LANSING — Citing the public’s desire for a transparent government, members of the House Democratic Caucus are pushing Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to come forward and say how much the “Pure Michigan” ad touting the state’s right-to-work law cost. Leading the charge to defend the public’s right to know were House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel (D-Auburn Hills) and Representative Brandon Dillon (D-Grand Rapids).
“The ‘Pure Michigan’ brand has been tarnished with its use for a political ploy. The least that the residents of this state deserve is to know who authorized this purchase and how much it cost,” Greimel said. “We can’t allow a successful, popular tourism campaign to get turned into a slush fund for the governor to celebrate his special-interest victories.”
While the “Pure Michigan” logo can be used by other groups and organizations to promote the state, even they are required to “maintain the high quality of the mark and will safeguard the established prestige and goodwill related to the mark.” The Michigan Economic Development Corp. refuses to uphold its own standards when it sold out “Pure Michigan” to be used for political gain.
“The governor said he was going to stop picking winners and losers, but his favoritism is on full display here,” Dillon said. “The middle-class families of Michigan lost when the right-to-work bills were signed. Now he’s colluding with his winners by touting his success in the Wall Street Journal, and our state’s taxpayers are footing the bill.”