Subject: Weekly talking points from the governor's office
Talking Points

Thursday, July 23, 2009

 

Governor Urges Senate to Pass Legislation Expanding Number of MEGA Tax Credits

In her radio address this week, the governor says tax credits approved by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority board are a crucial economic development tool, and urged the state Senate to pass legislation expanding the annual number of MEGA tax credits.

 

MEGA tax credits were key in Tuesday’s announcement by the governor that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is helping seven companies grow in Michigan and backing one alternative energy brownfield redevelopment project.  Combined, the eight projects are expected to create up to 6,372 new jobs (both direct and indirect), retain up to 8,586 jobs (direct and indirect) and generate almost $350 million in new investment in Michigan.

 

Talking points:

•           Up to nearly 62,000 direct jobs will be created or retained in Michigan from MEGA tax credits approved this year.  The 62,000 direct jobs will produce up to nearly 161,000 indirect (spin-off) jobs.

•           The Michigan Economic Development Corporation has been so successful in persuading businesses to locate or expand in Michigan that the MEDC has used up almost all the MEGA tax credits available this year under present law.

•           The governor said if Michigan can’t award more credits until next year, we could miss out on tens of thousands of new jobs and even lose existing jobs.

•           Virtually every other state is out there fighting for companies with incentives.  For Michigan to shut down its MEGA program for the rest of the year is unilateral disarmament.

•           The governor urges the state Senate to quickly pass House Bill 4922 which increases the number of MEGA tax credits that can be issued in one year.  With the competition for jobs so fierce, Michigan can’t afford to be without one of its key economic development tools for very long.

 

Governor Says Focus Must Be on Budget Deficit

The buzz in Lansing has been about a proposal to pool health care coverage for all public employees and its projected long-term cost savings.  The governor said while she’s open to discussing the proposal, as she is about all ideas to save money, the immediate focus must be on resolving the state’s $1.7 billion budget deficit by Oct. 1.    

 

Talking points:

•           The governor is open to change and new ideas on health care:

          She  state governments to buy prescriptionestablished a money-saving pool among drugs.

          Local  using the state’s health care plan forgovernments now have the option of their employees.

          In  promoting competitive bidding for2007, the governor signed legislation teacher health care. 

•           As a result of new collective bargaining agreements between the state and the majority of its employee unions, state employees last October began paying higher health care premiums, deductibles and co-pays.  The changes will save the state more than $300 million over the three-year contract period.

•           According to a November 2008 House Fiscal Agency report, the average monthly health care premium paid by a state employee is now slightly higher than the average premium paid by a private sector employee.

•           Any health care proposal being discussed today could be profoundly changed by action on a national health care plan.

•           Again, the immediate focus must be on how to resolve the state’s $1.7 billion budget deficit by Oct. 1.

 

PROGRAMMING NOTE:

Governor to Discuss Health Care on CNBC’s “Meeting of the Minds”

On Wednesday the governor participated in a roundtable discussion of national health care for CNBC titled “Meeting of the Minds: The Future of Health Care.”  Some of her fellow panelists include Angela Braly, president and CEO of Wellpoint; Dr. William Frist, former U.S. senator from Tennessee and former Senate Republican majority leader; and John C. Lechleiter, president and CEO of Eli Lilly.

 

“Meeting of the Minds” will premiere on CNBC at 9 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 27.  The show will replay throughout the week as the national health care debate heats up.  

 

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WEYI-TV: Gov. announces over 14,000 jobs created

WLAJ-TV / LANSING STATE JOURNAL: Tax Incentives to Bring Thousands of Jobs to Michigan

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Continental, Magna granted Michigan tax credits

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Incentives to help Quicken relocate to downtown Detroit

CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS: Quicken Loans' move tops list of state tax incentives approved by MEGA board

WZZM-TV: Video: New, diverse jobs coming to Lowell and Muskegon

The following is a message from the Governor: . . . “Our aggressive economic strategy – combined with our competitive business climate and outstanding workforce – continues to generate new corporate investment and new expansion projects in Michigan despite a national recession,” Granholm said.  “The projects announced today are the types of projects that will transform our economy and create good-paying jobs for our workers.”

http://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=327188

http://www.wlaj.com/news/thousands-16396-bring-incentives.html

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090722/NEWS03/907220319/1004/NEWS03

http://www.freep.com/article/20090722/BUSINESS01/907220348/Continental--Magna-get-Mich.-tax-credits

http://freep.com/article/20090722/BUSINESS04/907220358/Incentives-to-help-Quicken-relocate-to-downtown

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090721/FREE/907219993

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/most_popular_story.aspx?storyid=111580&provider=top

 

MICHIGAN PUBLIC RADIO / AP / DETROIT NEWS / WOOD-TV: Governor Says State Has Run Out Of Business Tax Credits

"Every single state has got tools that they are using to compete for these projects," says Granholm, "We have very robust tools, and so we have got to be in the game slugging away for jobs in Michigan, like every other state is trying to do."

