Voter Guide - Birmingham/Bloomfield

AUGUST 7 PRIMARY

VOTER

GUIDE SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF DOWNTOWN NEWSMAGAZINE

PRESENTED BY THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITY SPONSORS: ASTREIN’S CREATIVE JEWELERS BIRMINGHAM FOOTCARE SPECIALISTS ROBERTS RESTAURANT GROUP SHADES OPTICAL

OTE

August 7 in the 40th District Democratic Primary

EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP

FOR MICHIGAN’S FUTURE “Our community deserves a State Representative who will bring honesty, energy, and fresh ideas to the Michigan Legislature.

I will work harder than anyone to make sure our government works for all of us, and to be your voice in Lansing.”

Mari Manoogian Democrat for State Representative, Michigan’s 40th District info@mariformi.com | 248-838-9550

Meet Mari

Endorsed By:

Lifelong Birmingham resident and proud product of Birmingham Public Schools Foreign policy professional with career experience at the U.S. Department of State & International Olympic Committee Michigan AFL-CIO

ƺǕƏȇ ǝƺȸ ƬƏȸƺƺȸ ǣȇ Ɏǝƺ áƏɀǝǣȇǕɎȒȇً (! ȒǔˡƬƺ Ȓǔ Congressman John Dingell (D-MI) Worked for U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power at the United Nations Earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s from the George Washington University

• • • • • • • •

AFSCME Council 25

Police Officers Association of Michigan

Michigan State Utility Workers Council Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers, Local 2 Detroit Plumbers Local 98 Utility Workers Union of America, Local 223 Sheet Metal Workers, Local 80 Iron Workers, Local 25 Communications Workers of America, Local 4123

• • • • • • • •

Former Mayor Michigan of Birmingham, Professional Firefighters Union Scott Moore

State Rep. Darrin Q. Camilleri (D) State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D) Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights Unite Here! Local 24 Rachel’s Action Network Launch Progress PAC Run For Something PAC Michigan Federation of College Democrats

Education for the 21st Century

Infastructure That’s Built to Last

Caring for Our Seniors

Protecting Our Environment

Demand transparency from charter school operators to protect our public education

Fix our roads across the district by ˡȇƏǼǼɵ ˡǼǼǣȇǕ ȵȒɎǝȒǼƺɀ ƏȇƳ ȅƏǸǣȇǕ repairs to county and local roads

Stand up against cuts to pensions, Medicare, and Medicaid

Make corporations pay their fair share when they take our state’s water resources

Increase funding for our state’s world-renowned public universities to expand higher-ed opportunities to all Michiganders

¨ɖɎ xǣƬǝǣǕƏȇ ƫɖɀǣȇƺɀɀƺɀ ˡȸɀɎ ƫɵ giving them priority on contract bids, so as we build our state up, we build our economy too

Repeal the pharmacist “gag rule” preventing Michiganders from accessing cheaper, generic medication

Ensure the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is staffed by public servants, not corporate polluters

for more information, visit

MARI forMI.COM

PAID FOR BY FRIENDS OF MARI MANOOGIAN | P.O. Box 1234, Birmingham MI, 48012

VOTER GUIDE 08.18

Inside this August primary election Voter Guide readers will find candidates’ answers to questions Downtown newsmagazine raised with those who have opposition in the August 7 election.

A primary election is designed to let voters determine which candidate in either the Republican or Democratic party will advance to the general election that will be held this November.

As a result, voters must decide in which party they will vote in a primary.

Represented in the following pages are candidates who have opposition in the August 7 election. Not all offices had more than one candidate file for a specific post, so candidates without opposition automatically advance to the November ballot and they were not asked to respond to the questionnaire sent out by Downtown newsmagazine.

In the relatively large field vying for offices in the August primary, there were a couple of candidates who did not respond to our request so they are not represented in the following pages.

4

9th District U.S. House/Democrats

7

11th District U.S. House/Democrats

Bloomfield Township, along with Franklin, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Royal Oak, Ferndale, and parts of Macomb County, including Eastpointe, Mount Clemens, St. Clair Shores, Roseville and Clinton Township.

Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, southwest Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, west Oakland lakes area and south Oakland County, along with parts of western Wayne County, including Plymouth, Livonia and Canton.

11

11th District U.S. House/Republicans

14

12th District Michigan Senate/Republicans

17

40th District Michigan House/Democrats

19

40th District Michigan House/Republicans

Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, southwest Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, west Oakland lakes area and south Oakland County, along with parts of western Wayne County, including Plymouth, Livonia and Canton.

Bloomfield Township, Franklin, Beverly Hills, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township, along with Orion, Independence and Oxford townships.

Birmingham Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, along with part of West Bloomfield.

Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, along with part of West Bloomfield.

august 7 primary voter guide Bloomfield Township

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT

Brook, a Bloomfield Township resident, attended Michigan State University and received his law degree from University of Michigan. He served on the Bloomfield Hills school board from 2005-2011.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS When President Trump came to office, he began to roll back a number of environmental regulations enacted by the past administration and reversed a number of decisions dating back to the Clinton administration that were designed to promote a cleaner environment. Do you support the administration’s efforts to minimize environmental regulations?

My campaign focuses on education, the economy, and the environment. We must be better stewards of our planet so that our children and our children’s children have an opportunity to thrive.

Commercial interests must pay the full cost of using public resources, such as air and water, rather than forcing future generations to shoulder the expense of depleted resources and remediation.

The fact that our public resources are given away for nearly nothing means that the true cost of excessive resource extraction, toxic emissions, and water pollution are simply shifted to future generations. The Trump administration is short-sighted and irresponsible.

Eliminating environmental protections is a travesty for our children.

TAX CUTS Do you support the tax cuts enacted by Congress at the urging of the Trump administration? Explain your position.

Our tax policy must be more progressive and must raise sufficient funds so that our government is properly equipped to serve its citizens. At the same time, like all organizations, government must operate efficiently and effectively.

Therefore, when and where appropriate, we should cut what is unnecessary and reform pieces of government that no longer achieve relevant policy goals.

Importantly, Congress made sacred 4B

In the most recent budget adopted by Congress, and in tax legislation approved by both the House and Senate, the national debt has continued to skyrocket.

There has been talk of Congress now attempting to reduce the deficit by cutting back on programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Do you support trimming these programs to reduce the budget? Are there other areas of the budget that should be targeted to bring the budget back under control and over time reduce the national debt?

I wholly and completely reject and will fight against the decades-long tactic of starving the federal government into incompetence and irrelevance.

Instead, taxes should be set at a level necessary to currently fund the public services and civil society that we hold dear. Deficit spending should be undertaken to fund national emergencies and to invest in our future through infrastructure, environmental protection and education. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are vital lifelines that many Americans count on and it would be a severe breach of public trust to rescind those promises now or ever. Fixing these programs so they are sustainable in the long-term requires very little policy change, just a Congress willing to do it.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE Despite attempts by the current administration and Republican members of Congress, a substantial number of persons continue to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare. What is your position on the current Affordable Care Act and the issue of a national health care plan in general?

America’s healthcare system is broken for all involved – people, providers, and employers alike.

Based upon benchmarking with the rest of the world, our system of employer-driven healthcare does not deliver the best care to Americans and it costs too much money. Plus, the current system leaves most families just one accident, illness, or injury away from total financial disaster, even with insurance. It isn’t right that healthcare is only available if you can afford it. I would work to reform our system based upon my belief that high-quality healthcare is a

human right. One system that deserves attention is single payer.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY President Trump has eliminated the policy governing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that granted deportation relief for immigrants who came here as children (under the age of 16), which was created in 2012 by the Obama administration. Do you support continuation of the DACA program? Should Congress move to find a common ground that will provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants?

My opinion on this issue is based upon two ideas. First, that immigrants are a blessing not a threat and second, that public policy should be based upon empathy not fear. Therefore, I support DACA. I also believe that the Dreamers should be allowed to stay here with proper work authorization while Congress works on a comprehensive immigration solution. I will support a solution that includes enforcement but also provides greater opportunities for legal immigration that is based upon both family-based immigration and merit-based immigration. I will oppose the Trump wall at every turn.

Bloomfield Twp.

Troy

Bloomfield Hills

Birmingham Franklin

Bingham Farms

MARTIN BROOK

promises that cannot be broken under any circumstance: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid must be properly funded, not reformed out of existence. In conclusion, I do not agree with the Trump tax cuts because tax cuts are not the solution to every problem.

Sylvan

U.S. HOUSE 9TH DISTRICT/DEMOCRAT

Beverly Hills

City of Southfield

Southfield Twp. Lathrup Village

Clawson

9

Royal Oak

Berkley

Madison Hgts

Huntington Woods

Oak Park

Pleasant Ridge

Ferndale

Hazel Park

Royal Oak

Bloomfield Township, along with Franklin, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Royal Oak, Ferndale, and parts of Macomb County, including Eastpointe, Mount Clemens, St. Clair Shores, Roseville and Clinton Township.

Yes, the President should consult with Congress before sending forces into foreign countries. The post 9/11 authorization has become a greenlight for a never-ending war. Congress must revisit this authorization and exercise its constitutional duties. But, I do not agree that the President must seek a declaration of war anytime the military is sent into a foreign country.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS

GUN CONTROL What is your position on the need for added gun control legislation? Which, if any, of the following gun control measures could you support: Requiring expanded background checks? Background checks at gun shows? Banning bump stocks?

Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons?

Every right in the constitution is regulated and so should this one. I strongly support new legislation restricting access to weapons of war and limiting the ability to amass a personal armory. I also recognize that guns are used for sport, protection, and as tools in rural areas. Citizens do and should have a protected right for those uses. We must set aside the inflammatory rhetoric on both sides and come together as a country to work to solve the mass shootings occurring in our schools and in our communities. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. We need real solutions before another school student dies. Specifically, increase training/licensing requirements, implement smart technologies, and reverse the ban on federal research into guns and gun safety. We need to increase student support networks that previously existed in our schools through counselors, social workers, and school psychologists.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS: Should this or any President be required to consult with Congress before sending our military forces into foreign countries?

VOTER GUIDE/DOWNTOWN

The current administration has expressed its desire to withdraw from many of the international trade agreements entered into by past administrations. The President has also authorized import tariffs in recent months. Do you agree with the President on the trade agreements? What will the impact be of the import tariffs?

Some countries have barriers to free trade and there is a process to deal with that fact. We should aggressively utilize those processes, not unilaterally implement tariffs. As far as trade agreements, we must always negotiate trade agreements that are beneficial to people (not just companies) and enter into agreements that expand American values concerning employment rights, human rights, the environment, capitalism, and democracy. We should couple these efforts with robustly funded trade adjustment programs.

Unfortunately, starting with NAFTA we have not always done these things. It is important to recognize that trade agreements are as much about expanding American power and values as they are about trade. If we walk away from these agreements, America is the short and long-term loser of commerce, influence, power, and security.

WHY YOU Why should a voter choose you over an opponent on the primary ballot?

Members of Congress have four things on their job description: advocate, legislate, government oversight, and AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

august 7 primary voter guide

constituent services. Hire me to be your congressman because my work experience, public service, and opposition to PAC money set me apart from my opponents. I have been practicing labor/employment law for 22 years. I am experienced at advocating on behalf of my clients – and can do the same for my constituents. I was elected to the BHS board and served as its president. We oversaw the district in an effective, open, and transparent manner. I have legislated without ever being elected to Lansing – I wrote, negotiated, and testified in support of two bills that became law with massive bipartisan support. Congress needs new people from outside the political system who are unafraid to disrupt big-money politics practiced by both parties and are willing to stand up to the status quo practices that keep Congress from fulfilling its promise.

ANDY LEVIN

facilitated almost $13 million in clean energy projects, creating well-paying jobs, making our businesses more efficient and competitive, and reducing our carbon footprint. I know from experience that we can speed the deployment of electric vehicles, solar, wind, biomass, and other clean energy along with advanced batteries to store the new energy we create. In Congress, I will help make our state a leader in clean energy technology, which will create reliable, good-paying jobs, protect the environment and keep communities safe from pollutants.

TAX CUTS No, I do not. The GOP tax plan gave corporations and the wealthiest Americans a huge, permanent windfall while working families got tiny cuts that expire after several years. This plan was not a reform; it was a shakedown. How unfair was it? The richest one percent of Americans will reap 83 percent of the benefit. Especially given that the distribution of income and wealth in this country is already the most unfair it’s been in a century, that’s a moral obscenity. Let’s implement a fair tax system where corporations and the wealthy pay their share to fix our roads, protect Social Security and Medicare, and provide quality education for every child.

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT

Levin lives in Bloomfield Township, attended University of Michigan and received his law degree from Harvard. He was the acting director for the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Growth, and Chief Workforce Officer for the state of Michigan.

He currently runs an energy company.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

We have a moral obligation to protect and preserve our land, air and water, starting with our Great Lakes. We have to tackle overtaxed and outdated sewer systems that threaten waterways like the Clinton River and add pollutants to Lake St. Clair. Indeed, we need to protect our water not just in the wilderness, but also in Flint and every other city. Above all, we must address climate change with tremendous urgency. Saving our planet and our people from global warming is a moral imperative, but it’s also an economic opportunity. I created Lean & Green Michigan to help businesses and nonprofits retrofit their buildings for energy efficiency, water efficiency and renewable energy like solar. We have AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

No, we should not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid in order to balance the budget. These programs are the safety net for the middle class, and we must not only protect them but improve and expand them. The Trump tax giveaway adds $1 trillion to the national debt, so start by repealing that. Then let’s cut back on the massive $700 billion increase in defense spending approved in the omnibus budget Congress approved in March. We need to maintain a strong defense that maintains our military superiority over other countries, but we can trim military spending further without calling that into question. We should emphasize diplomacy and multilateralism rather than acting as the world’s policeman. And we need to turn back to nuclear disarmament, reducing our stockpiles along with those of Russia, China and others, further decreasing spending that way.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE Health care is a basic human right.

