Snyder stands firm behind budget plan Nathan Hurst and Marisa Schultz / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington%u2014 Gov. Rick Snyder (R) said he's standing firm behind the budget proposal he unveiled last week, which calls for deep cuts, new taxes on pensions and concessions by state employees.

"We're in tough times, and we need shared sacrifice from a lot of citizens in our state," Snyder told The Detroit News in an interview while he was in Washington for the National Governors' Association meeting.


The governor acknowledged that standing firm behind such tough decisions wouldn't please many Michiganians, but said he's unconcerned labor unrest seen in other states like Wisconsin will rise to high levels in Lansing.

"In the budget we actually ask for employee concessions, and the way we did that in the budget we just show a single number to say this is what we need in concessions," Snyder said. " %u2026 We want to work through the collective bargaining process on working out what those items should be, and hopefully achieving that goal. I didn't believe it was appropriate to say it should be this, this and this. My view was that we have collective bargaining; let's use it effectively and work together and have a dialogue about what those items should be to hopefully achieve that goal."

Snyder's in Washington through the weekend and will meet with President Barack Obama, other governors and lawmakers.

He said he's looking forward to working constructively with Washington on items like regulatory reform, worker training and housing issues.

But he said he's not knocking on doors in Washington to look for money.

Though Michigan is a state in need with losing 1 million jobs, "I'd like to work constructively with them, but I'd like to do in the context of not just asking for money," Snyder said. "Again, this idea of government just spending money is an idea I'm not a big fan of. I don't' think that's the right approach to success."



Taken from Detnews.com...This Governor (Rick Snyder) has only been in Office a few Months. He is already creating major problems. The film business is leaving. State workers, Teachers, Unions, Public Service workers are very vital to the State of Michigan. What is he thinking. Is he thinking. Join in on a masive recall.Get up and count. Let's take back our State and our lives.