“The governor has become adept at making speeches that sound common sense and are sprinkled with moderation,” said Sen Bert Johnson (D-Detroit). “Sadly, each year, they are full of goals that go unrealized and prove lacking in substance.”
Johnson noted that in each of Snyder’s State of the State speeches, his best points go unfulfilled. In 2011, his first address, he committed himself to universal access to preventive healthcare and support for prenatal through higher education. In 2012, he spoke about tackling the problem of childhood obesity, strengthening the social safety net, and establishing a healthcare exchange, as called for in President Obama’s signature healthcare reform legislation. Last year, he promised to increase road funding, increase funding for early childhood education and establish in-person, no-questions-asked absentee voting.
All of Gov. Snyder’s proposals have either fallen to the wayside or been stymied by legislators in his own party,” Johnson said. “In fact, the only promises he has kept, such as the creation of a regional transit authority and Medicaid expansion, are the result of working with Democrats. I hope that now, in his fourth year in office, Gov. Snyder finally begins to recognize the good that can be done when we are all at the table.”
Gov. Snyder referred to Michigan’s economic development, despite the state’s second highest in the nation unemployment rate, while the country as a whole sees unemployment decreasing each month. Snyder failed to lay out a jobs agenda for the fourth year in a row and instead attempted to take credit for growth in the manufacturing sector made possible by the auto company bailout his party opposed.
He claimed to champion investments in K-12 education, despite signing budgets that slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from public schools and allowing the number of school districts in financial distress to double on his watch.
“It is insulting to the people of Michigan to hear the governor talk about a state budget surplus,” Johnson said. “The fact is, the money belongs to children, retirees on fixed incomes and the least affluent workers among us, all of whom bore the brunt of the Michigan Republican tax hikes.”
Johnson noted the flagrant hypocrisy at play when Republicans talk about returning the so-called surplus to the citizens through a reckless income tax cut, saying that rhetoric calling for government to run like a business goes unheeded come election year.
The state’s annual budget tops $40 billion — no responsible business owner would take a profit of barely $1 billion and pay it out to shar —holders. Neither should Michigan squander this revenue on across-the-board tax cuts. Instead, it should invest in K-12 education, which will allow our state to grow, and it should restore the earned income tax credit and repeal the onerous pension tax, Johnson said.
“The governor cynically pandered to senior citizens by calling for increased funding for Meals on Wheels, while seemingly forgetting he signed the bill to institute a new tax on their pensions,” Johnson said.
“Most Michiganders saw their taxes hiked to the tune of $1,000 per year. Now, in a tough reelection year, they want to cut taxes by about $128 per year. Citizens across the state will certainly see this for what it is — election year political gamesmanship.”
Despite the governor’s lackluster track record of following through on his State of the State promises, Johnson said he is hopeful Snyder will come to the table with forward-thinking ideas and work with Democratic lawmakers to achieve real progress for Michigan.
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