On February 18, 2010, Organizing for America (OFA), Health Care for American NOW! (HCAN) and no less than THIRTY other organizations sponsored a CALL FOR ACTION rally in Madison Heights in southeastern Michigan calling for Congress to act now on jobs for Michigan. These sponsoring groups represent a broad coalition of interests including health care reform, peace, immigration reform, clean energy and climate change prevention, jobs/labor, and social justice. There were about 350-400 people in attendance. This was just one of many such rallies being held across the country.
A new Bloomberg poll shows Americans want the government to do something about the economy.
Americans want their government to create jobs through spending on public works, investments in alternative energy or skills training for the jobless.
They also want the deficit to come down. And most are ready to hand the bill to the wealthy.
A Bloomberg National Poll conducted Dec. 3-7 shows two- thirds of Americans favor taxing the rich to reduce the deficit.
Raising taxes on the rich was popular across party lines too: About half of Republicans back the idea and it is more popular among Democrats and Independents.
This week I've been in Israel, on a trade mission to cultivate water technology economic development in Michigan. As co-chair of the joint Michigan-Israeli working group on water technology, I know there's great opportunity to diversify our economy and create jobs -- while leveraging our most precious natural resource, the Great Lakes.
I want to be clear: I am not proposing to sell Michigan's water. Companies seeking to use our water should locate here in Michigan -- where they can have all the water they need. Instead, through our Green Jobs for Blue Waters initiative, I want to position Michigan as North America's center of excellence for water technology. Right now, water technologies are a $500 billion global market -- but by 2020, that market is expected to grow to nearly $1 trillion. That means great opportunity for Michigan's economy -- and that is why we intend on seizing the opportunity, much as we did to become the Nation's leader in advanced battery technology.
Michigan's unique position in the water technology field proves we are at the forefront of this technology. Michigan's location in the middle of the Great Lakes, which contain about 20 percent of the world's supply of fresh water, has primed the state's successes in agriculture, tourism and the auto industry. We need to continue to protect water resources and use it wisely for economic development purposes that include retention of current businesses and the attraction of new ones.
We were the first state to sign an official agreement with Israel to develop water technologies for export in the United States. Due to its arid location, firms in Israel have a strong need to effectively and efficiently use their scarce water resources. Michigan is poised to help them do just that. With the Green Jobs for Blue Waters initiative, we can provide Israeli companies with the assistance they'll need to be successful in the U.S.. With our water resources and top-notch higher education system, we can provide the perfect environment for water technology research and development. And, with our hard-working advanced manufacturing base, we can improve products and bring them to market faster than ever.
I've had an opportunity to meet with a number of CEOs from water technology firms while in Israel, and spoke at the 5th Annual International Water Technologies & Environmental Control Exhibition in Tel Aviv yesterday. The meetings went well, and I'm excited for the work we will do in months to come to build Michigan's Blue Water Economy.
Together with Israel, I believe we can seize what is undoubtedly a historic moment. We can prove that protecting natural resources, promoting economic growth, and creating jobs of the future all go hand in hand -- and there's no better place to prove it than in Michigan.
Shouldn't Michiganders have the first crack on Michigan jobs? You would think such an idea would be obvious - a given - but in reality, a good bulk of these jobs end up going to out-of-state residents, rather than the hardworking Michigan citizens who really need and deserve our state's premier jobs.
What can be done to rectify this problem, you say? No, not a giant wall to keep those pesky Ohioans out (just kidding!) - it's the Hire Michigan First Act.
Basically, what the HFM does is give tax incentives to Michigan businesses that are willing to employ 100% Michigan workers in their industry. The HFM is a series of House Bills sponsored or cosponsored by state representatives Fred Miller, Dian Slavens, Robert Jones, Gino Polidori, Lesia Liss, Harold Haugh, Terry Brown, Lisa Brown, Kate Segal, Mary Valentine, Douglas Geiss, Sarah Roberts, Jennifer Haase, Vicki Barnett, Deb Kennedy, Fred Miller, Joan Bauer, Kathy Angerer, Kate Ebli, Mark Meadows, Mike Simpson, Judy Nerat, Marc Corriveau, Mike Huckleberry, Bob Constan and Bettie Scott. That's a pretty lengthy list of Michigan leaders who think that you, Michigan resident, deserve first dibs on some those good-paying jobs.
Unfortunately, for as long as that list is, it's still not long enough. In order to ensure that Michigan workers are prioritized for jobs, we need you to take action and speak out for the Hire Michigan First Act. There's a place where you can do just that, and that place is here: http://progressmichigan.org/hi... By clicking on that link, you can send a letter to your state representative that both thanks him or her for taking action (if you happen to be represented by one of the list above), and urges the remainder of the state house to act on this important issue.
