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NEW TV AD: Snyder Rewards Businesses With Tax Breaks, Even If They Ship Jobs Overseas

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The Democratic Governors Association today released a new television ad in the Michigan governor’s race highlighting how Governor Rick Snyder gave $1.8 billion in tax breaks to businesses, even if they shipped jobs overseas.  The spot, “Jobs Here,” features Mark Schauer, who championed “Buy American” laws in Congress and wants to hold companies accountable for creating jobs in Michigan.
“Governor Snyder gave $1.8 billion in tax breaks to businesses, even if they ship jobs overseas,” said DGA Communications Director Danny Kanner. “That may work for the wealthiest, but not for the rest of Michigan. Mark Schauer helped strengthen ‘Buy American’ laws to reduce outsourcing and believes that companies should be held accountable for creating jobs at home. That’s how you create an economy that works for the middle class. Unfortunately, Snyder just doesn’t get it.”
Watch the ad here: http://youtu.be/rXB01sndbLs
AD BACKUP:

Claim Backup
Video: Mark in empty factory
 
Mark Schauer
Governor Snyder
Gave $1.8 Billion in Tax Breaks to Businesses
Even If They Send Jobs Overseas
 
Audio: I’m Mark Schauer.   Governor Snyder gave one point eight billion dollars in tax breaks to businesses — even if they send jobs overseas.  That helps the wealthy, but not the rest of Michigan.
 
 
Snyder defends tax on pensions, downplays $1.8B tax cut to businesses. “Gov. Rick Snyder downplayed Friday the significance of the $1.8 billion tax cut he delivered to businesses in 2011 and defended his decision to levy the income tax on some pensions.” [Detroit News, 9/5/14]
 
Poll: Voters Supported Taking Back Half of $1.8 Billion Business Tax Cut. “Taking back half of the $1.8 billion business tax cut enacted in 2011 through the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax and directing that $900 million a year to roads was supported by 51% of those polled and opposed by 34%.” [Detroit Free Press, 5/22/13]
 
Snyder’s First Budget Lead to $1.8 Billion in Tax Cuts for Businesses. “He also called for significant restructuring of Michigan’s tax system, including replacing the state’s business tax with a 6 percent corporate income tax, which would lead to $1.8 billion in tax cuts for businesses.” [Politico, 3/25/14]
 
Department of Labor Concluded Steelcase Inc. in Grand Rapids Shifted Jobs Overseas. “Section 222(a)(1) has been met because a significant number  or proportion of the workers in Steelcase, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan and Steelcase, Inc., Kentwood, Michigan have become  totally or partially separated, or are threatened to become  totally or partially separated.  Section 222(a)(2)(B) has been met because the workers’ firm  has shifted to a foreign country both the supply of services and the production of articles like or directly competitive with the services supplied and the articles produced by the subject  workers which contributed importantly to worker group separations at Steelcase, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan and Kentwood, Michigan.  Conclusion After careful review of the facts obtained in the  investigation, I determine that workers of Steelcase, Inc.,  Grand Rapids, Michigan (TA-W-82,320) and Steelcase, Inc.,  Kentwood, Michigan (TA-W-82,320A), who are engaged in activities  related to the supply of office furniture services and/or the  production of office furniture (as the case may be), meet the  worker group certification criteria under Section 222(a) of the  Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a). In accordance with Section 223 of the  Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2273, I make the following certification:” [Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance Database, Steelcase, Inc. Determination, #82340, accessed 1/17/14]
 
Steelcase’s CEO Was a Member of Business Leaders for Michigan, Which Pushed for the Elimination of the Michigan Business Tax. Steelcase’s president and CEO, James P. Hacket was a member of Business Leaders for Michigan when the group pushed for the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax. “After achieving about half of its initial goals, including the repeal of the Michigan Business Tax, Business Leaders for Michigan sees now as the right time to broaden its agenda with ideas that are much more private-sector driven and require a private-public partnership approach.” [Michigan Business Leaders, Members, accessed 1/17/14; MiBiz, 2/10/12]
 
Video:
Mark Schauer
Helped strengthen “Buy American” laws to reduce outsourcing
 
Mark Schauer
Give companies tax incentives to come to Michigan
 
Tell Governor Snyder:
Create Good Jobs For
The Rest Of Michigan
 
Audio: In Congress, I helped strengthen “Buy American laws” to reduce outsourcing.   We should give companies tax incentives to come to Michigan, but hold them accountable for creating jobs here.  If they send jobs overseas, they should lose their tax
breaks. That’s how you create good jobs for the rest of Michigan.
 
U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer pens letter to President Obama encouraging ‘Buy American’ provisions in stimulus, Obama worries of inciting ‘trade war.’
U.S. Rep Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, disagrees with President Barack Obama that including “Buy American” provisions in the stimulus bill could incite a “trade war.” I asked Schauer’s office about this, but Schauer is currently presiding over the House. Turn on CSPAN right now and check him out. It’s pretty cool to see him up there in the big chair. I asked how the “Buy American” provisions can be included without triggering the kind of unintended consequences the President is leery of. A short while later I received this statement which was attributed to the Congressman.
‘Our people are hurting, and for this recovery package to work, our top priority must be to invest in American workers and businesses to create jobs now and turn our economy around. Quite frankly, I reject the notion that using American tax dollars to buy American products, build American roads, and fix American bridges and schools will trigger a trade war.’” [Jackson Citizen-Patriot, 2/11/09]
 
Vice President Biden responds to U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer’s concerns about Buy American clause in stimulus bill. “Vice President Joe Biden has responded to concerns about the Buy American provision in the stimulus bill made by Congressman Mark Schauer last month and has directed several federal agencies to make the changes Schauer suggested. In June, Schauer, D-Battle Creek, sent a letter to Biden to alert him to what he said was a growing problem with companies cheating the system in order to win contracts with municipalities that have grants from the stimulus fund, which includes a Buy American requirement. . . . ‘This is good news for businesses like Full Spectrum Solutions, American taxpayers, and American workers,’ Schauer said in a statement. ‘I am encouraged by the nearly point-by-point response I received from Vice President Biden and the Department of Energy on this issue, especially at a time when job creation is so critical. We need to make sure our taxpayer dollars are creating jobs for workers here at home, and these changes will help us hold bad actors accountable, level the playing field for American businesses and open doors for companies like Full Spectrum Solutions to create more jobs right here in Michigan.’” [Jackson Citizen-Patriot, 7/20/10]
 
BUY AMERICAN Provision in Stimulus Act. “Sec. 1605. Use of American Iron, Steel, and Manufactured Goods. (a) None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and manufactured goods used in the project are produced in the United States.[H.R.1, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]