The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, November 2, 2010 - 5A COLLEGE DEMOCRATS ELECTION 2010 THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR WOLVERINES FOR RICK SNYDER I Virg can revitalize Michigan Rick is the right choice Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero has consistently demonstrated his support for the interests of Michigan's young people. With a wife who serves as an elementary school principal and two daughters who attend public universities, the challenges of underfunded public schools and rising tuition costs directly impact his everyday life. This elevated consciousness of the condition of our state's educational system has become the foundation of his campaign platform. "Education is economic development," Bernero likes to remind his audiences as he travels around the state. Such a seemingly simple observation embodies a much deeper and highly crucial understanding of the need to improve Michigan's educational oppor- tunities. By adopting this phrase as his campaign slo- gan, Bernero is simultaneously making a promise to students that he will invest in education. Bernero realizes that Michigan's educational system has the potential not only to improve the futures of the young people who participate in it, but also restore Michigan's economic prosperity. The strength of this conviction translates into his sup- port for university students and his desire to provide them with tools for success. Specifically, Bernero would like to empower stu- dents by making higher education more affordable. Many students are concerned about falling educa- tion appropriations coupled with drastically ris- ing tuition. Bernero wants to fight to keep tuition down and financial aid up because he understands the realities of a knowledge-based economy. Bernero has promised state universities a fair, stable and predictable revenue stream in exchange for a tuition freeze. This will allow the University to maintain a quality education experience that students are able to afford. He will keep the broken Michigan Promise Scholarship, a $4,000 grant for high-achieving in-state students that had its funding taken away by lawmakers in the state Senate. When Republican Rick Snyder speaks about edu- cation, he approaches the topic with the stance that our system needs to be "more efficient." Efficiency sounds nice, but its implications are grave. Efficiency essentially means that he wants schools to do more with less. It means that if Snyder wins the governor- ship, it's possible that he will support lowering the University's appropriations with the hopes of incen- tivizing a reduction of spending. Faced with that scenario, what would the Uni- versity decide to do? Would it begin cutting the programs that make it one of the highest ranked public schools in the nation? Or would it raise tuition even higher in order to make up for its insufficient state appropriations? Either way, we'll have to sacrifice either the quality of our education or its affordability, both of which hurt students. If Snyder is elected, he could cripple our education system even further. Without investment in edu- cation, the state will have no chance to build a 21st-century economy. Bernero will serve student interests by fur- thering his record for job creation and bringing new business investment to Michigan. As mayor of Lansing, he has leveraged more than half a bil- lion dollars in new business investment, which has resulted in over 6,000 new jobs. Recently, Lansing was named a top ten city for young people to live - largely due to its expanding job market. In addition to his proven ability to work with businesses to bring jobs to the state, Bernero has also proposed creating a state bank. This innovative proposal would ensure that Michigan businesses have access to credit and that they are able to rein- vest their profits here in the state. Over the long term, a state bank would help build a better business " environment and incen- tivize increased economic development. Michigan n Finally, though both Sny- der and Bernero have largely pull the sta ignored party labels during disaster. Wh their campaigns, it's impor- tant to remember each par- today? Stud ty's traditional values. This both can is especially importantgiven the lack of policy specifics offered by the Snyder cam- - paign. Year after year, Dem- ocrats in Lansing have fought to prevent or minimize cuts to public universities and student financial aid. Sadly, Republicans - for whom it seems no amount of cuts to public services will ever be sufficient - have repeatedly outmaneuvered them. In light of this reality, sending anyone who is dependent on support from the Republican establishment - with its strong party discipline - is a risk that students cannot afford to take. The election today presents a clear choice for those concerned about education. Students and those who value the success of our state's economic future should think twice before sending Rick Sny- der to Lansing. Only with Virg Bernero will the state keep its promise of affordable, accessible and quality education for all. Polls are open today from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Polling locations can be found at http://michigan. gov/vote. Make sure your voice is heard today. Brendan Campbell is the chair of the, University's chapter of the College Democrats. eeds a te out o is th ent st ididate This is not a typical election. Year after year, Michigan has been presented with candidates indebted to the same special interest groups. Year after year, residents have heard the same tired attack ads and seen gridlock, budget battles, gov- ernment shutdowns and short-term fixes in Lan- sing. Our economy continues to grow weaker and many college graduates struggle to start their careers in Michigan. Today, we have a new choice. Rick Snyder is the only candidate who has refused donations from special interests. He is the only candidate with widespread support from Democrats, Republicans and independents. His successes in the private sec- tor - as an accountant, the manager of a Fortune 500 company and venture capitalist - give him the pragmatic, long-term approach to governing that this state desperately needs. His plans to reignite business, government and education are dramat- ic enough to reawaken our state and put us on course for meaningful, lasting success. t governor to As governor, Snyder . would work to make of economic Michigan one of the most e right choice economically competi- tive states in the nation. upporters for Our current business s face off. tax is a cobweb of excep- tions, formulas and favors, charging 4.95 __ percent of net income, 0.8 percent of modified gross receipts, 1.25 percent of gross insurance pre- miums, 0.235 percent of banks' net capital, and adding a 21.99-percent surcharge on top. The tax discourages hiring and is infamous for charging companies even when they lose money. At a time when businesses are already facing a difficult economic climate, burdensome taxes can significantly harm income and payrolls. To make Michigan instantly more attractive to outside firms and potential entrepreneurs, Snyder would replace our current business tax code with a simple, flat 6-percent corporate income tax. The campaign esti- mates this would lower the tax burden by $1.5 bil- lion, returning an enormous amount of money back to companies for investing, saving and hiring. Reinventing Michigan goes far beyond tax poli- cy. To end the cycle of gridlock in Lansing, Snyder will push for multi-year, "value for money" bud- geting - a process used by private sector compa- nies and many state governments. Value for money budgeting will ask the citizens-we, the people - what priorities we want in government services, and then work to ensure that each dollar of fund- ing returns at least a dollar of value to us. Taking a long-term, citizen-supported approach will give greater momentum to the issues we find impor- tant, and help reduce partisan stalling and get things done. This will also draw the blueprint for a smaller, more responsive state government that works with citizens, not against them. Another key issue for Snyder is improving the quality of education in Michigan because better education translates into better opportunities and careers. Snyder knows the benefits of public edu- cation - he earned a bachelor's degree, MBA and JD from the University of Michigan by the age of 24. He wants to work with educational leaders at every level to ensure the focus stays on student performance, and not institutional funding bat- tles. He will encourage universities to adopt value for money budgeting, while also providing honest assessments about how much the state can afford to fund higher education, so that universities aren't caught off guard by changes in revenue from the state. The era of broken funding promises - much like the fiasco surrounding the Michigan Promise Scholarship program - will come to an end. As governor, Snyder would work to make Michi- gan more attractive to young graduates across the state. On the campaign trail, Snyder often laments the loss of 70,000 University of Michigan and Michigan State University graduates to Chicago. His early support for urban renewal - particularly in Detroit - set him apart from other Republican candidates in the primary, and underscored his desire to work across party lines to make Michigan the ideal workplace for young citizens. Snyder's emphasis on bringing innovative industries to the state will also raise demand for educated workers in Michigan, providing more graduates with better long-term career prospects. A return to the politics and policies of the past isn't going to move Michigan forward. A dras- .tically simplified tax code will create surging business growth, not minor alterations to a funda- mentally unsound formula. A bold, citizen-driven approach to budgeting will solve the annual fiscal crises, not the status quo and its debts to special interest groups. Fresh starts with educational and city leaders will put our students on a better path to 21st century careers, not continued reliance on jobs of a bygone era. Today, only one man - a Michigan man - has the vision, plan and actions to make this turn- around happen. Vote Rick Snyder for governor. Alexander Franz is the chair of Wolverines for Rick Snyder. COLLEGE REPUBLICANS I Take back Washington ROSE JAFF E E-MAIL ROSE AT ROSEJAFF dIUMICH.EDU. 7 ) Today, voters across America will send a