Sak Wins and Brings Economic Stimulus to West Michigan

by: philgoblue

Thu Apr 24, 2008 at 22:18:49 PM EDT

If y'all remember, back in early March Representative Michael Sak (D, Grand Rapids, SH-076) was in negotiations with Jennifer Granholm to get West Michigan higher education school building projects included in the Governor's economic stimulus package.  The governor's original version of the economic stimulus package had left out money for most of the projects that were proposed by West Michigan higher education institutions (including Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, West Shore Community College (Ludington), and Muskegon Community College.

I'm still unclear on the specifics of all the negotiations, but today The Grand Rapids Press reports that the $1.8 billion measure which passed the House yesterday would include the GVSU project for a new library ($70 million) and the GRCC's Life Long Learning Center ($33 million).  The dollar figures are the total cost of the project, the state usually kicks in about 3/4 of the cost up to $40 million.  So, if my math is correct Michael Sak just made sure that $65 million dollars are coming into Grand Rapids and Kent County.  Sak has this influence since he is the vice chairman of the Joint Capital Outlay Committee (an Appropriations subcommittee), which pushed the package.

The entire package, which passed Michigan House of Representatives Wednesday approved a $1.8 billion plan that will speed up construction and infrastructure projects throughout the state and create more than 29,000 jobs for Michigan's workers.  The plan that passed the House today speeds up funding for hundreds of construction projects at universities, colleges, airports, military facilities and state parks across the state. The projects will be funded with a mix of state, federal and local money. In addition to creating jobs now for Michigan's workers, the plan also will create new jobs in emerging fields by equipping our colleges and universities with the facilities they need to train students for high-tech jobs in homeland security, life sciences and other cutting-edge fields.

Sak told the Press:

"This could have such a massive impact on our state's economy and shows a true investment in a stronger, better-educated Michigan."

And on top of that, the construction jobs will likely be predominantly union jobs or at least at prevailing wage.  Of course, none of this is finalized until we get the bill through the Senate, reconciliation and signed by Governor Granholm.

I'll try to find out more about this tomorrow and will update as soon as I know more (such as what the status of the other West Michigan projects are and how this was accomplished).  In short, this is why we need smart, effective, Democratic representation in Lansing.  Congratulations Speaker Pro Tem Sak!

Sak Proposes Legislation to Stop Cemetery Swindling

by: philgoblue

Thu Apr 03, 2008 at 19:59:57 PM EDT

Tuesday, at the Blythefield Memory Gardens in Belmont, State Representative Michael Sak (SH-076, Grand Rapids) unveiled his plan to stop cemetery swindling in Michigan.

Under Sak's plan coming to the House, cemetery owners who now are required only to be registered with the state would become licensed. Those licenses would come with $1,500 fees and new requirements such as background checks and the filing of annual reports.

The proposed plan would also tighten control of cemetery trust funds and toughen penalties for violators.  The state's cemetery commissioner would be able to establish rules regarding the creation, control and auditing of trust funds set up by cemeteries for maintenance, prepaid funerals and other functions.

Sak said:

"When people have prepaid for these trust funds, it's rightfully theirs. We don't want anyone to have access to those funds for any other purpose. [The money families put into prepaid burial services should] be there and available when it's needed."

Sak Pushes for West Michigan Stimulus

by: philgoblue

Wed Mar 05, 2008 at 12:10:19 PM EST

Peter Luke reports in The Grand Rapids Press reports that Representative Michael Sak appears to be in negotiations with Jennifer Granholm to get West Michigan higher education school building projects included in the Governor's economic stimulus package.

Now, let's make on thing perfectly clear off the bat.  Granholm's economic stimulus package blows away the garbage both parties came up with in Washington DC (untargeted, small tax-cuts that probably will come too late and which don't include expanded unemployment benefits which could get money into the hands of folks who will spend it on domestic goods and services).  Governor Granholm ought to be loudly applauded for the plan she put unveiled in her recent State of the State address because she uses the money to actually stimulate the economy by creating jobs and improving infrastructure (that creates more jobs and improves the business climate in Michigan).

Granholm's economic stimulus package invests $1.86 billion over two years includes $1.4 billion for projects at universities, community colleges, state parks and other state facilities.  It also includes the acceleration of 34 Michigan Department of Transportation road and bridge projects (totaling $150 million and creating 2100 jobs by itself), $60 million for tourism and business promotions, and $250 million for airports, military training facilities and state waterways projects. Much of the money would come from bonding and renegotiating debt to take advantage of lower interest rates.

