Main Street Michigan Agenda

Virg Bernero Announces Strategy to Bring Jobs Back to Michigan

Bringing jobs back to Michigan and putting our citizens back to work must be the top priority of Michigan‘s next Governor.  Virg Bernero has a clear and compelling strategy to do just that – it’s his Main Street Michigan Agenda!

We must make Michigan the #1 place in the country to do business – because that means JOBS.

Small business especially must be promoted and nurtured as this is where the bulk of new jobs will be created. Michigan has been robbed of a recovery by Wall Street banks who have redlined our state and dried up credit. Thus we will begin with sensible, predictable and fair taxation and access to capital through a new state bank.

As a mayor, Virg has been on the front lines working to attract and retain jobs in Michigan and knows what it takes. To create new jobs in Michigan, Virg believes we must build upon our advanced manufacturing capabilities by investing in them, instead of abandoning them.  

That's because, as a state, we cannot just consume greatly, we have to produce greatly.  We have to make the products of the future for export to the world. Retaining and strengthening our state's advanced manufacturing capabilities across diverse sectors of the new global economy can and will be the backbone of our state's economic comeback.

Virg’s job–creating Main Street Michigan Agenda includes

• Business Tax Reform That Directly Rewards Job Creation and Export–Oriented Manufacturing
  As Governor, Virg will work with business and labor to reform Michigan's outdated and broken business tax structure so it directly rewards job creation and export–oriented manufacturing.  Under the Bernero Administration, the onerous and confusing Michigan Business Tax will be eliminated and a new tax structure established that helps to make Michigan the most favorable business climate in the nation for new, job–creating investments.
• Breaking the Credit Crunch for Michigan Manufacturers and Job–Creating Small Business
  Even after the Wall Street bailout that was supposed to fix the nation‘s credit crisis, Main Street businesses in Michigan are still frozen out of the credit markets that are essential to their growth – and thus their ability to create new jobs.  Virg's innovative state bank proposal will open up credit opportunities for businesses of all sizes by partnering with Michigan–based community banks and credit unions to make loans for new equipment and facility expansions that create new jobs.  As Mayor of Lansing, Virg established a small business loan fund that is helping small companies retool and compete in the new global economy.  As Governor, Virg will establish the Make It In Michigan! Microenterprise Fund to make job–creating loans to small manufacturing companies that are a vital part of our economic base.
• Green Manufacturing Zones at Former Automotive Sites
  As the founding chairman of the national Mayors Automotive Coalition (MAC), Virg led the successful fight to secure more than $800 million from the federal government to clean up environmental contamination at former General Motors plant sites in Michigan and across the country.  As Governor of Michigan, Virg will lead efforts to transform these relics of the old economy into powerful engines of the new “green" economy through designation as Green Manufacturing Zones.
  
  Former GM, Chrysler and Ford plant sites across the state will be redeveloped using targeted incentives to create thousands of new jobs in advanced manufacturing based on new green technologies, including solar and wind power, biomass, and electric battery and vehicle technology.
• Michigan International Business Investment Zones (MIBIZ)
  As Mayor of Lansing, Virg convinced federal officials to make Michigan's capital city one of just 3 EB–5 Regional Centers in the state.  Also known as an International Business Investment Zone (IBIZ), the EB–5 Regional Center designation creates a powerful magnet for new foreign investment in Lansing by offering permanent U.S. residency to foreign nationals who invest at least $500,000 in a new venture that creates at least 10 Michigan jobs. As Governor, Virg will work to make every major city in Michigan an EB–5 Regional Center as part of a statewide network of Michigan International Business Investment Zones (MIBIZ).
 
• Building Michigan's Skilled Workforce
  To compete and win in the new global economy and to assist workers who have been displaced due to the current economic crisis, we must extend and improve No Worker Left Behind, strengthen vocational education in our schools and expand access to vocational training at our community colleges. Voc Ed has become antiquated at too many of our state's schools. We must create a solid and viable path for the skilled trades–bound student to ensure a pipeline for the advanced manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow.
• Rebuilding Michigan's Failing Infrastructure
  Virg knows we cannot build a 21st century economy on 19th century infrastructure.  We can put people to work right away and dramatically improve our roads and bridges by investing in Michigan's critical infrastructure.  Because of the failure of our current state leaders to meet federal matching requirements for road and bridge repair funds, Virg will work with Michigan's congressional delegation and the White House to secure a federal waiver of matching fund requirements for Michigan's 2011–2015 road repair plan.  Securing the waiver will leverage more than $2 billion in road and bridge repairs while keeping 10,000–12,000 people on the job rebuilding Michigan‘s critical infrastructure.
• Keep Fighting for Fair Trade, Not Free Trade
  Virg will continue his forceful national advocacy for fair trade, not free trade, to bring jobs back to Michigan from China and elsewhere.  Fair trade policies are critical because even if we implement the rest of Bernero's Make It In Michigan! strategy, we will not see a sustained economic recovery as long as Michigan jobs keep flowing overseas.  Without fair trade, there is no reason to believe that the green products of the future, including electric cars, solar panels and windmills won't be made in China, India, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, just like everything else.  Governor Bernero's mantra will be "if you want to sell it here, you have to make it here.  And we will help you Make It In Michigan!"

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