PDF QUESTIONABLE STATEMENTS:
"As Mayor he held Lansing accountable. Cut government 18 percent, without raising taxes and no layoffs. And it started with him."
The number of Lansing city employees has been cut by 14.7 percent since 2006, the year Bernero took office, according to city budget documents. But the city general fund budget is down just 1.7 percent since 2006. Bernero has not raised city taxes during his five years as mayor, according to the Associated Press. There have not been layoffs under Bernero's tenure, although Bernero did propose eliminating nine city workers in 2008. Positions have been eliminated through attrition. There were plans to lay off 14 Lansing city police officers in 2009, but a deal avoided that which included union concessions and leaving two vacancies open. In May 2010, the Police Department eliminated six positions through attrition, according to a May 25 Lansing State Journal story.
"Bernero cut his own pay, car and his health insurance first."
As mayor, Bernero has cut his pay 10 percent, cut his health care benefits and given up his city car.
"But when Gateway hit tough times, Rick Snyder cut workers and outsourced jobs to fatten the bottom line. All along the way, he pocketed millions. Rick Snyder: he's just business as usual."
This is a rehash of attacks made in ads by the Michigan Democratic Party upon which the Truth Squad called foul. While Snyder was involved in active management of Gateway between 1991 and 1997, Gateway grew from about 1,100 employers to 13,300, including 10,600 in the United States. In 2003, it switched from being a manufacturer of computers to a sales and marketing operation, outsourcing manufacturing to suppliers in China and other Asian countries.
Snyder, who remained on the company's board of directors after leaving his management posts, came back to Gateway in 2006 as interim chief executive officer in an attempt to save the company. But those efforts ultimately failed and the company was sold in 2007 to Acer.
During the six months Snyder was interim CEO, he returned customer and technical support from Asia to North America and opened a manufacturing plant in Tennessee. Gateway shed 19,400 jobs from 2001 to 2007, according to annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Those job losses included layoffs as a result of poor sales and financial losses, as well as outsourcing.
Snyder did earn millions during his time with Gateway, according to both SEC filings and his campaign spokesman. Using the term "pocketing" implies something untoward, however.
OVERALL IMPRESSION:
This ad hits a lot of the same notes used by other Michigan Democratic Party ads. The spot is correct that Bernero has cut his pay and benefits as mayor and has not overseen a tax increase. There also have not been any layoffs, although positions have been lost to attrition, including in the Police Department. The ad also gives Bernero too much credit for cutting government, claiming he's reduced it by 18 percent. The city budget is down less than 2 percent. In addition, its attacks on Snyder for being personally responsible for Gateway outsourcing are simply not true
MICHIGAN TRUTH SQUAD CALL: Foul.
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Foul for overstating Bernero's record in cutting government and making false claims about Snyder's record on outsourcing.
Download Michigan Truth Squad Analysis.pdf
