our state back on track, and this plan will fix our broken legislature and get our economy moving again.”
###
You can read more about the ‘New Michigan Now’ campaign by downloading a PDF here.
You can watch the press conference in two parts here:
September 4, 2008 – 5:19 pm
(Part 4 in an 11-week economic plan to get Michigan moving again and get our people back to work)
This past Monday we celebrated Labor Day. For many people, Labor Day marks the end of summer, or a chance to enjoy a three-day weekend. For politicians and the media, Labor Day is the semi-official start of the fall election campaign. But at its heart, Labor Day is a celebration of our working families, the hard-working men and women who drive our economy. And so it’s fitting that as we continue to outline a plan to grow our economy and bring prosperity back to Michigan, we take a moment this Labor Day week to ensure that all of us have the opportunity to share in the new prosperity this plan creates.
A recent study from the Economic Policy Institute illustrates the scope of the problem. As the study notes, during the last decade “Gross domestic product and historically high productivity growth should have raised paychecks up and down the income ladder, but instead the benefits of that growth have bypassed most of the people who made it possible.” This is in contrast to the U.S economy’s performance during the 1990s, when under President Clinton the expanding economy also created a record number of new jobs and lifted the wages of workers at all income levels. As one of the study’s authors noted, “If job growth from 2000 to 2007 had matched the 1990s cycle, the economy would have added 7 million more jobs than it did.” Indeed, according to a report released this morning by the U.S Department of Labor, worker productivity rose 4.3% in the second quarter of 2008, even while the number of unemployment rate continued to increase.
We cannot afford to continue down this path. Simply put, it is shameful that increases in worker productivity are often reflected only in increased profits for investors, while the men and women who made those profits possible fall farther and farther behind. Worse, too often the only thanks workers receive for their efforts is a pink slip, letting them know that despite their work, and despite the increases in their productivity, their jobs are being shipped overseas. As State Representative, I will fight for Michigan working families by eliminating tax breaks and ending state contracts for any company that outsources Michigan jobs. And I will make Michigan more attractive for those businesses that are interested in putting our people back to work by cutting taxes for companies that hire Michigan workers and requiring that all businesses that contract with the state hire Michigan workers. No longer will we subsidize with our state tax dollars the outsourcing of Michigan jobs, and by supporting efforts to “Hire Michigan First” we can create jobs while cracking down on illegal immigration.
However, while we need to restore economic fairness to Michigan’s working families, we also need to step up our efforts to provide education and skills training for those workers who have been displaced by changes to our state’s economy. Efforts such as the “No Worker Left Behind” program are essential if we’re going to develop the highly-educated, highly-skilled workforce we need to compete in a globalized information economy. We must and can do much more to ensure that those Michigan workers who have lost their jobs because of global changes to Michigan’s economy have the skills training they need to reenter the labor force at a competitive wage.
Finally, as State Representative I will continue to stand up for Michigan’s middle class and actively oppose efforts that would gut the ability of Michigan workers to join a union. Keeping our labor protections in place is a central element of restoring broad-based prosperity for all of us – whether we belong to a union or not. The simple fact is that wages in so-called “Right to Work” states are 6% to 8% lower than they are in states where the ability of workers to join a union is protected. Especially now, with the price of food, gas and other essentials continuing to increase, none of us – whether we’re union or not – can afford to cut wages to Michigan’s working families.
Going door-to-door, meeting the men and women who have brought Michigan a middle class that is the envy of the rest of the world and created a century of broadly-shared prosperity, I know that it will be Michigan’s working families who will drive our economic turnaround. And especially during this Labor Day week, our working men and women deserve our thanks.
August 28, 2008 – 2:13 pm
(Part 3 in an 11-week economic plan to get Michigan moving again and get our people back to work)
Over the last two weeks we’ve focused on the importance of fundamentals and promoting Michigan’s competitive advantages to get Michigan moving again. This week I’m highlighting the need for greater investment in tourism promotion as a key part of getting our economy back on track. While tourism cannot take the place of keeping and attracting year-round jobs, attracting more visitors – and investment – to our area in all four seasons will continue to be an important part of our regional economy.
We have a wonderful story to tell. From world-class state parks, state and national forests, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, picturesque little villages and some of the best fly fishing around, Michigan has it all. We just need to share all that we have going for us with a much wider audience. Michigan can make a compelling case for why people should visit. When we’ve shared Michigan’s beauty – from the “Say YES to Michigan!” marketing campaign that ran when I was younger to the current “Pure Michigan” campaign featuring Jeff Daniels and Tim Allen – it is not difficult to sell ourselves. What’s needed is a greater and more sustained commitment to telling Michigan’s story.
