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Michigan Voters Guide

Michigan Representative District 17

Choose one candidate. Representatives in the Michigan State House serve two-year terms and receive an annual salary of $71,685.

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  • Jeff Andring
    (UST)

  • Candidate picture

    Joseph Bellino Jr.
    (Rep)

  • Bill LaVoy
    (Dem)

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Biographical Information

How should the state assist other municipalities and school districts whose solvency is threatened by its financial obligations to current and future retirees?

Is the way the state funds our cities adequate to ensure safety and service delivery? If not, what changes would you support to our municipal finance model?

When cities are struggling, what is the appropriate way for the state to intervene? Should state intervention – through the emergency manager law or some other avenue – come with dollars attached? Why or why not?

How would you rate the state’s response to the Flint water crisis?

Explain your answer and what you would do, if anything, to improve the state’s response.

How would you rate the federal government’s response to the Flint water crisis?

Explain your answer and what you would do, if anything, to improve the federal government’s response.

Have you ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor? If so, explain.

Have you ever filed for personal bankruptcy? If so, explain.

Do you believe Michigan’s tax system is generally fair? If not, what changes do you support?

Would you support the establishment of a Detroit Educational Commission that would have authority to site, open and close traditional public and charter schools?

What changes, if any, would you support in the way Michigan authorizes and regulates charter schools?

Do you favor amending the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity?

Do you support state-level laws modeled on the federal Restoration of Religious Freedom Act?

Have you signed any public pledge to support or oppose any organization’s public policy objectives, such as outlawing abortion or barring any increase in taxes?

Do you support legislation to minimize or eliminate the influence of political parties on drawing lines for legislative districts?

Do you support decriminalization of recreational marijuana?

Do you support and will you appear at campaign events with your party’s presidential nominee?

Do you support the renewal and/or expansion of renewable energy mandates for Michigan energy producers?

Do we incarcerate too many people in Michigan? What would you change in the criminal justice system?

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City of residence Monroe
Mailing Address 1285 hollywood drive
monroe, Mi 48162
Age 58
Family Wife, Peggy, 58 Daughters, Mary Bezeau, Anne Sullivan and Meg Bellino
Education Graduate, Monroe County Community College.
Vehicles owned 2005 Ford e-250.
Professional Experience 18 years at Broadway, 5 years helping run Joe Lake Tire and Auto, 6 years at the Catholic charity St Vincent de Paul, in Detroit.
Political Experience none
Race/ethnicity Italain American
Campaign Website http://electjoebellino.net
Facebook http://joe bellino
Incumbent? false
Consolidation of services would be the first thing. But nobody wants to lose 'local control', even if it is bankrupt. That seems to be the issue. But with the state liable for all these public pensions, who needs to be accountable? Unfortunately we can not print money like the federal government. So shrinking the obligation is the only prudent way of solving these problems. My city of Monroe is not rich. It has an eroding tax base. Not growing , by ant significant means, population wise. But we have a diligent city council and mayor who planned for our future and shrunk government. Is it perfect, no. But we do not have a city manager.
Yes, the stat 'pie of cash' is only so big. We , locally, can get mad at Lansing all we want, but when our taxable base goes down, is it Lansing's fault? Shrinking and consolidating is the way to go.
On paper, the emergency manager model makes since. Has it developed into a perfect system, no. The manager does just that, manages. The position cant change 'systemic problem'. Like industrial flight, shrinking enrollment, or an eroding tax base. As we have seen, we have had a few 'flawed' managers. And we a quick to point them out, as we forget about who got us into the situation.
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We were late in developing a plan of action. We seem to get caught up in the minutia of all the data, crossing agencies, and shock of it all. But, if there is any silver lining, all across the nation we are talking about lead in our water systems. Your own paper, i believe, ran a story on the lead problems all over our state. And i, as a child, growing up at Detroit beach, in Frenchtown Township, was subject to real dirty well water. We were a quarter mile from Lake Erie, during the early 60's, when the beaches were basically empty because of the polluted water. We turned our water on , when it got clear, we washed. We drove once a week to get drinking water for drinking.
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What have they done to help? How much money have they pledged or giving to the citizens of Flint? They helped politicize the problem by not taking a lead in the fix.
no
no
Basically, yes. I work, i pay. In our system, those that work, pay.
No
They should step back and let locals run the schools. If our product is no good, the customers will leave. It is obvious that some sectors abhor Charter Schools as a concept. Why is this? Are there poorly run Charters? Yes. Should they be closed? yes. But how many public schools, that were not going broke, were shut down for 'poor performance'? We need to get honest.
the act says it prohibits discrimination based on 'religion,race,color,national origin,age,sex,height, weight, familial status or marital status;....sex is mentioned. Is there a problem? the word , sex, is not a definition of any orientation or identity. seems to be inclusive.
The government should stay out of the worship picture.I worship were i want. i have that freedom to do this and i don't need any law to tell me.
Yes, on taxes.
If you draw lines to redistrict, how could it not be political? Looking at the history of the population movement and redistricting, the people who complain are the ones not controlling the legislature.
Yep. The law we have now is a joke.
I will not be at my party's campaign events, nobody knows me. And i am not sure who i will vote for. In the last 40 years i have voted Democrat, Republican and for Ross Perot. Who said, by the way, NAFTA would lead to a giant 'sucking sound' of jobs going south..Everyone laughed and denied it....Who is laughing now??
Yes.
Not sure what the proper 'incarceration rate' should be. but bad people, real criminals prey on society when roaming our streets and villages.
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