Occupation / Current Position
Commissioner/Delta County Board of Commissioners
Education
1998 Escanaba HS 2005 Bay College AAS Early Childhood Education
Qualifications and Experience
Delta County Board of Commissioners, Escanaba Planning Commission, Escanaba DDA, Delta County Democrats Chair
Michigan’s current education system is struggling. I will do all I can to put us back on the right track. Our school infrastructure cannot rely on millages for improvements. Our teachers can’t be expected to make an impact when they have to work a second job to get by. Our children need to be successful with or without results of a standardized test. I will work to allocate funding for the expansion of public school infrastructure improvements, teacher loan forgiveness and sign on bonuses so our teachers stay in the state after graduation and commit our state to research in alternative goal structuring to end standardized testing.
Our median household income is not staying in line with the rising costs of everything. I am in favor of a state increase in the minimum wage, a mandatory higher wage for tipped workers and promoting our trade schools and union expansion within our most rural communities. I am also in favor of universal 4 year post HS education so our children are not starting their lives in large amounts of debt.
We are on the precipice of something amazing. While other candidates in this race look to the future with uncertainty and fear (and that is then portrayed onto the electorate), I look to create a plan. We look at the short term-blockage of utility increases by billion dollar companies and a RICE unit carve out in the state clean energy law, I will advocate for clean and green energy expansion in our UP. Our Unions can be the leaders in the manufacturing and installation of solar and wind. There are so many options for the future that can come to fruition with a plan and leaders to get the job done.
I support due process for all residents including non citizens. I support all the Amendments, I don’t cherry pick my Amendments. I would support expediting the residency process and expediting citizenship for those who request it.
Occupation / Current Position
State Representative
Education
Bay De Noc Community College, Waukesha County Technical College, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Qualifications and Experience
Current State Representative, Former County Commissioner, Licensed Paramedic, Volunteer Firefighter, Small Business Owner, former Alger-Delta Electric Co-Op Board Member, Husband, Father
U.P. schools and teachers are doing the best with what they've been given from the state. Unfortunately, Lansing does not do enough to support rural school districts. We need the state to 1) give rural school districts more flexibility in how they spend their funds, ensuring that resources are spent to meet local needs, 2) pass my legislation that will change the teacher certification test and make it easier for U.P. schools to recruit new teachers from Wisconsin, and 3) protect parental rights in determining the education of their children, because a child's best advocate is their parent.
The price of energy is a major cost of every product and service, and the U.P. is looking down the barrel of an energy crisis. If Lansing’s green energy mandate is allowed to take effect, the remaining power plants in the U.P. will shut down and we will see the cost of energy skyrocket. Employers large and small would be forced to close their doors.
I’ve led the fight to keep our power plants online and to restore affordability and reliability as the primary goal of our state’s energy policy. Restoring common sense to energy policy will lower costs across the board and attract new investment that will last for generations.
Our energy policy must be completely focused on affordability and reliability, because there is nothing worse for the environment than energy poverty. I support an all-of-the-above strategy that depends on dispatchable fuels for baseload generation, which can be supplemented by renewables to help lower costs at times of peak demand.
I strongly support the rule of law, and that means protecting the constitutional rights of citizens and legal residents. I've introduced legislation to bolster our 4th Amendment rights by protecting private property from warrantless searches under the so-called "Open Fields Doctrine", which has been abused by the DNR for far too long. I have also strongly opposed restrictions on our 1st and 2nd Amendment rights.
Occupation / Current Position
Education and Community Outreach, Operating Engineers
Education
B.S. Education, Northern Michigan University; Masters of Public Administration, Northern Michigan University
Qualifications and Experience
City Planning Commissioner, City Charter Commissioner, City Commissioner, 3-term MI State Representative (16 years total local and state public service)
Having worked for 10 years in Michigan's K-12 public schools, we must ensure that there are safe learning environments for students and teachers and advocate for resources and policies that support student well-being. Promoting flexibility in curriculum design would allow educators to tailor their teaching methods to better meet the diverse needs of students and foster a more effective learning experience. Public education is still severely underfunded in Michigan, especially for rural areas that rely more on busing and have lower teacher salaries. Standardized testing should support student achievement gaps not drive curriculum reform.
Addressing the affordability crisis in Michigan requires a multifaceted approach, including raising the minimum wage, improving access to affordable housing, and enhancing job opportunities. Without these changes, many Michiganders will continue to struggle to meet their basic needs. Public-private housing initiatives and grants with MSHDA that build more housing and keep rental rates lower open accessibility. Prioritizing state budgets that investment in local roads, schools, and water/wastewater infrastructure keep communities from having to raise rates and additional revenue off residents, keeping basic services at affordable rates.
We need a federal electrical investment act that can help alleviate much of the rate restraint on residents as we build and invest in our infrastructure and switch to more environmentally friendly energy generation methods. States cannot do this alone on the backs of residents. Our electrical grids and systems were originally built with a majority of federal dollars, and states once again need that kind of investment as we rebuild and upgrade our current systems while supplying clean, affordable energy to residents.
I believe everyone has a right to a fair and judicial process before being convicted. I strongly support our first amendment rights and freedom of speech, and I also support the right to privacy, and freedom from unreasonable searches or seizures by the government. Coming from proud immigrants in the 1800's from Europe and Canada, I believe we have the right system for noncitizens to apply and go through the correct channels for citizenship. Throughout that process, all people deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity and respect.
