Perry Johnson for Governor not seeking endorsement and trading favors

I want you to hear this directly from me because the media and Lansing insiders will never tell the full story. I refused to complete the Detroit Chamber PAC questionnaire because I will not seek the approval of the same political and corporate insider system that has been failing Michigan for decades. This is an organization that endorsed Gretchen Whitmer while Michigan families struggled with inflation, rising utility bills, high property taxes, failing infrastructure, and a shrinking population. They backed the very politicians and policies that helped drive people and businesses out of our state. And now they want Republicans to line up and beg for their endorsement? No conservative should accept it. For years, the Detroit Chamber PAC and the Mackinac conference crowd have represented an incestuous orgy of lobbyists, special interests, consultants, corporate welfare advocates, and career politicians all scratching each other’s backs while ordinary taxpayers get ignored. Every year, the same insiders gather on Mackinac Island for cocktail parties, private meetings, and backroom networking sessions where politically connected people trade influence and taxpayer dollars while working families struggle to make ends meet. This is not about helping Michigan. It is about preserving an insider system. The same establishment figures who lecture everyone about “economic development” are constantly pushing taxpayer-funded corporate subsidies, sweetheart deals, and politically connected projects while regular citizens are left paying the bill. I believe in free enterprise. I do not believe taxpayers should subsidize wealthy corporations and giant data center projects while local communities face higher energy costs, infrastructure strain, and concerns about water usage. If Michigan wants economic growth, the answer is simple: Lower taxes. Reduce regulations. Eliminate waste. Create a business climate where companies want to invest without needing special favors from politicians. But the Lansing establishment does not operate that way. The insider culture surrounding the Chamber and Mackinac crowd helped create scandals like the Fay Beydoun mess — where politically connected insiders appeared to benefit from taxpayer-funded programs while accountability was nowhere to be found. That scandal was not an accident. It was the predictable result of a political culture where lobbyists, insiders, consultants, and career politicians operate in a closed system with little transparency and even less accountability. When government becomes too cozy with politically connected insiders, taxpayers lose. That is exactly why I am running for Governor. My campaign is not about protecting the Lansing system. It is about dismantling it. My MEGA Audit will identify billions in waste, fraud, and corporate giveaways throughout state government. We will expose where taxpayer dollars are going, eliminate wasteful spending, and return that money to the people who earned it. That is how we can eliminate the Michigan income tax through my 4747 Plan — saving the average family of four approximately $4,747 per year. That is how we can provide meaningful property tax relief for seniors and working families. And that is how we can finally restore trust in state government. The establishment fears our campaign because they know we are serious about changing the system they profit from. They want another politician who will play along. I will not. I answer to the people of Michigan — not lobbyists on Mackinac Island, not PACs, and not corporate insiders looking for taxpayer-funded favors. Michigan was once the greatest economic engine in America because we rewarded hard work, innovation, and free enterprise. We can become that state again. But first, we must break the grip of the insider class that has controlled Lansing for far too long. Thank you for standing with me in this fight. Keep Your Money. Live Your Dreams. — Perry Johnson Conservative for Governor