DeVos campaign full of contradictions over jobs number

Press Release DeVos Campaign Full of Contradictions Over Jobs Numbers DeVos campaign has failed to provide any documentation for their job creations claims LANSING-Today Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Chair Mark Brewer criticized GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos and his campaign for their inability to prove any of DeVos’ alleged job creation and their contradictions and inconsistencies over DeVos’ jobs record. “The DeVos campaign’s ‘pick a number’ approach to his jobs record has to stop. There is a reason why DeVos never provided any proof that he created jobs – DeVos has never created a job outside of China,” said Brewer. “The only fact we know about DeVos’ jobs record is that while he was President of Amway, he eliminated nearly 1,400 Michigan workers, a quarter of the company’s Michigan workforce.” The DeVos campaign has differed wildly on DeVos’ job record (in chronological order): By 1997, when 70% of Amway’s sales were overseas, 5,300 of the company’s 14,000 employees were in Michigan. Today, Alticor has about 13,000 employees worldwide, including 3,927 in Michigan and 721 in other U.S. locations, said DeVos spokesman John Truscott. [Detroit Free Press, July 19, 2005] A spokesman for Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos said Monday that DeVos has created at least 7,000 jobs while head of two Michigan companies and in conjunction with several Grand Rapids building projects, including the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. [The Associated Press, February 28, 2006] During our expansion, and contrary to the partisan rhetoric that’s being spread, not one Michigan job – not one – was sent to China. In fact, expanding into the Chinese market has created 300 jobs right here in Michigan and helped secure the employment of thousands more Michigan workers. [Dick DeVos’ Opinion Editorial for the Detroit News, May 17, 2006] DeVos has insisted that he expanded Alticor’s operations into China as a way to expand his business operations at a time when the business’ American business wasn’t doing as well. All of his Chinese-made products are sold in China, DeVos claims, and as a result of this expansion, it created around 200 new jobs in Michigan. [MIRS Capitol Capsule, Friday, May 19, 2006] Because of selling Michigan-made products around the world, Dick DeVos created 1000 Michigan jobs, and saved 3,000 more. [DeVos Campaign Website, week of September 6, 2006] “The third fact that you don’t hear about is that 400 jobs exist in Michigan today because the company invested in China,” said DeVos. [WJRT ABC 12, September 17, 2006] The DeVos campaign has also failed to provide documentation for any of their jobs claims: Truscott said he will have documentation in a few days to back up how many jobs DeVos has created, either directly or indirectly, while overseeing his family's Grand Rapids building projects and as president of Alticor and The Windquest Group, a Grand Rapids management group involved in making and marketing storage and space utilization products. [The Associated Press, February 28, 2006] It's not that Republican challenger DeVos is such a wonderful alternative. He's been long on commercials and miserably short on substance. He claims he can create jobs. Show us the plan. He claims he knows how to lead. Where's the proof? [Tim Skubick, Lansing State Journal, April 14, 2006] The DeVos campaign agrees that Alticor laid off 1,400 workers while restructuring in 1998 and 2000, but says all were white-collar workers and that nearly 4,000 blue-collar jobs were not cut. It also says that DeVos has created other jobs, such as those involved in building a Marriott hotel under construction in downtown Grand Rapids. That Alticor project got off the ground while he was president, his campaign says. The DeVos campaign has not yet released documentation to back up its statements that DeVos created jobs. [The Associated Press, March 20, 2006] “When you mentioned he created all of these jobs, prove it. You haven’t yet.”- Chris Dewitt “We will Chris.”-John Truscott [Frank Beckman Show, WJR, August 15, 2006] I've talked about that couple of post ago when the Amway Dick first mounted his defense against the Amway and China ads he claim he didn't cut jobs but created 4,000 Michigan "jobs" sounds amazing right? Hold up Amway Dick didn't cite anything to back that claim so I guess Dick wants us to take his word for it. Using half truths and selctive editing of one statement to make them look bad is always going to be seen in politics but DeVos is just making stuff up as he goes along in the campaign. Like I post over at POHLITICS in Zach's comment feedback the only reason Dick DeVos is still in this race is money. Because no one can make these many mistakes and get caught lying over and over again but still remain tied or within striking distance without spending tons of money.