Virg Raises The Stakes, I like it.

[Stosh]

A press release by Virg Bernero bodes well for the City of Detroit and Statewide urban parcels I'd like to hear Snyder top this:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Oct. 13, 2010
CONTACT:
Cullen Schwarz
517-580-9041
Cullen@votevirg.com

Bernero Announces Bold Plan to Attract Jobs of the Future to Michigan


Bernero’s “Make It In Michigan For Free” Will Create Lowest Cost Business Environment in America

[[DETROIT, Mich.) – Standing outside the old Packard Motor Car manufacturing complex, gubernatorial nominee Virg Bernero today unveiled Make It In Michigan For Free [[MMF) – a bold plan to fight to make Michigan the number one destination in the country for the jobs of the future.
MMF is a revolutionary approach to job creation and urban revitalization that guarantees the lowest cost business environment in America for new manufacturing developments that create good paying jobs for Michigan residents.
“Michigan needs bold action to totally revitalize our economy. With my plan, we will become the top destination in the country for businesses creating the jobs of the future,” said Bernero. “Make It In Michigan For Free will do just that.”
In the fierce national and global competition for new job-creating investments, Michigan must stand out from the crowd by creating the most business-friendly climate in America. At the same time, it is imperative that Michigan retool its manufacturing base to compete and win in the new global economy. Manufacturing isn’t just a proud part of Michigan’s history; it is a fundamental part of its future – Michigan cannot be a strong state without a strong advanced manufacturing sector.
It is not enough to have low business taxes – many states can make this claim – Michigan must take an even more aggressive approach to encourage entrepreneurs and innovators start and sustain new job-creating, advanced manufacturing enterprises, Bernero will make Michigan the lowest-cost manufacturing environment in America.
Bernero’s bold plan – Make It In Michigan For Free [[MMF) – aims to rebuild Michigan’s manufacturing base and revitalize cities, where more than eighty percent of Michigan’s industrial output is generated. By reclaiming contaminated industrial sites and repurposing abandoned, derelict buildings, Michigan can create a dynamic new engine of job creation in the emerging sectors of the global economy, from green jobs making solar panels and wind turbines, to making parts for and assembling the world’s most advanced electric vehicles, to an extraordinary range of revolutionary products and materials based on the latest innovations in nanotechnology, bioscience and engineering.
Bernero will build partnerships with local and regional economic development agencies, local governments, land banks, private owners and financial institutions, to identify land and buildings in distressed urban areas across Michigan that are eligible for MMF status based on their potential for job-creating redevelopment as advanced manufacturing facilities.
MMF sites will be acquired through a variety of methods, including tax-reverted or foreclosed industrial properties owned by land bank authorities and local Economic Development Corporations using bonded funds. To ensure accountability and the fulfillment of investment and job creation commitments, MMF agreements will require strong accountability and transparency measures, including online annual reporting, clawback and revocation provisions. The development of MMF properties – from environmental cleanup to building renovation to infrastructure improvements – will be undertaken at no cost to businesses that commit to creating new jobs.
Designated MMF sites will offer the following hyper-competitive advantages:

• TAX FREE STATUS – No sales tax. No corporate income tax. No real property tax. No personal property tax. No state or local taxes of any kind for up to 12 years.
• FREE LAND and BUILDINGS – The state will work with local and regional economic development agencies, local governments, land banks, private owners and financial institutions to acquire land and buildings suitable for redevelopment, including former automotive plant sites, abandoned buildings and brownfield sites with significant environmental contamination.
• FREE ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION – The state will leverage federal environmental remediation funds, including more than $160 million already approved for cleanups at former General Motors facilities, to prepare approved MMF sites for job-creating redevelopment as new advanced manufacturing facilities.
• FREE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS – The state will leverage federal Economic Development Administration [[EDA) funds to make necessary infrastructure improvements on MMF sites, including utilities, broadband, roads and sidewalks, parking areas and outdoor lighting.
• INTEREST-FREE LOANS – The state will provide qualified firms with guaranteed business financing for the acquisition of manufacturing equipment and building improvements interest-free for up to 5 years.

