Why Run Now?

Q: Why are you running for the 91st District seat now?

A: I had considered running earlier but decided not to since I came to realize that my personal life was too busy at the time. My son was at West Point, my daughter was marrying and later, I became the proud grandfather of identical twin girls. Those events easily top the political world and thus I decided to wait until things settled down.

Things may have become more normal in my household but things are out of control in the State of Michigan. Fifteen percent unemployment, a state economy/work force that has lost focus and a state budget that is being balanced with stimulus money (read future taxes for our children) are only the tip of the iceberg. For too long, this state has been represented by politicians from both sides that have put their political and personal desires ahead of the needs of their constituents or the state.

I am running now to provide servant leadership to the 91st district. I am not a career politician but a man who wants to listen, understand and provide for the needs of my district….not my needs. We need to understand what the economic foundation of this state is and build on it. The old foundations can no longer support this state.

Lowering Unemployment

Q: What is the best way to lower unemployment is Michigan?

A: Michigan is currently experiencing an unemployment rate of about 15%. The national average is approaching 10%. Our auto manufacturing base is where most of the unemployment can be found, to include all the supportive industries that were created with that manufacturing base.

The obvious problem with relying on one industry to support the majority of Michigan’s GDP is that the state goes as that industry goes. The auto industry has an unknown outcome at the present time. Will the consumer begin to trust the domestic auto companies enough for it to find a base at which it can produce enough cars to make GM, Ford and Chrysler profitable again? If the auto companies do survive, their share of the auto business will not be as large as it has been and this is true for the foreseeable future.

If we go with the premise that the domestic auto industry will be ½ of the size it was in 2007, there is a large hole left in the manufacturing capabilities of Michigan and surrounding states. That unused manufacturing capability will soon be lost if there is not another product to take its place….and soon. We continue to lose businesses and workers who are moving elsewhere to find work.

We may be able to find some new industry through manufacturing of renewable energy products such as solar panels and wind turbines. The truth here though is that these products are only now being manufactured because of government subsidies that make these items worthy of use. In a market economy, the winners and losers must be determined by the marketplace, not the government, if it is to survive long-term. There is some hope that we can be the leader in battery technology in the auto and energy marketplace, but again the technology is insufficient at present to make these products viable without government help.

The answer long-term has to be found in the businesses already found in Michigan. They are the ones who employ the majority of workers and pay the taxes. They need to be allowed to expand and explore new technologies without government intervention or a tax bill that is onerous. This country was built by the small businesses that grew through innovation and we can do that again if government stays out of the way in terms of burdensome regulations and taxes. In addition, the agricultural industry needs to be appreciated in this state for the business powerhouse that it is. They are feeding the citizens of this state and many others in this country and the world. Agriculture is first in state GDP at the current time. Long term, manufacturing needs to be in the forefront in Michigan but we cannot neglect what we already have as a vibrant industry.

New businesses should always be welcome in Michigan but our current climate does not allow that. Our state is heavily union- biased and that scares away any businesses who can do the same operation in a “friendlier” state. The amount of business tax and labor costs must also be lowered if we are to have any hope of attracting new business entities. Also, our shotgun approach to granting tax breaks to businesses is not a good long-term strategy. In fact, many of the new businesses that come into our area probably relocated from within Michigan. We are just robbing ourselves when that occurs. The obvious answer is to become a Right to Work state, keep business taxes low and regulate how much the state becomes involved in the private sector.