Right to Work

Twenty-two states have a right-to-work law and their unemployment rate is around eight-percent. In Michigan it’s 13.6-percent. Companies are going elsewhere and taking their jobs and our kids with them. This must end. The hardworking men and women of Michigan should not be forced to join a union to get a job. It’ll be Mike’s job as governor to create an environment which fosters job creation and prosperity. One way to do this is by making Michigan a Right to Work state.

Mike has looked at this issue extensively, spoken with many of the experts on the issue and consulted with business leaders from around the state. With the help and support of economic experts, he will develop legislation to make Michigan a Right to Work state. If efforts in the legislature fail, then Mike will propose a constitutional amendment and will put the issue on the ballot. Mike knows we need to create jobs for this generation and the next. The time to act is now.

Healthcare

Mike Bouchard is against nationalized healthcare and larger, more intrusive government. Mike believes unfunded mandates mean major problems for us as a state. The Democrats’ health plan alone means an estimated $700 million unfunded mandate to Michigan taxpayers when our state already is facing a $1.7 billion deficit. That’s money that could have been spent on roads, education, and local police and firefighters. Mike knows that we have enough problems without Washington trampling our rights and I intend to do everything in my power to stop this and every other unfunded mandate they try to heap upon Michigan families.

The United States has the best healthcare in the world. A government takeover isn’t the answer. Rather, solutions like ending frivolous lawsuits and empowering patients with tax-exempt health savings accounts can make our system more affordable, accessible and patient-centered.

2nd Amendment

Sheriff Mike Bouchard is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. He is a long-time NRA member, a gun owner, and an avid hunter, and believes in the U.S. Constitution and the protection of our individual rights.

Mike has bravely defended his community and our 2nd Amendment constitutional rights for over 23 years as a police officer, legislator, and now as Sheriff of Oakland County.

He has received “A” ratings and endorsements from the NRA and the Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners in each of his previous elections, and he continues to fight for sportsmen’s rights across the state, including designing and implementing a streamlined process allowing Oakland County to issue more Concealed Pistol License than any other county in Michigan.

Abortion

Mike Bouchard is pro-life and previously has earned the endorsement of Michigan Right to Life.

Tough on Crime and on the Frontlines against Terrorism

Mike Bouchard knows that the first duty of government is to protect its citizens and to react to threats of public safety. As sheriff, he has been on the frontline of protecting Michigan’s citizens, and as the next governor, he will work to secure Michigan’s borders and improve our emergency response planning.

His tough policies for dealing with lawbreakers have led to commendations for his service, and, more importantly, they have earned him the trust of his constituents.

For example, when in the Michigan legislature, Bouchard created the Michigan sex offender registry to protect women and children from violent predators in our communities, requiring convicted sex offenders to register with local law enforcement and allowing this information to be accessible to the public.

And as Sheriff of Oakland County, Bouchard has been on the frontlines, including helping New York City in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and serving as a member of the FBI joint terrorism task force.

Mike Bouchard has the knowledge, backbone, and experience to lead on security issues and will be ready on day one as governor to protect Michigan’s citizens.

Fiscal Responsibility

Through Mike Bouchard’s real world experiences as a small business owner and executive, he has developed an unshakable commitment to fiscal conservatism and he has the record to prove it.

When Bouchard was in the Michigan legislature, he helped deliver balanced budgets every year and led efforts to cut taxes and make Michigan more business and people friendly. He also wrote the real estate transfer tax cut that has saved Michigan taxpayers billions of dollars.

He has served as Oakland County Sheriff for a decade, managing 1200 employees and an annual budget of $118 million, and has a record of strong fiscal management. He was one of he first to privatize jail food services, resulting in an annual savings of $1.6 million.

Bouchard is also part of the Oakland County team that anticipates potential budget shortfalls by operating on a three-year rolling budget. This foresight and planning has made Oakland County one of only 40 counties – out of over 3,000 – in America that has a AAA bond rating.

And when he left the senate, Michigan was ranked one of the best states to start or grow a business and had hundreds of millions of dollars in the rainy day fund. Unfortunately, those days are a distant memory now. So Mike Bouchard has also had to make the tough choices during difficult economic times – including cutting back his budget by up to 20 percent over the past several years without sacrificing community safety.

As governor, Mike Bouchard will be prepared on day one to start making the tough choices that will turn Michigan around, and he is the only candidate for governor who has the knowledge, experience, and backbone to succeed.

Taxes

Mike Bouchard understands that government can’t tax or spend its way to prosperity. The tax burden on Michigan’s working families is already far too high and government spending is out of control.

Raising taxes is not the answer. Bouchard was the first candidate in the governor’s race to sign the Americans for Tax Reform’s (ATR) “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” – pledging to fight “any and all efforts to increase taxes”, and he means it. When he was in the Michigan Senate, our leaders worked together to deliver balanced budgets and cut taxes every year.

Mike Bouchard understands that by making systemic changes, we can reduce the cost of government, while still providing the same or even a higher level of service. And as governor, he is prepared to make those changes.

