While we're looking at the positive accomplishments of the past year in Michigan, Bobby Schostak, Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, send this list of great results from Governor Snyder and the Republican-led legislature:

Jobs -  

• Repealed the job-killing Michigan Business Tax.
• Ended the unfair double tax on small business owners.
• Dissolved the Michigan Home Base Child Care Council, allowing daycare owners to keep more of their earnings.
• Reformed the unaffordable film credit subsidy while still providing $100 million to support Michigan's growing film industry.
• Eliminated the outdated and costly Item Pricing law to help businesses remain competitive in Michigan.
• Helped businesses work with the state by reducing the average permit review and approval for air quality permits from 180 days to 60 days.
• The result is the unemployment rate is under 10 percent for the first time in three years.

Restoring fiscal responsibility - 

• Eliminated a $1.5 billion structural deficit.
• Fitch Rating upgraded Michigan's outlook to positive.
• Balanced budget ahead of time - avoiding the dramatic last minute budget fights and government shut downs which were a hallmark of the previous administration.
• Signed legislation ending lawmaker lifetime health care benefits.
• Continue to pay down long term debt and saving for the future.
• Put more than $400 million down toward paying down unfunded liabilities.
• Put more than $255 million into state rainy day fund - first time in a decade.
• Approved a deal with state employees that will result in a $5.6 billion reduction to long-term liabilities.
• Cracked down on Bridge Card abuse by affluent college students, saving the state an estimated $75 million.
• Avoided Michigan State Trooper layoffs.

Education - 

• Devoted 53 percent of state resources in the budget to education.
• Provided incentives to keep university tuition rates down.
• Approved teacher tenure reform to remove ineffective teachers from the classroom and put good teachers and students first.
• Attached some K-12 funding to implementing best practices that result in more dollars reaching the classroom instead of administrative costs.

Protecting the vulnerable - 

• Stood-up for the unborn by signing into law a ban on partial birth abortion.
• Reformed unemployment while still providing benefits to those most in need.
• Extended a partnership between the Veterans Administration and the Aging Network to provide home-based, long-term care support and services to veterans and their caregivers.