Period. Having access to quality health care and affordable prescription drugs shouldn’t be contingent upon your zip code. As a cancer survivor and the father of two sons who live with Crohn’s disease, I understand the physical,

emotional, and financial toll of chronic illness and why it is so important that we pass Medicare for All and address the astronomical costs of prescription drugs. If elected, I will fight any efforts by the Trump administration to deprive Michigan families of medical care, I will work to fix problems with the ACA, and I will work to ensure access to health care for every American.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY Yes, I support continuation of the DACA program. Trump should never have ended the program, and his legal reasoning has been rejected by the courts. Ending DACA would represent a humanitarian and economic disaster for our state. Michigan stands to lose $13 million in local and state taxes and $400 million in economic activity each year if our Dreamers are deported. We must provide these bright young people with a path to citizenship. I also support broader immigration reform.

I’ve been active on this issue for decades, ever since I co-founded a group called Immigration Reform, Advocacy, Training and Education after the Immigration Reform and Control Act was passed in 1986. There are approximately 11 million undocumented people in this country. The vast majority of them are working, contributing to the economy, living peacefully, and doing nothing more than my own ancestors did – seeking a better life in America. The 9th District is full of such families. We need a reasonable system where people who have spent “x” number of years living, working and paying taxes here can become citizens of this country over time.

Ripping families with clean records apart simply because they came to the U.S. illegally or overstayed a visa many years ago is immoral and counterproductive.

With birth rates dropping, we need immigrants to help revitalize our cities and inner suburbs and fill out our workforce, which otherwise will face critical shortages in the years ahead.

GUN CONTROL As the father of four kids educated in public schools, the bottom drops out of my stomach every time one of these tragedies strikes. As a person of faith, I’m sick of hearing the “thoughts and prayers” coming from the very people who are supposed to take action.

Congress does nothing because the Republican party is beholden to the NRA. We need universal background checks, gun violence restraining orders, a new assault weapons ban, a bump stock ban, and more. It will likely take a movement like those for civil rights, women’s rights and the environment to tackle the epidemic of gun violence. We have to build this movement, and young people are leading the way. I will not accept money from the NRA. I will fight

VOTER GUIDE/DOWNTOWN

for sensible gun policies, which is why I’ve received the Gun Sense Candidate distinction from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS Absolutely, the President should be required to consult with Congress before sending our military forces into foreign countries. But that isn’t enough.

We need to elect people to Congress who will work to shift our foreign policy, which is stuck in the imperialist mindset. I organized demonstrations against the Iraq War, and would have voted against it had I been in Congress at the time. It’s been a huge disaster and created a mess that spawned ISIS. Jimmy Carter’s saber rattling response to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 helped give us Osama bin Laden – we literally funded his group back then. I believe we should shift our efforts towards peace, diplomacy, cultural exchange, and providing significant aid to developing countries (which costs a small fraction of military intervention) and try to prevent and solve some of these problems instead of taking sides by arming various parties.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS With Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs (like everything else), he acts or tweets without thinking or listening. But politicians are just as wrong when they overlook American workers’ justifiable frustration over the series of bad trade deals and economic policies pursued by China and others that led to Trump’s tariff action. We need a fighter in Congress who will stand up for trade policies that protect workers’ rights and end the race to the economic bottom for workers around the world. It’s time for a new trade regime aimed not at freeing capital to move all the work where wages are lowest, worker safety regulations are the weakest and environmental protections lacking, but rather at raising the standard of living for workers in all countries involved and protecting our one, precious planet everywhere. We need to crack down on dumping, currency manipulation, theft of intellectual property and other violations by China and any others who do the same. Let’s change our tax policies to incentivize creating good jobs at home, and increase job training and apprenticeships.

WHY YOU I created and ran Union Summer for the national AFL-CIO, putting over 1,000 young people on union organizing and bargaining campaigns across the country, garnering national press coverage. I helped hundreds of nursing home workers organize for a better life in the 1980s. I created and ran No Worker Left Behind, which helped 5B

august 7 primary voter guide

162,000 Michigan workers attend community colleges, universities and other approved training programs for free during the Great Recession. I founded and currently run Lean & Green Michigan, which is putting people to work, reducing our carbon footprint and making our businesses more competitive by helping companies and non-profits finance energy efficiency, water efficiency and renewable energy improvements. I’m the only candidate in my race with significant state government, federal government and private sector experience, but also decades of hell-raising experience to demand justice for working people in this country. I’m ready to go to Washington and help lead a new movement to restore the American middle class. I’m somebody who likes to work with everyone to solve people’s problems. I got Democrats and Republicans in Lansing to come together to appropriate funds for No Worker Left Behind, and my current Lean & Green Michigan program has been adopted by very “red” counties, very “blue” counties, and everything in between. But the bottom line is that I’m a local kid who has devoted my life to fighting for people over profits. I was born and raised in this district. I’m a product of Berkley public schools and all four of our kids are graduates of or still attending public schools in the 9th District. We’re putting them through college. I know what it’s like to try to raise a family in this era when the middle class is under attack every single day. If you send me to Washington, I will not be a backbencher, but a leader in the fight for broadly shared prosperity that used to define this country, and must once again.

ELLEN LIPTON

Lipton, a Huntington Woods resident, attended Williams College and Harvard Law School. She was state Representative for the 27th District from 2009-2015.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS As a scientist, I find it offensive that we have a climate denier in the White House. Environmental protection regulations are critical for ensuring our 6B

children inherit a healthy planet, and I strongly oppose their elimination or minimization. I oppose every example listed above, and would add that I am appalled at the Trump administration’s downsizing of our national monuments and their defunding of research aimed at studying climate change and the health effects of coal mining, to name a few other examples of their attacks on science and the environment. In Congress, I would support the Clean Power Plan, and I would fight to end subsidies for fossil fuel production and to transition our economy to 100 percent dependence on clean, renewable energy by 2050. As a state Representative, I was named an Environmental Champion by the Sierra Club and a Clean Water Action Hero by Clean Water Action.

TAX CUTS No, I do not support the Trump tax cuts. Trump and Congressional Republicans promised their plan would spur business investment, create jobs and let most Americans take home more money in their paychecks – but instead, we’ve seen sparse business investment, huge corporate share buybacks and fat bonuses for executives, while the majority of Americans say they haven’t seen a paycheck boost at all. For a tax code that will benefit working people and the middle class, we need to raise taxes on the nation’s wealthiest one percent and consider a broader array of options on taxing investments such as a tax on high-frequency trading. We need to expand the estate tax, and vigorously prosecute individuals and companies that avoid their civic duty to pay tax by hiding their money in offshore bank accounts and engaging in elaborate shell company schemes.

better spent on education, infrastructure, healthcare, and other domestic programs.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE As a survivor of MS, I have been incredibly lucky to be able to afford treatment that allows me to live a healthy life. But no American should have to depend on luck – healthcare should be a right. I support universal healthcare.

While I strongly oppose efforts to undermine the ACA, I do not believe it is a viable long-term solution to America’s healthcare woes. It is too complex, too costly for too many Americans and too susceptible to undermining. We need a Medicare for All system that will be accessible to everyone, provide comprehensive coverage, and remove the profit incentive. To transition to this system, I would support a federal jobs program that would help transition or retrain potentially displaced workers, and I would support the new system being phased in over a reasonable length of time. Medicare for All will ensure that Americans spend less on healthcare overall while receiving better treatment.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY I strongly support protecting our Dreamers and believe they should be given an immediate path to citizenship.

I also believe it is incredibly important that Congress works together towards comprehensive immigration reform, and I would support a plan that would provide a path to citizenship for all undocumented people in this country (with an exception for those with criminal convictions). Undocumented people contribute to our society, pay taxes, work hard, and should be allowed to take advantage of the American dream.

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT

GUN CONTROL

I vigorously oppose cutting social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. I support the expansion of Social Security and Medicaid and support Medicare for All. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of millions of hardworking Americans – it is both morally wrong and economically short-sighted, as investment in these programs will create a healthier society and stronger economy in the long run. To bring the budget under control, we need to take a hard look at our defense spending. We must absolutely invest every resource in making sure our service men and women and veterans are sufficiently well taken care of and provided for, but we cannot ignore the vast billions that are misappropriated for defense spending that do nothing to make our country safer. We’ve been at war in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years, spending by some estimates over $200 million per day. That money would be

As a mom, I am outraged at the level of gun violence our children are subjected to, and I am strong proponent for common sense gun reform. I am proud to have received the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction, and I would support requiring expanded background checks as well as background checks at gun shows, raising the age on the purchase of weapons to at least 21, banning military style weapons and bump stocks, and ensuring that people with a history of domestic violence, violent mental illness or a propensity for self harm are unable to purchase guns.

American lives and dollars. Decisions about where to deploy our military forces should be debated and ultimately decided by representatives of the American people.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS I agree with the President that NAFTA has been bad for the American worker, and I would not have supported the TPP, because I believe it would have heavily favored large, multinational corporations over the interests of workers and did not include sufficient environmental protections. However, I do not think it wise to withdraw from NAFTA without a viable replacement, and I would not trust the Trump administration to make such a deal. Tariffs can occasionally be a useful tool to protect American industries, but in the case of Trump’s import tariffs, I do not believe they have been rolled out or targeted in an effective way. Fears of sparking a trade war are not unfounded, and it is possible that they will have a negative impact on jobs and raise prices.

WHY YOU I didn’t take a traditional path to politics – I began my career as a biochemist and patent attorney. My life began to change when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and I first became politically active as a citizen advocate for the repeal of Michigan’s ban on stem cell research.

That experience inspired me to run for office, and in 2008, I was elected to my first of three terms as a state Representative. As the only candidate in this race with legislative experience, I have the track record to prove I can fight for Michigan families. In Lansing, I stopped the dangerous Betsy DeVos school privatization agenda, cofounded the Progressive Women’s Caucus to elect pro-choice women, spearheaded criminal justice reform, and was endorsed and awarded by a broad range of organizations for my leadership. In Washington, I won’t just be a reliable vote – I’ll be a legislative leader for Michigan.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS Yes. Time and time again we’ve been dragged into wars that have done little to nothing to improve our national security and have cost countless

VOTER GUIDE/DOWNTOWN

AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

august 7 primary voter guide Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills

U.S. HOUSE 11TH DISTRICT/DEMOCRAT

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT

Greimel, of Auburn Hills, attended undergrad and law school at the University of Michigan.

He served on the Rochester School Board from 2001-2008; Oakland County Board of Commissioners from 2007-2012; and has been a state Representative for the 29th District since 2012.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS When President Trump came to office, he began to roll back a number of environmental regulations enacted by the past administration and reversed a number of decisions dating back to the Clinton administration that were designed to promote a cleaner environment. Do you support the administration’s efforts to minimize environmental regulations?

No. Protecting Michigan’s environment is essential in order to protect thousands of jobs in tourism, shipping, and agriculture. It also means protecting the quality of life for our families. Gutting environmental standards and ignoring the science of climate change not only damages our environment, but also sets back Michigan businesses in the green technology market. It is not true that less environmental protection means more business, as Trump seems to believe. That’s why in the Michigan House of Representatives, I successfully championed an increase in our state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency standards. The right protections can boost our economy and keep our water, earth, and air safe and clean for generations.

TAX CUTS Do you support the tax cuts enacted

by Congress at the urging of the Trump administration? Explain your position.

While some of the changes to the tax code do benefit middle class and AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

In the most recent budget adopted by Congress, and in tax legislation approved by both the House and Senate, the national debt has continued to skyrocket. There has been talk of Congress now attempting to reduce the deficit by cutting back on programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Do you support trimming these programs to reduce the budget? Are there other areas of the budget that should be targeted to bring the budget back under control and over time reduce the national debt?

The national debt hampers economic growth and unfairly burdens future generations, but the budget must never be balanced on the backs of retirees.

That Republican style of slash-and-burn deficit reduction is unjust and unnecessary. Americans earn Social Security by working and paying into the system, and Medicare and Medicaid are effective programs for keeping Americans insured and healthy. The current proposals to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid would be unnecessary without the portions of Trump’s tax plan that lavish tax giveaways on corporations and billionaires. Moreover, the government could save billions of dollars in Medicare by negotiating bulk pricing for prescription drugs. Unfortunately, Medicare is prohibited from negotiating drug prices under a statutory provision backed by big pharma. I support repealing that provision so that the government can negotiate fair prices and save money for both taxpayers and seniors.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE Despite attempts by the current administration and Republican members of Congress, a substantial number of persons continue to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare. What is your position on the current Affordable Care Act and the issue of a

national health care plan in general?

As the Democratic Leader in the Michigan House of Representatives, I successfully fought to expand Medicaid coverage to 650,000 Michiganders with the Healthy Michigan Plan. We must maintain the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid and its protections for those with pre-existing conditions. At the same time, we need to fix the problems with the ACA. In the short term, that means bolstering the healthcare exchanges in order to lower premiums. In the longer term, it means building on our successful Medicare system by allowing every American, regardless of age, to buy into Medicare.

field p.

Bloomfield Hills

Birmingham am s

TIM GREIMEL

working families, the bulk of the Trump tax law benefits large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to the detriment of fiscal responsibility. The Trump tax law’s lavish giveaways to corporations and wealthy individuals are permanent while the benefits for working and middle class families sunset after a few years. The plan is not paid for and will add $1.5 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years, burdening future generations and making it harder to make needed investments in infrastructure and education.

Beverly Hills

Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, southwest Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, west Oakland lakes area and south Oakland County, along with parts of western Wayne County, including Plymouth, Livonia and Canton.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS

President Trump has eliminated the policy governing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that granted deportation relief for immigrants who came here as children (under the age of 16), which was created in 2012 by the Obama administration. Do you support continuation of the DACA program?

Should Congress move to find a common ground that will provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants?

Should this or any President be required to consult with Congress before sending our military forces into foreign countries?

Those who are eligible for DACA must be allowed to continue living in the U.S. and should be given a pathway to citizenship. More broadly, we need immigration reform that strengthens our nation’s tradition of legal immigration, while investing in additional border security.

GUN CONTROL What is your position on the need for added gun control legislation? Which, if any, of the following gun control measures could you support: Requiring expanded background checks? Background checks at gun shows? Banning bump stocks?

Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons?

