7 Things Mark Schauer will do as Michigan's next governor

Gov. Snyder gave businesses a $1.8 billion tax cut and balanced it by cutting $1 billion from education while raising taxes on seniors and working Michiganders - all in the name of “more and better jobs.” But as the Detroit Free Press pointed out, “While businesses have paid less in taxes, job growth is slowing. It's an astonishing outcome for a tax policy whose sole purpose was to put Michiganders back to work.”

1. Reverse Snyder's cuts to education

Via freep.com

Snyder's cuts to education have led to larger class sizes, teacher layoffs and hurt the quality of education that our children receive.

2. Repeal the pension tax and cuts to the Homestead Property Tax

Via deseretnews.com

Snyder's pension tax and cuts to the Homestead Property Tax cost seniors thousands every year. "Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday signed a bill drastically cutting business taxes while raising taxes on individual taxpayers, putting in place the biggest tax restructuring move since voters in 1994 fundamentally altered the way Michigan pays for public schools through Proposal A."

3. Cut taxes for the middle class and restore the Child Tax Credit

Via mlpp.org

"In 2011, the Michigan Legislature adopted an unprecedented tax shift that reduced taxes on businesses by 83%, while increasing taxes on individuals by 23%."

4. Expand lending programs to small businesses

Via markschauer.com

Expand lending programs to small businesses so entrepreneurs have access to start-up capital to grow their businesses and create more jobs.

5. Launch a Michigan Insourcing Initiative

Via markschauer.com

Create a Michigan In-Sourcing Initiative within the MEDC to provide a one-stop-shop for businesses seeking to expand operations and bring jobs to Michigan from other states and countries like China and Mexico.

6. Strengthen and enforce “claw-back” provisions

AP AL GOLDIS / Via freep.com

Mark will reign in Snyder's MEDC and take back tax breaks if companies fail to create jobs or ship jobs overseas. "The MEDC, which manages the Centers of Energy Excellence grant program for the Michigan Strategic Fund, told lawmakers April 1 that eight companies that received grants created 75% of the jobs they promised. In fact, those companies — not counting numbers provided by one that went bankrupt — reported creating only 19% of the promised jobs, said the report by Michigan Auditor General Thomas McTavish."

7. Secure Michigan’s clean energy future

Via markschauer.com

Instead of spending $24 billion each year to import our energy from other states and countries, we must keep more of our energy dollars in Michigan. It’s time to set an aggressive, achievable goal for clean energy by raising Michigan’s Renewable Energy Standard to require 30 percent of the state’s electricity to come from clean, renewable sources like wind and solar by 2035. This will create thousands of good manufacturing and construction jobs, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We must also improve Michigan’s Energy Efficiency Standard from one percent to two percent a year to reduce energy costs for homeowners and businesses.