MACKINAC ISLAND – Legislation that

would cut funding to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation sends the

wrong message to corporations and could cost the state jobs, Governor

Rick Snyder said Thursday to the attendees at the Detroit Regional Chamber

Mackinac Conference.

Stern without being over-critical, Snyder

said he understood why legislators might introduce bills like HB

4607* and HB

4608*, but, “Every time you do that you send messages that

we’re not working together.”

Michigan is moving ahead and setting

a strategy for attracting businesses, Snyder said. And businesses value

consistency in how a state operates, which itself is a major attraction for

companies.

But legislation that would cut

funding to programs with the MEDC indicates there is no consistency with state.

“When I see bills like that it

just means we haven’t done our homework to be together,” Snyder said.

“The cohesiveness is not there yet.”

The bills were introduced as part of

the House Republican proposal to finance roads, after the defeat of Proposal

15-1 earlier this month, which largely redirects state spending in a variety of

areas to the state’s roads and bridges.

HB 4607 would move $75 million from

the 21st Century Jobs Fund and HB 4608 would move $60 million from the Michigan

Strategic Fund. The bills have been greeted with outrage and opposition from

companies, especially on the potential impact to the Pure Michigan tourism

program.

Snyder told reporters he had heard

from businesses worried about the bills. “I’ve had business people say

that various bills that talk about changing our economic development

environment cause concerns,” he said following his address to the

conference.

Snyder said he was not trying to

criticize those who introduced the bills, and understood they did so to help

fix another problem. In this case, they were introduced as a part of a plan to

fix roads.

But, Snyder said, “I don’t

think that would be the place resources should be taken to support

transportation.”

And the bills do show, Snyder said,

that he has to do more work and that everyone in the state needs to do more

work to help build cohesiveness.

The idea of building cohesiveness,

getting people across the state to work together on building the state’s economy,

was the primary theme of Snyder’s comments to the conference. The idea has to

be used in ensuring the state has fiscally responsible government and finds

ways to better provide services and make education better facilitate training.

And economic development strategies

should be based on competitive tax structure, reasonable regulations and an

overall environment that encourages development and, above all, Snyder said,

the development of talent.

Snyder said he “appreciated” the House putting out a transportation plan, and knew

the Senate would put out a plan. He said he has also had a plan out for several

years and that some solution would be developed.

But that solution would have to include

additional revenues, Snyder said.

This story was published by Gongwer News Service. To

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