That's all an incredibly impressive display of Keynesian economics (that'd be the kind of economics we used in the 1930s-1960s when we actually built the great American infrastructure and this thingy called the middle class).  There just one problem: her plan doesn't include projects sought by Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Central Michigan University and others.  So, while West Michigan does get some road construction projects, it's largely left out of the vast majority of the stimulus plan -- higher education building projects (though we should note that Lake Michigan Community College in Benton Harbor is getting $22 million for an emerging technologies initiative).

In detail, here are the West Michigan projects that were requested by the colleges but left off the governor's legislation (the dollar figure is the total cost of the project, the state usually kicks in about 3/4 of the cost up to $40 million):

* Grand Valley State University: $70 million learning and technology center in Allendale to replace the library built in 1968 when the university's enrollment was 5,000 students (it's now at 23,000).

* Grand Rapids Community College: $33.5 million lifelong learning center.

* Western Michigan University: $56 million Sangren Hall building renovation.

* Central Michigan University: $75 million biotech building.

* Ferris State University: $27 million health education center.

* West Shore Community College (outside of Ludington): $7 million Arts and sciences center remodeling.

* Muskegon Community College: $2 million Planetarium/gymnasium expansion.

But, let's also remember that this is an initial plan and the way our beloved democratic government works is that you get a piece of legislation and then you debate it and hopefully improve it.  Granholm's package is already great, it'll only take a little tweeking to make it outstanding.

In steps our leading West Michigan Representative and Speaker Pro Tem -- Mike Sak (HD-75, Grand Rapids, Kent).

Sak believes that it's probably best to fund all of the university and CC projects, which if fully funded would create 16,000 jobs.  The problem is that it's unclear if there are the vote to fund all of them, since lawmakers in Lansing would have to raise that bond cap to do that. It currently is $2.7 billion and was last adjusted by lawmakers in 1997.

State Representative Michael Sak, a member of the Joint Capital Outlay Committee where the spending proposal now sits, said it's likely that all of the projects will be funded or none of them will.

Sak told The Grand Rapids Press:

"I am willing to support an increase in the bond cap to include those projects and other projects across the state.  It puts shovels in the dirt and creates a significant number of construction jobs."

Sak & Dean Push Senate Republicans to End Immunity for Drug Companies

by: philgoblue

Thu Feb 28, 2008 at 10:40:49 AM EST

Monday, House Democrats -- including Kent County's Michael Sak and Robert Dean -- called on the Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop to allow a package of bills that will end the absolute immunity enjoyed by the pharmaceutical industry in Michigan and allow consumers to hold big drug companies accountable when dangerous drugs such as Vioxx harm or kill to come up in the Senate. The State House passed the package over a year ago -- on 22 February 2007.

The package of bills will:

* Repeal a 1996 law granting legal immunity to drug companies. Passed by then-Governor John Engler and the Republican-controlled Legislature, the law gives companies complete immunity from legal action so long as the drug in question has been approved for safety and efficacy by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
* Make the repeal retroactive so that residents harmed by dangerous drugs since 1996 can seek legal recourse.
* Include big drug companies in the Consumer Protection Act, from which they are currently exempted.

State Representative Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids) comment on the bill at the press conference:

"Even though Merck has agreed to pay almost $5 billion to people who were harmed by Vioxx, victims in Michigan are at a disadvantage because they live in a state that puts the profits of a billon-dollar industry ahead of people.  That's completely unacceptable. I urge the Senate to act with urgency and pass the House plan repealing drug immunity."

State Representative and Speaker Pro Tempore Michael Sak (D-Grand Rapids) added:

"It's been one year since the House passed a plan to end that free ride, but those bills have languished in the Republican-led Senate.  Our residents need justice."

Just a note: Michigan is the only state in the United State of America where it is illegal to sue a pharmaceutical companies for damages if the drug in question was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

So, once again the Republican leadership in the Senate holding on to their slim majority on their side of the Capitol use their obstruct-and-stall campaign on behalf of powerful moneyed interests, against Michigan citizens, and in hopes of preventing any popular policies from being inacted by Governor Granholm and the Democratic House.

Dean and Sak were in part representing the interests of the Grand Rapids constituent Shiela Bokenkotter who had a stroke caused in part by Vioxx (GR Press has that story).

(the petition is on the flip)