State Rep. Ken Borton released a statement today regarding Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed High-wage Incentive for Regional Employment (HIRE) plan and her general lack of an economic development strategy for Michigan. The HIRE plan, effectively a remake of the widely unsuccessful Good Jobs program, doubles down on the governor’s failing strategy of seeking big corporations while overlooking Michigan-based small businesses and ignoring any real economic development strategy.

“The governor shouldn’t expect to get any support in the Legislature if her only plan is to put a new coat of paint on an old, failed program and then pitch it as her entire economic development strategy,” said Borton, R-Gaylord. “Can you imagine the public outcry if Ford recalled a vehicle for irreparable mechanical failures, only to switch the seats from leather to fabric and sell it as a brand-new vehicle? The governor needs to prove Good Jobs 2.0 is better than its disastrous predecessor or send the plan to scrap yard where it belongs.”

The original Good Jobs program in 2017 is widely considered a failure. Despite totaling nearly $200 million in corporate handouts, no verified jobs were created from the program. Good Jobs 2.0 does not contain any legislative oversight measures, substantive claw-back provisions, or other methods to increase transparency with taxpayer dollars.

House Republicans have been calling for the state to invest time and resources in developing an economic growth plan for Michigan. The Republican goal is to foster a healthy and prosperous business atmosphere that simultaneously attracts and retains Michigan companies.

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