Monday, October 02, 2006

Fresh out of the oven new ad from MDP

I like the path the MDP and Granholm have taken with their ads, going after DeVos central piece of his "argument" that he can create jobs. Like the last ad "lobbyist" it manages to tries DeVos record of cutting jobs, getting tax cuts while he cut Michigan jobs and him funding the modern day GOP. Press Release MDP Unveils New TV Ad “Express” Ad shows unethical DeVos spent millions in contributions to get a “middle of the night” $19 million tax break for Amway in Asia LANSING- Today the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) unveiled its fourth statewide television ad on Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos titled “Express”. The ad, which begins airing today, shows how after DeVos and his family gave millions of dollars in political contributions to Republican leaders they slipped a last minute 19 million dollar tax break into a tax bill, designed just for DeVos and Amway. DeVos has a long history of unethical business and political practices. The Center for Responsive Politics reported that while Dick DeVos was President of Amway, the company gave nearly $7 million dollars to Republican candidates and organizations. Common Cause reported in 1994 that Amway made record-setting soft-money contribution of $2.5 million to the Republican Party. The DeVos family has poured millions of their own money on top of the Amway contributions. In 1997, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich put a last-minute provision onto the compromise tax bill that gave Amway a $19 million tax break on its Asian branches. This tax break was designed specifically for Amway. DeVos has a history of unethical business practices: ● DeVos’ wife Betsy said that the family was buying influence. “We do expect some things in return,” she said.● DeVos has held large soft money fundraisers on his family’s yacht with indicted Rep. Tom DeLay.● DeVos has disingenuously said that he will not accept any money from Political Action Committees (PACs), but he operates the PAC “Restoring the American Dream” now, has operated several other PACs and the Republican Governors Association has started to spend three quarters of a million dollars on ads for DeVos with money from special interest groups and PACs. ● DeVos continues to hide financial information from the public by breaking precedent and not disclosing his tax returns.● When DeVos was president of Amway, Amway was forced settled a lawsuit with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)for $9 Million. Amway case was the largest civil suit in the RIAA’s history. “It wasn’t enough that Dick DeVos eliminated 1,400 Michigan jobs and invested $200 million in China, he had to get a tax break for it too,” said Brewer. “DeVos used his soft money influence to get a middle of the night tax cut for Amway’s Asian investments to the tune of $19 million. Betsy DeVos has said the DeVos family expects something in return for their multi-million dollar campaign contributions to Republicans and the Republicans exceeded even her expectations.” Text of “Express”: It’s no secret that Dick DeVos cut jobs in Michigan and opened a factory in China, creating thousands of jobs there. But now we find out, after Dick DeVos and his family gave Republican leaders millions of dollars…they slipped in a last minute 19 million dollar tax break, designed just for DeVos and Amway. Some called it a middle of the night deal. Great for Dick DeVos…and what did you get? The bill. “Express” will be available today at www.michigandems.com/express.html.

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