Tell your state rep that Michigan's 11.6% unemployment rate is simply unacceptable. Michiganders deserve real access to real jobs, not to be pushed over in favor of non-Michigan workers.
Speak out and take action for hardworking Michiganders and their families today!
Michigan has some of the hardest-working residents in the country. Unfortunately, our state has fallen on hard times. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and our state is struggling with the loss of hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs.
There are some things we cannot control. Global trade agreements, outsourcing and federal policies have all played a role in getting us where we are. But what we can - and must - do is control some of the local factors influencing Michigan's jobs picture.
An example is in the awarding of state contracts and state tax breaks and incentives. When Michigan tax dollars are used to create jobs, Michigan workers should have first priority in getting those jobs. Our tax dollars should benefit our own working families - not out-of-state - workers or illegal immigrants.
That is where the Hire Michigan First plan comes in.
The Hire Michigan First plan gives companies that hire more workers from Michigan priority in getting state tax breaks and economic development incentives. The more Michigan workers a company hires, the more likely it is to receive a state contract or state tax incentives.
Second, the plan requires companies that accept state economic development incentives to report who they are hiring. When the state gives incentives to businesses, we want to see that they are using those incentives to get our workers back on the job. The reporting requirement adds accountability and transparency to this state funding process.
Third, Hire Michigan First requires that companies that build state buildings hire 100 percent of their workers from Michigan. Our workers are more than ready and able to do these jobs, and they should have the opportunity to do so.
And fourth, the plan cracks down on companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Those companies will have their tax incentives and state contracts cancelled. They will have to pay back any incentives they already received and they will be barred from getting future state contracts.
My number one priority in Lansing is creating good-paying jobs for our workers. We must make sure Michigan tax dollars go into our workers' paychecks, not to workers from other states and countries. And by supporting our workers, we will strengthen our economy and get Michigan back on track.
Conservative Pat Buchanan had a few choice words for The Toyota Republicans who voted against the automaker's bridge loan. [all emphasis added]
What are Republicans thinking of, pulling the plug, at Christmas, on GM, risking swift death for the greatest manufacturing company in American history, a strategic asset and pillar of the U.S. economy.
The $14 billion loan to the Big Three that Republican senators filibustered to death is just 2 percent of the $700 billion the Senate voted to bail out Wall Street. Having gone along with bailouts of Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie, Freddie and CitiGroup, why refuse a reprieve to an industry upon which millions of the best blue-collar jobs in America depend?
Wow! Buchanan actually breaks Republican ranks and sides with blue collar workers. It gets even better.
Do the Republicans not yet understand how they lost the New Majority coalition that gave them three landslides and five victories in six presidential races from 1968 to 1988? Do they not know why the Reagan Democrats in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan are going home?
The Republican Party gave their jobs away!
How? By telling U.S. manufacturers they could shut plants here, get rid of their U.S. workers, build factories in Mexico, Asia or China, and ship their products back, free of charge.
Republican globalists gave U.S. manufacturers every incentive to go abroad and take their jobs with them, the jobs of Middle America.
And, for 30 years, that is what U.S. manufacturers have done, have been forced to do, as their competitors closed down and moved their plants abroad in search of low-wage Third World labor.
It's Herbert Hoover time in here, Vice President Cheney is said to have told the Senate Republicans -- as they prepared to march out onto the floor and turn thumbs down on any reprieve for General Motors.
In today's world, America faces nationalistic trade rivals who manipulate currencies, employ nontariff barriers, subsidize their manufacturers, rebate value-added taxes on exports to us and impose value-added taxes on imports from us, all to capture our markets and kill our great companies. And we have a Republican Party blissfully ignorant that we live in a world of us or them. It doesn't even know who "us" is.
Buchanan has had an on again/off again relationship with Republicans so his words may fall on deaf ears. That's okay. Sooner or later voters get the last word on jobs - and theirs will be the first to go.
Author and Free Press columnist Mitch Albom wrote a response to the senators who killed the auto loan deal last week and it's generating a lot of attention here in Michigan. (It's been recommended more than 1,000 times so far.) He pretty much expresses the collective outrage most of us have been feeling since Friday, starting with the title - Hey, you senators: Thanks for nothing.
Here's a sample of what Albom had to say. Click over to read the rest.
Kill the car, kill the country. History will show that when America was on its knees, a handful of lawmakers tried to cut off its feet. And blame the workers. How suddenly did the workers - a small percentage of a car's cost - become justification for crushing an industry?
And when did Detroit become the symbol of economic dysfunction? Are you kidding? Have you looked in the mirror lately, Washington?
