Courtesy MIRS News
Gov. Rick Snyder said there were offers to bring potentially thousands of jobs to Michigan, but that they hinge on the passage of legislation that offers 50 to 100 percent abatements on a business’ employee tax withholdings, depending upon the number of jobs they create and their wages.
The “Good Jobs for Michigan package” — SB 0242, SB 0243 and SB 0244 — has drawn a litany of support as it sits in the House Tax Policy Committee.
“We have a couple that are in the 2,000 job-plus range that are active opportunities. I can tell you these are above-average wage jobs, too, to emphasize,” Snyder said at a press conference on Mackinac Island. “I can tell you there are at least a couple of opportunities I know of in the 300-plus job range that are real. You’re next question is going to be who. I’m not going to tell you.”
The bills have won overwhelming support, aside from a few conservative holdouts. Sen. Jim Stamas (R-Midland), a primary sponsor of the legislation, was frank that “this legislation is specific to big industries coming to Michigan.”
He said the legislation would set Michigan apart from other states.
Sen. Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City) and Sen. Steve Bieda (D-Warren) are the other sponsors. There’s been support from basically every economic development organization in the state, along with Snyder and municipal officials.
“If we can do better let’s get the job done, and that’s what this package is about,” Snyder said in an emphatic address. “We need to have another tool in our toolkit to make sure we can get (larger employers) in our state . . . We need a closer.”
Even the Upper Peninsula Economic Development Alliance is on board. They think if the manufacturing base of the state grows around Detroit, it’ll help tourism in the U.P.
Snyder has withheld support for other incentive packages in the past, but he said the accountability provisions in this package pass his muster.
“Some of the stuff we had historically at one point probably was a good point, and it got modified and changed and evolved to the point of being dumb,” Snyder said.
These bills, he said, are not.