Dear Neighbor:

Let's talk Jobs, Jobs, Jobs -- everyone agrees; Michigan needs jobs. But, there is a fundamental difference between what the governor and I believe to be proper government. Let me be clear, I will not stand here and tell you state government is going to deliver jobs to our communities. However, I believe proper governance will attract job providers.

It is not the job of government to pick winners and losers. The best thing government can do is get out of the way! Yes, the mass amount of money spent on incentives for select industries is working. Clearly, as you heard from the governor, a number of businesses have responded to these incentives and located in Michigan; but at what cost? In 2009 Michigan lost 285,000 jobs and a whole lot of our/taxpayers' money was spent to attract a small fraction of those jobs we lost. High business taxes are pushing out job providers in droves while the same taxes are reduced for a select few who are willing to relocate or stay here. It is so simple, instead of picking winners and losers, government should get out of the way!

The governor has tried to create a fake economy while ignoring a basic principle; government is wasteful - period. Our economy continues to decline under a false hope of more government programs funded by tax payers and job providers.

In fact, passing a streamlined budget which matches our economic situation and maximizing the efficiency of government services is the best way government can attract job providers. Fiscal conservatives from all parties are supporting this idea in droves because of a basic principle which is clearly not practiced in Lansing: less government. Instead of demanding more money to fund more government, serious reforms need to be passed and they needed to be passed yesterday. Only this will signal that Michigan is open for business.

The governor has begun to support some of the reforms we have been proposing. This is great! If these reforms are passed without the threat of higher taxes, Michigan will begin down the path of recovery. However, Wednesday night highlighted many more government programs without any prospect of who was going to pay for them.

Along with a number of House Republicans, I have been working on reforms to cut spending and right size government over the last five years. Compiled as my highest priorities 12 Ways to Cut State Spending and Right Size Government is what I believe is the first step to get Michigan working.

Jim Marleau
State Representative

Serving North Oakland

From the front page of the Detroit Free Press: an interesting article about my legislation to allow doctors to apologize to patients.

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