There are countless candidates for elected office that are talking about jobs. Clearly, thats because thats what most Michiganders are concerned about. There’s not a single person out there that has not been somehow adversely impacted by our high unemployment and sluggish economy. Nonetheless, they don’t talk about what it takes to create jobs in our state.

It’s easy to use buzz words but that won’t solve our problem.

There are lots of factors that will determine a positive economic outcome. But for the longterm, we need stable and consistent business climate. To do so, we need to make a commitment to our small business owners that we won’t send them on a taxation rollercoaster in already rough economic times. I’m calling for a stable and consistent small business tax code.

In the short-term, we need to incentivize businesses that are interested in expanding, relocating, and starting anew within our state. Just last week, a health billing systems company announced plans to grow 2,000 jobs downtown thanks to tax incentives.

In order to diversify our economy, we need to enhance research and development in technology and health sciences. We can encourage BTR Park-style partnerships with each of the fifteen public universities to cooperatively fund higher-ed, while incubating start-ups.  A health research business owner, recently told me he feels, “its that best way to retain our talent.” He hires his college interns from WMU!

We need to have a tax code that doesn’t punish small businesses and that reflects the trends of society. We have become a services society and our tax code needs to reflect that.

I support and will push for a universal pre-school option for families. From a proactive social and moral standpoint, this is something we must do to catch our kids up and assure they remain globally competitive.

Research has been conducted around the country making the argument that universal and full-day preschool and kindergarten programs are instrumental to gained early age social skills and preparation to keep kids on grade-level.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a University of Georgia study found that preschool drastically improved academic readiness scores compared to any national averages that exist. And from a perspective of public investment, research shows a payback in lower needs for social services later in life.

From an economic improvement perspective, majors factor when companies look to expand, start, or relocate is based on quality of life and the availability of a well-educated workforce. Our state’s education system may serve as a instrumental “selling point” when recruiting businesses to our borders.

Today at 3:18pm a deal was reached in Lansing regarding the 2011, K-12 State Budget. It was the first time in recent years that this area of the budget was resolved by the start of the next fiscal year for most school districts. This years School Aid Fund (SAF) will allow for an increase of $11/pupil in funding.  This is what we send people to Lansing to do.

Major thumps up!

Now the next big hurdle, what to do with the unanticipated $350 million in the SAF ?  Some legislators want to shift those dollars from the SAF to the General Fund to fill a $300 million gap that currently exists there. Don’t let legislators shift those dollars! In my opinion, it should be used to restore any lost funding, to enhance educational opportunities (afterschool programs, extracurriculars, or specials) or should be saved for a rainy day fund in education. If those funds were intended for schools, they should stay in schools.

Its has been a few weeks but we wanted to wrap up the Open Forum sponsored by WMU’s Office of Legislative Affairs held on May 18, 2010.

The event really showed off Chris’ passion and knowledge about the topics. Chris laid out a clear perspective about investing in our children and providing a quality education.

We’ve cut together a few clips from the event for you to watch. The whole event was about 2 hours so we kept it short to highlight a some key moments. Enjoy!

It is absolutely disgraceful that the proposed cuts in the state are coming from public education and higher learning institutions. Some schools districts will be faced with cuts of upwards of $433 per pupil because of the deferred cuts from the last budget settlement in Fall 2009.

The fifteen public universities in the state are now facing 3.1% cuts. In the early 80s, the state covered nearly 70% of public unversity costs, now the greatest burden is on students and families. Currently, in 2010, the state funds about 33% of the cost. The burden on families is simply too great to repeatedly face increased tuition bills each semester. This comes after earlier proposals to take away funds promised to students from the Michigan Promise program.

To me, one of the most disturbing figures comes from the amount of financial aid available to students this coming academic year. The amount available at WMU decreased from $5.7 million to $843,000. I largely depended on financial aid to get through college. This news assures that access to an affordable education to a person of low-income or poverty is nearly impossible.

My inspiration for this post is from a recent WMU News article posted on their website: http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news/2010/05/008.shtml

A frequent question I receive while talking to local residents has been: “How do you feel about term limits and/or transforming the legislature in Michigan to a part-time structure?”

Often times when I make these posts, I feel like I am opening the floodgates to opponents and positional opposition to attack me before they personally make statements on the issues themselves. Nonetheless, when I make an important purchase, I want to know what I am buying…so choosing your next State Representative should prove equally transparent. You deserve to know what you’re going to get!

My position on this issues has evolved somewhat in recent years but I feel quite secure in my sentiments these days. I believe that term-limits are a useful force in assuring that elected officials do not become warped politicians and remain more accountable to their constituents. It assures that the decisions they make are on the basis of what is truly best for their constituents, district, and state. Otherwise, there is potential for their political compass to direct their decision making and to potential to become too complacent in their seat. There needs to be a revolving door in Lansing to assure a continuous flow of leadership each five to ten years with fresh perspectives and views.

However, I feel that the three terms currently allocated to State Representatives has proved detrimental to Michigan. I feel it has led to relatively inexperienced legislators serving as chairs of influential and powerful committees after one or two terms. In my opinion, terms limits would best be served after a max of ten years in office or five two-year terms. Three terms is simply not enough time. I feel that ten years is long enough to learn the job well and make a substantive difference while serving.