Education

Mike Bouchard is committed to ensuring Michigan’s students get the very best education possible, allowing Michigan’s graduates to succeed and find good jobs and futures here in Michigan. He believes that the future of Michigan’s children and our state depends on a quality educational system.

For nine years in the Michigan Senate, and as chair of the Education Committee, Mike Bouchard worked to empower parents and students and give them choices to make more decisions. He also ensured that education was funded and that our dollars were focused on the classroom, because the most important part of education is what happens in the classroom between the teacher and the student.

As governor, Mike will find ways to squeeze money out of our current school budgets to better deliver necessary services and focus our dollars on the classroom where they belong. Just as Mike saved $1.6 million annually in Oakland County by privatizing food services in the jail, he believes Michigan schools should competitively bid their transportation, food, and janitorial services on an intermediate school district basis. This would allow us to use economies of scale and leverage our purchasing in order to focus resources where they belong—on the classroom.
Mike Bouchard has the knowledge, backbone, and experience necessary to fix Lansing so we can provide our children with the first-class education they deserve.

Fix Lansing…

Mike Bouchard believes Michigan’s government needs structural reforms—and a budget system that works and has teeth.

When Mike Bouchard is governor, Michigan’s budget will be set by May 15th so citizens, cities, townships, villages and counties can set their own budgets. And every day after May 15 that the state goes without a budget will cost each legislator and statewide officeholder a days pay.

Also, no non-essential legislation will be considered until a budget is adopted, and the government will make budget predictions on a three-year timeline, adjusting the two-year rolling budget to fit the three-year prediction.

Bouchard believes another key reform would be to make Michigan’s legislature a part-time legislature. For instance, Texas—a state nearly 2 and a half times the population of Michigan—has a legislature that meets for only 90 days once every two years. And Texas delivers low taxes, excellent services, and is fiscally sound. Surely Michigan is capable of this and more.
Michigan must do better. And with Mike Bouchard as governor, Michigan will.

…and Get Michigan Back to Work

Mike Bouchard knows it’s time to stop wasting time and start creating jobs in Michigan. The status quo behavior in Lansing is unacceptable; many reform ideas and initiatives have been discussed across the state but time after time Lansing tunes them out.

Government should be working with job creators to make it easier for them to grow and invest here, not working against them. Michigan’s regulatory burdens and tax structure make us uncompetitive. We must take the steps to make our state an economic contender again. As governor, Bouchard will immediately freeze all non-essential spending; then he’ll look for places in Michigan’s budget where we can cut spending and find innovative ways to operate more efficiently.

He’ll also freeze all pending regulatory rules until a review of existing rules is completed. And as governor, he won’t sign any regulatory bills into law until a detailed cost-benefit analysis is done on behalf of the citizens and job providers it would affect.

Mike Bouchard is the only candidate for governor who has the experience, backbone, and knowledge to fix Lansing and get Michigan back to work.

Get Big Government out of the Way of Michigan Families

Government spending doesn’t energize the economy—it takes hard earned money out of the pockets of Michigan taxpayers and the economy.

The $787 billion Federal stimulus isn’t working. The country is going much further into debt only to see that the unemployment rate keeps climbing, especially here in Michigan.

Happy talk about the stimulus and the economy won’t create one job or put one Michigander back to work. Bigger government, more spending and more debt aren’t the answer in Lansing or Washington.

Support manufacturing sector as heart of economy

We need to prepare Michigan for the jobs of the 21st century while addressing the needs of those currently in the workforce. The manufacturing sector is at the heart of Michigan’s economy. If we’re going to boost the manufacturing sector of our economy, we need to ensure our companies are capable of competing with the rest of the world. Increasing our investment in today’s workforce – and the workers of tomorrow – is a key component to our future success.

Energy

High-energy costs hit Michigan especially hard in a number of ways. A sound energy policy does not mean sacrificing our natural resources or the environment. We need to look at innovative ideas that can promote alternative sources of energy and reduce the amount of energy we consume by using more energy efficient technologies. That way, we can ensure that we are meeting our energy needs, remaining competitive in the world, and protecting the environment at the same time. As governor, Mike Bouchard will work to find that balance.

Protecting Michigan’s Natural Resources

Michigan’s natural resources—especially our Great Lakes—are a source of great pride, along with being important to Michigan families for recreation, sporting, tourism, health, and enjoyment. As governor, Mike Bouchard will make protecting Michigan’s pristine outdoors from a variety of threats—like water diversion and invasive species—a top priority.

Trade

Michigan’s working families need trade agreements that are both fair and enforceable. Agreements that help open foreign markets to our goods can be very beneficial to our economy, but we haven’t always done all we can to ensure that these agreements are fully verifiable and enforceable. The best trade deal in the world doesn’t benefit us if our partners don’t keep their side of the agreement. As governor, Mike Bouchard will work to ensure leaders in Washington vigorously enforce current trade agreements.