Legislature Can Create Jobs Now By Investing in School, Airport Improvement That’s exactly what we have on our hands this year with the Capital Outlay budget—an opportunity for construction workers to get started on major building projects at community colleges, universities and local airports across the state. Each of the proposed projects for our state’s public universities were identified as the #1 building priority for that school. Unfortunately, all those “number one” priorities for growth and expansion could get delayed another year because of the Legislature’s second-guessing. These projects have already been postponed for far too long, and with the Capital Outlay budget responsible for up to 75% of the construction costs in some instances, they will never get off the ground without our support. This is precisely the type of economic stimulus that Michigan needs right now. In the short-term, it means more jobs for building and construction workers in our state. In the long-term, these are projects that will improve our colleges and universities by building up programs that focus on high-growth sectors of the economy—like life sciences—which will help create 21st Century jobs. The choice is simple. We can either be a roadblock or a red carpet for economic growth here in Michigan. All of these ventures are vital to our state’s economic development, and we shouldn’t delay any of them any further. This investment needs to be approved, and without further delay.
May 15, 2008 by Senator Mark Schauer
Ask any Michigan Legislator what their top priority is this year, and you’re likely to hear a similar response from most of them—jobs. While we may differ on the best way to transform our economy and create an environment for job growth, it’s rare that the Legislature actually gets an opportunity to directly influence the job market.
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