On Aug. 3, Michigan voters will head to the polls to cast ballots for the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries. Seven candidates — two Democrats and five Republicans — remain in the race. Both parties are locked in a close race, and the primary results could foretell the November general election.
With seven weeks to go until primary voting and seven candidates remaining, The State News talked with the gubernatorial hopefuls and their spokespeople about their positions on several key issues affecting MSU and its students. The candidates discussed their plans for higher education funding throughout the next four years, how to bring more jobs into the state and their intentions for taxes in the state.
Republicans
Mike Bouchard Oakland County Sheriff
Higher education: “The best thing for the future is an educated, prepared group of young people to be able to meet any challenge and seek any opportunity,” Bouchard said.
Jobs: “(We can create more jobs) by having a tax and regulatory structure that is competitive, so that any kind of business can grow and compete here.”
Taxes: “All of our taxes in total … must be competitive. We must be reasonable and fairly well placed with our competing states and nations.”
Expert opinion: “He’s really the strongest candidate in the tri-county area,” said Bill Ballenger, editor and publisher of political newsletter Inside Michigan Politics. “His problem is he just isn’t doing well in other parts of the state.”
Mike Cox Michigan Attorney General
Higher education: “We’re one of very few states that has actually cut higher education funding over the last eight years,” Cox’s spokesman Nick De Leeuw said. “Mike Cox wants to change that trend.”
Jobs: “The first step to creating new jobs in Michigan is cutting government spending, and cutting taxes and letting families and entrepreneurs keep more of their money.
Taxes: “Cox’s plan has $4 billion worth of specific cuts in it. … One of his proposals is to give every graduate (in) Michigan … a break on their income taxes for the three years after they graduate.”
Expert opinion: “He is a very aggressive, ambitious candidate,” Ballenger said. “(But) a lot of people just don’t like him.”
Tom George, state senator, R-Kalamazoo
Higher education: “The funding that used to go to higher education, it is diverted for social spending, so welfare and Medicaid,” George said. “If I was governor, I would reform state health care programs. That’s the only way really to put money back into higher education.”
Jobs: “The state isn’t going to just make jobs … We need to invest in things that produce jobs, and that means we have to invest less in our social programs and move that money back to things that will bring jobs herve.”
Taxes: “I would reform the social spending first, then reassess. If it can be cut enough, then you cut taxes, but you cant just walk in on the first day and cut taxes. You have to cut the spending first.”
Expert opinion: “George is just really irrelevant,” Ballenger said. “He’s just scored really low in all the polls. He just isn’t going anywhere.”
Peter Hoekstra U.S. Rep., R-Holland
Higher education: “What we hope to do initially is to stabilize higher education funding,” Hoekstra said. “We need to bring back revenue and jobs to Michigan, and (then) … we can start funding our priorities again.”
Jobs: “Once you create a better business climate in Michigan, Michigan businesses will be able to grow and prosper, and once you see Michigan businesses prospering, then other businesses will take a look at coming to Michigan.”
Taxes: “I hope to lower taxes. …I want to reduce income tax … but have an expanded sales tax at a higher rate.”
Expert opinion: “Hoekstra’s biggest strength is he’s got (a lot) of support in western Michigan,” Ballenger said. “The opposite of his strength, he’s not well known in metro-Detroit. … He just has not raised money.”
Rick Snyder Ann Arbor businessman
Higher education: “We need to invest in higher education funding because it’s one of the greatest assets we have in our state,” Snyder said. “Right now tuition is too high for many people, and we need to make it more affordable.”
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Jobs: “We need to restructure our government in terms of stop being a bureaucracy. We need to … make our system more competitive and let the free enterprise system work.”
Taxes: “We need to get rid of the Michigan Business Tax … After that, the personal property tax should go away.”
Expert opinion: “Snyder’s big advantage is money — he’s a multimillionaire,” Ballenger said. “He’s trying to confer into an asset the fact that he’s a non-politician in the race. … I think a lot of people really detect he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. … Politics is very different from business.”
Democrats
Virg Bernero, Lansing Mayor
Higher education: “The current leadership has failed us in regards to education,” Bernero said. “It has not been a priority in the budget … One of the things I’m proposing is a tuition freeze.”
Jobs: “We need talent. We need to look at creative, out of the box solutions. We (need to) incentivize entrepreneurs through a talent retention initiative.”
Taxes: “The first thing we’re going to do is get rid of that job killing (Michigan Business Tax). … The tax system needs to be equitable. … We’re not simply going to cut our way out of the problem we’re in. We’re not going to tax our way out either.”
Expert opinion: “Bernero should have all the interest groups in his corner,” Ballenger said. “But Bernero’s problem is he’s just not well known.”
Andy Dillion, Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, D-Redford
Higher education: “Michigan is in dead last place in the last 10 years on how we’ve treated higher education, and there’s no question that jobs in the 21st century require our kids to get an education past high school, so we need to put more dollars to it,” Dillon said.
Jobs: “We have this infrastructure and the skilled workforce, we just need to have a 10-year vision for where the state’s going.”
Taxes: “There’s no question we need to modernize the state’s tax structure, and that includes the way we tax both business and (the) private sector.”
Expert opinion: “He’s alienated these very important interest groups in the Democratic party,” Ballenger said. “On the other hand, he’s lead in all the polls.”
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