In the Michigan legislature, I have taken the lead in opposing reckless proposals to allow people to carry concealed firearms in schools and to carry concealed firearms without even obtaining a permit or receiving any training. Nobody outside of the military or law enforcement needs a militarystyle assault weapon, and I will fight for long overdue common sense reforms, like reasonable age restrictions, a ban on bump stocks, universal background checks, and red-flag legislation to prevent dangerous individuals from obtaining firearms.

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Congress alone has the Constitutional authority to declare war, but Republicans and Democrats alike have put too much trust in the Presidency to do the right thing and act without congressional approval. In Congress, I will work to forge a bipartisan consensus around the use of military force.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS The current administration has expressed its desire to withdraw from many of the international trade agreements entered into by past administrations. The President has also authorized import tariffs in recent months. Do you agree with the President on the trade agreements?

What will the impact be of the import tariffs?

Everyday people have no seat at the table of high-stakes trade negotiations, but huge corporations and billionaires always have their say. The result has been trade deals that have at times hurt small business owners and American workers. It is imperative for trade deals to include protections for labor and environmental standards.

WHY YOU Why should a voter choose you over an opponent on the primary ballot?

The people of the 11th District deserve to be represented by someone with a track record of winning tough legislative fights in order to advance progressive legislation that protects their values and economic wellbeing. I successfully fought book-banners when I was on the Rochester school board and passed a 7B

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bipartisan initiative on the Oakland County Board of Commissioners to enable small businesses to get access to loans at the depth of the Great Recession. As the House Democratic Leader, I successfully negotiated the Grand Bargain to lift Detroit out of bankruptcy, championed an increase to the minimum wage, and passed the expansion of Medicaid to provide health insurance for 650,000 previously uninsured Michiganders. I have a proven track record of delivering results, and I am ready to hit the ground running in Congress to pass progressive legislation that will give everyone a real shot at the American Dream.

class will bear the burden of increasing interest rates and loan costs.

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs provide vital services to millions of Americans, and they should not be punished because Republicans in Congress decided that pushing through tax cuts to benefit their wealthy, corporate friends is more important than ensuring we have a manageable national debt. To manage the debt, we should ensure that the wealthiest in this nation are paying their fair share of tax, not cut essential programs.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE

SUNEEL GUPTA

Every American has the right to affordable, quality healthcare. I will join the front lines in Congress in the battle to protect the gains we’ve made with the Affordable Care Act and the coverage it extends to millions of Americans, while working to reduce costs. We need to continue to protect the Children’s Health Insurance Program so no family will have to ever worry that lack of insurance will keep them from caring for their children.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY

Gupta grew up in Novi and currently lives in Birmingham. He attended University of Michigan Dearborn and Northwestern University, and has worked in the tech and health care industries.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS I do not support the Trump Administration efforts to eliminate environmental protections. We only have one world and we must do everything we can to protect it, not repeal essential laws put in place to do just that. We must come together as a country and world to fight climate change. If we continue to eliminate these laws, we will find that much sooner than anticipated, our world will become uninhabitable due to fully preventable causes.

TAX CUTS I do not support the tax cuts as configured. The recent cuts are an effort

by Republicans to benefit the wealthiest one percent and richest corporations rather than middle class Americans, and will ultimately result in an increase in taxes for most all Americans. Tax cuts like this have resulted in corporations like Nestle, Boeing, and GE paying zero dollars in federal taxes, while the middle 8B

America should continue to be a place of hope and opportunity, where you can work hard and make a better life for your family. That’s what my parents did.

My mother spent the first 16 years or her life in a refugee camp, but she taught herself math and science and came to America. Here, she became Ford Motor Company’s first female engineer. That is why we must protect and provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers. Dreamers came to this country when they were children through no control of their own, and many of them have never known another home. They pay taxes and contribute to our country, and many of them serve in our military. It’s time we give them the stability and path to citizenship they have earned.

Constitution. Yet, we must be mindful that in this day and age conflicts often require military action before Congressional approval can be gained.

Affairs for the city of Detroit Mayor’s Office, 2015-2017.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS

In Congress, I pledge to serve as a vigilant steward of our natural resources: clean air, water, and soil; unspoiled public lands; and ecological diversity. The Trump deregulatory agenda, in service to powerful industries and corporate greed, is an urgent threat to public health. Here in Michigan, we’ve seen how this story ends: communities like Flint, blighted by water crisis; multinational corporations plundering our resources for pennies; and imminent threats of groundwater contamination and pipeline spills. I will hold Scott Pruitt to account for his destructive, unethical management of the EPA. I will be a tireless advocate for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), providing funding to strategically target the biggest threats to our Great Lakes ecosystem (including the longoverdue decommissioning of Line 5).

And I will push for re-entry into the Paris Agreement, before our generation squanders its chance to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

I’ll fight to renegotiate trade agreements so that they work for American workers.

My parents came to this country in search of the American Dream. They built a life for themselves here working as engineers for Ford Motor Company for 30 years, until they were both laid off on the same day in 2001. My family, like countless others, has known opportunity, and we’ve known what it means to have the rug pulled out from underneath them because of unfair trade deals. We must stop companies from shipping good jobs overseas and bring back jobs to Michigan. I’ll stand up to any president and any congress who gives companies incentives to ship jobs to other countries. Instead, I want to reward companies that reinvest and actually create good jobs here at home.

WHY YOU I’m the one candidate in this race with hands-on healthcare and job-creating experience. As an entrepreneur with a science background, I’m not a political insider and I’m not beholden to any corporate interests. I am fighting for a progressive agenda that will create lifelong educational opportunities, good jobs, a healthy environment, and promote affordable, quality health care for all. I am prepared to fight for safe workplaces, equal pay, and to end gun violence. Every day citizens need a champion, and I am ready to serve them.

FAYROUZ SAAD

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

TAX CUTS The Trump tax law is our broken politics in a nutshell: a short-term giveaway to wealthy donors, with the next generation footing the bill. It threatens to cripple a generation already struggling for a foothold in the middle class: the CBO forecasts it will add $1.9 trillion to our national debt over the next ten years. Our tax law reflects our priorities – and at a moment when our infrastructure is crumbling, when aid for public education is being cut, and when too many Americans can’t afford health insurance, our top priority cannot be ensuring the top one percent a still greater share of the nation’s wealth. When we’re offering a household with an estate of $22 million a tax cut that would have covered Pell grants for 1,100 working class students, we need leaders in Congress who will face every decision asking, “Is it good for the middle class?”

GUN CONTROL BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT I believe that we can implement common sense gun violence prevention legislation while honoring the Second Amendment, including instituting red flags, banning assault weapons and bump stocks, giving greater funding to researching gun violence and mental health, and implementing universal background checks.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS Our Constitution requires congressional approval before a declaration of war and every President must follow our

Saad, of Northville, graduated from the University of Michigan and received her masters in public administration from the Kennedy School at Harvard University. She was a presidential appointee at the Department of Homeland Security from 2009-2011, and director of Immigrant

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The tax and spending bills signed by President Trump are proof that the modern Republican Party is anything but fiscally conservative. Republicans in Congress will happily rack up mountains of debt if it advances their top priority: redistributing wealth to the top one percent. In Congress, I will defend programs providing a baseline of dignity and security for working and middle class Americans: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. And I support the Social Security Expansion Act, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

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which would index benefits to more accurately reflect costs facing retirees.

That said, I believe in careful oversight of taxpayer dollars, including our largest discretionary outlay: defense spending.

The first-ever audit of the Pentagon is underway, but the administration’s 2019 budget calls for an $80 billion (11 percent) increase in military spending. We need an empowered Democratic majority in Congress to ensure this audit’s findings are made public, and implemented.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE I begin and end with the position that healthcare is a basic right for every American – period. The Affordable Care Act made healthcare affordable for millions, and took important steps toward reining in costs and setting standards of care. But medical debt remains the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States, and reliable, quality healthcare remains unaffordable for millions, including seniors, and hard-working moms and dads. I believe the fairest and most practical path to universal coverage is a Medicare for All system, to be phased in over four to five years. This would begin by expanding access to Medicare to those 55 and older and those 19 and younger, and continuing to lower the age of eligibility by 10 years for the next four years until everyone is covered. (During this four-year period, other adults not yet covered could buy into Medicare.)

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY As the proud daughter of Lebanese immigrants, and Director of Immigrant Affairs under Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, I know in my bones that welcoming newcomers to America isn’t just true to our values: it’s also good business, and good politics. I’m proud of my record in Detroit. I know common ground on immigration is possible, because I’ve sat across from business, civic and religious leaders to find it. We worked together to revitalize Detroit’s neighborhood economies, by clearing paths to basic social services and developing immigrant-owned small businesses. And together, we set a national example at the height of the refugee crisis, resettling 110 refugee families. The administration’s hostility to immigrants – both documented and undocumented – is appalling.

Immigrants are our family, friends, coworkers and neighbors. In Congress, I will make protecting Dreamers a top priority, and will lead the fight for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship.

GUN CONTROL Two of my close friends have had their AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

lives shattered by gun violence. We’re facing a national epidemic – one that takes different forms in different communities – and we should be changing our laws, our culture and our technology in response. A rigorous, comprehensive national standard for background checks (closing gun show and online loopholes) is overwhelmingly supported by the public (including NRA members). I support raising the age for purchasing a rifle from 18 to 21, and expanding red flag laws that allow families and local law enforcement to prevent those who credibly threaten themselves or others from acquiring a weapon. This category should be expanded to include convicted stalkers and domestic abusers. I support banning bump stocks, and the reinstatement of a (strengthened) Federal Assault Weapons ban. And we should be actively funding the CDC to do research, and guaranteeing that its scientists won’t face repercussions for fact-based recommendations.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS As a Congresswoman, my oath will be to uphold the Constitution. For decades, Congress has been abdicating its Constitutional duty to declare war and peace by failing to insist that new military commitments be debated and authorized. The 2001 AUMF (Authorization for Use of Military Force) passed by Congress three days after 9/11 has been subsequently invoked to justify military actions in 14 countries.

Congress shouldn’t be writing blank checks to any executive – Republican or Democrat – that will be used to begin a war 17 years later. Some of the young men and women fighting and dying on our behalf were still in kindergarten when Congress “authorized” their mission. I take the fight against those who plot to harm Americans and our allies very seriously; with the rest of the people’s elected representatives, I’m ready to begin a new debate on the progress, scope, and strategic vision of that fight.

job losses and depressed wages in American manufacturing. I will never support any trade agreement that puts the American worker at a disadvantage, and will stand with organized labor to demand that agreements bring other nations’ labor and environmental standards up to ours, rather than engage in a race to the bottom.

WHY YOU The stakes of this election are unbelievably high. Job security and a living wage. Quality healthcare as a right, not a privilege. And turning the tide on the Trump administration’s daily assault on our values, our communities, and the facts themselves. These fights are personal to me. And I’m the only candidate in this race with the local, state and national experience to take on the full breadth of challenges we face. The American Dream that I grew up with is at risk. Forty years ago, an optimistic vision of America inspired my parents to immigrate from Lebanon to southeastern Michigan. Here, they found an America that welcomed their desire to work hard and to build a thriving business. I’m running because, if we want to preserve that American Dream, we need a new generation of leadership fighting for it in Washington.

And I’m ready to fight.

HALEY STEVENS

TAX CUTS After years and years of corporate executives buying seats in Congress, Donald Trump and Washington Republicans repaid the debt to their donors and then some with a massive tax giveaway to people who need it the least.

They might call that bill a “tax cut;” I call it a massive return on investment for the wealthy donors who bought their members of Congress and expected something in return. I could never support that kind of approach to policymaking. We need to stop giving out millions and billions and – in this case – $1.5 trillion in tax breaks like they are party favors. Let’s target tax breaks for the middle class families who work hard and just want to get ahead.

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS I’m deeply concerned that President Trump is leading us into a trade war with China – one that he and his administration are ill-equipped to win.

Our communities are at the heart of the automotive industry. We know the human cost of an economic downturn that would affect the supply chain and demand for American-made cars. That said, as a congresswoman, my first and last question on every issue will be, “Is it good for the middle class?” and that includes trade agreements. Past agreements, combined with increasing automation, have been responsible for

need to start acting accordingly or we will not be able to compete with the rest of the world. I served as chief of staff on President Obama’s auto rescue. When our auto industry was in crisis we not only helped save GM and Chrysler, we did it while improving fuel efficiency standards and spurring American auto companies to build the cars of the future. We designed and implemented Cash for Clunkers, an incentive-based program that allowed consumers to trade in old, environmentally inefficient vehicles for 21st century models. I don’t buy the argument that we can have a clean environment or cars but we can’t have both; for over a decade Detroit’s automotive industry has shown the opposite.

Stevens currently lives in Rochester Hills after growing up in Birmingham. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees at American University, and served as chief of staff of President Obama's Auto Rescue, and worked for the White House Office for Manufacturing Policy and Office of Recovery for Automotive Communities and Workers.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS Absolutely not. President Trump’s reckless rollback of environmental protection standards not only damages our environment but hurts our economy. Like it or not, climate change is real and we

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Social Security and Medicare are a promise we made to America’s working families – our guarantee that if you work hard and put your time in you will be able to retire with dignity. That means financial and health security without forcing your kids to pay for your ability to get by. That is why we need to strengthen Social Security and Medicare, not cut them. It is unfathomable that Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington think it is OK to hand out a $1.5 trillion tax giveaway while trying to balance our national debt on the backs of the people who need our help the most. That is true for Medicaid, too. I would never support a plan that cuts these critical benefits, and to strengthen them I would start by cutting Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax giveaway to the wealthy.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE The two biggest things President Obama accomplished were the Auto Rescue and Obamacare. I stepped up and served as chief of staff for the Auto Rescue when our economy was in crisis, and now that Donald Trump is creating a healthcare crisis I’m stepping up again and running 9B

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for Congress. I supported the Affordable Care Act and do not believe it is Congress’s job to remove people from their healthcare plans without alternatives. Let’s protect and improve Obamacare, not sabotage it. Let’s ensure that everyone has access to health coverage, that we tackle the costs of prescription drugs and bring forward a public option. It is time we focus first on how to meet Americans’ healthcare needs, then focus on how we get our healthcare companies to step up to the challenge. Profits should never be put before people.

