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The Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Executive Staff today dispatched an Open Letter to our elected leaders in Lansing seeking immediate resolution to the Business Tax and Budget issues that continue unresolved in our state capitol.

The following is the complete context of that Open Letter:

 An Open LetterFrom the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce To: 

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm

Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop

Speaker of the House Andy Dillon

State Senator Ron Jelinek

State Representative John Proos

State Representative Neal Nitz 

Perhaps there is truth to the old saw, “Be careful what you wish for.”  As advocates for more than 700 business members and investors from Battle Creek to New Buffalo, the Board of Directors of Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce based in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph campaigned long and hard for the elimination of the Michigan Single Business Tax.  We applauded long and loud when the day arrived for the surgical removal of the SBT.  If only we had known then what we know now! 

Here we sit by the patient’s bedside, five months into the calendar year, and still no viable solution on the operating table or even seemingly in the works for the budget itself, let alone the tax plan going forward.  Yes, the SBT is “still being collected,” through the end of the year…but how can any good business leader conduct healthy  strategic planning with no concept at all as to what his or her business tax liability will be come January 1, 2008 and beyond? 

How can we, as players in the economic development arena, recruit new businesses to our borders or even provide guidance in the retention and expansion of existing businesses who already call Michigan’s Great Southwest their home, with the evolution of our tax structure embedded solidly in limbo? 

The ticking of the clock has begun to take on a doomsday reverberation, and nobody wants to throw off the red suit or the blue suit long enough to disarm the time bomb and pull us all out of harm’s way. 

Fundamentally, Michigan’s tax structure is seriously out of date.  Based heavily on an industrial pro forma that draws down substantially on manufacturing revenues, even if these were the best of times we would be hard-pressed to maintain the levels of income of days gone by.  Too many industries are sick and too many have already died. 

Too many of you claim to be supportive of business, but invariably only look at the cost side of the equation.  Vitally important, yes, but the revenue side is critical as well.  Good leaders, whether in business or government, seek out Best Practices.  What are successful states doing well, and how can we employ their concepts here to help resuscitate Michigan?   

Leaders of all stripes have got to stop playing the blame game, no matter how inviting that may be.  Leaders at all levels have got to set aside political affiliations and remind themselves that they are first and foremost elected to get the job done. 

The job is not getting done.  It hasn’t been for some time.  The financial fortunes of this great state continue to fade faster than a comet over the horizon, and just like the comet we continue to descend into a black hole that is sucking the life out of our proud and productive people. 

Governor Granholm pledged nearly two months ago to put everyone into a single room and lock the door until strong, healthy, viable solutions have been achieved.  We are still waiting for that moment.  We even offer to stand guard outside that door until compromise has been achieved, replacing the frustration and uncertainty that continues to run rampant. 

How can we in good faith spend major marketing dollars promising to give newly recruited companies “The Upper Hand,” when we seemingly continue to show our existing business community only one finger? 

Some among us place the blame for today’s chaos on term limits and the fact that nobody has anytime to build relationships that lead to trust and understanding and good faith negotiations that lead to real and meaningful solutions. 

Perhaps that’s true.  Nevertheless true leaders know how to conduct meaningful dialogue that leads to harmony in a very short window of opportunity.  They learn by checking their bogus baggage at the door and leading with their heads and their hearts.   

The time has long since come and gone to stop the bleeding on this out-of-control crisis.  The very word “triage” implies multiple talents working together to save the patient.   

If we don’t get everyone into the operating room in a timely manner, and get you all doing your jobs together, the patient is going to die.  Then it won’t matter which party you’re with, because the patient can’t vote for any of you! 

Stop worrying about who’s going to vote for whom.  The People of Michigan need a laser like focus on all of your time and talent before our treasure has been surgically removed and buried. 

We are gravely concerned and respectfully request that you save the patient by producing a solid, logical plan for action no later than May 18, 2007. 

Sincerely yours, 

The Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Executive Staff 

Pat Moody, Executive Vice President            

Carl Spikner, Chairman of the Board

Lynne Christiano, Vice Chair of the Board    

Gloria Ender, Secretary of the Board

Mark Whitwam, Treasurer of the Board        

Stephanie Grill

Jeff Hannan                                                Becky Kliss

Peter Lamberta                                       

Dick Laney

Kate Seaman 

Adam Wade