“Make It In Michigan For Free is another piece to my comprehensive plan to bring jobs and business back to our state,” said Bernero. “Just as I’ve done as mayor, I’m working to create jobs here in Michigan. While I was growing and creating manufacturing jobs in my city – 2,000 more jobs alone in Lansing region over the past year – my opponent spent his time offshoring and outsourcing good-paying American jobs. We need a governor who will fight for Michigan!”
Bernero’s Make It In Michigan For Free plan complements Bernero’s other jobs plans such as his proposal for a Main Street bank to break the credit crunch so small businesses can get the financing needed to expand and hire, his plan to replicate an innovative system for cutting red tape that he developed in Lansing, and his plan to make other Michigan cities EB-5 international investment zones, just as he did for Lansing.

More particulars here:
http://www.votevirg.com/page_release.php?id=109

[1KielsonDrive]

Well, it's certainly more specific than anything Snyder has proposed. I thought about supporting Snyder for a nano-sec, then his 'say nothing' flyers reached my mailbox, and I decided he wasn't the candidate for me.

[johnsmith]

It's going to be fun fun fun watching this guy lose.

[1KielsonDrive]

It's going to be fun fun fun watching this guy lose.

Politics is generally fun, fun, fun - for all those who have nothing to lose. For the other 99.9%, it's excruciating watching your jobs, homes, retirement, health care, municipal services, education, etc, etc, all get blown up in the politician's wars.

[lincoln8740]

It's going to be fun fun fun watching this guy lose.

Stosh will be wearing his Mondale pin when he votes for Virg

It would suck to vote for someone and see them lose by 30 points

[Fury13]

A solid proposal, I think. After Snyder is elected, he'll probably steal the idea and claim it as his own.

[Stosh]

Stosh will be wearing his Mondale pin when he votes for Virg

It would suck to vote for someone and see them lose by 30 points

At least I know that I am voting for SOMETHING.

Contrast that with the liar king Snyder. At the very least, I'll be happy to NOT vote the way Smith and you vote. Better yet, you two don't probably live here anyway.

[Johnlodge]

So lincoln and johnsmith's counterpoints to this proposal consist of flinging fecal matter. Anybody else?

Personally I question how viable the plan would be to implement, but the details are far from my area of expertise.

[Hypestyles]

I wonder how long this was in the planning stages-- could it be too late? the Bernero campaign may suffer for not having this brought up during the one debate. He would have to buy a half-hour infomercial and have it shown statewide [[of course, Snyder would be entitled to his own infomercial for balance)..

[rb336]

It certainly is an aggressive plan. The "free land" is clearly something that needs to be implemented. as for site remediation - I don't think there is enough federal money to do that for free, and the legalities of who is responsible for what portion of the cost is a Gordian Knot - twenty years for the Uniroyal site to cut that one.

I haven't seen great success in redeveloping other "tax-free" zones around the country, and we have been ranked #2 in development investment for the last 5 years according to a couple of sources i've linked to before, a couple of those had us #1 in foreign investment. unfortunately, we have been #1 in disinvestment for the last 20

[313WX]

I wonder how long this was in the planning stages-- could it be too late? the Bernero campaign may suffer for not having this brought up during the one debate. He would have to buy a half-hour infomercial and have it shown statewide [[of course, Snyder would be entitled to his own infomercial for balance)..

I hear they're supose to have one more on Flashpoint this Sunday [[WDIV and all Detroit news stations if I recall can be viewed in the entire state).

[GOAT]

Yes this should create jobs but then who pays for the infrastructure? This again seems to be a buy now, pay later antic that has gotten all of us in this mess in the first place. I find this to be a race to the bottom when we offer business everything including the kitchen sink. What happens when a large portion of manufacturing isn't paying anything..then what?

[ndavies]

This is a complete gimmic. It completely avoid the obvious problems with the states tax structure.

How about we stop incitivizing new transplants and fix the tax system so it can work for the businesses that are already here. Why do we keep punishing our long term already here businesses in search of new investment. If you fix the total system you won't have to do special things to bring in new businesses.