FOR CONGRESS

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY

Conservative

Mike Kowall Mike Kowall was born and raised in Southeast Michigan. A carpenter and cabinet maker by trade, Mike rose from apprentice to become president of a family owned business, Accurate Woodworking, Inc.

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Elected to the State Senate in 2010, he is the Majority Floor Leader, and has been instrumental to turning the Michigan economy around. Today, we have the lowest unemployment rate in 18 years and more than 500,000 new jobs.

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Whether its tax reform or cutting red tape, Mike has led the way in turning Michigan around.

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Mike has worked with the U.S. Defense Department to provide service pins to nearly 10,000 Vietnam veterans throughout Michigan.

His strong support of our Armed Forces is a hallmark of his time in public service. >> MikeKowallforCongress.com

“Michigan’s economy was built on the auto industry. In Congress, I will continue to lead the way on autonomous vehicles and help build Southeast Michigan into a technological leader.”

- Mike Kowall 2018 Award for Conservative Achievement 2014 Legislator of the Year 2017 Legislator of the Year Paid for by Kowall for Congress, PO Box 7036, Novi 48376

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For generations, families have come to America seeking a better life for themselves, their children, and their grandchildren. We are a nation of immigrants, but sadly our immigration system today is broken. It can and must be fixed without tearing apart families who come here in pursuit of the American dream. I support the DACA program and our Dreamers because I do not believe Congress should be in the business of punishing children brought to this country through no choice of their own. Many of our Dreamers know no other country or home and serve our nation proudly. We must pass common sense legislation to fix DACA and our immigration system so that America will always be the city upon the hill we strive to be.

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GUN CONTROL

In Congress I will be the NRA’s worst nightmare. My commitment is that on day one of the 116th Congress, I will have issued a letter to every single one of my colleagues asking them to join me in passing gun safety legislation that will include universal background checks, reinstating the assault rifle ban from 1994, “no-fly-no buy” provisions, banning bump stocks, and raising the age in which individuals can purchase guns. I made this commitment on January 3, 2018, one year before I plan to follow through on it. Our country’s gun violence epidemic is not going away and Michiganders can count on me to continue being an outspoken advocate for gun violence prevention. It is time we elect bold and courageous leaders willing to take on tough challenges – I will be one of them.

Republican, an Independent, or a reality TV show host – he or she must consult with Congress before committing an act of war.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS I oppose NAFTA and other free trade deals that hurt American workers, but, as with all things, Donald Trump’s approach creates massive dysfunction and inconsistency. While I agree we need to renegotiate trade agreements to make them more beneficial for workers, the President’s inconsistent approach to trade and import tariffs troubles me.

WHY YOU In 2009, economists were singing Detroit’s swan song. The auto industry was in crisis. Analysts wanted to let Detroit go bankrupt. I disagreed: I believed then, as I do today, that Detroit hustles harder. So I went to Washington and hustled, serving as chief of staff for President Obama’s auto rescue that helped save more than 200,000 jobs. I’m running for Congress because I see a different kind of crisis today: Donald Trump’s reckless agenda is hurting us and raising healthcare costs. America’s working families can’t afford inaction – we need real leadership, and that’s what Michiganders can expect from me. I’m a Seaholm alum and proud product of this district. I got into this race when it didn’t seem easy but I outraised the incumbent and soon after he announced his retirement. I’ve delivered for Michigan before and voters should choose me because I’ll always deliver for Michigan in Congress.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS Going to war with a country is one of the most grave and serious decisions any President can make. It costs time and money and, most importantly, the lives of the most patriotic Americans – our service members. We cannot afford to make that decision lightly. It does not matter if our President is a Democrat, a

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AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

august 7 primary voter guide Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills

U.S. HOUSE 11TH DISTRICT/REPUBLICAN

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT

Bentivolio lives in Milford, served in both the Vietnam and Iraq wars, and was the Congressman for the 11th District from 2013-2015.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS When President Trump came to office, he began to roll back a number of environmental regulations enacted by the past administration and reversed a number of decisions dating back to the Clinton administration that were designed to promote a cleaner environment. Do you support the administration’s efforts to minimize environmental regulations?

I grew up in the 60’s with rivers that caught fire and hazardous waste barrels discarded on vacant land leaching and polluting our environment. The biggest problem Michigan will soon face is outdated pipelines on the floor of the Great Lakes. In 1982, I constructed a “solar earth home” and voted Republican.

Why do people believe Republicans don’t want clean air, water and land? In DC, the most difficult thing to find is the “truth.” When you do find it, it is more precious than gold. Balance is the key.

Please read, “Ecological Imperialism” by Alfred Crosby. It is my guideline for dealing with environmental issues and finding balance between a safe environment and economic necessities. I want to go back to Washington to continue fighting for that delicate balance in protecting our environment.

TAX CUTS Do you support the tax cuts enacted by Congress at the urging of the Trump administration? Explain your position.

Yes, tax cuts are a good thing. It must be combined with specific cuts in wasteful spending and economic growth or it adds to the national debt our children and grandchildren must pay. As a member of the U.S. House I earned a 100 percent AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

In the most recent budget adopted by Congress, and in tax legislation approved by both the House and Senate, the national debt has continued to skyrocket. There has been talk of Congress now attempting to reduce the deficit by cutting back on programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Do you support trimming these programs to reduce the budget?

Are there other areas of the budget that should be targeted to bring the budget back under control and over time reduce the national debt?

No, I will not support cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. It is our money. We paid into it. I never voted to raise the debt ceiling, nor increase taxes in the 113 Congress. I supported intelligence cuts in wasteful spending. I want to go back to Washington to protect those promises made to our fathers and mothers and us. It is congressional responsibility to balance the budget. I sponsored a bill to reduce congressional pay each time Congress failed to pass a balanced budget. It is in the congressional record.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE Despite attempts by the current administration and Republican members of Congress, a substantial number of persons continue to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, sometimes referred to as Obamacare.

What is your position on the current Affordable Care Act and the issue of a national health care plan in general?

The federal government has little, if any, business in personal healthcare. The Supreme Court said it was a tax. The individual mandate is gone, and I believe it is unconstitutional now. Look at the VA. In 2015, more than 300,000 veterans died waiting for VA promised healthcare. VA healthcare is rationed and wait times are ridiculous.

As a veteran, former congressman, I still hear the horror stories of VA healthcare failures. The VA healthcare system is a great example of federal government run healthcare. I do not support federal intervention in healthcare. It is primarily a state issue.

Supporting interstate commerce, allowing insurance companies to cross state lines is another matter. I want to go back to Washington to fix it.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY President Trump has eliminated the policy governing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that granted deportation relief for immigrants who came here as children (under the age of 16), which was created in 2012 by the Obama administration. Do you support continuation of the DACA program?

Should Congress move to find a common ground that will provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants?

DACA is unconstitutional. People have waited in line years to come here legally.

What part of illegal is not understood?

How do we prove, or they prove, they came here as a child illegally? A path to become legal for DACA was submitted by Republicans and declined by the Democrat side of the aisle. In 2013, as a member of Congress, I said, “The real problem, like it or not, is that one side wants the votes and the other side wants the cheap labor. Little, if anything will be done.” Now, more than five years later, that statement continues to be true.

GUN CONTROL What is your position on the need for added gun control legislation? Which, if any, of the following gun control measures could you support: Requiring expanded background checks?

Background checks at gun shows?

Banning bump stocks? Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons?

It is clear by the question you do not understand the real problem nor appreciate the Second Amendment. Due process must be employed to remove that Second Amendment right. We should focus more on gangs who black market firearms of all sorts before we limit firearms owned by honest citizens.

Chicago has the strictest gun laws and how is it working out there? We have a cultural problem. Our schools, our theaters, our concerts, our streets must be a safe place. “Gun free zones” are invitations for bad actors to do harm. We need to focus on keeping all guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill using “due process” while protecting our Second Amendment rights.

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KERRY BENTIVOLIO

rating for cutting wasteful spending from the Citizen’s Council Against Government Waste. I received the designation “Taxpayers’ Friend Award.” Facts don’t lie.

I want to go back to continue cutting wasteful spending and protecting taxpayers. I have a proven and effective record in this arena.

Beverly Hills

Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, southwest Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, west Oakland lakes area and south Oakland County, along with parts of western Wayne County, including Plymouth, Livonia and Canton.

and approve such action(s). As the only member of congress who served in both Vietnam and Iraq, I protested the “limited air strike” on Syria when Obama’s red line was crossed. I voted, “no.” To convince me to support the pro invasion argument, to justify the action; “it is a limited air strike.” I responded, “Was Japan’s invasion of Pearl Harbor a limited air strike?” Any violent military incursion in a foreign country is an act of war and Congress must authorize it.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS The current administration has expressed its desire to withdraw from many of the international trade agreements entered into by past administrations. The President has also authorized import tariffs in recent months. Do you agree with the President on the trade agreements?

What will the impact be of the import tariffs?

Instead of tariffs, replace NAFTA and all other trade agreements with a single sentence: We will trade with any nation upon those terms it chooses to trade with us. Which simply means we will harmonize our trade policy to the facts at hand. As a member of Congress, I earned the highest award from the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Small Business for protecting American business. If re-elected, I will continue to fight for American business. I have a proven record accomplishment in that arena too.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS WHY YOU Should this or any President be required to consult with Congress before sending our military forces into foreign countries?

Only a soldier and his/her family understand the true cost and value of liberty. To send anyone into harm’s way should never be taken lightly, and even then, it will be with much disinclination.

Yes, Congress should always be consulted

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Why should a voter choose you over an opponent on the primary ballot?

Experience matters representing all constituents. During the end of my service in the 113th Congress a US House historian said I was the “most effective and successful first term congressman in recent memory” (ref: Congressional Journal, Oct 2014); the failure rate of bills 11B

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submitted is 99.1 percent. I passed three pieces of legislation with 100 percent bipartisan support in my two years. I was rated second most transparent member of the House (GovTrack). I earned two awards for constituent services. National TaxPayer’s Union honored me with the “Taxpayers’ Friend Award,” NFIB “Guardian of Small Business” award. I am the most experienced candidate with a proven record of accomplishment in DC. I stand on my record of bi-partisanship and getting the job done. I have a record of factual dedicated service, placing citizens first in war and in Washington. I stand on my record of accomplishments. If the facts matter, if experience matters, I am the safest and best choice and can hit the ground running.

KLINT KESTO

Kesto, a West Bloomfield resident, graduated from University of Michigan and Wayne State University Law School. He has been state Representative for the 39th District since 2013.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS It’s not a question of minimizing or maximizing, the issue is making sense of government regulations. Under Obama, too many regulations poured out of Washington knowing that they overreached federal law. Congress needs to write the laws better so that the bureaucracy can do less damage later.

TAX CUTS I cut tax rates as a state Representative, and I’ll cut tax rates as a congressman.

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT People who are able to work should do so; welfare in the form of food stamps and Medicaid should be for those who are unable to work.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE The current Affordable Care Act is 12B

unaffordable. They need to repeal it and go back to the drawing board and allow individuals to decide what healthcare plan they want. There certainly should be coverage for pre-existing conditions. I am a father, a husband, and my first wife passed away from cancer. I know it is important to have accessible health care, but the federal government should not be dictating to the people what they should buy.

the President wants to make a declaration of war, Congress should decide.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY

WHY YOU

We cannot continue with the program as it is because it is an incentive for people to continue to break the law and cross our borders illegally. We need complete reform that includes having secure borders by building the wall and filling the tunnels.

The Department of Homeland Security needs to be allowed extreme vetting of individuals who are coming into our country and be allowed to keep track of the status of those who have received visas. We also need to use technology more efficiently to ensure that the individuals we are allowing through our borders as residents are going to be productive members of society. One way would be to go back to the requirement that immigrants have a sponsor. This would create a safety net with family and friends which would be more effective. As for DACA and pathways to citizenship, these individuals came here not through their own choice; they were just children.

Yet they still entered the country illegally.

There should not be be a pathway to citizenship for these individuals, but rather a different, legal, permanent status.

One of my opponents is a four-time loser.

Another is a two-time loser just out of bankruptcy court. Yet another is the only registered lobbyist running for Congress in this district. The last is a woman who failed to attend 83 percent of the meetings of a board she was appointed to, charged with protecting abused children. All of them would be defeated by the Pelosi Machine, and this part of Michigan would have a Democrat in Congress for the first time – ever. I can win, defeat the Pelosi Machine, and keep this seat for Republicans. I am the first Chaldean American elected to the Michigan House and will be the first Chaldean American elected to Congress. I have an appeal that reaches all religions, all people because I am there to serve them and not for personal gain.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS We need to put Americans first and America first. If these agreements are unfair and the leverage is all on the other side, they need to be renegotiated. We should negotiate from a position of power so that American workers can benefit.

MIKE KOWALL

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS I would support what the Constitution currently requires – when there is immediate danger, the President should be allowed to act. The President should also have the ability to send troops for non-military purposes - for example, there are many humanitarian situations that need military assistance, such as flood and earthquake or starvation. When it is an immediate military threat, the President should be allowed to defend us. But when

Yes, I support lowering the tax burden for Americans.

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT All spending needs to be examined, and depending on the program we should examine the entire budget because the amount of money we need for infrastructure and the military continue to increase.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE All programs need to be reviewed, looking at cost vs. return on investment. We continue to see programs that are not being used for what they were originally intended for.

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY We need to find a better way to enforce our immigration policies, stopping those that try to come here illegally. For those who are already here, we need to find an enforceable avenue for citizenship; providing that they do not break the law and are contributing members to our society. We also need to place a greater emphasis on the source of the problem, which is coming to this country illegally in the first place.

GUN CONTROL We already require background checks when purchasing guns, and military grade weapons are currently banned. You cannot walk into a store and buy a fully automatic weapon. Many of the restrictions that are being called for are already in place. We see time and time again, crimes being committed in gun free zones, because criminals are afraid to go into areas that have gun owning and law-abiding citizens.

