FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
January 20, 2015
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Progress Michigan Presents: Michigan Corporate Puppets
Corporate Puppet Rick Snyder gives State of the State on behalf of CEO puppet masters
MICHIGAN — In the lead-up to Gov. Rick Snyder’s fifth State of the State address, Progress Michigan unveiled a new video and character to highlight where Snyder’s loyalties truly lie: with his corporate puppet masters.
“Much like we did last year with our ‘Real State of the State with the Fake Rick Snyder’, we want to hammer home the fact that Gov. Snyder’s agenda since taking office has been about helping the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of Michigan families,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “When corporations come calling for things like tax giveaways or more leeway to pollute, Gov. Snyder has been there for them — being a puppet for their agenda — but he hasn’t shown the same support for Michiganders.”
The video — titled “Pulling the Strings” — opens with a “CEO” opining on how great the Snyder administration has been for his interests like polluting and attacking workers’ rights. The CEO then says to himself, “If only I had a puppet who would do exactly as I say. Yes, a puppet is just the thing I need.” The video then launches into the “Corporate Puppet State of the State” where Puppet Snyder talks about how his policies have helped the wealthy and well-connected, but not average Michiganders.
“We like to have fun and do things differently at Progress Michigan, but the message behind this video and character are of serious concern,” Scott continued. “Gov. Snyder has been a puppet for corporate special interests ever since he took office, whether it’s handing out huge tax giveaways, lifting the cap on for-profit charter schools or setting up sweetheart deals with big businesses like Aramark to run state services. And now, thanks to this corporate-driven agenda, Michigan is facing a budget deficit that’s over half a billion-dollars, which will likely be offset by drastic cuts in state services. Michiganders should realize that after four years of Rick Snyder, they’re footing the bill for his corporate agenda and he’s not on their side.”
Puppet Snyder will continue to be used in Progress Michigan videos and promotions throughout the coming year — with more corporate puppets to come in the near future. The “Pulling the Strings” video can be found on YouTube.
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