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/michigan/news.newsmain/article/5/0/1532761/Business/Governor.Says.State.Has.Run.Out.Of.Business.Tax.Credits

http://www.freep.com/article/20090721/NEWS06/90721039/1008/NEWS/Granholm--Tax-incentives-to-run-out-for-businesses

http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/michigan/State_running_out_of_some_tax_credits

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090722/POLITICS02/907220375/Michigan--out-of-ammo--in-bid-to-lure-jobs

 

LANSING STATE JOURNAL / DETROIT FREE PRESS: Granholm says state pledging $15M for renewable energy

DETROIT NEWS / WJRT-TV / NILES DAILY STAR: Granholm announces grants for batteries and renewables

"Everybody knows that with the highest unemployment rate in the nation, that we have been focused on adding new sectors to Michigan's economy," Granholm said. . . . "We've got vacant factories; we've got suppliers who need to be able to put people to work and stay open," Granholm said.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090721/NEWS03/907210310/1004/NEWS03/Granholm-says-state-pledging--15M-for-renewable-energy

http://www.freep.com/article/20090721/BUSINESS01/907210319/1210/BUSINESS/State-to-aid-wind-energy-retooling

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090721/LIFESTYLE14/907210321/1148/AUTO01/Granholm+announces+grants+for+batteries+and+renewables

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6924137

http://www.nilesstar.com/2009/07/22/15-million-available-to-create-jobs/

 

SOLAR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE: Granholm Administration Helping Small Michigan Manufacturers Diversify

NORTH AMERICAN WINDPOWER: Granholm Making Funds Available To Help Michigan Manufacturers Diversify Into RE

Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, D-Mich., says her administration will make $15 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds available to small manufacturing companies in Michigan looking to diversify and create jobs in renewable energy through the Michigan Clean Energy Advanced Manufacturing Initiative. . . . "We're looking for businesses that can produce renewable energy systems or the components," says Stanley Pruss, director of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, which will oversee the application process. "The projects must be able to be implemented immediately and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions."

http://www.solarindustrymag.com/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.3587   

http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.4325

 

OBSERVER-ECCENTRIC: Buy Michigan Now Festival is July 27-Aug. 2

OBSERVER-ECCENTRIC: Editorial: Buy Michigan and support your local businesses

Downtown Northville and Buy Michigan Now are proud to be hosting a week-long Michigan party next week, July 27-August 2. The Buy Michigan Now Festival will allow guests to rediscover Michigan as we celebrate and promote Michigan businesses and work together toward rejuvenating the state's economy. . . . The end of July was chosen for this festival to coincide with an official proclamation issued by Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm stating that the week of July 27, 2009 is Buy Michigan Week throughout Michigan. In the proclamation, Governor Granholm states her support of the initiative, “I encourage all residents of this state to take advantage of the many great products and services that the state of Michigan has to offer by buying Michigan first.”

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090723/SPECIAL-NONE/907230304

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20090723/OPINION/907230337

 

OAKLAND PRESS: Editorial: State deserves praise for quick reopening of I-75

We think some kudos are in order for the Michigan Department of Transportation and the road crews that cleaned up the mess and repaved the badly damaged portions of the highway in such a timely manner. . . . “Despite tight budgets, the cooperation between agencies at the state, county and local level was paramount,” Morosi said. “There was no politics, no agenda. It was do what you have to do to secure the area and get it back open for people to use.” We commend MDOT for its efficient and well-executed emergency response plan.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2009/07/23/opinion/doc4a682ced24ba8451336697.txt

 

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Op-Ed by Liz Boyd: Governor fights for change

The governor has said she welcomes all discussion on how to save money. The governor has been relentless in cutting the cost of state government, even when those cuts are painful. On the governor's watch, state employees and retirees have given up more than $300 million in health care benefits. . . . Gov. Granholm has shepherded state government through some of the toughest economic times in its history and has won praise from independent sources for having one of the best-managed states in the nation. She couldn't agree more that her primary fidelity must be to the state's fiscal health; being open to long-term savings while forcing the tough actions to get an immediate solution is critical to that work.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090723/OPINION04/907230404/Governor-fights-for-change

 

 

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