Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Governor Signs Transportation Stimulus Bill. The state will kick off its first stimulus road project in about two weeks now that Gov. Jennifer Granholm has signed a bill authorizing Michigan to spend millions in federal recovery dollars. State transportation director Kirk Steudle said Tuesday the first shot of money will go to patch a stretch of Interstate 75 near Grayling and Gaylord. Steudle expects to have $400 million worth of work put out for bids by the June deadline, part of the $873 million the state will have to spend over the next two years from the stimulus package. He hopes to have the rest of the projects bid out by late summer so construction can start early in 2010. The bill Granholm signed includes $635 million for main state highways and bridges and $212 million for local road departments. Another $26 million goes to other areas, including bus transit and freight projects. Granholm said the extra federal dollars are expected to create 25,000 jobs this year and next. Among the projects, which are spread statewide, are the repair of 11 bridges over I-96 in Detroit, reconstruction and widening of I-96 in Kent County and road reconstruction and bridge work on I-475 in Genesee County. In addition, the state expects to create more than 27,000 additional jobs through its own $980 million in spending on roads, bridges and transit projects. "You're going to see a large number of (orange) barrels, but that means people are being put to work," Granholm said. The governor and Steudle thanked legislators for moving quickly to approve the bills, allowing Michigan to receive and spend the recovery money. A list of the projects will be put up on the Web once they receive final federal approval. For the entire article, see Kathy Barks Hoffman, "Michigan road projects to get off ground in coming weeks with stimulus ", MLive, March 31, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 2:34:12 PM     Michigan House Approves 10 Percent 2011 Pay Cut for Top Officials. Michigan lawmakers, the governor and other state elected officials will take a 10 percent pay cut starting in 2011. The state House on Tuesday gave final approval to salary reductions recommended by a state compensation panel. The resolution passed on a 104-6 vote. Six Democrats voted against the measure. Many politicians will not be affected because they must leave office in two years under term limits. The pay cuts will affect the salaries and expenses of the next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and Legislature. Michigan legislators who make $79,650 a year will earn about $8,000 less beginning in 2011. For the full article, see "Mich. House OKs pay cut for elected officials", Detroit News, March 31, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 2:33:38 PM     State Commits To Supporting Tourism. Despite the economic recession, state officials say an increase in advertising will keep Michigan's tourism industry flourishing this year. "At a time when many states are reducing their tourism promotion efforts, we have the largest budget for tourism promotion in Michigan's history at $30 million," said George Zimmermann, vice president of Travel Michigan, a unit of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation which markets the tourism industry and provides visitor information services. A key component in the marketing campaign kicks off this week with advertising on popular cable television channels including A&E, Bravo, HGTV, Food Network, CNN, MSNBC, DIY Network, Fox News, Travel Channel and Golf Channel. "There are millions of Americans who know little or nothing about the vibrancy, heritage, culture, arts and entertainment in our great cities, the sandy beaches and stunning overlooks along America's longest fresh-water coastline, or the majesty and recreation in our 19 million acres of magnificent forests," Zimmermann said. In contrast to the ad campaign, some travel industry experts still see a small decline in Michigan tourism, due mostly to the economic downturn. "We're looking at a decline of 3 percent to 4 percent in travel volume and spending," said Don Holecek, a tourism analyst with Michigan State University. "If gas prices stay down in the $2 range that they're at now, we could see a 4 percent to 5 percent decline in prices, which will make Michigan's travel product even more affordable." Encouraging Michigan and non-Michigan residents to vacation in our fine state is both wise and profitable. Studies show that for each dollar Michigan spent on out-of-state advertising from 2004 through 2008, new visits to Michigan motivated by that advertising created more than $40 spending at state businesses and generated $2.86 in new state tax collections. So whether you're looking for a golf vacation up north or a boating excursion on the Nautical Mile, Michigan has something to offer any traveler. You don't always have to go far away from home to have a good time. The 2009 Michigan Travel Ideas magazine is available free of charge; go to Michigan.org or call toll free (888) 784-7328. For the full article, see "Funding boost will keep state's tourism industry on course", Macomb Daily, April 1, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 2:32:42 PM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 5/4/2009; 2:50:11 PM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien