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Gov. Snyder visits MCCC for town hall meeting

 Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder made a stop at MCCC Monday during a series of statewide town hall meetings.
 The MCCC meeting, which was held in at the La-Z-Boy Center, lasted just under an hour and saw a variety of topics brought up, including education spending, Michigan’s recovery, and the proposed International bridge.
 The governor, who fielded questions selected from the audience, was asked, “Why are teachers being attacked,” a claim the governor vehemently denied.
 “The teachers are not the issue; however, the educational system needs reform,” Snyder said.
 “Only 17 percent of kids today are college-ready. That’s a troubling figure,” he added.
 “We also asked for a lower cut in education spending than almost any other field. We’re also increasing spending for education on the budget compared to last year, but everyone has to make sacrifices.”
 Snyder faced some backlash from local protestors, who criticized his decreases on public spending for schools and health care as well as the proposed International Bridge deal between Canada and Michigan.
One sign said, “Forget the bridge. We want health care.”
 However, Canada will finance the bridge and take on all of the liability while Michigan is allowed to have equal control and operations, according to Roy Norton, Canada’s general consul stationed in Detroit, who joined Snyder at the town hall.
The project could bring up $550 million in federal highway revenue to use on Michigan’s roads and construction efforts, Norton said.
“Canada is not proposing to pay for your health care,” he said, in response to the protester’s sign.
 The proposed bridge, which requires zero Michigan tax payer money, would also increase trade with Canada from $63 billion to $70 billion, Norton said.
 Along with the bridge and education spending, the governor made note of the Career Technology building being built on campus.
“The CTC building is very exciting to me; it’s a great opportunity to help train more people for skilled trades,” he said. “There is a definite need for more welders and people in that area.”