Investing in K-12 Education
As a product of Michigan public schools, I know and appreciate the value that well funded schools can provide in shaping our workforce for tomorrow. I am deeply disturbed by the recent actions of the Governor and state legislature to raid the School Aid Fund by removing funding from local school districts to fund other priorities. As a state, we must invest in public education so residents have access to neighborhood schools and that our classrooms have appropriate student to teacher ratios. We must make sure that we are arming our teachers with the appropriate technology, training and resources to make sure students are getting the best educational opportunities.
Investing in Higher Education
If we are to prepare our students for the global economy, we need to create an investment strategy that increases the amount of state support to all institutions of higher learning from four year institutions to community colleges. The state of Michigan is blessed with world class higher education institutions. Unfortunately, the state of Michigan has not invested in this great resource having now fallen to 49th in the level of state support in additional investments across the nation. I believe that as a state we need to keep tuition affordable for students and working families. We need to support the role that universities and colleges have in economic/community development throughout the state. I, also, believe that every student should have access to service learning and international learning opportunities as part of their academic experience.
Investing in Growing the Economy
As an economic development professional and a former Mayor, I know the importance of building an environment for businesses to thrive. We need to work with existing businesses in our communities to help them access the capital and talented workforce they need to succeed. We need to further invest in our community colleges and workforce agencies to provide people with the skills to transition to different jobs in the new economy. We need to support the technology transfer from higher education institutions to entrepreneurs so we can take ideas from the laboratories to the marketplace. We need to adequately fund all levels of education so our students are prepared to enter in a global workforce.
Michigan is uniquely positioned in a number of industries such as advanced manufacturing, health care, alternative energy, information technology and transportation, distribution and logistics and we need to build off of these assets to grow our economy and jobs. We need to support these businesses to become more competitive in the global marketplace.
Investing in the Environment
From the Great Lakes to our national and state parks, Michigan is a great state to live in. It is our responsibility to preserve the wonderful natural assets we have for future generations to enjoy. I am proud that during my tenure as Mayor of East Lansing, we strengthened our wetland protection ordinances and that I signed the Mayor’s Climate Agreement committing our community to reducing its carbon emissions as a response to the Kyoto Protocols. On a state level, we need to ensure that we have the resources for effective enforcement to protect the Great Lakes, drinking water, and air quality. We need a comprehensive state agenda on clean energy and energy consumption which will help us make the right long term decisions. We also need to continue the investment that has been made in the alternative and green energy sector because it diversifies our energy options and creates jobs.
Supporting Progressive Issues
I am proud to have supported progressive issues throughout my entire career both in politics and in the nonprofit sector. Though our state has made many strides over the years, we have stepped back in some areas. I am a strong supporter of a women’s right to choose and strongly condemn the attacks on organizations that provide health and counseling services to women. In addition, I believe that we need to remove laws that hinder the rights of gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals. I have never hidden behind “civil unions” because I believe that all people should be afforded the opportunity to marry the person that they love. In the state legislature, I will continue to be a voice to protect the rights of underrepresented people across our state.
