Sen. Jansen comments on State of the State address
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
LANSING—After listening to Gov. Rick Snyder’s State of the State address Wednesday night, state Sen. Mark C. Jansen, R-Gaines Township, issued the following statement:
“I came to public service from Habitat for Humanity, where they build houses on strong foundations. In 2011, Michigan worked on setting a new, stronger foundation to rebuild our state.
“Every step of the way, we have focused on jobs, jobs, jobs. We eliminated the Michigan Business Tax and replaced it with a simple and fair plan: A tax of 6 percent on corporate profits. The result has been job creation that is outpacing the rest of the country.
“In Grand Rapids, we have seen the unemployment rate plummet from 12 percent in March 2010 to 6.5 percent in November 2011. That is documented progress, and I am committed to continuing that record of success.
“Michigan citizens shared in reducing a $1.5 billion deficit last year, and by approving a gimmick-free budget, we now have a structurally balanced one.
“We still have more to do to address the state’s debt and long-term liabilities. By 2022, the state’s school employee pension system is expected to provide $7.5 billion per year in benefits to almost 250,000 retirees. If the investment returns of the past 10 years repeat, we will be in real trouble. We cannot just pass this debt onto our grandchildren, and I will work with the governor to get our arms around this problem while we still can.”
Editor’s Note – Audio comments by Sen. Jansen will be available on the senator’s webpage at www.SenatorMarkJansen.com. Click on “Podcasts.”
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