Best I could find, there are currently 11 full-time legislatures in the country. Only four are considered strong full-time legislatures because of their pay and number of sessions held each year: California, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. Collectively, the average legislator from these states spend 80% of their time on the job which includes: time in session, constituent service, interim committee work, and election campaigns. The average compensation is $68,599 and each legislator has approximately 8.9 staff members. In Michigan, legislators are paid $79,650 per year and are provided with a $12,000 yearly allowance.

Do I think the pay is high? Yes. However, I do feel that turning the legislature into a part-time system will prove detrimental to enabling average citizens from seeking public office. It would reserve the ability to serve to those with flexible enough professions, such as: doctors, lawyers, or business owners. Forget about any person that holds a job from 9 to 5 and cannot afford to work part-time in Lansing while supporting a family. Most citizens from our state do not have the luxury of flex-schedules and serving your state should not be reserved to the social elite. How many friends and family members do you know that possess jobs that could take three to four months off to serve in Lansing?

Summary on the issues:
Do I believe in maintaining term limits? Yes.
Is a three-term system the way to go ? No.
Should there be more terms? Yes, two more.
Should we become a part-time legislature? No!
Are legislators in Michigan paid too much? Yes.

In case you are curious about compensation for legislators around the Nation, check out this link from the National Conference of State Legislators:
http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14785

To learn about which states are part-time, go to:
http://www.ncsl.org/?tabid=16701

Currently, there is a largely ignored and invisible injustice taking place around our state and country. It has to do with sexual orientation. I am so proud to live in a city that recently overwhelmingly passed Ordinance 1856, which seeks to prevent discrimination on this basis. Federally, law protects against discrimination on the basis of orientation only in public places. These laws negate the discrimination that occurs in private places of employment.

Nonetheless, the State of Michigan needs to pass a similar piece of legislation as Ord 1856. Twenty-two states (the District of Columbia), have broad coverage laws preventing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation—Michigan is not on that list. And of that list of 22, 18 states have exemption for religious institutions.

Discrimination goes far beyond broad anti-discrimination laws that are on the books for many other area of individual diversity. We need Ord 1856 caliber legislation in Michigan! Let’s stop dragging our feet. (more…)

Currently, the Michigan Legislature is meddling over legislation to ban cell phone texting while driving. Its taking far too long to pass and its far too necessary. We need to refer to what has worked in other states and communities and do so quickly. We have laws on the books for Segway use but weak cell phone enforcement. Each passing day, more and more people will be frivolously injured or killed.

Here’s a neat blog following the texting law progress in Michigan.

Oprah started a “No Texting While Driving” Pledge. I just took it. Take the pledge at here.

Additionally, check out some valuable information from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

The Asian carp invasion is a serious concern currently on the radar of Michigan policy-makers. The invasion of a fish species into the Great Lakes could pose a serious and irreversible economic impact to our $7 billion annual fishing industry.

According to the EPA’s own website: “Researchers expect that Asian carp would disrupt the food chain that supports the native fish of the Great Lakes. Due to their large size, ravenous appetites, and rapid rate of reproduction, these fish could pose a significant risk to the Great Lakes Ecosystem.”

Here’s a nice quality online video from Animal Planet to see what we are potentially up against.

According to my research, if the fish enter the ecosystem of the Great Lakes, the new species will pose a serious risk of competition for food with commercial and sport species of fish, thereby making the Asian Carp the dominant species of the lakes.

These fish can grow to upwards of 100 pounds and four feet in length. Their enormous size causes them to have a monster appetite for algae. The species was brought into the U.S. to assist with algae control in fishery ponds which subsequently flooded in the 1990s, spilling into the nearby waterways. The species has been found in the Illinois River which connects the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan through a canal transportation waterway in Chicago.

The sole gateway leading into Lake Michigan from the Illinois River is the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Currently, a number of environmental entities are working diligently to install an electric barrier between the canal and Lake Michigan.

So why does all this matter? The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has banded together with six other nearby states to demand that the State of Illinois close the Chicago-based canal. According to leading experts, there may be a $7 billion annual impact to the fish industry and 800,000 jobs it supports, If the species makes it into Lake Michigan. (more…)

I stumbled upon this issue when recently asked a survey question from the Michigan Information & Research Service in Lansing. The survey asked if I would vote to allow casino gaming, nicknamed “Racinos”, at Michigan’s racetracks. Upon some investigation, I learned that Indian and the three Detroit casinos are exempt from paying Michigan taxes. The three Detroit Casinos only pay an 8% tax to the City of Detroit. Racinos would not be exempt from paying Michigan taxes and it is estimated that allowing this form of gambling at racetracks would bring in an additional $400 million in revenue to the State. The Indian and Detroit casinos found a back-door loophole several years ago to prevent these racetracks from launching casinos and competing.

Now granted, I don’t want a casino in every town in Michigan. Furthermore, I do feel that having more selective/large-scale gambling venues is probably better for tourism. But nonetheless, aren’t racetracks already an arena for sanctioned gambling? And why would we stall an effort that could potentially bring in substantive tax revenue and create more jobs. If one were to go to spend some money at a casino, I think it would make more sense to gamble at a venue that produces revenue for our state than at a place where my money merely goes down the drain. These racetracks are not asking to build more casinos in everyone’s backyard, they are merely asking to enhance venues that already exist.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Check out these links on the topic:

• Issues Concerning Racino Development in Michigan
• ‘Racino’ race is on
• Petition for ‘racinos’ now under way