Craig on March 3rd: “I’m not going to sit here and tell you that’s exactly what I’m going to do because I don’t know the unintended consequences of that.”
Craig on March 24th: “In the interest of candor, I haven’t taken that close of a look.”
Earlier this month, James Craig threw his support behind an “unsustainable” and “short-sighted” Republican $2.5 billion tax plan that “disproportionately helps the state’s wealthiest residents,” describing it as a “great start” that he wished could “go even further.”
Despite the devastating toll this plan would take on state and local law enforcement and public safety alone, new reporting from Detroit Free Press details that Craig intends to double down on his pledge to expand the plan. And after originally refusing to commit to his own words because “because I don’t know the unintended consequences of that,” he once again admitted that he hasn’t “taken that close of a look” on how it would impact Michigan working families or the resources their communities need to stay safe and thrive.
Groups such as the Michigan Association of Police Organizations (MAPO) warned the plan would “come at the expense of critical services,” “reduce police protection,” create “long-term budget problems,” and “will only add to the challenges facing law enforcement in Michigan.”
The bill would have forced more than $1.8 billion in annual cuts, threatening funding for over 5,000 state and local law enforcement officers and the civilian employees that work to keep our communities safe.
MDP spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite issued the following statement:
“James Craig’s disastrous agenda is wrong for Michigan communities interested in keeping their communities safe, continuing to fix the roads, and making sure that schools have the resources they need. Michiganders deserve better than a gubernatorial candidate who pushes dangerous plans to slash funding for their schools, communities, and roads.”
