Op-Ed: Leadership for Michigan's Economy

Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Leadership for Michigan's Economy

By Gary Peters

There is no greater challenge facing Michigan right now than restoring the health and strength of our economy.

After years of mismanagement, we need bold action to rejuvenate our auto industry, invest in alternative energy technologies and create new, goodpaying jobs.

Unfortunately, that leadership is sorely lacking in Washington, DC. I have a proven record of fiscal responsibility and business leadership -- and I am running for Congress to get Michigan's economy moving forward now.

For more than 20 years, I worked as a vice president at Merrill Lynch and UBS/PaineWebber. If one of my employees had gone to a client and said "I have lost you money for the past eight years, but I will offer you a loan to cover your bills this month," I would have fired them on the spot.

That kind of incompetence would be rejected immediately in the private sector, but it passes for business as usual in Washington.

Michigan has been losing jobs for eight consecutive years -- the longest sustained period since the Great Depression. During those eight years, Congressman Knollenberg and President Bush have passed tax cuts for companies that ship jobs overseas, blocked investment in alternative energy and expanded unfair trade deals that have cost Michigan hundreds of thousands of jobs.

In his guest opinion, Congressman Joe Knollenberg touted his support for several important education programs. I appreciate his election year interest in these issues, but where has he been for the past 16 years?

Michigan needs leaders who will fight for real solutions starting on day one -- not just in an election year. We need a return to fiscal discipline, and we need a comprehensive plan that addresses the full range of our economic challenges.

On my first day in the Michigan Senate, I introduced three bills to cut taxes for the middle class.

In Congress, I will take action to expand tax credits for college tuition, child care, senior citizens care, and job training. I will also pass small business tax cuts to help Michigan's business owners hire more employees.

I will support our auto industry and alternative energy technologies to create jobs here in Michigan. We have the best workers, engineers, and universities in the country. We are ready to take the lead in emerging industries, including wind and solar energy, hydrogen fuel cells, advanced cellulosic ethanol, and next-generation vehicles.

But while record high gas prices have hurt Michigan's automakers, Congressman Knollenberg and President Bush have protected billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies for the oil companies and blocked investment in new technologies.

I will fight for trade and tax policies that create jobs, instead of shipping them overseas. As a businessman, I support trade, but I don't support unfair agreements that put American workers and businesses at a disadvantage.

I will invest in education, from preschool to college. When I was head of the Michigan Lottery, I generated record profits to invest in Michigan's classrooms. In Congress, I will work to give our teachers, schools, students and parents the resources they need to succeed.

These challenges will not be solved overnight, but Knollenberg already has had 16 years in Washington.

What we need is a vision of where we want our country and state to be, not just tomorrow, but 50 years from now -- and we must take action now.

Gary Peters is a former commissioner of the Michigan Bureau of State Lottery and a former Michigan Democratic senator from Rochester Hills. He lives in Bloomfield Hills and is running as a Democrat for the seat currently held by U.S. Congressman Joe Knollenberg, R-Bloomfield Hills.

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