Governor’s office makes case for Snyder’s fiscal legacy

Dick Posthumus is senior advisor on legislative affairs to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. He previously served as Senate Majority Leader and Lt. Governor.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Gov. Rick Snyder has faced challenges unlike any other.

He took the helm of a state with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, long-ignored infrastructure and with our largest city and school district on the verge of bankruptcy.

He tackled those challenges head-on, ignoring the kind of politics that prevented solutions in the past, and he did it with a determination that pulled Michigan out of economic recession. He led the changes that are repairing our roads, stabilized the city of Detroit, and secured a positive future for its students through an unprecedented investment made to save Detroit Public Schools. I firmly believe that 10 years from now, Gov. Snyder will be viewed as one of Michigan’s most productive leaders in the last half century.

I’ve been involved in Michigan politics long enough to know it to be true. As a former lieutenant governor of Michigan and the longest serving senate majority leader, I’ve seen both productive and unproductive years in Lansing. But the proof of this governor’s mettle is in what has been accomplished since 2011. Anyone who argues little has been done, whether in the early years or in recent years, frankly, has had their head in the sand.

The state budget – which has generated contention among lawmakers for decades; that occasionally resulted in stalemates and government shut-downs – has been adopted months before the start of the fiscal year for six consecutive years. Not to mention, all of those budgets were fiscally balanced. That and the process for paying down our unfunded liabilities have gained national recognition for fiscal responsibility. How different it is from what is happening in other states like Illinois and in Washington, D.C., where fiscal responsibility takes a back seat to politics.

Additionally, state leaders for years discussed repealing the single business tax. It was among Snyder’s first actions as governor. That and other measures, such as the virtual elimination of the personal property tax and the elimination of red tape, combined to create more new jobs in our state than nearly any other state in the country. Michigan went from a state with one of the worst unemployment rates in the nation to a state with unemployment below the national average and at its lowest rate in 15 years. The size of the workforce has increased, per capita personal income has risen and home values are climbing.

He still has problems to solve, though. Some have speculated whether tragedies like the Flint water crisis will mar his legacy. But rarely does history judge a leader by the sentiments of today. The true measure of Gov. Snyder’s leadership will be determined in the decades to come as future generations look back on how he handled all of the challenges he faced and the positive results he achieved. I am certain those results will be positive because while others sit and ponder the Governor’s legacy, he instead is taking action to address the legacy of the state and the people who live here – because he cares much more about that.

Michigan is again being talked about across the nation as a place to find good jobs and to visit to enjoy its beautiful natural resources. In his time in office, Gov. Snyder set the bar high and encouraged us all to reach it. And we did. Few governors have accomplished as much, and he’s not finished yet.