In a world where banks hemorrhaged trillions in a high-priced gamble called credit derivative swaps that YOU failed to regulate, how on earth do WE need to be punished? In a bailout era where you shoveled billions, with no demands, to banks and financial firms, why do WE need to be schooled on how to run a business?
Who is more dysfunctional in business than YOU? Who blows more money? Who wastes more trillions on favors, payback and pork?
At least in the auto industry, if folks don't like what you make, they don't have to buy it. In government, even your worst mistakes, we have to live with.
Ain't that the truth. Remember Iraq, senators? That was supposed to be cheap, and quick too. The only thing cheap about that mistake was the way you tried to cut corners and save money at the expense of our troops. From inadequate bullet proof vests and armored trucks to the horrid conditions at Walter Reed Hospital, you turned your backs on the soldiers just like you turned your back on middle-class jobs last week.
Tuesday brought more beautiful weather and a full schedule of company meetings in Israel.
We were up early and at it again pitching Michigan during a breakfast meeting in Jerusalem with technology company Powermat. Imagine being able to lay your cell phone on your desk or put your Ipod on the counter at home to charge them. This cutting-edge company has created an electric mat that will do just that - on your desk, nightstand, conference room table, or even your wall. The company's goal is to manage energy and eliminate waste, which matches Michigan's energy goals perfectly. Powermat is collaborating with a hi-tech Michigan-based company and is scheduled for a January announcement in Michigan with the potential to create several hundred new jobs.
From there, we left Jerusalem for an afternoon of meetings in Haifa -- a city north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean. On our journey, we passed through the Carmel Mountains -- a wine-growing region also known for its many artist colonies. Haifa was breathtaking -- situated high above the sea. Anyone who loves wine country in California would feel right at home here.
Our meetings in Haifa were with companies in our targeted sectors to diversify our economy. They included Senso Optics, a homeland security and defense company that creates technology like lenses used for airport security, border control, and sensors for day and night vision. And Multi Gene Vascular Systems -- a life sciences company that is doing work with gene therapy to remove blockage and open up arteries in the legs and heart. They are looking at having a presence in Michigan in the next 6-12 months. And we met with HBR Labs, a web-based software company that has committed to opening their Michigan operation by the end of this year. These companies and their interest in investment in Michigan means jobs and growth at home.
Our last meeting of the day was with the #1 homeland security and defense company in Israel, Elbit Israel. It's a $2.4 billion dollar company that makes up 40 percent of all the homeland security and defense-based sales in the country. The company already has a U.S. presence - Elbit North America - and their chairman, Joe Parini who is from Grand Rapids, helped to coordinat this meeting for us. It was a productive meeting, and we had the chance to talk about all of Michigan's advantages, including TACOM and our auto industry. As Elbit North America considers its next expansion, we'll continue to make the case for why Michigan is the perfect place for it to be.
Now, it's off to our final business event in Israel at the home of U.S. Ambassador to Israel James Cunningham. Ambassador Cunningham has graciously offered to host a reception for business and industry leaders as well as a number of Michiganians who are in the country.
Tomorrow, we head to Jordan where we'll continue to talk about all that Michigan has to offer companies looking to invest and grow internationally.
ABOVE: Shai Agassi showing me the battery in the Better Place vehicle
Shalom from Israel! I write to you from the Middle East where I am on my seventh overseas jobs and investment mission - part of my strategy to go anywhere, do anything to diversify our economy and bring jobs home to Michigan.
After just barely catching our plane, we embarked on a 10-hour flight to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. We were greeted in Tel Aviv by many friendly faces and lots of sunshine! (Sorry for those of you who may be seeing the first snow of the season.) Once we settled into our hotel, I worked off my jet lag with a jog along the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea - a beautiful day for a run. Saturdays are reserved for the Sabbath, which is the weekly day of rest and worship in the Jewish community, so many businesses were closed. There were families enjoying time together on the beach - children flying brightly colored kites, men playing paddleball in the sand, and boardwalk cafes filled with patrons taking in the sunny November afternoon. At the end of my jog, I stuck my feet in the water and really took it all in - the sights, the people, the skyline, and the sea. Last night, our team enjoyed a welcome dinner at Deca, a restaurant in Tel Aviv. The food was delicious: fish falafel, cucumber salad with yogurt dressing, grilled salmon; and the sweet melon crepes for dessert really hit the spot! With a long, tiring journey behind us, we were refreshed and ready to pitch our Michigan story.