GUN CONTROL If there are deficiencies in background checks, then they must be addressed. We should be diligent that the most violent of offenders such as felons and habitual domestic violence offenders do not have access to firearms. Michigan’s current law creates a restriction on the possession of firearms for these individuals for a period of time. We have to continue to look for ways to keep firearms out of the hands of violent offenders and how we handle mental health care. As the chair of the Michigan CARES Task force, I know first hand that we need to reform our mental health care system.

TAX CUTS

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS No, the commander in chief needs to have the ability to command our army in times of need.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS Kowall, of White Lake, was president of a family woodworking company until he became state Representative for the 44th District in 1998-2002, and then became White Lake Supervisor. In 2010, he was elected to the state Senate for the 15th District, where he is currently the Majority Floor Leader.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS I support the administration’s efforts in removing excessive restrictions that are over burdensome our small businesses and economy which make it harder to compete on a global scale.

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I agree with the President that free trade needs to equal fair trade. Currently there are many loopholes in our trade agreements and other countries are taking advantage of us. It is antiquated and we need to upgrade it. We do not want to eliminate fair trade as Michigan exports a lot of trade goods like soybeans to China, however, we need to ensure trade practices are fair for our country.

WHY YOU Having grown up in southeast Michigan, this is where I call home. I care deeply about the community we live in and I have AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

august 7 primary voter guide

been a small business owner and public servant my entire adult life. I have been a leader in pushing through meaningful and necessary legislation to create the most competitive environment possible for existing job providers to expand their operations and to attract new businesses and investment into our state. I also have a proven track record of common sense in governing.

Legislatures in both the state of Michigan and federal government require someone to be able to look at issues in a common-sense fashion to apply new laws and regulations so that we are not creating winners and losers in legislation. I have a proven record of working with both Republicans and Democrats to pass legislation that is best for our state.

TAX CUTS I do support the Federal Tax Cut that was voted on in late 2017. I was disappointed in a few areas, and I would have fought for greater and permanent tax cuts, in correlation with cuts in federal spending. This tax cut program will positively affect over 93 percent of the citizens that live in our 11th Congressional District, therefore, I would have supported it if I were in the House of Representatives. We have seen incredible investment into our economy because of these tax cuts and I was very supportive of the effort to lower corporate tax rates, thus making our economy more attractive for business investment and repatriation of business profits that were held offshore.

BUDGET/NATIONAL DEBT

ROCKY RACZKOWSKI

Raczkowski, a Troy business owner, graduated from Eastern Michigan University and received his law degree from Michigan State University.

A retired Army Reserves officer, he represented Farmington and Farmington Hills, the 37th District, in the state House, from 1997-2003.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS I support some rollbacks and do not support others. For example, many automotive companies would have not been able to meet the emissions standard by 2025. This would have impacted our metro Detroit economy adversely. Therefore, I do support the easing of these federal regulations. On the other hand, one of government’s main purposes is to protect the public, and provide the infrastructure for the common good. Some of that infrastructure is used to provide clean water. We must fight for clean air and water for our citizens. The easing of heavy metal content in our water, by the recent Scott Pruitt decision, is something that I would vigorously oppose.

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I believe that our greatest threat to our economy and our safety is the growing national debt. I would have liked to see corresponding cuts in spending, with either tax cuts or growth in the economy, thus making any such cuts easier to implement. As for cuts in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, I do not support cuts in these programs, because these were promises made to the people that paid into them, and depend on them.

Furthermore, I would not have supported the Obama Administration’s $716 billion raid on Medicare to fund the ACA of 2009. When elected, I will ask to work specifically on preventing fraud in SSI, Medicare and Medicaid. If we can institute proper technology and fraud prevention mechanisms, we could save over $53 billion by doing this. We a need a comprehensive review of what is a constitutionally essential program that actually helps the American people, and what was created for the special interest to profit off of. I would do a full review and audit of the Departments of Defense, HUD, Energy, Treasury and the VA. I would also seek how we can send most of the Department of Education funding to the states and classrooms of our schools for education and security. Furthermore, we must get back to passing budgets in regular order of House business. I support a balanced budget approach and believe that we must live within our means, otherwise, our economy will eventually fall.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE I am still against the dynamics and the architecture of the Affordable Care Act of 2009. My main points against this is because of the raid on Medicare of over $716 billion, the fact that most of the exchanges are either failing with no insurers, or only one insurer, leaving no competition and raising rates.

Furthermore, there is no interstate competition for insured individuals or negotiated pricing for services offered.

This plan must be redone, because the way it was drafted kicked the can down the road after this past election for the failures within the system to arise. I believe that healthcare is individual and must not be cookie cutter for all. Lastly, I did agree with insuring individuals with pre-existing conditions, and not discriminating against them, but believe that decisions regarding individual health must be maintained between a patient and their doctor, and not a bureaucrat in Washington.

firearms. The US Supreme Court held in the DC v Heller case in 2008, that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm.

This is a landmark decision that should focus our energies on those that violate the law, instead of punishing those that use firearms for hunting, sport and protection.

AUTHORIZING MILITARY ACTIONS Yes. For any extended contingency operations, or actions of war, Congress must be consulted for approval.

TRADE AGREEMENTS/TARIFFS

DACA/IMMIGRATION POLICY This is a greater issue of our broken immigration laws and how we as a society pay for social welfare safety nets for individuals that are on US soil. DACA should have never been handled by an executive order, because it is a Constitutional obligation of Congress to deal with all laws regarding immigration policy. As for DACA, and illegal immigration, we must stop the illegal flow of individuals into the US, no matter where they come from. If children are raised in the United States, I would support the eventual permanent resident plan, and not full citizenship.

No other nation in the world supports illegal immigrants, nor do they allow them citizenship. I believe strongly in enforcing our borders, and supporting legal immigration. As a son of legal immigrants, I believe we must bring back the Sponsorship Program that we no longer have. Overall, our immigration program is broken. From Refugee Resettlement that does not work, to EB-5 Visa Program, that is inherently unfair. I will work to bring sanity, civility and law to this subject in Washington.

GUN CONTROL I believe we must fix and fully enforce the background checks we have in place. All nine of the last mass shooters broke the law in regard to possession of weapons, weapons in schools or filling out fraudulent background check paperwork where they fell through the system. We must fix the current state reporting system. In Michigan, we do not have a gun show loophole, and bump stocks are now being banned by the DOJ (ATF). As for military-type weapons, it is impossible to purchase military-type weapons without a tremendous amount of background checks, licensure and cost. We must enforce the felony punishment for anyone that lies on a Federal Background Check form (AFT Form 4473), and also punish those that do not submit information to the Federal Information Network on individuals that should not be able to purchase

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I support the current administration’s withdrawal from the PTT and believe that the administration’s Department of Commerce, led by Secretary Wilbur Ross, is doing the right thing in renegotiating many existing trade deals that have given our nation tremendous trade deficits and have pushed the manufacturing jobs that have created the middle class offshore. We are already seeing that all our trading partners have come to the table and are cutting deals that are more favorable to our manufacturing and production base. We have the EU and China left, and both are signaling better terms for the United States that would help our economy. The EU extension ends on June 1, 2018, and we will see if we have the deal that both Germany, Poland and the US are signaling the EU to accept. These past trade deals are not treaties, therefore the administration has the legal authority under the law to withdrawal and renegotiate, and it actually is benefiting the US overall.

WHY YOU We have some good people running for this office. Some are in business, some from the military and some from public service. Some of the candidates are young, and some are older. I have lived in this district my entire life, and am interested in working on specific issues that better our society, cut the national debt and leave a safer and freer nation for our children. I have served in the Army as a leader with over 26 years of service with two combat tours, I have run a multimillion dollar national business and in 2011, have started my own from the ground up. I have served others with no anticipation of personal gain, and I am not looking for a job. I am looking to make a positive difference, and I won’t let the people of the 11th Congressional District down.

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august 7 primary voter guide Bloomfield Township

I support the rights of parent to have the ultimate choice in the educational path for their children. Charters are one of the many options that should be available, in addition to traditional public schools as well as parochial, private and home schooling. Regardless of the avenue our educational system as a whole must be held to strict standards to ensure that we are properly preparing our future generations for the challenges they will face.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION What is your position on the marijuana legalization proposal appearing on the November ballot?

ROAD REPAIRS McCready, a business owner from Bloomfield Township, is the current state Representative for the 40th District, a position he has held since 2012. Prior to that, he was a mayor and city commissioner for Bloomfield Hills, and served on the city’s planning board and zoning board of appeals.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Michigan has a rich history of protecting the environment but in recent years there have been several legislative attempts to restrict the DEQ when it comes to rule-making to implement laws of the state, including the now pending legislation that would place control of future rulemaking with an appointed committee comprised of special interests, including factions of the business community. There has long been a realization that the DEQ is underfunded in terms of being able to carry out its mission of protecting the quality of life in the state. Do you agree with the recent attempts to curtail the DEQ? Do you feel that more funding needs to be allocated to the DEQ for enforcement purposes?

The beauty and wonder of our natural environment is an integral part of our state’s identity as well as it is a powerful economic driver of Michigan’s robust tourism industry. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) should be a partner with our business community to continue to help drive economic growth, while preserving our natural beauties for the next generation.

GUN REGULATIONS Because Congress has failed to act on proposed increased regulation of gun ownership, a number of states have taken the initiative to address the issue. Should Michigan be taking the lead on the gun control? Would you support requiring expanded 14B

While the state has announced that $175 million will be disbursed this year for road and bridge repairs, do you feel that is sufficient while we wait three more years for the road funding proposal to finally kick in?

Should the state rainy day fund be tapped in the interim, as some have suggested?

There is no debate that our roads, particularly in Oakland County, are in serious need of repair. I supported allocating the $175 million dollars to be used for road funding but more is needed. It is why I have publicly supported spending the higher than expected forecasted revenues directly to road repair. In addition, Act 51, which determines that distribution of road dollars to counties and cities, needs to be overhauled to better reflect the higher need of more populous counties which have larger road systems that see more use.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS Michigan has developed a reputation as one of the most deregulated school environments in the country, with the largest number of charter schools – 80 percent of which are forprofit ventures. Charter schools were originally billed as a cure for declining student achievement and inequality, but a number of reports in the last few years show that 70 percent of the state’s charter schools are in the lower rungs of student achievement reviews. Lawmakers in Lansing, however, have on more than one occasion rejected tightening the overview of charter schools and have allowed for their continued growth.

Should there be more state control over charter schools for performance and finances? Does the ongoing expansion of charter schools threaten the public schools K-12 system that

My colleagues and I in the legislature worked diligently in 2016 to implement a new and improved regulatory framework for medical marijuana, to give those legitimately suffering from debilitating conditions or disease more flexibility and safety when pursuing medical marijuana as a treatment option as well as to give marijuana producers more certainty in the market.

I believe that we should continue to allow that system to work before moving to the step of legalization of recreational marijuana.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Although Michigan has 1973 Act(196) to regulate conduct of public officials, it is considered less than rigorous when it comes to legislative ethics and transparency, leaving Michigan ranked near the bottom in comparative studies with other states. Would you support financial disclosure by state lawmakers? What about including the governor’s office and the legislature when it comes to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, from which they are now exempt? Would you support a bill that prohibits “Pay to Play” when it comes to lawmakers approving contracts with companies or people who are campaign contributors? Are there any other areas that need to be addressed if we are to strengthen ethics/transparency laws/rules in Michigan as they apply to the legislature and administrative offices?

Transparency is an important facet of a government that is accountable to the people, and that is why I support transparency for both the legislature and the governor. I have voted twice (2016 and 2017), to apply the Freedom of information Act to the legislature and the governor’s office.

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Bloomfield Twp.

Bloomfield Hills

Birmingham Franklin

Bingham Farms

Discussions on firearms are always contentious and divisive, but we can all agree that government should work to keep firearms out of the hands of those who should not have them. I support working towards that goal while also not infringing on the rights of law abiding citizens. Because of this I would support implementing a red flag law in Michigan, but only if it includes strong protections for due process and stringent penalties for frivolous complaints.

we have relied on for education?

Keego

MICHAEL MCCREADY

background checks? Background checks at gun shows? Banning bump stocks? Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons? Red flag laws?

Sylvan

STATE SENATE 12TH DISTRICT/REPUBLICAN

Beverly Hills Southfield Twp.

Bloomfield Township, Franklin, Beverly Hills, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Oakland Township, along with Orion, Independence and Oxford townships.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE Are you pro-life or pro-choice? If you are pro-life, are there any exceptions to prohibitions on abortions that you find acceptable? Explain your position on this issue.

I am proudly pro-life. The only exception is when the life of the mother is in danger.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS Should the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act be amended to extend civil rights protections in housing and employment to include sexual orientation? Why or why not?

I don’t believe any changes are needed to the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act. The act already includes sex as a protected class, which has been interpreted by the courts to include members of the LGBT community.

WHY YOU Why should a voter choose you over an opponent on the primary ballot?

I have lived most my life in the Bloomfield area of Oakland County.

From humble means I started my own business, McCready and Associates, which celebrates its 28th year anniversary next year, and raised a family. My experience in business and from serving in local government, has given me insight to the challenges faced by local governments and the residents who call our community home. Having served in the legislature as the Representative for the 40th District, I now understand the complicated appropriations process which ultimately determines where we invest the taxpayers’ dollars. These experiences have given me the necessary tools to represent our communities and their needs in the Michigan State Senate. I ask for your vote on the August 7th primary.

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VERNON MOLNAR

road building, to make sure that funding is being used in the most efficient and appropriate manner.

increasing road funding without simply raising taxes. I would be supportive of spending a portion of the “rainy day fund” on roads.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS

JIM TEDDER

Molnar is a resident of Auburn Hills.

As a former public school teacher and administrator, my first and primary focus is to make decisions that are in the best interest of children. Every child deserves access to a quality education; educational needs vary by child. With an abundance of quality traditional public school options throughout the 12th Senate District, it is hard to fathom that charter schools pose any threat to their existence. Rather, charter schools provide an alternative in the absence of other viable options. All publicly funded schools should be treated fairly and should be evaluated and measured in an equitable manner.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

I do not think that the any additional funding needs to be allocated to the DEQ. GUN REGULATIONS I would support banning bump stocks as well as support raising the age on the purchase of weapons.