The truth is, however, that Michigan simply is not making the investment necessary to reap the rewards of promoting our state as a tourism destination. In 2006, Michigan spent just $5.7 million on tourism promotion, an amount that was dwarfed by other Midwestern states. The Pure Michigan campaign is an improvement on this, but even that commits just $10 million. No wonder that, especially in these tough economic times, Michigan’s tourism leaders are crying out for additional investment. As Dan Musser, president of the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island, recently said, aggressive tourism promotion makes good economic sense “at a time the state needs jobs and revenue.”
Despite this economic impact, not everyone agrees with the idea of increasing investment in promoting Michigan. Michigan Republican Party chairman, Saul Anuzis, has called for cuts to Michigan’s tourism spending. This is a clear example of the danger of politicizing the tourism debate, and one of the reasons why I have called for a new Michigan Tourism Investment Corporation, a public-private partnership that would create a reliable revenue stream by taking the politics out of tourism investment. Telling Michigan’s story shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and it’s too important to get bogged down by the games in Lansing.
In addition to efforts like a Michigan Tourism Investment Corporation, we also need to protect the elements that make Michigan such an attractive state to visit, starting with our natural resources. Whether it’s protecting our Great Lakes and rivers and streams from water diversion, pollution and invasive species or calling for increased penalties for those who dump garbage that washes up on our beaches, I will be a champion for Michigan’s environment in the legislature. In addition, I will work to close the under spending gap that threatens Michigan’s competitive advantage as a natural resource destination.
Finally, I will work to ensure we’re making smart land use decisions, preserving the landscape that makes our state – and Northwest Michigan in particular – such a wonderful place to visit. These efforts, along with programs like Cool Cities and Michigan Main Street – will also help preserve the character of our small towns and villages, keeping the uniqueness of the places we’re lucky enough to call home.
In addition to protecting our natural resources, Michigan also must do much more to promote Michigan as a destination for cultural tourism. According to ArtServe Michigan, cultural tourists spend more money than any other tourists and are estimated to bring in $65.7 million annually to Michigan’s economy. In addition, Michigan arts and cultural activities support over 100,000 Michigan jobs and generate approximately $2 billion in economic activity. Every dollar we spend on arts and culture generates a return of $10 and has a ripple effect of $34. Despite the economic importance to Michigan’s economy, including the attractiveness of Michigan as a tourism destination, Michigan has dropped from 8th in the country in arts funding in 2002 to dead last in 2007. With the return on investment that arts’ funding provides, we simply cannot afford to continue to underfund Michigan’s cultural attractions.
Finally, I will work to promote other efforts that complement increased tourism investment. For starters, I will support efforts to expand our telecommunications infrastructure that makes it increasingly possible to live – and work – from anywhere. These efforts can help turn tourists and seasonal visitors into full-time residents and job providers. In addition, other efforts – including promoting Michigan agriculture – should be understood as integral to our broader promotional efforts. The ability to stop by one of our wineries or cider mills or pick up some fresh fruit or vegetables at one of the innumerable farm stands that dot the roads of Northwest Michigan make our area that much more attractive for visitors and residents alike, and I will be a consistent Friend of Agriculture as State Representative.
Michigan has a wonderfully compelling story to share. From the beauty of our natural environment to the outdoor opportunities available to hunters and anglers, and from the charming local villages to the cultural attractions Michigan has to offer, our state has all the elements to draw visitors from all corners. I look forward to playing a leadership role in Lansing to leverage these competitive advantages in ways that spur new economic development opportunities for Michigan.
August 21, 2008 – 1:40 pm
(Part 2 in an 11-week economic plan to get Michigan moving again and get our people back to work)
Last week I outlined just how important it is to get the fundamentals right to get Michigan’s economy back on track. This week we take the next step, looking at how we in Michigan can promote our competitive advantages in the high-growth sectors of renewable energy, health care and biotechnology, agriculture, and manufacturing and advanced manufacturing to get Michigan moving again and create opportunities for long-term, sustainable prosperity for Michigan families.
While there is no question that we’re struggling in Michigan, we also have a number of areas that differentiate our state in a good way from anyplace else in the world. Our strategy to improve Michigan’s economy and spur job creation needs to leverage these competitive advantages to highlight areas where we stand out from the crowd, giving global companies a compelling reason to invest and grow in Michigan.
There seems to be a growing consensus about the economic potential of taking a leadership position on renewable energy issues. At the national level, people ranging from T. Boone Pickens to Barack Obama are calling for national leadership in developing and promoting new sources of energy, and with companies ranging from Hemlock Semiconductor near Saginaw to United Solar Ovanic in Greenville, we have seen first-hand how renewable energy companies are already creating jobs here in Michigan. Locally, there is also good reason for optimism. The Michigan Energy Fair, held earlier this summer in Manistee County, has put Northwest Michigan on the map, and a number of companies – representing thousands of potential jobs – are looking seriously at locating in our area. Just this week, both the Manistee County Commission and the Manistee City Council approved measures to close a deal with Mariah Power, a wind energy manufacturer, that would bring over 100 jobs to Manistee County. Despite all the potential, however, there are still some – including my likely opponent – who oppose pursuing these opportunities. We need to go beyond the same old, same old thinking of the past, and embrace the economic opportunity clean energy represents. I look forward to pushing hard on these issues as your State Representative. We simply cannot afford to be left behind in an area where we have such clear competitive advantages.