ABOVE: Talking with Perrigo Executive VP and President of Perrigo Israel Rafi Lebel
This morning, we were up early for a business breakfast with the Deloitte partners of Israel. They provided a briefing on the possibilities of Israeli alternative energy and homeland security opportunities that Michigan may be able to hone in on. Then we were off to the headquarters of Perrigo Israel for a meeting with Rafi Lebel, Perrigo's executive vice-president who is also president of Perrigo Israel, and his team. Perrigo is a health sciences company that already has a strong presence in West Michigan. They announced a $25 million expansion last summer that was supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Rafi said they are at capacity in West Michigan and are looking to possibly expand again. We thanked the company for their continued commitment to Michigan and also encouraged their future growth in the Great Lakes State. We have the infrastructure and beautiful lab space already in place, and I let Rafi know that we are ready to help them grow their business and grow new jobs right now. Michigan and Perrigo already have a great working relationship, but this trip is all about continuing to build on our link with business in Israel and attracting new jobs and growth in the future.
ABOVE: Test driving the battery-electric Better Place vehicle
Our next meeting was with Shai Agassi, a brilliant entrepreneur and CEO of Better Place, a company that is working fervently to electrify the car. In January 2008, the Israeli government announced its support for a broad effort to promote the use of electric cars, embracing a joint venture with Better Place. Shai is also building the stations in Israel where batteries for cars can be recharged and is expanding this effort in countries around the world. We want to reduce our state's and our nation's dependence on foreign oil, and the advanced battery has the potential to do just that. We talked about future partnerships that might be viable for Michigan, and in Michigan, we know that new energy means new jobs. Later in the afternoon, we met with Inspire Invest, a venture capital firm in Tel Aviv, and this evening, I spoke at an automotive seminar and reception hosted by the Michigan Israel Business Bridge and the Israel Export Institute where I discussed business and research opportunities with CEOs of companies and suppliers that are looking to grow and expand.
Overall, it was a busy day full of promise and prospective jobs for Michigan. Stay tuned for more news on our meetings and travels tomorrow as we head to Jerusalem to continue telling Michigan's story.
ABOVE: Pitching Michigan to executives from Mitsubishi Heavy Industry. The company, which has long had a relationship with Michigan, is diversifying into wind turbine manufacturing and will soon decide where to locate their first American manufacturing facility. MEDC officials met with the company in California prior to today's meeting to encourage consideration of Michigan and I made the case for why Michigan was the best place in the country for wind manufacturing.
I'm back on Day 2, writing from my hotel room in Nagoya after another full day of meetings, events and travel.
Last night we were invited to dine with executives from Hino Motors at Chinzan-so, Tokyo's Japanese Garden Restaurant which is located in a particularly scenic part of the city. After a hectic day, we had the chance to stroll through their beautiful gardens before heading into dinner. Dinner included eel, barracuda, fish dumplings, sake-boiled scallops, dragon fruit (really big and hot pink on the outside) - I was a little leery of the fare at first, but it was surprisingly tasty!
It was an early morning today, with a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call and another breakfast briefing with the team. We were on the bullet train by 8:00 a.m. to travel on to a meeting with Mitsubishi Heavy Industry. MHI is a great example of how the world is changing. MHI has manufactured heavy equipment for generations, but is now branching out into wind turbines and we want their first American manufacturing facility to be in Michigan.
As we traveled through the city, I was reflecting on the mix of old and new in Tokyo. There is the serene old Imperial Palace and then the bright lights and glitz of the Ginza. The Ginza is the district's center - one square meter in this area is worth more than ten million yen (which is equal to more than $100,000 U.S. dollars), making it one of the most expensive places for real estate in Japan. It is also where you can find the infamous cups of $10 coffee! While in the Ginza district, it is apparent that the Japanese always have the latest toys, clothes, and music on hand.
(more about the day and another photo below the fold)
Our legiscritters are anxious to get out of town and start campaigning, chomping at the bit to inform the voting public of the laundry list of all those wonderful things that they won't be able to get done next year, because when it comes right down to it, it's "too hard" or they are "too inexperienced to understand how this works" and gosh darn it, term limits are holding them up from making progress right now. But we are getting ahead of ourselves; that's next year's unfinished business and we have this year's unfinished business to contend with first.
This is the last week before summer break, and then we get to pay them to go out and campaign. Indications are that they are scrambling to finish their budget targets, but the budget itself might not be completed until September. The Blue Cross package (which I have not paid one whit of attention to) looks stuck until after the election. They did manage to get the Great Lakes Compact/water withdrawal legislation done, and they do deserve some applause for that. Clap, clap. Sincerely.
But as far as creating jobs in Michigan? You know, that thing that Mike Bishop promised us would be the focus of this year's legislative session? Ask yourself, what one industry is enjoying explosive manufacturing growth. What one industry has captured the nation's attention in the wake of rising energy costs and global warming. What one industry is a perfect fit for Michigan's natural resources and manufacturing workers and facilities. Figure it out?
