Presidential Race Tightens in Michigan as the Debate Shifts

As reported last week, don’t count Gov. Mitt Romney out in Michigan based on weeks-old polls. Down by more than 10 points there last week, Romney is now in a statistical dead heat with Sen. Rick Santorum according to the latest polls. A Romney loss in Michigan, his childhood home, would be a devastating blow to his campaign. Both Michigan and Arizona hold their primaries on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Though there has been a shift towards social issues during the debates, AGC PAC hopes that candidates will remember that the nation, and especially the construction industry, still suffer from the worst recession in decades. The construction industry's unemployment rate in January was 17.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted. That’s double the all-industry rate of 8.8 percent. Construction spending for 2011 as a whole dropped for the fifth straight year, down 2 percent from 2010 and 34 percent from the record set in 2006. Translated into hard dollars, the industry is down revenues of approximately $400 billion annually since its reaching its peak in 2006. Whether you see presidential or congressional candidates this election year, AGC PAC asks that you please remind them about what matters to your construction business.  Meanwhile, AGC PAC will continue to monitor the field for construction-friendly candidates worthy of AGC members’ support. For more information, contact Jimmy Christianson at 202-547-5013 or christiansonj@agc.org or visit www.agc.org/pac.