11111MTHE 2010 ELECTION
.
The Race For Governor from page 18
two things are interrelated. Improving
schools and universities makes Michigan
a more attractive place to live and do
business. Investment in our kids means
they'll succeed in a global economy and
our workforce will be more competitive.
That's why I say education is economic
development.
3. Get our budget under control. When
I took office, Lansing's budget was a mess
— much like Michigan's now I erased
$40 million in deficits without a single tax
increase. I cut unnecessary government
nearly 20 percent while strengthening vital
services and growing the economy. While
reducing bureaucracy, we put more police
on the streets, funded education programs
and substantially increased investment in
job creating economic development.
A Voter's Primer
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2
To be eligible to vote in the Nov. 2 general election, you must be 18 years of
age by Election Day, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Michigan and the city or
township where you registered.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. To confirm you are registered, find out
where your polling place is located and see a sample ballot, visit the Michigan
Secretary of State website at www.michigan.gov/vote.
Making a Decision
Educate yourself about the candidates and issues on the Web at these sites:
• Michigan League of Women Voters (www.lwvoa.org )
•Detroit Free Press (www.freep.com )
•Detroit News (www.detnews.com )
JN: Would you work to overturn term
Bernero: Michigan's tax system is bro-
limits for Michigan legislators? Why or
why not?
ken and must be revamped to reflect the
realities of today's economy and set us on
course for future prosperity.
My administration will work to
eliminate the MBT surcharge as part of
a comprehensive overhaul of state busi-
ness taxes to make Michigan the most
competitive state in the nation for new
job-creating investments. Small busi-
nesses especially need a fair, predictable
and favorable tax system.
I also support tying tax incentives to
job creation, rewarding companies who
hire Michigan workers but rolling back
incentives for companies who outsource
jobs or fail to meet job creation targets
they originally promised in order to
secure an abatement. Our business tax
structure must reward job creation and
value-added, export-oriented production.
We must also continue to pressure
Congress to enact changes in federal
law that allow states to capture sales
tax revenues lost to Internet commerce,
estimated at more than $300 million
annually in Michigan. Other savings
may be generated through consolidating
administrative and purchasing services
in school districts, easing the burden on
the state budget without affecting chil-
dren's education.
I do not favor any tax increases on
Michigan families or small businesses.
We have to explore every viable option
to make government more efficient and
accountable for the use of current tax
dollars before we even consider ask-
ing Michigan taxpayers for more. We
shouldn't ask citizens to pay higher
taxes until we show them that we can be
responsible stewards of the tax dollars
they already give us.
In the city of Lansing, even in the face
of serious revenue losses and rising costs,
Bernero: Term limits have not delivered
the results the people of Michigan intend-
ed when they approved them. I have pro-
posed moving to a part-time legislature to
reflect the actual work performed by legis-
lators as well as performance-based pay.
I could support a reasonable term limit
in each chamber if it also established a
part-time legislature.
Snyder: Overturning term limits for
Michigan legislators is not on my agenda.
The citizens of Michigan voted for the
term-limit rule imposed upon legislators
in 1992 and I will leave it up to the citizens
to decide whether to repeal that rule.
IN: Does Michigan need a tax increase
to provide services, support education,
create jobs and remain solvent? If so,
what taxes would you increase?
Snyder: Now is not the time to raise taxes
in Michigan. We need to focus on reform-
ing our burdensome tax code and using
taxpayer dollars more efficiently.
I will lead an aggressive effort to elimi-
nate the Michigan Business Tax (MBT)
and replace it with a flat 6% corporate
income tax, with a reasonable exclusion
that will help our small businesses grow
and succeed. This will amount to a $1.5
billion tax reduction on Michigan busi-
nesses — putting $1.5 billion back in the
hands of employers who will be able to
invest in Michigan and hire new workers.
Additionally, I plan to implement
"Value for Money" budgeting, which will
cut waste out of the system and demand
that the taxpayers get a dollar of value for
every dollar that is spent.
20
October 28 • 2010
I balanced our budget on time without
raising taxes or laying off a single worker
every year I've been mayor. We erased
more than $40 million in city budget def-
icits and reduced the size of government
by 20 percent by making government
more efficient and more accountable.
By making tough choices, consoli-
dating and reducing duplication and
reprioritizing, we were able to trim gov-
ernment fat while investing in economic
development, increasing the number
of police officers on our streets and
strengthening other core services — all
without any tax increase of any kind.
We've done it in Lansing and we can do it
for Michigan.
IN: How can we responsibly cut our
prison costs, promote rehabilitation
and ensure that the system is not
exploited to radicalize prisoners?
Bernero: Our corrections system has
already undergone significant cost reduc-
tions, but we will need to further scruti-
nize the system to find additional savings
and work with corrections employees to
further control costs.
As we saw with the Hutaree, violence
and terror know no religion, and as
governor, I will put greater emphasis on
comprehensive prison reform because the
largest misnomer in state government is
the "Corrections" system. Too often, no
correction actually takes place and people
return to prison soon after leaving.
Snyder: Michigan spends more per pris-
oner than all of our surrounding states.
This is simply unacceptable. There is
no reason why it should cost more to
imprison someone in Michigan than it
does in Ohio or Indiana. Statistics show
that we have systemic inefficiencies in
our prison systems.
My "Value for Money" budgeting plan
would make the corrections system more
efficient and would reduce costs as it
tracks and measures the results of our
policies. Specifically, we need to consider
privatizing services not directly related
to public safety. We must also ensure
that any prison reform reduce recidivism
rates, which will cut long-term costs.
Michigan must be vigilant in ensuring
that all violence-inducing hate speech be
completely stamped out of our prisons.
While we must always protect our cher-
ished right to freedom of expression, no
one, prisoner or not, has the right to sup-
port terrorism or sedition. I will strictly
enforce all relevant laws and ask the leg-
islature to pass additional ones, if neces-
sary, to defeat any terrorist threat.
IN: Should human embryonic stem-
cell research be expanded, restricted
or ended? Why?
Snyder: I have a strong belief in the
value of human life. I also am a strong
supporter of embryonic stem cell
research.
Given embryonic stem-cell research's
life-giving potential, I believe that is
appropriate to use embryos, which will
otherwise be discarded, for research
purposes. It is also my hope that scien-
tific advances in the use of adult stem
cells will soon make embryonic stem cell
research unnecessary.
I understand that not everyone can
agree with my position on this issue.
Ultimately, the voters have decided this
issue, and as governor, I would uphold
the voters' wishes regardless of my per-
sonal opinion.
Bernero: I agree with the vast major-
ity of Michigan residents who voted to
support responsible stem-cell research.
This research uses only cells that will
otherwise be discarded, and is the only
hope for a cure for millions of terminally
ill Americans.
Stem cell research has also been a
boon to our economy, already bringing
new investment to Michigan. Some of the
most cutting-edge research on stem cells
is taking place in our public universities.
We cannot afford to turn the clock
back on stem-cell research. This research
will continue worldwide, and we should
lead the way in Michigan.
IN: How big an economic and security
challenge is illegal immigration, and
is Michigan taking appropriate mea-
sures? Is there anything you would
change?