Pure Iowa?

Thursday, July 18 — The Mark Schauer for Governor campaign has launched a petition drive asking why the Snyder administration outsourced the Pure Michigan travel guide when it could have printed it less expensively in Michigan.

“Ask Gov. Snyder why he wasted $1.5 million to produce a Pure Michigan travel guide in Iowa,” the web petition says.

“Our state is facing some tough choices. That's why it's so infuriating that under Gov. Snyder, the MEDC spent $1.5 million tax dollars to produce a new Pure Michigan travel guide in Des Moines, Iowa. That money could have been better spent helping Michigan's working families.

“Sign our petition and ask Rick Snyder why he spent our tax dollars to create jobs in Iowa!”

Click here to check out the petition. 

Schauer, a former congressman and state legislator from Battle Creek, is Snyder’s likely Democratic opponent in the 2014 gubernatorial race.

Des-Moines’ based Meredith Corp. won a bid from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., beating out two Michigan-based companies. City Pulse media partner Mlive reported today that the MEDC says Meredith employs more Michiganders than one of its Michigan competitors, Hour Media. 

Schauer’s press release, referring to Meredith as Midwest Living, said: “The net cost to the state was more expensive in Midwest Living’s bid than with Hour Media’s. When subtracting ad sales revenue, Hour Media estimated the net cost to the state for the bid would be $665,500, while Midwest Living’s total cost to the state was estimated to be $999,867.”

The press release cites a Crain’s Detroit story as its source.

The story also says that a “major selling point for the Iowa company was the ability to bundle the guide in Midwest and national magazines,” adding, “A Michigan Economic Development Corp. spokeswoman said the value of the Meredith bid centers around the ability of Meredith to get the guide to more out-of-state target consumers.”

Schauer is a guest on "City Pulse  Newsmakers" at 10 a.m. Sunday on My18 TV.