Latest Polling and Town Halls

The latest round of polling in the gubernatorial campaign has incumbent Governor Rick Snyder with a slim lead over Democratic challenger Mark Schauer – a lead still within the margin of error.

The poll was conducted as a telephone interview of 600 likely voters between September 11^th and 13^th by Denno Research and commissioned by Vanguard Public Affairs. Governor Snyder received 43.2 percent to Mr. Schauer’s 40.0 percent with the margin for error at plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The same poll showed U.S. Congressman Gary Peters, the Democratic nominee to replace retiring U.S. Senator Carl Levin, with 45 percent compared to GOP nominee and former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land with 38 percent. The same Denno/Vanguard poll in July had Mr. Peter’s lead at only 3 points.

In related campaign news, Governor Snyder announced this week that he will be holding 10 town halls across the state as he did in the 2010 election. The Snyder campaign released the details for the first three events: September 29^th in Kalamazoo, October 2^nd in Sterling Heights and October 4^th in Detroit.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, September 19, 2014 9:36 AM
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Corrigan Resigning at Year’s End

Maura Corrigan, the Director of the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) will be retiring at the end of the year. Sources stated that Director Corrigan is retiring to spend more with her grandchildren. Although the story of her pending departure was confirmed this week, many have known for quite some time.

Prior to being named DHS Director by Governor Snyder in 2011, Corrigan served on the Supreme Court from 1999 – 2011, including as Chief Justice from 2001 to 2005. She led the Department through many significant policy changes, including welfare service time limits and an asset test for food assistance.

Director Corrigan’s pending departure is the second of Governor Snyder’s cabinet members to do so in the last month as former Department of Community Health Director Jim Havemen retired from state service last week.

posted by PAA Online , 9:35 AM
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August Unemployment Numbers Fall

The August unemployment rate in Michigan fell .3 percent to 7.4, due mostly to a decrease in the total labor force. The rate had been holding steady or increasing for three months. August marked the first decrease since April.

The August 2013 rate was 9 percent as comparison, 91,000 total less employed. The State Department of Technology, Management, and Budget stated the jobless rate has averaged 7.6 percent year-to-date through 2014, 1.2 percentage points lower than the 8.8 average of 2013.

Michigan’s largest labor market, the Detroit-Warren-Livonia market, saw an identical .3 percent drop to 8.4 percent (compared to the August 2013 rate of 9.4 percent). The manufacturing sector saw the only increase in jobs from July to August while other sectors, such as service, retail trade, and information saw numbers drop.

posted by PAA Online , 9:34 AM
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PAAdvisory Briefs

Governor Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for Flood

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has requested federal disaster relief funds in the wake of the August 11th flash floods in Southeast Michigan. The request is for local governments in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties for infrastructure and for homeowners and businesses to make repairs. The state has already declared a disaster in the region. If the federal government agrees, officials will conduct an assessment to determine the level of needed aid.

Two Films Receive Incentives

The Michigan Film Office announced this week that two feature film projects have been approved for state incentives and will begin filming this month. “Grain” will film in the city of Detroit and is expected to hire 77 Michigan workers with a full-time equivalent of 8 jobs; while “Believe” will film in Grand Rapids, Manistee, and Muskegon and will hire 82 Michigan workers with a full-time equivalent of 10 jobs.

State’s Uninsured Falls in 2013

Census data released this week shows that the percentage of Michigan citizens without health insurance fell in 2013 from 11.4 percent to 11 percent. Roughly 1,072,000 residents did not have insurance in 2013 but experts say that number will fall significantly when the 2014 data is released in 2015. As of September 15, 2014, an estimated 386,000 Michiganders have enrolled in Medicaid due to the expansion.

posted by PAA Online , 9:34 AM
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