Governor Granholm was in Traverse City on Tuesday pushing for increasing money spent on marketing our state for tourism. Read my related post on this - Increase the State’s Marketing Budget? Granholm is claiming that Michigan’s legislators (Republicans) are making political statements in this election year by dragging their feet on her proposal.

Michigan spends $15 million marketing our state for tourism. Granholm’s proposal is to spend the bulk of it now instead of spreading it over the next five years as legislators would want. Supposedly, front-loading the money would generate $3.43 in revenue for the state for each $1 spent on marketing.

There has to be more to it than what is reported in the Traverse City Record Eagle. If it were so simple of an investment that returned over three times what was spent I don’t know who would be against front-loading the $15 million. I highly doubt that Republicans are against generating money for the state and it’s business owners.