ROAD REPAIRS The state rainy day fund should not be tapped into. There has already been enough money allocated to the road and bridge repairs.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS I support charter schools.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION I support the legalization proposal for the November ballot.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY I support full transparency for all.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE Pro-life.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS I think that the laws should remain the same as they currently are.

Tedder, a former educator, lives in Clarkston. A graduate of Central Michigan University with masters from Oakland University, he is the current state Representative for the 43rd District (20142018).

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Of course, we must continue to be good stewards of the environment and I have a strong legislative record in support of protecting it. To that end, I support efforts to increase the transparency in DEQ’s rule-making process, which has long been a source of frustration for many. I believe that the DEQ has adequate funding to carry out rules enforcement; like the individuals and families across the state, every government agency must also live within its means.

GUN REGULATIONS There is no shortage of federal and state gun laws already on the books.

Any efforts to deny an individual’s Second Amendment rights should involve due process. Policing authorities already have the discretion to confiscate weapons under certain circumstances. The state must do more to support mental health services for those who need them. Understanding and addressing the root cause of violent acts is an important part of the overall discussion toward eliminating gun violence.

WHY YOU ROAD REPAIRS I have over 30 years’ experience in road building, which is more experience than any current candidate. If elected, I would like to join the transportation committee and use my experience and knowledge, in all stages and aspects of AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

I was proud to support $175 million in additional road funding. The most recent budget analysis indicates that there will be approximately a $400 million surplus due to good fiscal stewardship by the state. I have been a strong advocate of

established record of transparency, accountability and results, I look forward to meeting voters on the campaign trail. As chairman of the Michigan House Tax Policy committee, I have led the charge to rein in government spending and to rightfully return money back to Michigan citizens.

I will continue to stand up for taxpayers and fight against government overreach.

I will continue to be a strong advocate for dedicating more funding for roads without raising taxes. I will continue to protect our values and Constitutional rights. There is still a lot of work to do; as your next state Senator, I look forward to serving you as a resultsdriven leader. I humbly ask for your vote on Tuesday, August 7th.

TERRY WHITNEY

As a ballot question, this matter will likely be settled by the voters of Michigan in November. It has taken over a decade to address regulatory complications with medical marijuana, so any consideration of expanding access to marijuana cannot be rushed.

I believe there will be unintended consequences if it is passed as written.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Last legislative session and this legislative session, I have taken a leadership role in support of the Legislative Opens Records Act, subjecting the Michigan Legislature and the Governor’s office to the Freedom Of Information Act. I was also honored to receive the Michigan Press Association’s 2017 Peter Pettalia Memorial Sunshine Award in acknowledgement of my commitment to government transparency.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE I am pro-life and believe that an exception should be provided in cases where the life of the mother is in danger.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS There are a number of state and federal laws that protect the civil rights of Michigan citizens. As a parent and former educator, I have long stood against bigotry and hatred at all levels; I do not believe that expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act will achieve additional protections not already covered by law.

WHY YOU

Whitney, who is self-employed, is a resident of Clarkston.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Since the incept of term limits in Michigan, the size and scope of Michigan state government has grown nearly 100 percent in size. Many departments operate without any legislative oversight and in effect have been making policy and regulation as unelected officials. Additionally, before any additional spending for any program or department should take place, Michigan’s government needs to be audited with a process called Lean Sigma Six. GUN REGULATIONS Just as I would never support banning our First Amendment Rights, I would never support the diminishment of our Second Amendment Rights. The idea that there is a magic gunshow loop hole is completely false. In order to get a federal gun dealers license, it takes quite a bit of time and resources to obtain and the last thing any business or individual would want to do is

As a proven conservative leader with an

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jeopardize themselves or their freedom by not running federal background checks as required by law. Keep in mind the last few potential mass shootings were stopped by school resource officers and privately armed lawfully abiding citizens. In Chicago, Illinois, which has the nation’s strictest gun control laws it leads the nation in the number of shootings each week that exceed all other states in the midwest for the year.

should be the choice of that individual on how they wish to proceed.

ROAD REPAIRS

WHY YOU

We need an estimated $4 billion to tackle our current road and infrastructure issues. Additionally, we need to change the current laws for road maintenance allocation so that the funding goes to areas that need the funding, which currently is not addressed under Michigan state law.

Two of my opponents, Representative Jim Tedder and Representative Michael McCready, both have had between them a decade to tackle some of the issues that face Michigan. They have failed all of us by raising gas and vehicle registration fees after 80 percent of Michigan voted against it.

This has caused the cost of living to jump an additional $713 a year on families. This cost is especially devastating to those living on limited or fixed incomes. Unlike both of my opponents, I am looking to solve Michigan’s problems versus empty campaign promises and seeking reelection. Both of those individuals have had their chance and Michigan is worse off for their years in office. I have common sense practical solutions to correcting the problems that career politicians refuse to tackle as it may jeopardize their chances for reelection.

We will put together a coalition of private and public sector leaders who are willing to put aside their differences and for once do the right thing by tackling our crumbling infrastructure, antiquated and broken laws and finally bring a working solution that doesn’t raise taxes.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS Our educational system needs both the state and the federal government to stay out of what is a local issue in the various communities. We as a society have given our federal and Michigan state government too much of a say in our lives and look what it has done, for our schools, our roads, and for our public safety. I trust local school boards and parents to make the right choices in their own communities for education over anything that is designed by committee at our state capitol after a handful of lobbyists get involved. I would propose letting the educational standards go back the local communities as well as control of funding.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

CAST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT FROM THE COMFORT OF HOME Can’t make it to the polls on Tuesday, August 7?

You can request an absentee ballot from your local municipal clerk’s office. Simply phone your local clerk’s office and ask for an absentee ballot application.

The application will arrive by mail at the address you supply. Fill it out and mail it back. Your local clerk will then mail you a ballot to vote in the August 7 election.

Local clerks contact phone numbers: Birmingham: 248.530.1880 Bloomfield Hills: 248.644.1520 Ext. 1403 Bloomfield Township: 248.433.7702 16B

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS I believe society in general has moved beyond the notion that we need outdated laws to tell businesses or organizations how to conduct themselves. There are already laws that guarantee an individual is not discriminated against.

I am neither for or against it. I believe the Michigan voters should decide this as it is an issue that we as a state must decide together. If marijuana is legalized, I will make sure that Michigan does everything in its power to make sure that the federal government will not interfere with the rights of our rights.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Just as federal lawmakers must disclose all assets and financial transactions, Michigan state lawmakers should be forced to do the same. Additionally, just as lawmakers have made our police forces wear body cameras for public safety, lawmakers should be forced to wear body cameras for all hours in office, after hours in any official capacity, or meeting with lobbyists.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE I am pro-life. In cases where there is a medical threat to the mother, then it

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AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

august 7 primary voter guide Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township

STATE HOUSE 40TH DISTRICT/DEMOCRAT

Bedi lives in Birmingham, is a mother, community activist and registered dietician with degrees from Michigan State University.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Michigan has a rich history of protecting the environment but in recent years there have been several legislative attempts to restrict the DEQ when it comes to rule-making to implement laws of the state, including the now pending legislation that would place control of future rule-making with an appointed committee comprised of special interests, including factions of the business community. There has long been a realization that the DEQ is underfunded in terms of being able to carry out its mission of protecting the quality of life in the state. Do you agree with the recent attempts to curtail the DEQ? Do you feel that more funding needs to be allocated to the DEQ for enforcement purposes?

I am a Registered Dietitian. I am trained as a scientist with a background in public health. I am appalled at the idea that we would allow engineers who are stakeholders from business and industry to veto the decision of public health officials in the already underfunded MDEQ. We are in a crisis of public health, from the poisoning of Flint (not to mention the fact that nearly 70 communities now have higher lead levels in their drinking water than Flint), to hosting some of the most polluted zip codes in the country. We should be working to strengthen the MDEQ by funding scientists, not allow corporate polluters to run rampant in our state.

GUN REGULATIONS Because Congress has failed to act AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

In 2015, my colleague was shot and killed in the hospital where we had worked together. That event would motivate me to become an advocate for stronger gun laws, so I volunteered with Moms Demand Action, a gun violence prevention organization. It was that work that would take me to Lansing, and have me engage with my state lawmakers. When ours refused to take action to keep our kids safe, I decided to run myself. Gun safety is not a partisan issue in our community.

Republican, Democrat, or Independent, my neighbors all value keeping our families safe. Yet, despite popular opinion, our lawmakers in Lansing have been working to weaken our gun laws.

I support a background check on every gun sale, strengthening our background check system against domestic abusers, red flag laws, banning bump stocks and high capacity magazines, increasing the purchasing age to 21, and child access prevention laws.

ROAD REPAIRS While the state has announced that $175 million will be disbursed this year for road and bridge repairs, do you feel that is sufficient while we wait three more years for the road funding proposal to finally kick in?

Should the state rainy day fund be tapped in the interim, as some have suggested?

We have several studies that show we are underfunding our infrastructure by billions of dollars per year. The road plan that was passed last session not only will not come close to actually fixing the roads, but drivers need those fixes now, not in 2021. The average Michigander is paying nearly $800/year in automobile repairs due to the long time neglect of our roads. We can’t just keep tapping into our rainy day fund, we need an actual long-term solution to maintain our roads for the future. We must make sure that the taxes that we are paying for the roads actually go to the roads, including our gas tax and registration fees, and put these into a dedicated road fund that cannot be dipped into for other things.

We also have to ensure that

Michigan has developed a reputation as one of the most deregulated school environments in the country, with the largest number of charter schools – 80 percent of which are for-profit ventures. Charter schools were originally billed as a cure for declining student achievement and inequality, but a number of reports in the last few years show that 70 percent of the state’s charter schools are in the lower rungs of student achievement reviews.

Lawmakers in Lansing, however, have on more than one occasion rejected tightening the overview of charter schools and have allowed for their continued growth. Should there be more state control over charter schools for performance and finances? Does the ongoing expansion of charter schools threaten the public schools K-12 system that we have relied on for education?

Charter schools that operate under for-profit management companies and do not have elected school boards are essentially “taxation without representation.” If taxpayer dollars go to fund charter schools, we must ensure those schools operate under the same standards as our traditional public schools, and have the same transparency into their spending. With our per-pupil funding structure, the unchecked expansion of charter schools and school of choice has been crippling traditional public schools in some districts, to the detriment of our kids. Michigan’s charter school experiment has been a failure. Unfortunately, education special interests have been influencing our lawmakers with campaign donations. I believe we need a major reform of Michigan’s education system. I support capping the number of charters within a district, and that all publicly funded schools be held to the same rules.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION What is your position on the marijuana legalization proposal appearing on the November ballot?

I believe that the majority of Michiganders support marijuana legalization, and that if the voters decide to legalize marijuana this year, that our legislators should be ready to act to make sure we are following what is working in other states to ensure

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Orchard Lake

West Bloomfield Twp.

Farmington Hills

37

Bloomfield Twp.

40 Franklin

Bloomfield Hills

Birmingham Bingham Farms

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS

Sylvan

Pontiac

corporations and heavy trucks are paying their fair share for the roads we use.

Keego

NICOLE BEDI

on proposed increased regulation of gun ownership, a number of states have taken the initiative to address the issue. Should Michigan be taking the lead on gun control? Would you support requiring expanded background checks? Background checks at gun shows? Banning bump stocks? Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons? Red flag laws?

City of

Beverly Hills Southfield Twp. Lathrup Village

Berkley H

Birmingham Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, along with part of West Bloomfield.

public safety, keeping marijuana out of the hands of underage smokers, and ensuring that the new source of revenue is spent wisely on what matters to Michiganders: our schools and our infrastructure.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Although Michigan has 1973 Act (196) to regulate conduct of public officials, it is considered less than rigorous when it comes to legislative ethics and transparency, leaving Michigan ranked near the bottom in comparative studies with other states. Would you support financial disclosure by state lawmakers? What about including the governor’s office and the legislature when it comes to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, from which they are now exempt? Would you support a bill that prohibits “Pay to Play” when it comes to lawmakers approving contracts with companies or people who are campaign contributors? Are there any other areas that need to be addressed if we are to strengthen ethics/transparency laws/rules in Michigan as they apply to the legislature and administrative offices?

Michigan must work to improve its ethics and transparency, to rebuild trust in government with Michiganders.

The governor’s office should not be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. I believe we need must more strict conflict of interest reporting. We need comprehensive campaign finance reform, from prohibiting “pay to play” to decreasing the disparity in what special interest political action committees can contribute, to decreasing the reach of the “independent expenditure” and Super PAC process, that allows forprofit companies to donate to groups who launch political campaigns for/against candidates, with little transparency into their donors.

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PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE Are you pro-life or pro-choice? If you are pro-life, are there any exceptions to prohibitions on abortions that you find acceptable? Explain your position on this issue.

campaign to flip this seat from red to blue in 2018.

MARI MANOOGIAN

able to harm themselves or others. I do not believe arming teachers is the answer to making our schools safer. I will advocate for increased funding to ensure schools across Michigan are able to take proper safety precautions.

ROAD REPAIRS

I believe that women and families deserve access to all reproductive health care, and that medical decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor without interference from the state. I believe all Michiganders should have access to safe, affordable, and accessible healthcare, and that includes reproductive health care. I believe we should have scientifically based reproductive education in our schools. I believe the best way to prevent unintended pregnancies is through contraceptive education and access.

We know that $175 million is insufficient for road funding; some estimates put the amount at $2 billion annually to adequately fund road and infrastructure repairs. Waiting for three more years to repair our roads is untenable. This is costing Michiganders across our district, and indeed our state, an average of $700 in repairs per year. It is estimated that our state will have a budget surplus between $279 million and $348 million. This money should not be allocated to the rainy day fund; it must be used to begin the much needed repairs to our county and local roads.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS Should the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act be amended to extend civil rights protections in housing and employment to include sexual orientation? Why or why not?

Every Michigander deserves equal protection under the law, regardless of race, sex, gender, or sexual orientation.

We must extend Elliott-Larsen to all, including those in our LGBT-plus communities.

