Michigan needs to make a commitment to open, honest, and ethical government to get things moving in Lansing.  Citizens have the right to expect more from elected officials, especially when the state needs critical, thoughtful solutions to help Michigan recover. Making government more accessible and responsive to citizens and reducing the influence of special interests and lobbyists will increase efficiency and reduce barriers that impede progress in Lansing. There is a very strong linkage between disclosure requirements, improved performance, and improved ethical behavior, all of which lead to an increased level of accountability. 

 

Lobbying Policy/Rule	Lansing’s Current Political Environment	Rick’s Proposed Ethical Reforms
Reporting standards for travel accommodations and expenses for public officials	Only if expenditure is over $725	Itemize every expenditure and limit to $600 a year
Reporting financial transactions between lobbyists and public officials at certain thresholds	Only once the transaction reaches $1,100	Report all financial transactions
Reporting meal and beverage expenditures	Not reported unless greater than $54/month or $350/year	Ban lobbyist-sponsored meals and beverages greater than $10, $25/month
Gifts from lobbyists to elected officials	Gifts cannot exceed $54/month and are not reported	Ban all gifts
Frequency of reporting for lobbyists	Twice a year	Quarterly
Mandatory Cooling-Off Period	None	2 years (one full session)

 

Lobbyists and special interests have had an adverse effect on Lansing.  The role of lobbyists has changed in Lansing since term limits were adopted. The state legislature became more reliant on lobbyists and special interests to provide subject-matter expertise on a wide array of issues and foster a network of connections. This created an environment where powerful, well-funded interest groups have more influence than citizens. Banning gifts, creating a cooling-off period and requiring full disclosure of Michigan’s lobbyist activities will reduce impediments to progress and keep the best interest of the public in mind.

 

Reforming campaign finances will empower citizens.  As it currently exists, Michigan law allows unregulated third party contributions to finance ads and robo-calls, masquerading them as issue advertising without revealing the funding source. This leaves the door open for well financed interest groups to influence the outcome of the election by providing voters with misleading accusations without fear of reprisal. 

 

Rick Snyder is the man to reinstate full-scale ethical behavior in Lansing.  Rick is the only candidate that has not developed his professional acumen in Michigan’s dysfunctional governmental culture. He has spent his entire career improving organizations by creating, achieving, and reporting performance measurements to stockholders, customers and business partners. He is an ideal person to lead the state’s ethical reform.