LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, made the following statement Thursday after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s appointed population council, the council to which she refused to appoint a member of the Senate Republican caucus, announced its recommendations at its final meeting:
“After Gov. Whitmer and her Democrat legislators blew through our state’s record budget surplus in less than a year in order to bloat the size of Michigan’s government, it is discouraging that her hand-picked council has recommended spending billions more on many of the same items Lansing Democrats ignored. Billions of that surplus could have been used to fix our roads and bridges, bolster our infrastructure, and revamp educational opportunities. Unfortunately, Gov. Whitmer and Lansing Democrats had other priorities. And while I’m glad Gov. Whitmer’s council didn’t give her every tax hike on her Christmas wish list, I’m sure she’ll still use this report as an excuse to raid the pocketbooks of struggling Michiganders.
“Michigan’s slowed population growth is a serious concern for the future of our state but making it more expensive to live and raise a family here will force more people to seek prosperity and happiness elsewhere. I believe people spend their own money far more effectively than the government and will fight against any effort to increase tax burdens to grow state bureaucracy. Senate Republicans will continue to advocate for reducing state taxes and leaving more resources for families and small businesses, expanding freedom, and encouraging hard work and investment to build up a healthier economy and brighter future for all Michiganders.
“We all know that Michigan’s slowed population growth is a serious concern for the future of our state, and I continue to stand ready and willing to work with partners from both sides of the aisle to come together and find real solutions that fix our roads, improve education choice and accountability, and lower the cost of doing business in Michigan. Higher taxes are not are not the right answer.”
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