Apparently, that one industry is the one that the Legislature is going to leave behind in the rush to get out of Dodge. From MIRS-
Until last weeks' shenanigans in the Senate, the renewable energy portion of the package might have been ready to move soon. Now, however, the whole package seems to be on hold. The market reform portion of the package was already stuck in the mud and now the entire package looks like fodder for lame duck.
Over the past three years, the U.S. wind industry has enjoyed a relatively stable policy environment. The federal production tax credit (PTC), the primary economic driver for wind, has been in place without interruption since August 2005 -- after being extended for two years in the energy policy act of 2005, and extended for one additional year (through 2008) at the end of 2006. In addition, more than 10 additional state renewable energy standard (RES) programs have been put into place, bringing the total number of states with an RES to 26 plus the District of Columbia. During that time, total wind capacity grew by 150% and the annual market size more than doubled.
U.S. manufacturers previously unfamiliar with renewables are finding a demand for their existing output (e.g., bearings) in the wind industry while other companies are tweaking their products and retooling their facilities to serve the wind industry and take advantage of this growing market.
It is no coincidence that over the same period, the U.S. found its stride - in this case, that stride being a rapid clip - in expanding domestic manufacturing capacity for wind power components. Dozens of new manufacturing facilities serving the wind industry have been brought online across the U.S. the last few years.
This next paragraph just screams "we can do this stuff in Michigan", and they go on to cite our own K & M Machining and Dowding Manufacturing as examples of companies that are already getting in the game.
Growth in U.S.-based manufacturing has not been limited to just the turbine assembly companies and manufacturers of major wind components. Wind power's supply chain is reaching straight down through the underpinnings of U.S. manufacturing, spurring expansion in domestic capacity for producers of basic products and materials that are needed in multiple industries. Perennial suppliers to the automotive and other major heavy-equipment industries - such as steel providers, foundries, and fabricators - are now serving wind energy, providing raw materials, metal castings, and machining for wind turbines.
Not to mention gear boxes and other various components that go into wind energy. Suppliers currently can't keep up with demand. And besides the danger of losing out to other states in this race, we might lose out to global competition as well.
Any sign of wavering policy support for wind in the U.S. could quickly shift wind component manufacturing out of the country and into the global market, severely damaging the golden opportunity to expand this nation's manufacturing production capacity and create jobs.
Seeing wind's impact on their economies, many U.S. states are doing their utmost to keep that from happening. States such as Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio have been quick to seize the wind opportunity, creating task forces and outreach plans to find ways to capture wind component manufacturing interest from companies both abroad and within their state borders. Since 2005 Iowa alone has successfully enticed wind energy companies to locate at least a half-dozen new major manufacturing facilities in the state, luring thousands of jobs to the Hawkeye State. As for Ohio, Gear Technology magazine notes that "from castings for gearboxes, to tension bolts, to pitch control system, Ohio companies are already manufacturing key components for this rapidly growing industry." To capitalize on those resources, the state's energy office recently established a wind industry supply chain outreach effort, the need for which was further enhanced with the recent passage of a state RES.
Ohio, Iowa and Pennsylvania have all passed their renewable energy standards. As we have mentioned time and time again, investment is going to the states with a RPS in place - and most states have stronger requirements than ours will be, which, as is stands as passed by the House, is 10% by 2015. Senate Republicans are even balking at that. Ohio laughs at us.
Unfortunately, our standards not strong enough according to the American Wind Energy Association - and they won't even move to get it done before they leave for break.
Or will they? My hope is that that statement is proven wrong before the end of this week. A long time ago, the governor suggested splitting the RPS from the rest of the package, and perhaps these people will come to their senses and at least pass this little portion and get Michigan on the map and attract attention from some major manufacturers. Or, we can fall further behind, waiting until the end of the year or later, and someday people will wonder why we didn't take advantage of this golden opportunity. That would be tragic - and for a Legislature that has been met with constant criticism for their lack of action on important issues, this will go down as their greatest failure when someday the totals are added up and the money and jobs are found elsewhere.
How sweet is that? According to the Oakland Business Review, state officials gave their approval to tax incentives for projects constituting more than $179 million in investment and more than 3,900 new jobs.
Priceline.com is one of the companies mentioned. The online travel search engine could open a call center south of Grand Rapids that would create 424 jobs (expected to pay $12 to $14 dollars an hour with benefits). The state is competing against Columbus, GA., to land those jobs, and Priceline is expected to announce their decision later this summer.
The Free Press has a list of some of the new jobs being created. Here's a sample:
Azentek LLC, a designer of automotive infotainment systems, plans to expand in Grand Blanc Township, adding 78 jobs as it consolidates other offices.
Venchurs Inc., a logistics company, plans to expand its Adrian location. The state development corporation pledged an $8-million incentive package to Venchurs to create 106 jobs, including 50 by the end of 2010.
Production Engineering Inc., which makes parts for truck axles, plans to move into a former Goodyear warehouse in Jackson, ultimately retaining 112 jobs and adding 122 jobs.
Auto supplier Mahle Industries Inc. plans to expand its operations in Farmington Hills, creating 155 jobs.
Separately, Mahle's U.S. engine components division plans to expand its piston ring plant in St. Johns in a project that would create as many as 150 jobs.
According to AAA Michigan, gas prices are at an all-time high in Michigan, averaging $3.65 per gallon. The cheapest price is in the Flint area ($3.61 per gallon) and the highest average is in Marquette ($3.73 per gallon). And, for a short time today, oil prices briefly surged over $120 dollars a barrel.
The high prices have some people praying at the pump, and one 10-year-old boy in Burton wrote letters to several local officials asking them to do something. He's feeling the pain because his mother has stopped buying extra goodies when she goes shopping. We're all cutting back because of high gas prices.
Blame it on increased demand or our falling dollar, but it doesn't look like prices will go down anytime soon (if ever). However, there is some good news on the fuel economy front that could accomplish two things at once - bring jobs to Michigan and help automakers achieve the 31.6 mpg standard the NHTSA proposed they reach by 2015.
A surplus Delphi research lab in Macomb County's Shelby Township has been donated to an initiative that could help automakers meet stringent new federal fuel economy guidelines.
USAutoPARTs, expected to be up and running by June, will involve auto suppliers, state government, the U.S. Department of Energy and universities in clearing roadblocks on the path to energy efficiency.
If successful, the initiative could help create thousands of Michigan jobs and bring millions in federal research dollars to the state. [...]
The consortium will research a variety of "pre-competitive" areas, such as developing lighter-weight materials, improving engine combustion efficiency, and figuring out ways to heat and cool interiors without drawing power from the engine.
The U.S. Army's National Automotive Center in Warren is involved, along with Wayne State University. The school signed up to teach evening classes at USAutoPARTs, which will provide a place for colleges to educate students in new automotive technologies.
I guess this is one of those examples of turning lemons into lemonade, although I'm not quite sure that 10-year-old boy in Burton would see it that way.
WOOD is offering streaming video of the announcement of 3,300 jobs at MPI Research- one of the largest life sciences jobs announcements in Michigan history.
If you want to watch the announcement live, click here.
KALAMAZOO - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced a $330-million expansion in Mattawan and Kalamazoo by MPI Research Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive preclinical research and development services. The project is expected to create 3,300 new jobs at the company and an additional 3,300 indirect Michigan jobs over the next 15 years.
Pfizer plans to donate buildings to the city of Kalamazoo to facilitate the expansion which is contingent upon final agreements between Pfizer, the city of Kalamazoo, and MPI Research. Assistance provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) helped convince the company to choose Michigan for the expansion over a competing site in China.
The announcement was celebrated at an event in Kalamazoo today, with the governor joining MPI Research Chairman and CEO Bill Parfet and state and local officials.
"We worked hard to win MPI's investment, and we will continue to go anywhere and do anything to get more companies like this to locate in Michigan," Granholm said. "This expansion - one of the largest life sciences expansions in Michigan's history - demonstrates that we have the kind of outstanding workforce and competitive business climate that can win a project like this."
MPI Research will invest approximately $330 million to expand its operations, including $30 million to launch new operations in Kalamazoo at the two buildings donated by Pfizer on East Lovell and Portage streets.
Based on the MEDC's recommendation, the Michigan Economic Growth Authority board today approved a state tax credit valued at $86 million over 15 years to secure the company's investment. The MEDC supports a Renaissance Zone designation, as well as a $2-million, 21st Century Jobs Fund grant to Western Michigan for redevelopment activities at the Kalamazoo site. Through the transportation economic development fund, the Michigan Department of Transportation will provide funding for improvements at or near the I-94 interchange that are necessary to accommodate the traffic generated by MPI's expansion.
Excellent news for the Kalamazoo area - and for Michigan as well!
According to officials at MPI Research, the 3,300 jobs expected to be created during the next five years will involve a wide range of duties and will average about $50,000 a year in compensation. Officials say the preclinical testing operation has been recruiting scientific talent from each of the state's large universities in recent years but has job postings for all sorts of work, from custodial associate and summer employment opportunities to analytical study director and surgical study director.
Michigan Will Lose 15,300 Jobs, $1.5 Billion in Business Activity Due to Bush Administration's Medicaid Cuts
Michigan to Lose $3.9 Billion in Medicaid Funding if Administration's Medicaid Rule Changes Are Allowed to Stand
Washington, D.C. - Medicaid rule changes put in place by the Bush Administration will cost Michigan more than $732.2 million in federal funds over the next five years. The cut in federal funding will, in fact, act like a giant anti-stimulus package. The lost Medicaid funds will eliminate an estimated 15,300 jobs, and an accompanying $572.4 million in wages, and cost the state an estimated $1.5 billion in lost business activity.
