What is AFP-MI?

AFP-Michigan is an organization of 24,000 activists committed to strengthening our constitutional government, establishing fiscal restraint, and giving taxpayers greater control over government. We are dedicated to recruiting, training, educating, and motivating grassroots activists to be effective in their own communities. As an AFP member, you will join hundreds of thousands of others around this nation. You will receive training on how to effectively communicate with government officials and get real results right where you live. Most importantly, you will send a message that there is still room for good ideas that make government work better and more efficiently in Michigan.

Tax dollars are taxpayer dollars. AFP supports programs that promote self-reliance and minimize the role of government in our lives and our livelihoods. A government that has respect for the rule of law behaves in a predictable manner, allowing businesses and families to make long-term plans and take economic risks without fear of undue interference.

Today, Americans for Prosperity-Michigan has grassroots members in all 83 counties. AFP-MI has worked with local officials and taxpayers to help their government become transparent. We have also have also worked with our local activists on property rights and taxation issues. Membership in AFP costs you nothing, and I urge you to consider joining us today. Together, we can do great things for Michigan.

Which issues are we involved in?

TAXPAYER-FUNDED LOBBYING

Taxpayer-funded lobbying propagates the cycle of more spending and more programs that call for more spending. AFP encourages serious reforms to help curb the culture of “more is never enough” in Lansing.

• Support efforts to prohibit public funds from being used to lobby or influence legislation and/or to conduct advocacy.
• Taxpayer-funded lobbying propagates the cycle of more spending and more programs that call for more spending. AFP encourages serious reforms to help curb the culture of “more is never enough” in Lansing.
• Require government entities to disclose how much is spent on lobbying the government each year

TAXES

In order for Michigan to compete, pro-growth tax cuts are a must for the health of our long-term economy. To relieve the tax burden on Michiganders, AFP proposes the following:

• A tax cut package to aid the growth of the Michigan economy, which includes a lowering the individual income tax, the corporate income tax, and the state sales tax.
• Require a legislative super-majority to increase taxes
• Oppose all new taxes
• Limit the property “pop up” tax

PROPERTY RIGHTS

AFP supports efforts to protect private property rights and opposes the expansion of eminent domain laws.

• Property Rights Protection Act: This would require that citizens are able to vote to approve unilateral annexation when their property is affected by such efforts
• Allow Michigan business owners to determine the smoking policy on their private property
• Assist local units of government to utilizing legal strategies against onerous federal and state regulations

TRANSPARENCY

Taxpayers have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. In this information age, government should provide easy access to its citizens.

• Lansing should create a searchable website to allow citizens to view all state expenditures.
• Encourage all local governments to place their spending online

LABOR

AFP seeks to promote a business climate where employers are able to hire the willing workers in our state. To that end we will:

• Promote Right to Work Legislation
• Support elimination of Prevailing Wage
• Support the worker's right to a secret ballot to determine whether their shop should be unionized
• Oppose any expansion of Binding Arbitration and support abolishing the current law

LOCAL PETITION PROCESS

Michigan statutes vary significantly on the number of signatures needed to change local ordinances. AFP supports measures that will make it easier for Michigan citizens to petition for change.

• Change the Michigan Constitution to permit citizen initiative at the county level.

HEALTH CARE

AFP supports a market-based health care system that reduces costs for employers and individuals purchasing health insurance and encourages users to take responsibility of their health care decisions.

• Support expanding current Section 125 plans to allow individuals to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars
• Support market reforms that promote the use of private insurance over government insurance
• Encourage the use of health savings accounts, health reimbursement accounts, etc., so Michiganders will become more involved their health care decisions and expenditures of their health care dollars
• Oppose additional insurance mandates

EDUCATION

APF-MI supports parents’ rights to be active participants in their children’s education. They must be given the ability to choose who teaches them.

• Establish Merit Pay for Teachers
• Increase the cap on Charter Schools
• Expand Parental Choice Options in their children's education

FREE MARKET

History has shown that a free market will create an economic engine that will employ workers and raise everyone’s standard of living. Michigan must reverse its policies of over-taxation and over-regulation by:

• Removing unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurship and opportunity by sparking citizen involvement in the regulatory process early on in order to reduce red tape.
• Working with well-known businessman and free-market advocate Herman Cain to expand all of these projects to even more states across the country in our recently-launched "State Prosperity Expansion Project."

How can I be involved with AFP-MI?

1) Stay informed. Join the AFP-MI Tax Alert family. Merely enter your name, address, and e-mail. We will notify you if your state legislator sponsors a tax or fee increase.

2) Become a taxpayer activist. We need motivated individuals who will write, telephone, and e-mail their Congressmen, their state legislators, and their local government officials. Our staff will come to your community to train you to be an effective advocate.

3) Support AFP-MI financially. Americans for Prosperity takes NO TAX DOLLARS. We are financed entirely by the contributions of likeminded taxpayers.

Where can I get more information?

Michigan Votes

Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Michigan Bills Introductions

Acton Institute

Citizens for Traditional Values

The Heartland Institute

Tax Foundation Blog

Education Action Group