Michigan is also well-placed to lead on issues connected to health care and biotechnology. Michigan has long been a national and global leader in these fields. Detroit-based Parke-Davis, which introduced new production methods such as standardized doses and the first treatments for diphtheria and epilepsy, was active in Michigan even before we were known as the Auto Capital. Our aging population, combined with leading research universities and new investment in health care networks, make Michigan well-placed to lead on these efforts into the future. Our state government has also played a positive role in encouraging this growth, with the 21st Century Jobs Fund helping to spur investment to Michigan life sciences companies. And the new Michigan Life Sciences Pipeline will soon initiate commercialization pathways to help turn ideas into marketable products that will create new Michigan jobs. According to MichBio, there are 542 life sciences companies in Michigan, which employ 31,777 Michigan workers and account for nearly $5 billion in annual sales. These companies focus on pharmaceuticals, medical devices, instrumentation, diagnostics and biotechnology research and ancillary services. Furthermore, since 2000, 92 new companies have been created, making Michigan’s life sciences industry the fastest growing in the nation. As State Representative, I will ensure those active in efforts to further strengthen Michigan’s competitive advantages in health care and biosciences have an engaged partner in the legislature.
We also have a real opportunity to further capitalize on a vibrant and stable agricultural sector in Michigan. Too often we take agriculture for granted, and too many involved with economic development efforts statewide seem to think that promoting agriculture is somehow beneath them. They ignore the fact that Michigan has the country’s second most diverse agricultural output, and that agriculture is Michigan’s second largest economic sector; they seem not to care that agriculture created $63.7 billion in economic activity last year, or that farming and processing provide more than a million Michigan jobs; and they seem to be completely unaware that at a time when our state economy is going through fundamental change, agriculture has been a rare source of economic stability. Here in Northwest Michigan, we see first-hand the importance of agriculture to our local economy. The four counties in the 101st District are all in the top ten in the state in terms of tart cherry acreage, and all in the top 15 in the nation! Furthermore, our farms are incredibly diverse, with everything from small Community Supported Agriculture farms to large dairy operations, all of which add jobs and economic activity to our area, and many local farmers and growers are working to bring “value-added” elements to their operation to boost profitability. As State Representative, I will be a consistent friend of agriculture, and will work to assist efforts to promote agriculture to build on Michigan’s competitive advantages in this area.
Finally, we need to continue to promote Michigan’s strengths in manufacturing and advanced manufacturing. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth measured the average income for a manufacturing worker in Michigan is $50,581, which is $17,777 more – or more than 50% higher – than the average Michigan worker’s salary. This shows just how important it is to hold on to our good-paying manufacturing jobs, and working to create the advanced manufacturing jobs of the future. To start, I will be a strong and consistent voice against outsourcing Michigan jobs, and will ensure we speak with a unified voice in Michigan in support of the American Manufacturing Initiative. The American Manufacturing Initiative lays out a comprehensive plan to coordinate the efforts of industry, academia, and state and federal government in leveling the playing field for domestic manufacturers, and it calls for dramatic action on trade, health care, intellectual property, and other issues. The AMI also calls for increased investment in developing leap-ahead vehicle and alternative energy technologies that would help to reduce our dependence on foreign oil while creating American jobs. In addition, we need to continue to promote advanced manufacturing, including expanding the state’s “No Worker Left Behind” program that provides two years of free tuition at community colleges or universities to provide Michigan workers with the skills they need to build new careers in high-demand industries. The need for these efforts are underscored by the announcement earlier this week from the Michigan Manufacturing Association that despite job losses in manufacturing, the industry is projecting a shortage of skilled workers in the near future. Indeed, there are currently 250 unfilled skilled trade positions in Michigan. As a result, the MMA is launching a new website on Labor Day – MiManufacturingJobs.com – to allow Michigan-based manufacturers to find Michigan talent. Even as we accelerate efforts to diversify Michigan’s economy, we need a State Representative who understands the importance of manufacturing, and will work to ensure a future for manufacturing in Michigan.
August 18, 2008 – 12:55 pm
My campaign team and I walked some of the small towns and villages in Manistee County over the weekend, along with many of our most dedicated volunteers from the Manistee County Dems! Thanks to all of you that are on the ground and making this campaign possible!
I also was privileged with the honor of meeting and introducing the former Michigan Governor, Jim Blanchard, to a group of Benzie County supporters. You can see pictures of the event posted here, and watch the video here:
|
|
|
