 | The Saginaw County Chamber is very supportive of the combined efforts of the Michigan Chamber and 30 other chambers of commerce statewide to advocate a policy agenda for Michigan’s economic future as we approach a society slowly reopening in the midst of COVID-19. We agree in these common-sense approaches to reopen Michigan’s economy and our small businesses while still emphasizing safety for employees, employers, and consumers. The COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Agenda is a set of policy recommendations that include liability protection, taxpayer protection & relief, regulatory assistance, and investment in Michigan. It is based upon input from several thousand Chamber members located in all 83 counties and working throughout various industries and business sectors. View the full document. |
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In today’s economy where our businesses need talent to fill positions, it’s imperative that Congress make common sense laws that allow for the diverse workforce that is needed. We fully support immigration policies that demonstrate that Michigan is both welcoming and business-friendly. Saginaw County, and the Great Lakes Bay Region, welcome diversity, and all workers will find this a region with great jobs and an exceptional quality of life. With that in mind, the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce has signed on to The Michigan Compact on Immigration, a set of five principles to guide the immigration discussion at the state and federal level.
This month has been eventful to say the least. We’re in the midst of a major correction in the market, with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) contributing to much of the market correction and the uncertainty of a Democrat Primary that seems to be pushing philosophy to the extreme left leaving many of us shaking our heads and a bit unnerved.
It’s easy to get caught up in these major happenings. However, it’s critical that we remain focused on what we can control - focused on the positive direction we are heading in Saginaw County and the Great Lakes Bay Region. This doesn’t mean we should ignore world and national events. We need to do whatever we can to protect ourselves, our families and our businesses. In early 2020, Saginaw's Police Chief, Robert Ruth held a press conference, in coordination with the Michigan State Police and other law enforcement agencies, to release crime statistics for the city of Saginaw. As you may know, Saginaw realized another dramatic, 40% decrease in crime across nearly every category of crime.
One of the more puzzling vetoes the governor included in her 148 line-item veto list was a $100 placeholder for Brown Hall at Saginaw Valley State University. This $100 was necessary to begin the authorization process for a projected $12 million renovation, and it was the only request for funding by any higher education institution out of all Michigan Universities in its category.
Michigan is facing a critical shortage of physicians that will only get worse as more and more doctors retire.
A program, called MiDOCS, provides matching monies ($1.25 million) to put medical residents into training and places them to work in medically underserved areas of Michigan. In our region, the CMU Medical School participates in the MiDOCS program. This year, CMU started with psychiatry as we are terribly underserved with the issues of behavioral health, opioid addiction, depression and suicide. Michigan is facing a critical shortage of mental health beds, treatment facilities and professionals. We in the Great Lakes Bay Region understand the need when it comes to mental health services and are working tirelessly to address the situation.
Locally, HealthSource is an exceptional facility comprised of Adult, Child/Adolescent and Geriatric Inpatient Psychiatric Units and treat acute care, short time inpatient units. HealthSource provides comprehensive assessment and treatment in a secure setting for those suffering from mental illness. At a time of heated debate across the country about the urgent need for more and better mental health services that could help prevent tragic incidents like El Paso and Dayton, now is the time to invest in mental health. In Michigan alone, more than 4 million residents reside in areas identified by The Kaiser Family Foundation as a Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), with the number of mental health professionals meeting the needs of fewer than 25 percent of the population in those areas.
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