LANSING – State Representative Andy Neumann (D-Alpena) on Tuesday voted to ensure future funding for local police and fire protection, the Michigan Promise Scholarship, and health care for children and seniors – programs that are critical to protecting Michigan's future and promoting an economic turn around. Part of the funding has been secured by freezing the personal exemption and making sure that Michigan taxpayers see no differences in 2009 from their 2008 tax rates.
"As a former firefighter and paramedic, public safety remains my top priority in these tough times," Neumann said. "These are quality of life issues – without adequate police and fire protection, without good schools, without proper medical care it will be next to impossible for Michigan to be able to recruit new business and job opportunities. I am not willing to stand by as budget cuts cause Michiganders to make sacrifices when it comes to our way of life and safety of our families."
State money that local governments use to pay for local police and fire protection has already been slashed by more than $500 million this decade These cuts have cause the reduction of more than 4,000 firefighters and police officers across Michigan since 9-11.
Nearly 100,000 Michigan students who rely on the $4,000 Promise Scholarship to attend community college, a university or vocational training have already been promised part of that tuition money for the current school year.
To protect health care funding for Michigan kids and seniors, physician services would see a 3% quality assurance assessment. This assessment would be used to take part in a federal program; for every dollar Michigan contributes, the federal government will contribute nearly $3. Michigan will be able to bring in hundreds of millions of federal dollars, allowing Michigan to increase our state's Medicaid reimbursement to physicians, putting it on par with Medicare reimbursement, which will give more Michiganders increased access to quality health care.
"When it comes down to it, we can't expect to create jobs and build strong communities by cutting our state's most important programs like police and fire protection, college assistance and health care for children and seniors," Neumann said. "My vote was to protect these essential priorities and to better position our state for an economic turnaround."