Michigan’s workforce development agency, Michigan Works!, will close its doors if a Republican budget plan passed by the US House of Representatives this week is made into law.
Michigan Works would have to shut down under a budget passed by the U.S. House, though the Senate has not backed the spending cuts.The statewide work force development agency, which serves some 3 million Michigan residents, is largely funded by the Workforce Investment Act.
House legislation would eliminate more than $3.6 billion in funding for that act after July 1, as well as rescind $175 million for the current year.
“It would kind of just pull the linchpin out of the middle and everything would collapse,” said Doug Stites, CEO of Capital Area Michigan Works.
Michigan, of course, has one of the highest unemployment rates in the entire country, coming in at #5. The effect of killing this agency will be devastating.
But, don’t forget: jobs are the GOP’s number one priority. Right after elminating a woman’s right to an abortion, repealing the Affordable Care Act and dismantling as many of the progressive initiatives passed by Democrats over the past two years as possible. Also, too, the deficit. The monster deficit that they were largely responsible for creating.
But, right after all of those things, jobs is absolutely number one.
I’m just sayin’…
