Rick Snyder 2016: 7 Facts About Political Background of Potential GOP Presidential Hopeful

Before becoming the governor of Michigan, Rick Snyder, a potential 2016 GOP presidential hopeful, was the president and COO of Gateway Computers. He was also the chairman and CEO of Adesta, a venture capital firm. His business experience has taken center stage in many of his decisions as the Michigan's governor. Learn more about the governor with these seven political facts about 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Rick Snyder:

1. During the 2010 midterms, Gov. Rick Snyder refused to sign the Tea Party and Grover Norquist’s no-tax pledge. He felt it was a gimmick. The “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” was signed by lawmakers who agreed to oppose marginal income tax rate increases for both businesses and individuals, as well as eliminations of deductions and credits without a matching reduced tax rate.

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2. Snyder supported President Barack Obama’s unpopular auto bailout in 2009, even while the majority of Republicans would have preferred to see Chrysler and GM liquidated.

3. Snyder vetoed the Voter ID bill, which would have required voters to prove their U.S. citizenship before they could receive a ballot and photo identification to pick up an absentee ballot. Snyder felt the requirements could create voter confusion among absentee voters.

4. The Michigan governor also signed cuts for both unemployment benefits and education, and removed health care benefits from same-sex domestic partners of state employees in the 2011 budget.

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5. In 2013, Snyder created a Regional Transit Authority for southeast Michigan. This accomplishment took 40 years. The RTA is governed by a 10-member board with two representatives from each of the participating counties: Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, and Washtenaw.

6. Snyder turned Michigan’s fortunes around during his first two years as governor as evidenced by a double-digit drop in the unemployment rate and the budget surplus. The surplus is a result of the 2011 state tax code rewrite which replaced the Michigan Business Tax with the Corporate Income Tax.

7. In October 2014, Snyder was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform award by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, for his efforts to improve the Michigan tax code.

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