PLYMOUTH TWP. – State Representative Marc Corriveau (D-Northville) on Thursday hosted a town hall meeting to share information about "Hire Michigan First," an aggressive House plan to immediately create jobs and ensure that tax dollars used to attract businesses to Michigan benefit our working families – not out-of-state or illegal workers.
"My top priority is to create jobs now for our workers, and the 'Hire Michigan First' plan will do just that by rewarding businesses that invest in our communities," Corriveau said. "When our tax dollars create jobs, Michigan residents deserve first crack at those jobs. This plan is pro-worker, pro-growth and pro-Michigan, and it will help get our residents back to work."
The comprehensive "Hire Michigan First" plan will:
Reward companies that hire more Michigan workers with tax breaks and other economic development tools.
Require companies that accept contracts to build state buildings to hire only Michigan workers, increasing the current requirement of 50 percent to 100 percent.
Require companies that accept economic development incentives to report on who they hire to ensure that Michigan residents are put first, encouraging transparency and accountability.
Crack down on companies that knowingly hire illegal workers by canceling their state contracts and tax incentives, requiring them to pay back incentives already received and barring them from future contracts.
"During these tough times, we must fight for every Michigan job," Corriveau said. "By creating jobs and protecting our taxpayer dollars, we are supporting our working families – and that will help get our economy back on track."
Corriveau encouraged residents to visit a new Web site, www.hiremichfirst.com, to sign an online petition urging the Legislature to take quick bipartisan action to pass the "Hire Michigan First" plan.