Aerospace companies are streaming to Mexico, drawn by lower wages, enthusiastic government promotion, a new safety agreement with the United States and an increasingly sophisticated workforce.
In a new plant in the central Mexican city of Querétaro, workers who make $3.50 an hour are building rudders and bundles of wiring for airliners. Across town, engineers at General Electric's research center are designing jet engines. In a nearby industrial park, workers are overhauling landing gear at a gleaming new plant.
Engineers fare a little better. They earn anywhere from $5.80 to $8.70 an hour. The lower costs translate into a 30 percent savings on parts even after transportation gets added back in. Mexico's aerospace-related exports have more than tripled since 2004.
How are American workers supposed to compete with those wages? The impact on jobs has been minimal so far, but workers see the writing on the wall.
Companies say that, because of a booming market for aircraft worldwide, the move to Mexico has not resulted in major layoffs in the United States. But American unions are afraid it might if aviation takes a downturn.
"This is a technological base, an important industrial base for our country, and we're just giving it up," said Ron Eldridge, aerospace coordinator for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Industry officials liken the trend to the 1980s, when U.S. companies moved from making auto parts in Mexico to assembling entire vehicles there. Now, Mexico exports $42 billion in cars and auto parts every year.
"Mexico's vision is to do the same thing they did with the auto industry," said Real Gervais, head of Bombardier's operations in Mexico. "There's a lot of potential."
So much for the myth that NAFTA was going to help American workers. When is the United States going to sign an agreement that benefits workers here at home?
Airline maintenance is also heading south, which hits my family personally. My son-in-law recently graduated from an airline mechanics school. He picked that career because he felt it would be stable employment and couldn't be outsourced. We all did, but it looks like we were wrong.
Mexico also is becoming a center for maintenance as airlines look for cheaper places to have their planes fixed. [...]
At least one U.S. airline, Delta, is already sending entire planes to Mexico for maintenance work. In 2006, it signed a deal handing heavy maintenance of 120 of its planes over to Aeromexico, an airline.
The Mexican government is hoping exports will grow even faster in the wake of a new Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement signed with the United States in September.
The pact allows Mexican officials to certify new aircraft parts instead of shipping them to the United States for inspection.
"It's a great logistical advantage," Roch said. "It's going to be a detonator for the industry."
Yeah, right, and it's going to blow up a whole lot of American jobs too.
It's no longer enough for a person to play by the rules, get an education and work hard. There will always be someone in another country willing to work for less. Where is it all going to end? Who will save us? We know we can't depend on the Republicans so it's up to the Democrats. I sure hope they win the White House and lots of seats in November. Workers can't hold on much longer.
Senate lawmakers are scheduled to vote on a stimulus package tomorrow that includes extending energy tax breaks. The bill includes incentives to spur production of wind farms, investments in solar energy plants and other renewable energy producers that could be worth as much as $3 billion over the next 10 years according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.
This vote is important to Michigan. As Gov. Granholm said in her SOTS address, "It's not often the Legislature gets to cast a vote that will create that many jobs." That's the opportunity the Senate faces. Current tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year and an energy bill President Bush signed last year left out tax breaks for clean energy industries. Without action, market growth won't look so good.
The federal government must not only extend the tax credits, but provide more money for training workers, said George Sterzinger, executive director of the Washington-based Renewable Energy Policy Project.
If not, manufacturing will go overseas and the jobs will be lost, he said. It makes no sense, he added, to wean America off its dependence on foreign oil only to become dependent on other countries for products in sustainable energy production.
"You look at a wind turbine. It's got a whole bunch of parts. Somebody makes the blades, somebody makes the tower, somebody makes the gear boxes, the electronic controls," Sterzinger said. "Those parts can come from China, India - or from Buffalo."
Surprisingly, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee agrees:
The stimulus package should underscore the nation's commitment to energy efficiency and alternative energy," said Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, arguing for including the tax incentives, despite GOP leaders' opposition to adding to the $161 billion House bill. [...]
"Investors need certainty. They won't put their money out for a wind energy facility unless there's a reasonable expectation that tax incentives will continue into the future."
Job growth under President Bush and the Republicans has been weak, so one would think tax breaks that create "green collar" jobs would be important to them. These are some of the numbers they should be looking at:
(I have just one quesiton-do you have a union:)? - promoted by djtyg)
Progress Michigan is pleased to announce the unveiling of it's Progressive Michigan Job Bank, devoted exclusively towards the advertising and promotion of progressive job openings in Michigan. Interested parties from progressive organizations across the state are invited to submit their job posting to jobs[at]progressmichigan.org for promotion.