WHY YOU Why should a voter choose you over an opponent on the primary ballot?

I never imagined becoming a politician.

When I couldn’t find a representative who was like me and understood our values, I decided to run for my community. I am a mother of kids in our public schools. I am a professional woman living in a “sandwich generation,” balancing career with the care of children and parents. I am a home-owner. My family accesses a complicated and expensive health care system. I understand the values we share, and I have “skin in the game” on issues we care most about. I have sat at the table with lawmakers in Lansing, building a movement to strengthen our laws to keep families safe. I have taken leadership in the community, from helping the Bloomfield School board pass a resolution to keep guns out of schools, to mobilizing parents to engage with their legislators. I was the 2016 Democratic candidate in the 40th district, against a two-term incumbent, and came very close to victory. We’ve been building on that momentum since, and know we are the best 18B

Manoogian, a Birmingham resident, attended undergrad and graduate school at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She was the program officer in the Office of English Language Programs, and Digital Engagement Officer, Office of eDiplomacy, both at the U.S. State Department.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION I disagree strongly with recent attempts to curtail the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. This agency is critical to ensuring Michiganders are healthy and safe, and that our natural resources remain for generations to come. We should be relying on scientists and public servants for staffing this rule making agency, not corporate polluters and CEOs who have a financial interest in how the rules are made. I support increasing resources for the DEQ, so that they can fully ensure a healthy and safe Michigan.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE I support a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. The choices a woman makes regarding her health should be between her and her doctor.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS

Yes, the ongoing expansion of charter schools has negatively impacted our K12 public school system. We must take the profit motive out of educating our children. I support capping the number of schools that can be chartered in any given year. Presently, charter schools are able to use taxpayer dollars, but are not subject to the same transparency laws that local schools and school boards must be compliant with. I will champion legislation that will ensure transparency wherever our public dollars are spent on education. Given our state’s struggles with meeting third-grade literacy standards, and falling test scores, underfunding our local schools is not the answer to the question of how to build a Michigan that is prepared for the twenty-first century.

Every Michigander must be considered equal under the law, therefore the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act should be amended to extend civil rights protections to every citizen regardless of sexual orientation. I applaud the decision of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission to extend the definition of the word, “sex” to sexual orientation and gender identity with regard to Elliott-Larsen via a regulation. However, we must take steps to amend ElliottLarsen to ensure Michigan is inclusive under the law, in the event a future MCRC repeals the regulation.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION GUN REGULATIONS I support implementing common sense gun laws in Michigan that will keep our communities safe. I am proud to have earned a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction. On student walkout day, I spoke at the Capitol in Lansing, and advocated for red flag legislation at our state representative’s office hours. I support expanding background checks, including requiring background checks at gun shows. I firmly believe that weapons of war have no place in our communities, and bump stocks or other modifications to firearms to make them automatic should be made illegal. I support red flag legislation that takes into account civil liberties, but also ensures an individual will not be

transparency laws. I support financial disclosure by lawmakers and expanding Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to the legislature and governor’s office. This will allow lawmakers to provide much needed oversight and a check on the executive branch.

Additionally, I support prohibiting “Pay to Play” regarding lawmakers approving contracts with companies or people who are campaign contributors. Ethics and transparency laws should also be extended to the MDEQ, and other agencies operating in the executive branch. I also support increased transparency with regard to any taxpayer-funded expenditure, including public dollars that are spent on charter schools.

I support the legalization of marijuana.

By legalizing marijuana, our state can regulate and tax it, similar to how alcohol is regulated, and we can conduct better research on its impacts.

Additionally, the legalization of marijuana is also a civil rights issue, given that criminal enforcement disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color.

While other states have made marijuana legal with some net positives and some challenges, our state has the opportunity to get it right.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY As a former U.S. Department of State program officer, I strongly support strengthening Michigan’s ethics and

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WHY YOU I was born and raised in Birmingham and it’s the place I’ve called home for my entire life. I’m proud to be this district’s hometown candidate. Over the years, I’ve been a Harlan Hare, a BCS Cobra and a Seaholm Maple – and I believe it really does matter that the leaders we elect to represent us in government can understand our district. I’m proud to have a diverse record of public service experience from my time in the Office of Congressman John Dingell to working with Ambassador Samantha Power at the United Nations, to representing America abroad at the State Department and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. After eight years of Governor Rick Snyder and an incredibly long 18 months of President Donald Trump, it’s clear that the experiment of electing leaders with no experience in government has failed Michigan.

Democrats shouldn’t follow down that same failed path.

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august 7 primary voter guide Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township

STATE HOUSE 40TH DISTRICT/REPUBLICAN

Banerian, a recent graduate of Oakland University, lives in Bloomfield Township, and works in his family’s wholesale wine business. He was a member of Michigan’s 2016 Electoral College and Youth Vice Chairman for Michigan Republican Party.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Michigan has a rich history of protecting the environment but in recent years there have been several legislative attempts to restrict the DEQ when it comes to rule-making to implement laws of the state, including the now pending legislation that would place control of future rulemaking with an appointed committee comprised of special interests, including factions of the business community. There has long been a realization that the DEQ is underfunded in terms of being able to carry out its mission of protecting the quality of life in the state. Do you agree with the recent attempts to curtail the DEQ? Do you feel that more funding needs to be allocated to the DEQ for enforcement purposes?

I would disagree that all of these attempts at reform are being made to undermine the ability of the DEQ to enforce environmental protections.

These protections are incredibly important; however, as we find with many government bureaucracies, detachment from those areas that are affected by these regulations can have a negative effect on our state’s economy. I fully support at the very least, forming an independent committee that reviews DEQ recommendations to determine if certain rules go too far, and that committee should allow for everyone effected to have a seat at the table, be it business and industry professionals, to environmental experts. It is also important however, that once these AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

Because Congress has failed to act on proposed increased regulation of gun ownership, a number of states have taken the initiative to address the issue. Should Michigan be taking the lead on gun control? Would you support requiring expanded background checks? Background checks at gun shows? Banning bump stocks? Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? Banning military style weapons? Red flag laws?

Do I support background checks for private sales of firearms? Yes, with certain exceptions. Do I agree with the President’s move to ban bump stocks?

Yes, and any other attachment whose purpose is to make a legal gun, illegal.

However, when we get into issues such as age restrictions and terms such as “military style weapons,” this is where I think we begin to cross the line. With age restrictions, 18 years for a rifle and 21 for a handgun seems to be a reasonable law, which is currently on the books. We should not be preventing individuals who are adults from protecting themselves or their family.

With regards to the banning of “military style weapons” or “assault weapons,” this is an issue of misinformation.

Those are not actual categories of firearms – guns such as an AR-15 may look more aggressive, but they are actually very weak rifles compared to most other rifles, rifles that no one considers “assault” or “military style” weapons, and aren’t being called for to be banned. Secondly, we had an “assault weapons ban” which expired in 2004 and was not renewed. It wasn’t renewed because statistically it changed nothing in regards to gun violence, especially violence with rifles.

Many people also believe that “military style weapon” refers to banning automatic weapons. It’s important to be clear on this, fully automatic weapons have been banned since the 1980s.

These types of restrictions also ignore the fact that the large majority of gun violence in not with a rifle, but a handgun. Then ultimately we have to look at the numbers. The Number of gun violence in our nation is much lower than is being reported. Even more interesting is that while the U.S. does have a higher instance of gun violence, we have a much lower rate of violent

ROAD REPAIRS While the state has announced that $175 million will be disbursed this year for road and bridge repairs, do you feel that is sufficient while we wait three more years for the road funding proposal to finally kick in?

Should the state rainy day fund be tapped in the interim, as some have suggested?

Firstly, we must address what’s causing the wear and tear on our roads, that means reducing weight limits (the highest in the nation at 164,000 lbs and more than double the federal standard of 80,000 lbs), and improving building standards such as not allowing inferior materials like recycled concrete in our roads, and improving the depth of our roads. Finally, we must address the funding aspect. The issue is not a lack of revenue, but a flawed allocation system. I propose we reform this formula (Act 51) to take into account aspects like population, density, zoning, and roads studies. This would bring more money into areas like ours who need it, while stopping the practice of overfunding many communities in Michigan for their needs (such as areas in northern Michigan), making the allocation system fair and appropriate for the needs of each road.

Orchard Lake

West Bloomfield Twp.

Farmington Hills

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Sylvan

Pontiac

Bloomfield Twp.

Bloomfield Hills

40 Franklin

Birmingham Bingham Farms

GUN REGULATIONS

crime in general (including gun violence) than the rest of the world, including nations such as Canada and the UK. My goal as a state Representative is to work to keep Michiganders as safe as possible, I want to see all violent crime decline. I genuinely believe that in order for that to happen, we must not prevent the legal purchase of firearms in our state, and we must also address many societal problems that have led to so many of the terrible instances we’ve seen recently.

Keego

MIKE BANERIAN

rules are agreed upon, our government agencies have the proper resources to enforce these rules. While I don’t know the specifics of DEQ funding shortages, if any, I would absolutely review this agency as well as others, to make sure they are being properly funded (or in some cases, eliminating wasteful spending from other agencies).

Beverly Hills

City of

Southfield Twp. Lathrup Village

Berkley H

Birmingham Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, along with part of West Bloomfield.

expansion of charter schools threaten the public schools K-12 system that we have relied on for education?

I believe that we need to make sure any school receiving taxpayer money is abiding by the same standards (academically and otherwise) as our public schools. We should be focusing on results and options, taking away options for students and parents in failing school districts like Detroit by getting rid of charter schools is both morally wrong, and not helping solve the problem of trying to provide a good education for Michigan students.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION What is your position on the marijuana legalization proposal appearing on the November ballot?

I will be voting No on this ballot issue.

That being said, if it passes I will not work to undermine the will of the voters legislatively. If it fails, I will work passionately to decriminalize pot as much as possible, there is no reason we should be ruining people’s lives due to possession of small amounts of marijuana.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Michigan has developed a reputation as one of the most deregulated school environments in the country, with the largest number of charter schools – 80 percent of which are forprofit ventures. Charter schools were originally billed as a cure for declining student achievement and inequality, but a number of reports in the last few years show that 70 percent of the state’s charter schools are in the lower rungs of student achievement reviews. Lawmakers in Lansing, however, have on more than one occasion rejected tightening the overview of charter schools and have allowed for their continued growth.

Should there be more state control over charter schools for performance and finances? Does the ongoing

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Although Michigan has 1973 Act (196) to regulate conduct of public officials, it is considered less than rigorous when it comes to legislative ethics and transparency, leaving Michigan ranked near the bottom in comparative studies with other states.

Would you support financial disclosure by state lawmakers? What about including the governor’s office and the legislature when it comes to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, from which they are now exempt?

Would you support a bill that prohibits “Pay to Play” when it comes to lawmakers approving contracts with companies or people who are campaign contributors? Are there any other areas that need to be 19B

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addressed if we are to strengthen ethics/transparency laws/rules in Michigan as they apply to the legislature and administrative offices?

I would work to make sure that all members of government fall under the rules of the Freedom of Information Act, and I would support any reforms to make our government more transparent to the voters.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE Are you pro-life or pro-choice? If you are pro-life, are there any exceptions to prohibitions on abortions that you find acceptable? Explain your position on this issue.

I am pro-life, and proudly serve on the board of directors for Cross Roads Care Center which provides free women’s health services and works to support women before and after the birth of their child. With regards to exceptions, I believe that science shows us that life begins at conception, and therefore that life is entitled to the full protections of the law, including the protection of the right to life. The circumstances of that child’s conception do not change those facts, and the innocent bystander, the child, should not have these rights taken away from them due to the circumstances under which they were conceived. This issue is also about equal rights, that means the rights of the mother cannot supersede the right of the child to live, and vice-versa, the rights of the child cannot supersede the rights of the mother to live. In instances where things like cancer treatments and other medical procedures needed for a mother to live would terminate the pregnancy, I support the right of a mother to proceed with those treatments, however, it’s important to note that the baby is not killed as a result of an abortion.

this district. I grew up here, have been involved in our community my entire life, and ran my family’s small business in the district. The possibility of representing my friends and neighbors in Lansing as their representative is incredibly humbling and exciting. I believe we need a new generation of young leaders who will put forward substantive, bold solutions to solve some of our state’s biggest issues. I believe I am the candidate who is offering that. I also think we need a representative who is positive and pragmatic, and doesn’t add to the divisive nature of politics by attacking their opponents and those who disagree with them. I may be a bit naively optimistic about things, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think we need our leaders to change the dynamic of politics and work with other to solve our shared problems, I hope to play my part in helping us do that.

MALISSA BOSSARDET

The state has added $175 million to the road budget. However, Michigan’s economy is growing so fast, that this year’s budget surplus may approach a billion dollars. The legislature is already considering more money for roads. I support those efforts.

Bossardet lives in Bloomfield Township, and has been in pharmaceutical sales.

She is a graduate of Indiana University, and was a precinct delegate in Fenton and is a precinct delegate in Bloomfield.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

I believe that we should be careful to separate discrimination based solely on someone’s sexual orientation, from allowing private businesses/ organizations, particularly those with religious affiliations, to practice their faith or mission.

WHY YOU Why should a voter choose you over an opponent on the primary ballot?

I am proud to be the candidate from 20B

There are background checks at gun shows. All firearms dealers are federally licensed and do background checks. The myth that all anyone needs to do is walk into a gun show to avoid criminal background checks is old and behind the times. The socalled “loophole” applies everywhere, not just gun shows but also in private sales between two people or guns handed down within a family (MCL 28.422). In Michigan, you must obtain a permit from the sheriff prior to purchasing a pistol from a private seller, (including a CO2 pellet gun) so the so-called “loophole” applies even less here. Red flag laws have their place, and currently, police officers can confiscate weapons if they are called to a scene where people have obvious problems. Due process needs to be respected, and a red flag law should not be a catch all that can be abused like PPOs sometimes are. “Military style” is a catch all phrase that is essentially meaningless. It essentially adds how a gun looks to the regulation process. Automatic weapons are already outlawed, and is really the difference between military weapons in reality and in the imagination. I oppose any gun control legislation and support our Constitutional right of the people to keep and bear arms.