How about helping the businesses that are already here grow.

[maxx]

It would suck to vote for someone and see them lose by 30 points

Oh, so you only vote for the candidate you think will win? You don't take their ideas into consideration? How childish.

[maxx]

Yes this should create jobs but then who pays for the infrastructure? This again seems to be a buy now, pay later antic that has gotten all of us in this mess in the first place. I find this to be a race to the bottom when we offer business everything including the kitchen sink. What happens when a large portion of manufacturing isn't paying anything..then what?

I hope Virg includes cutting gov. salaries all the way around.

[DetroitPole]

Certainly it would need to be tweaked, but it is a start...and Snyder's plan is...to be "one tough nerd"?

[Johnlodge]

Certainly it would need to be tweaked, but it is a start...and Snyder's plan is...to be "one tough nerd"?

His plan is on his Web site.

http://www.rickformichigan.com/visio.../10-point-plan

Be sure to click into the details of each point. Note he places a big emphasis on stopping sprawl and restoring central cities, including using mass transit to entice development. These are topics I often see championed by participants of this forum.

[gnome]

Now JL, don't god gettin all factual and stuff, that might just halt that kneejerkin in mid jerk. Then again, maybe not.

[rjk]

In addition to all the other free stuff, how about free ice cream for all the employees of the companies that come pouring into the state? Who doesn't like ice cream, especially when it's free. Another big plus is that with the need for all this ice cream the big dairy producers will move into the state to fill the need.

Hail Mary's will be flying all over the place over the next three weeks. This one went about twenty yards and hit the back of a helmet.

[Stosh]

His plan is on his Web site.

http://www.rickformichigan.com/visio.../10-point-plan

Be sure to click into the details of each point. Note he places a big emphasis on stopping sprawl and restoring central cities, including using mass transit to entice development. These are topics I often see championed by participants of this forum.

His level of vagueness astounds me. Even into his white papers.

Value for Money budgeting is IMHO an exercise in stupidity. Bar none.
His solution? Ask the people what they want to spend money on.
There's a reason why we don't do that, it's called representative government. If he's going to "ask" us what we want, how will he do this? By voting? By the internet? Please... it's like lip service. He'll just SAY what he wants to do, then do it. Same principle as the Republican website that allegedly prioritized what the "people" wanted, then curiously deleted posts that didn't bear the purity test.

[56packman]

I didn't see anything in there about making Michigan a right to work state.
I wonder if Virg forgot to add that?

[Fury13]

I see that Snyder wants to eliminate the Michigan Business Tax [[MBT) and replace it with a flat corporate tax. That's all well and good, but what is he going to replace the lost revenue with, especially since the state income tax rate is going down in 2011? OK, cut government employees' pay/benefits. But that doesn't go far enough to close the budget shortfall.

I'll bet he eventually proposes raising the sales tax. And if he does that, he will earn my lasting contempt.

[jt1]

In addition to all the other free stuff, how about free ice cream for all the employees of the companies that come pouring into the state? Who doesn't like ice cream, especially when it's free. Another big plus is that with the need for all this ice cream the big dairy producers will move into the state to fill the need.

Hail Mary's will be flying all over the place over the next three weeks. This one went about twenty yards and hit the back of a helmet.

I see that you aren't considering the lactose intolerant citizens. DO you really thinnk Virg can jeopardize their votes?

[gnome]

whoa hold up there, you plumb forgot all about the milk-cows and their manure. We can spred it in the fairy gardens to raise flower petals for the unicorns to feast upon.

See, a closed loop of gooodiness.

[rb336]

I didn't see anything in there about making Michigan a right to work state.
I wonder if Virg forgot to add that?

What do the following states have in common: Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina?

They are all the states with the highest poverty levels in the US [[from statemaster.com) All but New Mexico and West Virginia are "right to work" states. the next 5 are also "right to work" states

At the other end you have New Hampshire, Connecticut, Alaska, Minnesota, New Jersey, Maryland, Vermont, Massachusetts, Virginia and Iowa. Only VA and IA are right to work states