ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER 1,000 JOBS LOST

It's Monday and that means Michigan House Democrats are holding yet another publicity stunt (last time it was a 25-foot inflatable rubber duck) to draw attention away from the fact that for each day they refuse to take up meaningful reforms, the state loses another 1,000 jobs.

"The single most important issue in Michigan is jobs," said House Republican Leader Kevin Elsenheimer. "For each day Democrats in the Legislature waste on budget-busting programs, Michigan loses another 1,000 jobs."

Elsenheimer welcomed House Democrats' willingness to address ways to save health-care costs -- reforms Republicans long have advocated for under Democrat control -- but added the Legislature needs to focus on revving up Michigan's economy and removing the barriers that keep businesses from investing and creating jobs.

The Republican leader added that recent legislative proposals from Democrats have raised taxes on job providers, increased state spending for 2010 in the face of an expected $1 billion-plus deficit, and used nearly all of federal stimulus money to fill holes in Michigan's current budget instead of stimulating the economy.

"Republicans proposed more than $500 million in cuts this year so we could use stimulus money to actually stimulate the economy and create jobs," Elsenheimer said, noting that more than $1 billion of stimulus funds will be used to balance the 2009 budget. "We cannot stimulate the economy when all we do is stimulate government spending.”

Elsenheimer said House Republicans have proposed substantial reforms -- which Democrats have so far blocked -- that would save money and create a more welcoming regulatory environment that will attract business development and jobs. Republican-led reforms being blocked by Democrats include:

• Ending lifetime health benefits for legislators (House Bill 4080);
• Fighting the governor's moratorium on clean-coal plants that has already cost 1,500 jobs and billions of dollars in investment in Midland;
• State spending reform initiatives such as government transparency (House Bills 4043, 4121 and 4150); and
• Eliminating unfair property tax increases as property values drop (House Bill 4135 and House Joint Resolution I).

Eliminating unfair property tax increases as property values drop (House Bill 4135 and House Joint Resolution I).