Citizens for More Michigan Jobs Submits More Than 500,000 Signatures to State for November Ballot Consideration

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CONTACT:  Emily Gerkin Palsrok

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                                                                                                                                           epalsrok@lambert-edwards.com

Citizens for More Michigan Jobs Submits More Than 500,000 Signatures to State for November Ballot Consideration

Lansing, MICH –  Two weeks  shy of the July 9 deadline, Citizens for More Michigan Jobs (CMMJ) today delivered 509,777 signatures to the Secretary of State office – demonstrating overwhelming support from the Michigan electorate for the initiative.

"Despite a massive effort in the past month to deter voters from signing our petitions, more  than half a million Michigan residents endorsed our plan to raise the casino tax rate and create thousands of new jobs through the construction and operation of eight new casinos," said Emily Gerkin Palsrok, spokesperson for the coalition.

"We feel confident that our plan offers a positive alternative to the status quo," continued Palsrok.  "Not only does our plan create thousands of new jobs and raise the tax rate on casinos, but it also dedicates the revenue that casinos generate to important items like K-12 spending, police and fire, road improvements and to local counties and municipalities.  The people of Michigan, instead of Lansing politicians, will get to direct how the new revenue is spent, and every dollar will be accounted for on a new public website that will track revenue and expenditures."

Palsrok said the opposition's attempt to dissuade voters from signing the petitions had little or no effect on the effort.

"Voters saw through the hypocrisy of the existing casinos fighting against more competition and an increase in the gaming tax," said Palsrok.  "It is clear that they are not concerned with job creation, or with generating new revenue for important programs like education and public safety.  Rather, they are intent on maintaining the status quo, which allows them to enjoy a very low gaming tax and limited competition.  They made clear from the outset that they are willing to say anything to maintain their monopoly."

CCMJ is proposing eight new privately owned casino locations, which would – if approved by voters in November – creates thousands of good paying jobs and increase state taxes on all private gaming facilities.  The new revenue would directly benefit Michigan schools, roads and bridges, law enforcement, and local units of government.  

The proposed sites would be located in Detroit, Birch Run, Grand Rapids, Romulus, Clinton Township, Clam Lake (Cadillac), Pontiac and DeWitt Township (Lansing).  CCMJ estimates the new casinos will generate $275 million annually in new revenue for the state and create more than 16,000 new jobs.

Currently, Michigan has 25 casinos, but only three are privately owned and pay taxes – one of the lowest tax rates on gaming in the country.   CCMJ’s proposal would increase that tax to 23 percent, with a specified distribution system to benefit core statewide programs, such as education, police and fire programs, road, local government and gaming addiction programs.

With signatures now submitted to the state, CMMJ plans to officially kickoff proactive campaign efforts in July.

CMMJ was formed by Jobs First LLC, a group of Michigan business leaders focused on increasing jobs and economic development across the state by targeting convention and tourism areas.  All proposed private casino locations are on land already owned by Michigan Developers.                                                                    

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Group seeking 8 new casinos in Mich. submits ballot signatures | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com

Group seeking 8 new casinos in Mich. submits ballot signatures | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com


The constitutional ballot measure also would increase Michigan's gaming tax to 23 percent from the current 19 percent that MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity and Greektown casinos pay. The current tax is split between the city and the state, while revenue from the proposed 23 percent tax would be dedicated to local communities, state school aid, state road repair and host counties, as well as police and fire in communities throughout the state.

"We feel confident that our plan offers a positive alternative to the status quo," Emily Gerkin Palsrok, Citizens for More Michigan Jobs spokeswoman, said in a statement. "Not only does our plan create thousands of new jobs and raise the tax rate on casinos, but it also dedicates the revenue that casinos generate to important items like K-12 spending, police and fire, road improvements and to local counties and municipalities."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120626/BIZ/206260400#ixzz1z0wEUSIn

All Hail the Generalist - Vikram Mansharamani - Harvard Business Review

All Hail the Generalist - Vikram Mansharamani - Harvard Business Review

HBR Blog Network

All Hail the Generalist

by Vikram Mansharamani  |  10:53 AM June 4, 2012

• Comments (183)
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We have become a society of specialists. Business thinkers point to "domain expertise" as an enduring source of advantage in today's competitive environment. The logic is straightforward: learn more about your function, acquire "expert" status, and you'll go further in your career.

But what if this approach is no longer valid? Corporations around the world have come to value expertise, and in so doing, have created a collection of individuals studying bark. There are many who have deeply studied its nooks, grooves, coloration, and texture. Few have developed the understanding that the bark is merely the outermost layer of a tree. Fewer still understand the tree is embedded in a forest....

For various reasons, though, the specialist era is waning. The future may belong to the generalist. Why's that? To begin, our highly interconnected and global economy means that seemingly unrelated developments can affect each other. Consider the Miami condo market, which has rebounded quite nicely since 2008 on the back of strong demand from Latin American buyers. But perhaps a slowdown in China, which can take away the "bid" for certain industrial commodities, might adversely affect many of the Latin American extraction-based companies, countries, and economies. How many real estate professionals in Miami are closely watching Chinese economic developments?

The Rise of the Supertemp - Harvard Business Review

The Rise of the Supertemp - Harvard Business Review
 by Jody Greenstone Miller and Matt Miller

Trevisani is a Wharton MBA and GE alum who now manages high-powered projects for Fortune 500 companies and advises executives on operational issues, change management, and potential mergers. He does all these assignments on a temporary basis, working as an independent contractor.
 
Let’s call Trevisani a supertemp. He and others like him belong to the “free agent nation” popularized a decade ago by the author and workplace guru Daniel Pink, but they inhabit its most rarefied precincts. Supertemps are top managers and professionals—from lawyers to CFOs to consultants—who’ve been trained at top schools and companies and choose to pursue project-based careers independent of any major firm. They’re increasingly trusted by corporations to do mission-critical work that in the past would have been done by permanent employees or established outside firms. New intermediaries have sprung up to create a market for such marquee talent. Supertemps are growing in number, and we think they’re on the verge of changing how business works.

Budgets: Get a Unique Second Opinion Now

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By Fred Leeb

We help to 'tee-up' tough decisions by providing analyses and ideas for their review and approval.  We provide second opinions so they can be sure that they have gone the extra mile and obtained ideas from some of the best in the business.

   

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Market Update: A Real Recovery, or a False Start? - Knowledge@Wharton

Market Update: A Real Recovery, or a False Start? - Knowledge@Wharton




"The Dow has hit its highest level in years, loan rates are at record lows and the U.S. economy appears to be gaining momentum. Even the housing market is starting to look inviting. But is this a real recovery -- or a false start like last year's? Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siegel and Scott Richard, a Wharton practice professor of finance, think the economy is showing signs of a true rebound and predict that stocks should do well in the next 12 months. But bonds, they warn, are in dangerous waters, and economic growth will be in jeopardy if oil prices keep rising and the European credit crisis worsens."