City of residence
Hastings
Age
48
Family
Wife Sherry
Daughter Natalie
Daughter Madalyn
Education
B.B.A. Western Michigan University 1994
Vehicles owned
2002 Acura MDX
2008 Honda Civic
Professional Experience
Tons
Political Experience
None
Race/ethnicity
White/Caucasian
Incumbent?
false
Michigan should repeal Prop A of 1994 and implement a progressive income tax. With those two changes to the tax code, our cities and school districts will be able to cover the cost of current and retired employees, as well as start investing in both.
Of course not. Two of our biggest cities are in financial ruin. Cities cannot invest in their infrastructure, something that is so desperately needed, because we give big tax breaks to big corporations who threaten to move their operations overseas.
Repeal Prop A.
Shameful. I am ashamed that in my state, my country, there are actually elected officials, along with their handlers who actively ignore the poisoning of their citizens. An illegal and unconstitutional City Dictator, with the blessing of our Governor, “Rick, the buck stops over there” Synder shut down the feed from Detroit and hooked up to the Flint river without treating the water. It didn’t matter who was asking questions, or what questions they were asking, in the end, the City Dictator got his way because Flint is broke. Our state would be the laughingstock of the country and the world if what happened weren’t so damned sad. Shameful. Stupid.
What's done is done. You can't undo that tragedy. NOW the infrastructure investment? What can the state do when it doesn't have any money? When the only response to every situation is "we need to cut taxes", there isn't money to fix it. Start raising revenue: Repeal Prop. A, implement a progressive income tax. Legalize marijuana. Implement a "Fat Tax" on fast food and sugary drinks. "Cutting Taxes" and "Government run like a business" got us here. How can it be the solution?
What have they done? Congress won't approve any appropriation to help. Again, it's never a problem to deficit spend when it involves a tax cut, but when powerless citizens need help, there is none to give. The hypocrisy is staggering.
Stop electing Republicans.
no.
no.
No. Let's pretend there are two people who pay taxes in Michigan. You and Dick Devos.
Should you pay the same amount? If you said, "No, those who have more should pay more." Congratulations! You support a progressive income tax.
Repeal Prop A. Implement a progressive income tax.
Are we to assume cities never struggled before 2010? What did they do then? The state and the city worked together to figure out a solution. A temporary cut in spending along with a temporary increase in revenue, along with loans from the state and grants to offset operating expenses, help from the federal government, etc. Since the 80's we've balanced budgets on one side: spending. This is so shortsighted. Cutting waste without hurting people can be done, but it isn't the only solution. Emergency managers are unconstitutional and soundly rejected by the voters. The voter's will was ignored. We are all paying the price for Republican hubris, no place more than Flint.
Yes.
No.
No.
YES. Gerrymandering is, along with unlimited political spending, the most insidious practice in our country. Those two factors will be the deciding effects that destroy the great experiment in democracy.
Yes.
Charter schools have every right to exist as private schools. Not one penny of taxpayer dollars should be spent on charter schools.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes. Eliminate mandatory sentencing. Legalize marijuana. More public defenders.
An all-encompassing law is silly. A low level bureaucrat misfiling a piece of paper that causes a road repair to take a month longer than necessary is much different than a Governor ignoring repeated warning signs that something in Flint's water is amiss and could lead to a major health crisis for children. Who is filing the law suit? What harm was caused? To sign a law absolving responsibility of certain high-ranking officials of poisoning a city is asking for trouble.
I do support this type of caucus. No person, no party has cornered the market on good ideas. If people don't talk to each other, they shout at each other. With that being said, Democrats have not had a say in state government in six years. Republicans have no interest in including arguments from the other side of the aisle. As such, they should expect the same consideration. As a rule, a caucus has no power unless it's big enough, but caucuses dissolve when their ideas and compromises are systematically removed by the people in power and only the party with the gavel gets their ideas implemented.
Repealed. It's freeloading. Plain and Simple.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.
Candidate did not provide a response.