Truth Squad going after it on DeVos spin

Granholm has hit DeVos back in a big away, since there is no way DeVos can spin it in such a way that sensible people can swallow so DeVos instead of working on ads to counter the MDP and Granholm ads he's going to run to the courts to have them pulled. Granholm For Governor: China Truth Squad Fact File: China On September 6, 2006, in a television interview with Tim Skubick, Dick DeVos admitted he did create jobs in China and laid off people in Michigan, calling both events, “true.” In July of 2005, the DeVos Campaign admitted Dick DeVos lost Michigan jobs while he was President of Amway. The facts to support “He invested two hundred million dollars in China,” come straight from Dick DeVos. On May 17, 2006, the Detroit News published a letter from the former Amway President. Read the full truth behind DeVos and China below... On September 6, 2006, in a television interview with Tim Skubick, Dick DeVos admitted he did create jobs in China and laid off people in Michigan, calling both events, “true.” Tim Skubick: “What's true about it? You did create jobs in China and you laid off people in Michigan.” Dick DeVos: “Two unrelated events. Both are true.” (WILX-TV, September 6, 2006) The facts come straight from the media: “During DeVos' tenure at Alticor, the company laid off 1,400 workers in Michigan and invested $200 million in China.” (The Detroit News, August 24, 2006) “Although around 1,400 jobs were cut at Alticor Inc. while DeVos was president of the company from 1993-2002, DeVos has said no Michigan jobs were sent to China, and that the investment abroad created jobs at Alticor in Ada. Alticor is the parent company of Amway Corp.” (The Associated Press, June 22, 2006) “About 1,400 jobs were cut at Alticor Inc. while DeVos was president of the direct marketing company from 1993-2002. The company began operating in China in that time, making products for sale there, DeVos said.” (The Associated Press, June 29, 2006) “When Alticor was facing sales declines and falling profits, DeVos reorganized it and some 1,300 to 1,400 Michigan jobs were cut over several years.” (Crain's Detroit Business, July 17, 2006) In July of 2005, the DeVos Campaign admitted Dick DeVos lost Michigan jobs while he was President of Amway. “By 1997, when 70 percent 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.” (Tom Walsh, Detroit Free Press, July 19, 2005) The facts to support “He invested two hundred million dollars in China,” come straight from Dick DeVos. On May 17, 2006, the Detroit News published a letter from the former Amway President. “At the same time we invested $200 million in China -- which the company was required to do by Chinese law -- Alticor invested more than $700 million here in Michigan to support operations.” (Dick DeVos, The Detroit News, May 17, 2006) The facts have continued to be reported by the media: “Alticor, the Ada-based parent of direct sales company Amway Corp., has invested more than $200 million in China, mostly for a manufacturing facility. The investment was required by the Chinese government as a condition of selling products there, DeVos said.” (Associated Press, August 22, 2005) “He also invested more than $200 million in China. Amway was co-founded by the candidate's father, Rich DeVos.” (The Detroit News, July 27, 2006) Dick DeVos acknowledged Amway built a plant in China in his own television advertisement. “We built a plant in China to sell in China.” (Dick DeVos, Television Advertisement, September 6, 2006) In their media blog, Alticor openly acknowledged the company invested over $200 million in China and created 4,300 jobs in China. “Here are the numbers: An investment of $220 million in China (an investment required by the Chinese government as a prerequisite of selling our products there). Over time, this investment has grown into about 4,300 employees in China: including manufacturing jobs, office jobs, and retail clerk jobs, staffing the counters at more than 170 shops.” (Alticor Media Blog, April 13, 2006) China Newspapers reported Amway with 160,000 salespeople. “Amway, which specialises in personal, home care and nutrition products, has 160,000 salespeople in China, making it one of the biggest employers in the mainland.” (South China Morning Post, February 14, 2004) In addition, media outlets have reported Amway built facilties in China. “Amway arrived in China in 1992 when Amway Asia-Pacific, one of the three subsidiary companies under the group, established a joint venture with Guangzhou Yifa Industrial Corp. The joint venture, with total assets valued at US$ 170 million, is committed to investing US$ 100 million for manufacturing facilities in Guangzhou and Shanghai.” (China Daily, January 25, 1998). “When Beijing outlawed direct selling in April 1998, Amway was effectively put out of business. Its sales in China plummeted from $170 million in 1997 to $39 million in 1998. Soap and toothpaste piled up in its sprawling factory in Guangzhou.” (The New York Times, November 17, 2001)