Tag: David Brandon

From the Detroit News

A newly formed coalition of Michigan CEOs announced Thursday it would support extending the sales tax to most services if it is lowered.  Business Leaders for Michigan, an expansion of Detroit Renaissance that includes 25 corporate captains from across the state, would cut the 6-percent sales tax rate to make the change initially revenue neutral. But the plan would raise additional revenue in the future as the state continues its shift away from a goods economy and toward a service economy. David Brandon, chairman of the group and CEO of Domino's Pizza, said a "sales tax on services has to be part of the equation" as the state modernizes a tax code built for the 1950s.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm proposed a 2 percent tax on services two years ago but the plan died in the Legislature. Lawmakers passed a tax on some services late in 2007 but the levy was scrapped.

"The governor welcomes all ideas," said Liz Boyd, spokeswoman for Granholm. "But it is ironic that the business community is now calling for a sales tax on services when two years ago they're the very ones who killed it when the governor proposed it."

Past studies have indicated the state could reduce its sales tax rate to about 5 percent, if it were extended to services, and generate revenue that the 6 percent sales tax on products raises today.

Actually, that's not true.  It has EVERYTHING to do with selling pizzas.

About a month ago, the Ann Arbor based pizza giant started an ad campaign that sought to capitalize on the growing public distaste with this "bailout" business and featured the Michigan job maker walking down the streets (and onto the front porches) of Washington, DC, offering main street his own form of bail out.  Delicious pizza at a cheaper price.

(It should be noted... I am a pizza fiend.)

This morning, instead of specifically hawking his pies, Brandon, also the Chairman of Detroit Renaissance, a nonpartisan organization comprised of the best and brightest business minds in the region, is featured on the editorial page of the Ivory Tower where he takes a swing, not at Congress and Wall Street, but at the politicians in Lansing and the monster of a business tax climate they've created.

And, refreshingly, he doesn't do it with the venom and the vitriol that we're so used to from politicians... he does it by identifying the problems and proposing solutions.

I don't normally do this but I am going to quote the article... ahem... liberally:

Read on...

Apparently the King of Shrill, Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer wasn't as big a fan of the new ads.  In fact, quite to the contrary, Brewer just issued a press release attacking both Brandon, Domino's and each of her thousands of Michigan employees because the CEO dares to be a political conservative... in his free time.

Brewer doesn't just put politics over Michigan jobs and families, he goes as far as suggesting consumers should boycott the Michigan based pizza chain.  Because their CEO is a Republican.  

Should conservatives boycott the Big 3 because their union employees overwhelmingly support Democrats?  Heavens no.  This is Michigan.  We're all in this together.  Or we should be... Brewer... he disagrees.

But the next time the Democrats' top dog wants to run off at the mouth, trying to put a Michigan company out of business he should consider the facts:

Domino's employs almost 500 Michigan moms and dads at their Ann Arbor office alone.

They have over 30,000 people on the corporate payroll nationwide.

Michigan is home to 73 individual Domino's locations, each owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs with each employing anywhere from twelve to twenty people.

That's 1,400 more Michigan jobs.

With over 4,500 franchise-owned stores across the country, Domino's employs about 100,000 Americans.

And those are just the direct jobs.  Consider the "spin-off" jobs the company creates.  Farms (think millions of pounds of meat, cheese and vegetables), truckers, equipment manufacturers (coolers, ovens, computers, software, uniforms etc.), marketing agencies, box makers, etc etc etc etc.  You get the idea.

Then there's that whole "good citizen" thing, too.  Just this week this Michigan company gave away nearly 4,000 slices of pizza (500 total pies) to Michiganders waiting in line for tickets to Jay Leno's "comedy stimulus show."

Do those sound like the actions of a CEO and a company that "contribute" to the economic crisis?  Or a CEO and a company who've helped?
Oh, and Mark?  If you want to make a noun plural you simply add an "s."  An apostrophe followed by an "s" is used to make a noun possessive.  I know I've never written this blog in strict AP format but I do my best to follow the fundamental rules of grammar.  Would suggest you do the same.

Brewer's jaw-droppingly offensive (and grammatically painful) release:

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer today criticized Domino's CEO David Brandon's hypocrisy for the company's "Bailout" TV ads unveiled Tuesday evening.

"CEO Brandon apparently thinks the country's current economic crisis is funny and just another opportunity to sell pizza's," said Brewer. "In fact, these ads are the height of hypocrisy because Brandon and Domino's have long supported the policies and elected officials which allowed the reckless and greedy abuses by Wall Street CEO's, banks and insurance companies which created the current economic crisis."

"Despite what CEO Brandon says in the ad about not helping Wall Street fat cats, over the years Brandon and the Domino's PAC have contributed to many elected officials who have helped those fat cats - House Minority Leader John Boehner, House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning, George W. Bush, Tom DeLay, Trent Lott and Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, among others," continued Brewer. "TV viewers and Domino's purchasers should know that purchasing from Domino's enables CEO Brandon to continue to support elected officials like these who helped bring on the current economic crisis."

Last night, though, the highlight for me wasn't the singing or the results or the Carrie Underwood cameo... it wasn't even Matt Giraud (he was the star on Tuesday, though).  The highlight for me was another Michigan guy launching a new national ad campaign... Dave Brandon, CEO of Michigan based Domino's Pizza.

Brandon isn't the first head honcho from a major company jumping into the advertising game but he may very well be the first one to get it right.  

Over the last few months we've seen presidents hawking their own goods more than ever before, and often with painfully awkward results.  Exhibit A is poor Dan Hesse, the CEO of Sprint.  Check this one out...

"This could be the only phone you ever need... ... ... ... ... ... ... Pretty cool, huh?"

No. Not really, Dan.

I haven't done any research but I'm pretty well convinced that is the longest, most uncomfortable pregnant pause in the history of television.  The man comes off aloof and superior.  Which might work for some of the nation's fanciest, wealthiest people but it really doesn't do much for me.  And I already drop a hundred bucks a month for wireless service.  

Now compare that to Michigan's own David Brandon.

THAT's more like it.  And for the last twelve hours I've been dying for a Domino's pizza.