Today's endorsement by the AFL-CIO of Congressman David Bonior (D-Michigan) for Governor of Michigan in 2002 signals trouble ahead for Michigan's economy, said the Michigan Chamber of Commerce at a news conference held this afternoon at the State Capitol in Lansing.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000320/DEM039 )

"Economically, Michigan is on a roll and the AFL-CIO endorsement of David Bonior signals their assertiveness to move Michigan in a fundamentally different direction," said Michigan Chamber President & CEO Jim Barrett. "The Michigan Chamber believes that we must stay the course and continue the basic policies put in place during Governor Engler's Administration to preserve Michigan's prosperity."

"Michigan made great economic progress during Governor Engler's years in office," noted Dr. Gary Wolfram, a Hillsdale College economics professor, who also participated in the news conference. "Gov. Engler's tax cuts, fiscal discipline and legal reforms have fundamentally improved Michigan's economic competitiveness."

"Michigan's prosperity needs protecting," said Barrett. "We do not want to turn back the clock to the 1970s and 1980s when high taxes and welfare state liberalism put Michigan's economy in shambles. Michigan was exporting jobs and people, and runaway state spending led to a $1.8 billion state debt."

David Bonior is a self-described "FDR progressive" who has consistently voted against major tax reductions, for higher government spending and against legal reforms to curtail frivolous lawsuits. The National Taxpayers Union, a national organization which rates U.S. Congressmen on their tax and spending votes, gave Bonior an "F" rating for every congressional term throughout the 1990s. In 2000, only two Congressmen out of 435 had a worse rating from the National Taxpayers Union.

Bonior scored 23% on the U.S. Chamber's 2000 Congressional voting record, which evaluated the Congressman's support or opposition on 21 key House votes.

"We are sounding an alarm for Michigan citizens and job providers to tune into the importance of the 2002 gubernatorial race," said Barrett. "We must not take Michigan's prosperity for granted. We need to continue the free enterprise, tax-cutting agenda and move Michigan's economy forward. We must not go back to the failed policies of the past."

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is a statewide business organization representing approximately 7,000 employers, trade associations and local chambers of commerce. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce was established in 1959 to be an advocate for Michigan's job providers in the legislative, political and legal process.

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SOURCE: Michigan Chamber of Commerce

Contact: Andy Anuzis, Executive Director, Issue Advocacy of Michigan
Chamber of Commerce, +1-517-371-7677

Website: http://www.michamber.com/