Governor Snyder, who spent a campaign trash-talking both the state economic development team and the tax credits that are now growing a clean energy economy here in Michigan, not only used an advanced battery plant created with state incentives and stimulus money to introduce the Republican ticket last August, now has given his "Reinventing Michigan" award to another Governor Granholm/MEDC/Recovery Act success story - and tries to play it off as a victory surrounding his political talking points.
Sir, you have no honor.
Gov. Rick Snyder had kind words today for Energetx Composites, LLC as he presented the company with the first-ever “Reinventing Michigan” award, honoring the company’s contributions to the clean energy industry.
As he presented the award, the governor said the company is an example of the innovative spirit that Michigan needs to recapture, and a reminder that individuals, not government, spark the ideas that lead to job growth.
“Energetx Composites embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that once made Michigan the leader in job growth,” Snyder said in a release. “Our reinvention as a state is dependent on recapturing this spirit by creating an environment where small businesses like this are able to grow without being stifled by overly burdensome regulations or a job-killing business tax.”
Regulations and the MBT had NOTHING to do with is happening at Energetx. Nothing. At. All. "Government" had EVERYTHING to do with this new job creation at Energetx. As a matter of fact, these jobs might not even be here if Snyder had been governor in 2009, when the company decided to diversify from yacht-making into wind energy components on the strength of a financial incentive package offered by the MEDC - the very type of tax credit that Snyder is now going to destroy with his budget plan.
"Energetx Composites is uniquely positioned to provide precision engineering and world class manufacturing capacity in an optimal geographic location to effectively supply advanced composites for the growing wind energy industry in Michigan, the Great Lakes and internationally," Energetx Composites Principal David Slikkers said in a statement to the media. "We remain very impressed with the state of Michigan's commitment to wind energy manufacturing for the state. The fine professionals at MEDC, DELEG and the governor's office are providing outstanding support during a remarkable time in our state."
Pete Hoekstra also tried to turn Energetx into a political football during his failed 2010 gubernatorial campaign, at the time holding a press conference to both celebrate the jobs and denounce the credits that brought them here - a move that forced CEO Slikkers to defend the company and the state economic development team. Awkward.
Now, Snyder has given them a shiny award, and uses the occasion to push his simplistic trickle-down plan that probably would have had the company looking at Indiana or some other state for incentives in the first place. The hubris is amazing. We better hope that Governor Granholm's previous hard work can continue to pay off even in the face of Snyder's efforts to set us back - after all, we are going to need companies to distribute these awards to, right? Hate to have the glass artisans at The Henry Ford make all these pretty pieces for nothing.
Grrrr.
INSTANT UPDATE: Dave Alexander at the Muskegon Chronicle has more on Snyder's refusal to give credit where credit is due, and also his refusal to implement policy that would create more of these jobs in the future - which of course disappointed alternative energy company leaders in attendance at today's event. He's not even going to try. Bye-bye jobs!
Roger Cope of MAG Automation Systems — the global machine tool industry leader with a wind-energy component manufacturing venture in Michigan — pleaded with Snyder to get out and let the world know about the activities and capabilities Michigan has in the clean energy sector. He said Michigan still is seen as part of the “Rust Belt” from East and West Coast alternative energy leaders.
“Today's not the right date yet,” Snyder told the business group of his unwillingness to do national media interviews on Michigan's “comeback.” Michigan must accomplish a good portion of its turn-around before it can toot its own horn, he suggested.
So, the plan is to not offer incentives and not sell our state to businesses or the nation, and just sit back and wait for everyone to come to us after we somehow accomplish this "turn-around" that can't happen if we don't get out there and promote our abilities in what is now a global competition for jobs. Right. That will work.
OMG, this guy is a flaming idiot.
Anyone got one of those recall petitions handy? Hmmm?