G4G Talking points for 09-18

[SharonRB]

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (50 Days until Victory 2006)

Ford’s announcement last week underscores the need to diversify our economy so that Michigan’s economy is fueled beyond the auto industry.

Diversifying Michigan’s Economy: Governor Granholm’s 21st Century Jobs Fund, which began to disburse the first $100 million of job creation money, is already working to make sure that Michigan is an active leader in emerging industries like alternative energy, life sciences and homeland security.

The Most Aggressive Economic Plan in the Country: The Governor has signed into law 59 targeted tax cuts to help Michigan manufacturers, and she will keep on fighting for our biggest industry and for Michigan workers.

The Plan is Starting to Pay Dividends: Google’s new Michigan office, which will be the world headquarters for its profitable Adwords division, opens today in Ann Arbor, and they are still looking to hire.

Dick DeVos is the Problem: DeVos continues to support the people and policies that have hurt Michigan's manufacturers and our people.

How to Respond to DeVos' Latest Attack?
Dick DeVos Says Granholm is Attacking China -- He's Dodging the Issue...Again.
This is about Dick DeVos' record of eliminating jobs in Michigan and creating them in other countries. Governor Granholm has been clear that trade, commerce and competition with other countries is good -- what's in question here is Dick DeVos' record of cutting jobs in Michigan, and investing in China. Michigan needs a Governor who puts Michigan jobs first.


Headlines from Around the State

The Detroit News: Google era begins in Ann Arbor
"We've seen people from a lot of different places, and we've hired several people from local universities, including (University of Michigan) and Michigan State (University)," Burnett said. "We're really seeing a nice mix of backgrounds, people from the area and people wanting to come back (to the state)." A ready pool of University of Michigan graduates was one big draw for Google officials considering an Ann Arbor location. The company announced in July it would hire 1,000 people over the next five years to staff the office, which houses Google's AdWords unit, the company's main advertising vehicle and the central piece of its business model. While Burnett declined to say how many have applied for jobs, he said there has been "tremendous interest" from a diverse pool of applicants. "We're starting the office with 20 people and are actively interviewing," Burnett said. Plans for a permanent office have not been cemented, and company officials say they do not yet know if they will buy or build a permanent site.
Click here to read the full article... http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/BIZ04/609180325

Booth Newspapers: The other `candidate' in the race for governor – Amway
To Democrats, DeVos is the "Amway Guy" who ran a company that over the years has endured its share of skepticism and barbs in the popular culture. Alticor is Amway's parent company. "What is this thing called Amway?" goes the jingle in one of many Internet movies Democratic activists have posted on YouTube.com. The film short deploys an old Amway Corp. promotional song as a soundtrack to skewer DeVos. Coming to a bigger screen near you next month is Loki Mulholland's film "Believe," a mock documentary that takes aim at what he says is the "deceptive" nature of Amway and the multi-level marketing business. It premiers in Lansing on Thursday and opens elsewhere in Michigan in mid-October. The film's marketers are using DeVos' candidacy to boost public interest for the small, independently produced satire. Mulholland, of Salt Lake City, is a former Amway distributor… First out of the box from the Democrats was a series of ads contrasting Amway's $220 million investment in China over the past decade with a reduction -- unrelated, insists the company -- of 1,400 jobs in Ada… About 1 percent of active independent business owners make $47,000 or more annually, according to Amway's statistics. Average monthly income for active IBOs in 2005 was $115. The company reported that 370,000 IBOs in North America received a share of some $345 million in bonuses that year. One among many standard business plans that would enable an Amway distributor to achieve average bonuses and cash payments of $47,000 annually, company officials confirm, entails creating a downline of 78 other individuals who agree to participate in the business.
Click here to read the full article... http://www.mlive.com/news/statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-7/115825380329080.xml&coll=1