Michigan Dems fire back on DeVos latest lie ad

Press Release MDP Rebuttal to DeVos Ad “Gotta Move” The Ad The Facts Male voiceover: “I spent two months looking for a job, this last month we had to dip in to our savings to pay for health care -- $1000 bucks a month.” Governor Granholm is working to make health care more affordable and accessible to all of Michigan citizens. In just three years, Governor Granholm has extended affordable health care services to more than 298,000 uninsured. The Governor’s Michigan First Health Care Plan will establish universal access to affordable health care coverage for all people in Michigan. Governor Granholm has restored health care to 40,000 citizens whose health care was cut off by the previous Republican Administration. She has made prescription drugs less expensive for more than 30,000 people who have signed up for her MIRx Prescription Drug Discount card. (Press Release, Office of the Governor, July 28, 2006) The Governor’s plan will also help to lower the cost of health care by reducing spending on emergency care for uninsured people. Subsidizing this care currently costs those with health insurance an additional $730 annually – when more people have insurance, these expenses will be reduced. (Press Release, Office of the Governor, July 28, 2006) Male voiceover: “I can’t do that very long without saying “crap, I gotta move.” A lot of people and jobs moved out of Michigan while DeVos was head of Amway. Nearly 1,400 Michigan workers, 25% of the Amway Michigan workforce were laid off. Tens of thousands of jobs were created in China. Male voiceover: “Nobody seems to be serious about all the work that’s been leaving the state.” Governor Granholm is serious about creating and retaining jobs in Michigan “Attracted by tax benefits and the need to accommodate a growing workforce, Google and Michigan officials said Tuesday that the Mountain View Internet company will open a new facility in the Ann Arbor area… The new center will employ 1,000 people…” (The Associated Press, July 12, 2006) “Governor Jennifer M. Granholm announced today that assistance from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has helped convince Global Engine Alliance, LLC to choose Dundee, Michigan, as its site of preference to locate a new automotive engine manufacturing facility. It is estimated that the new plant would generate 1,136 jobs, including 172 new jobs in its first year.” (Press Release, Office of the Governor, February 11, 2003) “The Internet promotions company ePrize has plans to add up to 450 jobs in Michigan by 2009.” (Associated Press, July 26, 2006) “A Pleasant Ridge-based company got a big boost late last month, as Gov. Jennifer Granholm stood in its corporate headquarters and announced a $10 million loan from Charter One Bank, allowing for the hiring of 450 new employees over the next few years. (C and G Newspapers, August 2, 2006) Graphic: “Michigan has lost 92,400 manufacturing jobs since 2003.” Michigan’s economy is suffering, but it’s a direct result of the unfair foreign trade and outsourcing policies supported by President Bush and Dick DeVos. Dick DeVos has given thousands of dollars to groups that advocate outsourcing American jobs, including: The Mackinac Center, The Acton Institute, The Heritage Foundation and The Hudson Institute. (Source: The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation IRS 990 Forms, 1999-2004) Amway has long been in favor of free trade agreements. For instance, the company was a driving force behind normalizing trade relations with China, and lobbied to pass the bill. (China Daily, January 30, 2000) The DeVos family has a history of advocating against unions in Michigan. Betsy DeVos actually said Michigan’s problems stem from high wages: “‘Many, if not most, of the economic problems in Michigan are a result of high wages and a tax and regulatory structure that makes this state uncompetitive,’ (Betsy) DeVos said.” (Associated Press, May 20, 2004) Male voiceover: “The next Governor they need to be serious about bringing work into this state, to take care of the people that are voting ‘em into that office.” While the Governor’s “Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow” plan is starting to pay off, Dick DeVos’ economic pamphlet has many people asking how he’ll pay for it. “But everything has a price, and DeVos doesn't yet know how he's going to pay for it all…” (Detroit Free Press editorial, June 22, 2006) “Voters need concrete specifics, mainly in the form of answers to three key questions: How much will it cost, where will the money come from and how long will it take?” (Macomb Daily News editorial, June 24, 2006) Dick DeVos: “Before anything else, the next Governor’s gotta get Michigan back to work.” The truth: As Amway President, Dick DeVos laid off nearly 1,400 people, while creating jobs in China. Round One: “Amway Corp. announced Friday it will shed 10 percent of its U.S. workforce, including 410 employees in Michigan, through job cuts and early retirement. The home- and personal-care products distributor said Friday that 180 jobs will be cut at its world headquarters in the west Michigan town of Ada…” (Detroit Free Press, November 21, 1998) Cash to China: Steve Van Andel, Chairman of Amway Asia Pacific… “We have invested nearly $ 100 million in China over the last five years and we continue to believe in the long-term business opportunities of this enormous market.” (Asia Pulse, April 22, 1998) Round Two: “Amway Corp., Michigan's largest direct-sales company, said Wednesday that it's eliminating 1,300 jobs -- or about 11 percent of its workforce worldwide... About 900 jobs will come from Amway's headquarters in Ada, which employs 4,500 people.” (Detroit Free Press, May 18, 2000) Cash to China Again: “Earlier this year. Amway announced it would invest $120 million more in its manufacturing and distribution operations in China, increasing its current $100 million investment to $220 million.” (Grand Rapids Business Journal, October 27, 2003) I've seen the ad yesterday it's tnoddinge ad he ran couple of months ago him sitting around noding his head like some damn booblehead while the plants he paid to tell them what sort of "problems" they're been into running into. Can anyone of those DeVos backers tell me what he's plans are other than running around in ads saying two things Let's get down tophraseess or let's get to work or whatever his lame catch pharse is. Dude spent what 17 maybe 20 million dollars as up to this date and his ads are soadth fluff you might as well call it cotton candy advesrting DeVos has been very vague on his plans and how he feels on various issues so I hope when Granholm debates DeVos she can get the clown to show his true colors he nothing more than some right wing republican that has one thing in mind making himself, his friends in corporate America and the new GOP made up of greedy S.O.Bs who value money over the lives of the average American.