Romney Campaign Press Release - Romney: "If I'm President, That One-State Recession Is Over"
Clinton, Obama Follow Granholm Toward Higher Taxes
"And I recognize that when Michigan is hurting, it is a precursor of what could happen to the entire country. Because our manufacturing base, if it's threatened there, it's threatened everywhere. ... Michigan is a state going through a one-state recession. ... I'll make a commitment: if I'm President, that one-state recession is over." – Gov. Mitt Romney (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks, 1/9/08)
Gov. Romney Understands That Higher Taxes Don't Help Michigan:
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's Answer To Fleeing Businesses And Rising Unemployment? Raise Taxes. "With the recent announcement of Comerica's relocation to Texas, the hemorrhaging of Michigan businesses continues. Astonishingly, instead of taking bold steps to make Michigan more competitive and attract investment, Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to end the mass exodus of employers is to raise taxes on them. ... Michigan is indeed in a debilitating economic crisis, but no state has ever taxed its way into prosperity. Unfortunately, with a new, 'stand alone' tax on business services and a new gross receipts tax, the governor hopes to be the exception to the rule. I wouldn't advise anyone hold their breath." (John Williams, Op-Ed, "Michigan Can't Tax Its Way To Prosperity," The Detroit News, 3/16/07)
Gov. Romney: "[Granholm's] Taxes Are Going Up, Unemployment Rates Are High, Housing Prices Are Collapsing, The Auto Industry Is Not Thriving." GOV. MITT ROMNEY: "They've elected Jennifer Granholm, a liberal Democrat, as their governor and the laboratory experiment is out. Her taxes are going up, unemployment rates are high, housing prices are collapsing, the auto industry is not thriving." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks, 1/9/08)
Gov. Romney: "Michigan Is A State Going Through A One-State Recession." "And I recognize that when Michigan is hurting, it is a precursor of what could happen to the entire country. Because our manufacturing base, if it's threatened there, it's threatened everywhere. And so for me, Michigan is not just, oh, one state that I hope they're doing well. No, for me, Michigan is a state that has to do well. Michigan is a state going through a one-state recession." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks, 1/9/08)
Gov. Romney: "I'll Make A Commitment: If I'm President, That One-State Recession Is Over." "It ain't working and you're going to find that that experiment is going to be rejected by the people of Michigan who want instead, somebody who knows, cares and loves that state and will fight very hard to help it come out of its one-state recession. I'll make a commitment: if I'm president, that one-state recession is over." (Governor Mitt Romney, Remarks, 1/9/08)
Gov. Romney Rejects Democrats' Attempts To Raise Taxes On American Families:
Gov. Romney Believes That "We Can't Afford" The Democrats' Plans To Increase Taxes. GOV. ROMNEY: "Charlie Rangel just came out this week saying he wants to put a surcharge on taxes, largest increase in the history of America. Look, more taxes are what the Democrats have in mind to fund many of Hillary Clinton's million good ideas. We can't afford that. It would slow down the economy. It would kill job creation in this country." (CNBC's "Mad Money," 10/28/07)
Gov. Romney: "The Right Answer Is Always To Keep Taxes Down." GOV. ROMNEY: "The right answer is always to keep taxes down. Don't add new taxes, but instead allow the American people and the entrepreneurial spirit to grow our economy. That's the best way to get revenues for government and the best ways to get good jobs for our people." (CNBC's "Mad Money," 10/28/07)
Gov. Romney Opposes The Democrats' Plans To Roll Back The Bush Tax Cuts. GOV. ROMNEY: "Let me tell you what I'd do, as opposed to what Hillary Clinton would do with regard to our tax and spending policies. First of all, I would make the Bush tax cuts permanent immediately – all of them, not some of them, but all of them." (Gov. Mitt Romney, Remarks To The Club For Growth, 10/17/07)
As President, Gov. Romney Will Fight To Grow The Economy And Keep Our Jobs:
Gov. Romney Will Strengthen The American Economy By Lowering Taxes, Including Making Middle Class Savings Tax-Free. "As President, Governor Romney will cut marginal tax rates across the board, allowing all Americans to save more money. ... Governor Romney's plan will allow middle class Americans to save tax free by changing the tax rate on interest, capital gains and dividends to absolutely 0%." (Romney For President, "Helping Michigan By Fixing A Broken Washington," Press Release, 1/9/08)
Gov. Romney Will Expand Free Trade And Promote U.S. Goods. "Governor Romney will seek to bring together nations committed to open markets and playing by the rules in the largest ever Free Trade Area, and go beyond traditional trade to promote high standards in areas critical to U.S. competitiveness." (Romney For President, "Helping Michigan By Fixing A Broken Washington," Press Release, 1/9/08)
Gov. Romney Will Expand Enforcement And Competitiveness. "Governor Romney's vision for expanding trade includes stronger enforcement efforts, multilateral efforts to stop currency manipulation, action against intellectual property rights theft, negotiations to open markets for services, and building food, safety and other standards to protect Americans." (Romney For President, "Helping Michigan By Fixing A Broken Washington," Press Release, 1/9/08)
Gov. Romney Will Streamline And Enhance Access To Worker Training And Educational Programs. "Governor Romney will initiate an audit of all existing worker training and educational programs to ensure that workers are being helped most efficiently." (Romney For President, "Helping Michigan By Fixing A Broken Washington," Press Release, 1/9/08)
The Democrats Running For President Side With Gov. Granholm, And Would Hike Taxes:
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Would Raise Taxes To Pay For Her Big-Government Healthcare Scheme. "The plan offers tens of millions of Americans a new tax credit to make premiums affordable-which more than offsets the increased revenues from the Plan's provisions to limit the employer tax exclusion for health care and discontinue portions of the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000." (Hillary For President, "The American Health Choices Plan," Press Release, 9/17/07)
- And Sen. Clinton Won't Rule Out Raising Taxes To Fix Social Security. "The other option that Senator Clinton has not ruled out is to raise taxes to pay for a Social Security bailout plan. This would eventually require raising the payroll tax to 18% or 20% from today's 15% to pay benefits to tomorrow's retirees. To taxpayers, that option isn't 'affordable or sustainable.' It would be a serious job killer." (Stephen Moore, "Hillary's Entitlement Bailout Tax?" WSJ Opinion Journal, 9/7/07)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Wants Americans To Pay "A Little Bit More," Maybe Even "Middle Class Folks." OBAMA: "So what I've said -- and I know some others on this stage have said -- is that among the options that are available, the best one is to lift the cap on the payroll tax, potentially exempting folks in the middle -- middle-class folks -- but making sure that the wealthy are paying more of their fair share, a little bit more." (NBC's Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate At Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 10/30/07)
- Sen. Obama Even Supports A Tax Increase On Himself. NBC's TIM RUSSERT: "A tax increase for some?" OBAMA: "Tax increase for people like myself probably." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 11/11/07)
"And I want to do a better job for the American worker. And by the way, this is key for Michigan. And for me, Michigan is personal. I'm going to go to work to help Michigan." – Gov. Mitt Romney (CNBC, Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, Dearborn, MI, 10/9/07)
Mitt Romney, Romney Campaign Press Release - Romney: "If I'm President, That One-State Recession Is Over" Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/296115