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Michigan Turnaround Plan
Chamber Supports the Business Leaders for Michigan Turnaround Plan
Michigan has lost over 780,000 jobs in the last decade. Through the right investments Michigan can turn those numbers around and become an important source of jobs and innovation. Members of the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce believe in Michigan’s ability to reestablish its traditionally vibrant economy. The Chamber has reviewed five plans proposed by five groups aimed at revitalizing the state through specific reforms. Each plan had many strong recommendations and the Chamber supports all of them in part but gives its full endorsement to the Business Leaders for Michigan’s Turnaround Plan. The Chamber’s Public Policy Council and Board of Directors feel that the Turnaround Plan is the most comprehensive, detailed and achievable approach toward fixing Michigan’s long term challenges.
The Turnaround Plan is consistent with the Chamber’s mission and Business and Quality of Life Agenda by encouraging Michigan to grow through the support of small business and innovation. It is through a focus on business that Michigan reform and job growth will be possible and the Turnaround Plan is committed to creating a healthy environment for Michigan’s entrepreneurs. It does this by supporting stable, predictable taxation and the reduction of Michigan’s Business Tax to lessen the overall cost of doing business. By limiting the type of regulations that the state can impose and requiring a cost benefit analysis the Turnaround Plan assures responsible state regulation. It proposes a long term approach to combat Michigan’s structural budget problems. Decisions will have to be made to reduce the state employee workforce and compensation. Additionally, through the elimination of duplicate state programs and the encouragement of service sharing among schools and local governments the Turnaround Plan hopes to achieve lasting budget solutions. The Plan calls upon an independent council of economists to do quarterly budget reviews to ensure financial accountability. For more information and to read the full Michigan Turnaround Plan you can click here.
As the largest private voluntary business association in Southwest Michigan, the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber represents 1,700 member companies that employ more than 70,000 people. We are very supportive of practical, long term efforts that revitalize Michigan’s economy while maintaining a healthy environment for the state’s businesses. We believe that the Business Leaders for Michigan’s Turnaround Plan does that and we encourage its support and implementation.
