Please feel free to contact Mike Nystrom at mikenystrom@mi-ita.com, Keith Ledbetter at
What to expect in the months ahead
Half of all jobs lost in the entire United States over the past decade were lost right here in Michigan. To say we are in a crisis is putting it mildly, yet we’ve been in this crisis for so long that many people don’t even seem to realize it anymore.
We cannot and should not accept being last. Now is the time to act.
Last November, you hired me to make the tough decisions we need to reinvent the state as a place where jobs can grow and young people want to stay and raise families of their own. Working together, we are making good progress toward that goal. We eliminated the state’s $1.5 billion deficit and balanced the budget. We replaced the job-killing Michigan Business Tax with a new system that is simple, fair and efficient. And we laid out an education reform plan that will help prepare our students to compete on a global scale. These are critical steps in our efforts to create jobs.
Now that the Legislature is back in session, we are going to keep moving fast by taking on a new set of challenges, beginning with a series of proposals tackling health and wellness issues. In October, we will work with lawmakers on key infrastructure issues and later this fall, work force and talent development.
One issue you will hear a lot more about is why building the New International Trade Crossing is vital to Michigan’s economic future. Canada is Michigan’s number one customer; building this bridge will expand our ability to export Michigan-made products to the world.
Building the NITC will not cost Michigan taxpayers. The bridge itself will be built, operated and paid for by private companies. Canada has offered to put up $550 million to cover the cost of connecting the bridge to the freeway, and will be repaid through toll collections. The best part of the deal is that since Michigan will be able to count the money from Canada as our federal road matching funds, building the bridge means Michigan will receive approximately $2.2 billion of federal money to spend on other road improvement projects throughout the state. Michigan will miss a tremendous opportunity if we do not build this bridge.
Now is the time to act. We can spark an immediate demand for 10,000 construction jobs, open doors to new global markets and safeguard our economic security by moving forward. Let’s get it done.
Sincerely,
Rick Snyder
Governor
