2 days ago
From the chair RESULTS Government is supposed to work to improve our lives. We measure our public officials by results. Under Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer, we’re getting results. Three years ago this week, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law. There’s an excellent report on what that has brought Michigan in the current edition of the online publication The Gander. Among the highlights: 300,000 jobs added to Michigan’s economy The unemployment rate dropped from 6.5% in 2021 and has kept at 4% for the last 14 months. A surge in new businesses. According to US Chamber of Commerce data, nearly 150,000 small business applications were filed in the state in 2023. Tax relief for families. In Michigan, families of nearly 1.9 million children benefited from tax relief in 2021—with more than 1.1 million families receiving $3,000 or $3,600 per child, depending on their age. The legislation also enabled Michigan families earning less than $125,000 to get back up to half of what they spent on child care while working or studying, saving up to $8,000 for two children. An expansion to the federal Earned Income Tax Credit also benefited 600,000 workers in Michigan in 2021, providing[...]