Michigan legislators are struggling to fund the spectacularly successful Pure Michigan advertising campaign at half the level of last year: http://bit.ly/bLVzi2

State Sen. Nancy Cassis, R-Novi, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, is leading the charge to slash the program’s funding.

Because, of course, we don’t want the tourism dollars spent by the 2 million out of state visitors the program is credited with bringing here.

Nor do we need the national image boost that the ads have provided – it slows down our ongoing effort to be seen as a dysfunctional, rust belt backwater. How can we perpetuate that image with ex-pats in California and the East Coast when they’re seeing this kind of stuff? http://bit.ly/ojYe9.

Sen. Cassis’ reluctance may stem from a vocal constituency that tells her any government spending is bad government spending. Anyone who wants to suggest otherwise in relation to Pure Michigan funding should call her office at 517-373-1758 and respectfully let her staff know.

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