The truth squad take down another DeVos lie

Granholm For Governor: The Truth Squad Dick DeVos held a press conference this week calling on President Bush to meet with Detroit auto executives. Governor Granholm has been making this same call for almost nine months, and she is seeking real solutions from Bush. DeVos waited until it was politically beneficial for him to take a stand against the President, whom he has supported financially and agreed with on policy. And for those who looked closely, it is easy to see that DeVos didn’t challenge any of the real problems that Bush should be confronting. DeVos did not join Governor Granholm’s call for strict enforcement of trade rules to eliminate unfair barriers that are hurting American workers, and he did not join the Governor in calling for Bush to cap excessive oil company profits. Don’t let DeVos distort his record and pull a fast one by holding one grand-standing press conference asking Bush to take a meeting now that he should have taken months ago. Additionally, DeVos released a radio ad this week is the height of hypocrisy: he criticizes Michigan’s unemployment numbers, which are a result of the trade and outsourcing policies that he supports, and then attacks the Governor’s record when he knows that she has spent years cleaning up the mess left behind by John Engler. When you hear this radio ad on outsourcing, fight back with the truth. Here’s the transcript along with the facts behind DeVos’ statements: Women Citizen 1: “I showed up for work but they told me it was being outsourced.” The Truth Governor Granholm has never outsourced jobs, and she has fought the policies and people who support outsourcing. She in-sourced Michigan jobs that John Engler sent to India, bringing a state call center back to Oscoda, and her Buy Michigan First initiative ensured that 85% of the products that the State purchased last year came from Michigan companies and Michigan workers. Dick DeVos’ record on outsourcing is abysmal it’s surprising that he would raise the issue, except to try to distort the truth. DeVos supported the people and policies that promote outsourcing, including George Bush's failure to stand up against unfair trade barriers. Man Citizen 1: “The placement firm told us ‘if you want to work there’s jobs, but not in Michigan’.” The Truth: This sounds like something Amway may have said when Dick DeVos was CEO. During that time, DeVos laid off nearly 1,400 Michigan workers while creating thousands of jobs in China. Michigan’s automotive industry is facing unprecedented challenges, in part due to unfair trade agreements that Dick DeVos supports. But at the same time, there are many encouraging signs, with companies like Google, Whirlpool, United Solar Ovonic, ePrize and Hemlock Semiconductor hiring thousands of Michigan workers and expanding in Michigan. Dick DeVos wants Michigan citizens to think that we are the only ones suffering, but the truth is that the national jobless rate increased last month as well. Announcer: “Since Governor Granholm took office Michigan has lost 104,000 jobs. We lost 29,000 jobs in the last month alone. The only state to lose jobs three years in a row.” The Truth: Much of the unemployment increase in last month was related to the typical July retooling of auto plants for model change over. July is well known to be one of the most volatile jobs months for our state in terms of statistics. In the two and a half years before Governor Granholm took office, Michigan lost 164,000 manufacturing jobs and 240,000 total jobs under Engler & Bush. In 2005, the state’s jobless rate declined for the first time since 2000. Man Citizen 2: “There needs to be a change in the government here. Our present governor doesn’t have a business background.” The truth Dick DeVos business background is much less sterling than he would like voters to believe: His Asian strategy for Amway led the company to decreased revenue for the first time in over a decade, and he responded by slashing jobs in Michigan while investing in China. Governor Granholm has a long history of fighting for Michigan workers and families as a public servant. The real change in Government would be to put Democrats in control. As Governor, Jennifer Granholm has been a lone Democrat standing up to a Republicans who hold the offices of Attorney General, Secretary of State, control of both the State House and Senate, and the Michigan Supreme Court. She has also been fighting back against extreme Republicans controlling the agenda in Washington. Woman Citizen 2: Like a lot of people, I’m worried that I’m gonna have to go out of the state.” Man Citizen 3: “This last month we had to dip into our savings to pay for health care. A thousand bucks a month…you can’t do that very long with out saying ‘crap I gotta move.’” The truth: Governor Granholm’s Michigan First Health Care Plan would create affordable, accessible health insurance for hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents. Dick DeVos has not yet produced a health care plan, but he has said that he thinks the only way for people to get health insurance is for them to find jobs that offer it. This approach would leave hundreds of thousands of Michigan citizens, including working Michiganians, to pay for their health costs out-of-pocket. Health care costs are one of the leading reasons that Big Three automakers are turning to Ontario, Canada to build new plants, and Governor Granholm is taking on the problem. Woman Citizen 3: “It seems like everybody knows somebody who doesn’t have a job.” Man Citizen 4: “It’s like the American Dream has left Michigan.” The Truth: Dick DeVos has a long history of trying to get himself ahead by creating false hopes of the American dream. His original scheme was called Amway, and it hurt thousands of honest, hard working Americans, while padding DeVos’ pockets. Governor Granholm knows that the American Dream in Michigan begins with the basics: education, health care and public safety. Dick DeVos has already jeopardized these basics to provide tax cuts to businesses. Who is at the top of DeVos’ new pyramid scheme, and who will fight to make sure that every Michigan citizen has a chance at the American Dream if DeVos and his policies pandering to the powerful take control? I don't know which is worst the out and out hypocrisy or the actors DeVos hire to do his ads. The guy whines about outsourcing while he practices it when he was at charge at Amway and he backs groups that speaks about the benefits about outsourcing, either Amway guy is losing it or he's growing desperate so he's willingly to say anything even if the ad blows up in his face. Hey Dick how about a plan instead of false attacks or you're scare?