message to Washing- ton, D.C. It won't be one of approv- al. it won't be one of thanks. And it most certainly won't be a vote to reward President Barack Obama and the Democrats on Capitol Hill for ramming their radical legisla- tive agenda down the throats of the American people. The Repub- lican Party will regain control of thousands of elected offices across the nation. With their new control, particularly in Con- gress, they will put the brakes on Obama's runaway liberal agenda. But why is this election so impor- tant for so many Americans? In 2008, Americans were fed up with two seemingly endless wars overseas, congressional scandals and increasing doubts about the economy. In casting their votes for Obama, they voted for change from the status quo. They didn't vote for European- style, big-government socialism. Obamaand congressional lead- ers like Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.) began at once to churn out the far-left legislation that would become their political death knell. They started with the stimulus pack- age, and then cap-and-trade leg- islation in the House, followed by an overbearing and uncon- stitutional health care "reform" bill. Even in the face of enor- mous public opposition, Obama, Reid and Pelosi pushed forward, going to whatever ends neces- sary and making whatever back room deals required to pass their dream legislation. The American people woke up. It's not difficult to under- stand that this legislation, taxa- tion and deficit spending can only harm our country in the long run. Every American today owes $40,000 toward the national debt. Every child born owes that amount as well, and the number rises every day. The generational theft currently being perpetrated by big spenders in Washington, D.C. and by the Democratic Party is simply immoral and won't be tolerated. Shame on Congress for failing to represent their constit- uents and engaging ina spending binge while everyday Americans are cutting back. The healthcare "reform" leg- islation will lead to higher pre- miums, more individuals losing coverage and eventual bankrupt- cy of remaining insurance com- panies, leading to a single-payer system. Frivolous regulations imposed onvirtuallyeveryindus- try in the United States under the cap-and-trade bill - which has yet to fully make its way through Congress - will raise prices in every sector of the economy and force many companies to cut jobs or go out of business. Today, Democrats will be punished for being too heavy and liberal in their use of power and for going too far. They will be punished for spending away their constituents' money before it was earned, and for squander- ing their children's future. Today, the American people will send an emphatic and clear message to Washington, D.C. that we don't want European-style socialism, more government interference in our lives or higher taxes and fees at every level of government. They will tell Congress and Obama loud and clear that they don't want the government to plan out their future or the economy, that they don't want the government to tell them whatto buy and that they don't want to be taken care of by government from cradle to grave. It's critical that voters exer- cise their franchise today. This is the most important election of our lifetimes thus far. Silence is complicity: If we fail to resound- ingly reject the false virtues of government largesse and liberal extremism, we risk going fur- ther downhill into a future full of unemployment, disastrous fiscal policies and little or no hope for economic growth, with an ever- growing and over-regulating government. We risk losing our national identity as the land of opportunity, and we risk losing the American dream. Our country was built on the virtues of self-reliance and personal responsibility. These virtues inspired the Founding Fathers to create a government that would protect the rights and freedoms of every American. These freedoms and virtues have allowed us to become the greatest nation on earth and have seen us through our toughest times and greatest triumphs. The Ameri- can people cherish and protect these freedoms and values, and don't respond kindly to an out- of-control and out-of-touch Con- gress that tries to violate those freedoms and values. And they will do what is necessary to pro- tect those freedoms and values by voting out the Democrat majority in Congress today. In 2008, the American people didn't vote for what they got, and they didn't get what they voted for. Today, they're taking the first steps to correct those mistakes. This viewpoint was written by Brian Koziara on behalf of the University's Chapter of the College Republicans. t, IJl -the podium Not News: Will Grundler is annoyed at spiteful Facebook commenters and provides you with an awesome random link. Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium. Interested in Global Health? Curious about what's happening? The Center for Global Health, the MHIRT Program, and Global REACH invite you to join us at the Second Annual Student Global Health Day November 5, 2010; Events from 9am-7pm P. Palmer Commons 4 level +- More info http://www.globalhealth.umich.edu/ 2 Register angelay@umich.edu Know the latest UM insurance and travel requirements?