The Progress Michigan Progressive Job Bank is another way that Michigan's progressive community can continue to build and strengthen its diverse and talented work force. We're pleased to be able to offer this to employers and job-seekers alike. The Progressive Job Bank may be viewed at http://progressmichigan.org.
While you're visiting our website, be sure to check out The Upper Hand, the blog where many of Michigan's incredible progressive organizations have posted their thoughts on the Governor's State of the State address. We also have a full events calendar with progressive events all over the state. Do you have an event that you want to list? Feel free to add it!
Are you on Facebook? We'd love to have you join our Facebook Group and join in the movement!
Progress Michigan is all about helping Michigan's progressive community build and grow, and we're proud to support blogs like Blogging for Michigan in all of the great work they do!
The Governor's plan to diversify our economy and bring more jobs to Michigan continues to pay dividends. From the Freep:
Three Ann Arbor-area technology companies are planning expansions projected to add a combined 532 jobs during the next five years, helping to ease some of the sting from Pfizer Inc.'s decision early this year to close its Ann Arbor research complex, where 2,100 people worked.
The Michigan Economic Growth Authority is expected to approve tax incentives today for the projects at ProQuest LLC, Danotek Motion Technologies and Accuri Cytometers. The three firms chose to expand on sites in Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Township and Scio Township, respectively, over competing offers from Maryland, Indiana and Colorado.
"These are high-tech companies, exactly in the sweet spot of what we are seeking to incubate and grow in Michigan," Gov. Jennifer Granholm said in a telephone interview Monday.
Sweet, indeed, and these are just three Ann Arbor-area expansions among 15 development projects the MEGA board will be considering today. Here's some background on the companies and the jobs being created:
ProQuest, a digital repository and provider of scholarly documents from all over the world, now employs 478 people in Michigan. It expects to create 303 jobs during the next five years, paying an average annual wage of $90,844 each. [...]
Danotek, a 7-year-old developer of technologies for generators and electronic motors, is planning to begin manufacturing a variable-speed permanent magnet generator for use with wind turbines.
To accommodate this expansion, the company plans to move from Scio Township to Pittsfield Township. The $7.8-million project would create 141 jobs over the next five years, paying an average annual wage of $49,348, according to the MEDC. [...]
Accuri Cytometers, founded in 2004, develops cell analysis systems for life-sciences researchers. The firm is in the beta testing stage of commercializing a new product, the Accuri C6 Flow Cytometer System.
Accuri's expansion on its Scio Township site would create 88 jobs over the next five years, paying an average annual wage of $47,580.
And the naysayers said the Governor's plan wouldn't work.
More jobs, more diversity, more good news for Michigan from the LSJ:
OKEMOS - Delta Dental of Michigan today is slated to announce plans for an $85 million expansion at its headquarters to make room for 150 new workers. [...]
A 35,000-square-foot addition would be constructed on the existing building's west side, and a new 80,000-square-foot office building would be built immediately north of it.
Plans also call for a 20,000-square-foot data center on the east end of the 57-acre campus.
Company President Thomas Flezar said their organization continues to grow and has outgrown their facilities here. He calls that, "A very positive sign for our state." There's more...
Delta Dental will not use tax credits or other incentives for the project. It will be financed by cash and loans, Fleszar said.
The project should help create a "sustainable habitat" for native plants and animals on the site, he said. Officials will seek certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council for those efforts.
The company also plans to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification for the buildings. The green building standard encourages use of sustainable materials, energy efficiency and new design techniques.
Impressive. They're expanding without tax credits, creating a sustainable habitat and pursuing LEED certification. There's even more icing on the cake.
Most of the new workers will be "highly skilled" actuaries, accountants and technology workers, he said. Expected salaries were not known.
"We need those types of folks," Fleszar said. "They're going to be not only valuable to us, but they're going to settle in the community."
This is a win-win for Michigan and the Lansing area. The company hasn't submitted their plans to Meridian Township yet, but construction is expected to begin in the spring with a completion target in 2011.
Tuesday brought more beautiful weather and a full schedule of company meetings in Israel.
From there, we left Jerusalem for an afternoon of meetings in Haifa -- a city north of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean. On our journey, we passed through the Carmel Mountains -- a wine-growing region also known for its many artist colonies. Haifa was breathtaking -- situated high above the sea. Anyone who loves wine country in California would feel right at home here.
Shalom from Israel! I write to you from the Middle East where I am on my seventh overseas jobs and investment mission - part of my strategy to go anywhere, do anything to diversify our economy and bring jobs home to Michigan.