ROAD REPAIRS

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS Should the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act be amended to extend civil rights protections in housing and employment to include sexual orientation? Why or why not?

GUN REGULATIONS

No. I challenge the premise that having a business-related voice in the DEQ is somehow weakening its mission. All regulations, environmental or otherwise, should have a cost-benefit analysis done. All human activity has side effects, and we are to the point where we can count parts per trillion. I note that you only single-out the business community as being a “special interest,” but there are certainly factions of the environmental lobby that also qualify for that title. I would also like to stress that citizens and legislatures must be good stewards of our resources. Proposed laws need to be evaluated for the “real” impact they would have on the environment and the “real” effect on business/quality of life issues.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS Whether a school is “for profit” or not is irrelevant. The issue is how they serve students. That should be the only issue, not how it effects “the system.” Our common goal must be a quality education that benefits “all” students.

Michigan student performance lags that of other states resulting in three-fourths of our students graduating high school unprepared to enter the workforce or to continue their education. My biggest issue with charter schools is the underrepresentation of children with disabilities. Some charter schools have not complied with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates. Many charter schools actively counsel out parents that have a child with a disability. True story, in our previous school district, we were turned away from four different charter schools because my child was a student in special education with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). By law,

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charter schools do not get to a la carte their students, and we must hold these schools accountable to the same laws and standards as public schools. I support standards for everything that gets state funding, but I also support parents in their quest to do the best for their child. There is no one size fits all answer here.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION I oppose recreational marijuana.

Marijuana is illegal under federal law even in states that legalize it. We must uphold the law of the land as written until (and if) it is changed.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY I support expanding FOIA to the governor and the legislature.

Transparency is the paramount ethics issue in all of government.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE I am pro-life. I am a mother of three children and prefer adoption over abortion. I find in interesting that you did not ask whether a pro-choice candidate had exception, such as partial birth or very late term abortions, or gender-selection abortions. We are very far from worrying about exceptions to when abortion should be illegal, when we live in a country where abortions are more readily available than in any western European country.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS I am in favor of every person having completely “equal” rights. If equal protections are brought forward for any class of citizen they must ensure uniformity with society and not give any particular class any advantage over another.

WHY YOU I have raised three children. I want to continue on the progress Michigan is making. Our children are the future and I want to make Michigan the best place to live, work and play. I bring 30plus years of leadership and business experience. Through my real world experience, I have a greater understanding of how public policies will impact our residents. As a result of my many years of job experience, while in Lansing, I will be able to utilize my skills as a leader, communicator, critical thinker and teamwork. I will work to bring common sense solutions to the issues important to the residence of our community like roads, education and workforce development. I will knock on more doors and listen to more voters than any other candidate. If elected I will deliver on promises made when I AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

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am in Lansing. It is important to put people first over politics.

PAUL SECREST

Secrest, of Bloomfield Township, is a retired purchasing agent from Chrysler. He received his undergraduate degree from DePauw University and his MBA at Indiana University.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Today we are in a constant state of overreach and then overreaction from the other side on environmental issues.

President Obama put radical environmentalists in charge of the EPA, and Trump may be going too far the other way. Modern coal plants have eliminated 97 percent of carbon dioxide – I saw a power plant on the Ohio River and the only thing coming out of the smokestacks was a little steam.

President Obama rewarded this spectacular industry cleanup by making coal public enemy number one and threatened to wipe out the industry.

I met with the Oakland County Road Commission and they talked about a $100,000 project exploding to $600,000 because of the DEQ. There needs to be quick arbitration panels for disputes between the DEQ and county road commissions. I, like most people in Michigan, want strong environmental protection, but want environmental agencies to practice some restraint. The proposed legislation may be an overreaction which needs to be tempered.

GUN REGULATIONS Because Congress has failed to act on proposed increased regulation of gun ownership, a number of states have taken the initiative to address the issue.

Should Michigan also be taking the lead on the gun control issue? Yes. Would you support requiring expanded background checks? Yes. Background checks at gun shows? Yes. Banning AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

bump stocks? Yes. Raising the age on the purchase of weapons? No. Banning military style weapons? No. Red flag laws? Yes.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS

ROAD REPAIRS

WHY YOU

The $175 million is not sufficient but tapping the rainy day fund to pay for roads is bad policy. The rainy day fund is intended to get the state through a severe recession and should only be used for that. Michigan had a $.19/gallon gas tax for 20 years which was recently increased to $.26/gallon.

The gas tax would have risen to $.30/gallon if it had moved with inflation. The state has a double whammy of still not keeping up with inflation, and 20 years of underfunding which has been exacerbated by slightly better MPG on the average vehicle.

Michigan has no choice but to raise the gas tax again, and the sooner the better, as hidden infrastructure like bridges continue to deteriorate.

I have always read a great deal and have a strong history and business background which allows me to make informed judgments/proposals on a wide range of legislation.

Yes because same-sex marriage is legal.

PAUL TAROS

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS I would vote to eliminate all for-profit charter schools. For-profit charters simply maximize profits and all profits come out of teachers salaries or things like building maintenance. I am also not a fan of not-for-profit charter schools because administrator salaries are not clearly visible. I also do not like school choice – it simply moves students around and creates funnel districts. The 10-year battle the Bloomfield Hills district had over one or two high schools highlights the huge advantage of local school control. The community was highly engaged and the school board was very responsive. The charter school push in Michigan simply moves many parents and students further away from their local community and local control.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION I will vote for the proposal.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Financial disclosure – no – Michigan has many business owners and other accomplished people who will not run.

The caliber of people in Congress suffers from financial disclosure requirements. Freedom of Information for the Governor and legislature – yes.

“Pay to play” prohibition – yes. Other items – no – we do not need more laws, bureaucracy, and requirements.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE Pro-choice – it is an intensely personal decision which should be made by the woman, not government.

our laws, just like the Magna Carta.

‘Thou shall not kill’ is a very important commandment and I believe that if children are taught this from a very early age, they will stop and think twice before going on a shooting spree. If we don’t teach our children right from wrong, we should not be shocked and outraged when they commit heinous acts.

ROAD REPAIRS Yes, we need to immediately increase the funding for our roads and bridges.

However, the funding should come from existing monies, not new taxes. The repair and maintenance of our roads and bridges must be given a high priority in our state budget. For years, politicians have failed to allocate enough money for the maintenance of our roads. This behavior has been penny-wise and pound foolish. We need to eliminate corporate welfare and use that money on our roads. We also need to revisit Public Act 51, which allocates too much money to rural roads at the expense of more heavily traveled roads in metropolitan areas.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS

Taros, a CPA, lives in Birmingham. He is a member of Bloomfield Hills Schools’ Leadership Committee.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Protecting our environment is of utmost importance, however more money is not always the answer. The DEQ failed in protecting the citizens of Flint and this must never happen again. Everyone wants clean air and water. SB 652 & SB 654 are very interesting in that they would establish a science board and a stakeholder committee to bring balance to what is coming out of the DEQ. I am not in favor of more committees, but I am also not in favor of a DEQ that is advancing various agendas at the expense of facts and science. We need sound environmental policy and if we need to overhaul the DEQ to achieve that goal, then I would support such action.

GUN REGULATIONS No, I do not believe we need any more gun laws. There are over 20,000 gun laws on the books already. More gun laws will not protect us. The vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding citizens. Criminals do not care how many gun laws we have on the books, since they ignore them all. We need to enforce the gun laws that are already on the books. Let’s bring back teaching the Ten Commandments in school. The Ten Commandments are the basis of

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Charter schools were established to be a laboratory for educational innovation.

Having charter schools gives parents a choice of where to send their children.

Many parents do not want to send their children to indoctrination centers called traditional public schools. America achieved its greatness because of competition. When traditional and charter schools have to compete with each other for students, the result will be a better quality education for our children. Allowing parents to decide what type of school is best for their child is the best solution.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION While I have never used marijuana, I do not think it is the role of government to tell someone what they can and can’t use. As long as the people who choose to use marijuana use it in a responsible manner and do not harm others, I do not believe government should prohibit its use. We need to remember that up until 1913, marijuana was legal across America. Medical marijuana has proven to be of enormous benefit to many patients. The legalization of recreational marijuana will have many benefits to law enforcement. The loss of revenue from marijuana will weaken drug cartels financially and the police will be free to investigate and solve more serious crimes.

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ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Yes, I would support requiring more financial disclosure by state lawmakers.

Also, Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act should apply to the governor’s office and the legislature. I think these laws should also apply to high ranking bureaucrats who can award lucrative contracts. No lawmaker or bureaucrat should be able to enrich themselves at the expense of Michigan taxpayers. No one should be above the law, especially lawmakers and bureaucrats, who are supposed to be servants of the public.

some government bureaucrat to mete out fairness and equality, is just plain foolish. I remember when successful people were held up as role models, instead of being demonized. I will fight every day for dangerous freedom and against peaceful slavery.

DAVID WOLKINSON

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE I am 100 percent pro-life. I believe that one of the most important roles of government is to protect those least able to protect themselves. The elderly and the unborn are some of the most vulnerable in our society and need our protection. I believe life begins at conception and we must protect it.

While I empathize with women who feel that they must have an abortion, I cannot condone the murder of an innocent unborn baby. How can anyone feel they have the right to take the life of another. Imagine the unborn baby never having the opportunity to hope, dream and laugh. The only exception I would make is if the life of the mother is in danger.

ROAD REPAIRS

Wolkinson lives in Birmingham and is a small business owner. He served as Gov. Snyder’s policy director and administrative vice chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. He has undergrad, masters, and a law degree from University of Michigan.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS No, I do not believe that the ElliottLarsen Civil Rights Act should be extended to include sexual orientation.

We already have far too many lawsuits where everyone is a victim. This mentality must stop. When you give protection to a class of people under Elliott-Larsen, you are giving them special rights not provided to those not covered under the Act. I do not believe in discrimination. I believe in meritocracy and I do not think bureaucrats should be put in a place of power to mete out fairness.

WHY YOU When I hear a Republican say that they have the ability to reach across the aisle to get common sense ideas done, I want to go RINO (Republican In Name Only) hunting. I believe in the Republican platform of a smaller less intrusive government, lower taxes, and personal responsibility. I remember how many Republicans worked with Governor Granholm to raise our taxes. I am still angry at the 12 Republicans who voted against lowering our “temporary Granholm tax increase.” If heaven forbid, we should have a progressive Governor, I pledge to you I will stand strong against the liberal agenda. The idea of putting our faith in 22B

of those that are severely mentally ill and are prone to violence. I do not think that all, or even most, of our horrible gun violence can be solved with new legislation, but it is clear that certain perpetrators of these horrendous crimes (like the young man in the recent Parkland shooting) should never have had access to the guns that he did. He had demonstrated mental incapacity to possess weapons and an eagerness to commit violence. If legislation were proposed to increase the effectiveness of background checks and it was narrowly tailored, so as not to infringe on the rights of law abiding Americans, I would support it.

In 2010, I served as policy director for Gov. Rick Snyder’s gubernatorial campaign. I met with business leaders, environmentalists and other stakeholders throughout the state.

Under the Granholm administration, the single most complained about state agency was the DEQ. Governor Snyder came into office determined to roll back what he viewed as an overly aggressive DEQ and given the nature of this question, it appears he was quite successful in doing so. There has been no greater failure of this administration than the Flint water disaster. That disaster (shamefully, totally manmade) reminds us why strong environmental regulations are so important (they are literally of life and death importance.)

With that said, I would be very wary of swinging the pendulum in the other direction. It is important that we be conservative about considering new regulations or stricter enforcement of current ones absent a compelling reason otherwise.

GUN REGULATIONS I believe very strongly in the Second Amendment. Our right to bear arms is entrenched in our Constitution. However, our recent history of gun violence has made it clear that we need to be more effective in getting guns out of the hands

$175 million is not sufficient. Our roads are in serious disrepair. While I would support legislation to use money from the rainy day fund, my first priority would be to fight for our district’s fair share of the current road money being spent. We are the biggest donors to the state (as far as House districts go). In Oakland County, we only get back some 70 cents on the dollar of what we send to Lansing – in the 40th district it is even lower. Thankfully we are the wealthiest district in the state, but the formula for road money does not account for either a) how much we disproportionately send to Lansing for the entire state’s benefit; b) being the economic and social engine of the metro Detroit region, how much our roads are driven on. The bottom line is that Oakland County (and the 40th district in particular) do not get our fair share of road revenue based on the current formulas and the next state representative needs to fight for our fair share.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS The idea behind charter schools having less accountability than traditional public schools is that no one is obliged to attend a charter school. Public schools in our district are for the most part fantastic, but there are other places (like the city of Detroit) where plenty of parents failed their kids are trapped in a failing system. Charter schools were created to give parents more choices.

Unlike traditional public schools, if a charter school is failing then the parents have the option of pulling their child out.

This is an inherent accountability that does not exist at traditional public schools. With that said, the state funds a major part of every student’s public education dollars. If charter schools are failing, than it would be appropriate to consider tougher oversight of those failing schools.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION Let the people decide. The people are smarter than Lansing politicians. As

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William F Buckley once said, “I’d rather be governed by the first thousand names in the phone book than the Harvard faculty.” I think the people have been way ahead of the politicians throughout the marijuana legalization process. I have great confidence in the people and will support whatever decision they make.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY Yes, I believe that there is a deep deal of insider dealing in Lansing and there are a number of reforms that I would support to hopefully transform this negative/corrupt culture. This is most prevalent when one examines the state’s economic development efforts.

Simply put, investing is hard, it is not easy (I do it for a living) it is not the role of state bureaucrats (or legislatures for that matter) to speculate as to what the next economic “growth” area will be. Our economic development efforts should be narrowed to providing a safe secure place to invest, top flight infrastructure and fantastic educational systems. It is not the role of state to invest in private enterprise (directly or through the tax system). Predicting winners and losers should be left to private citizens and I think draining Lansing of this money will clean up the ethical environment in state government.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE I am pro-life.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS Yes. Same gender loving couples (LGBTs) and all Michiganders deserve the same housing and employment rights. This is past due. No one should be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Of course, there must be robust protections of our religious freedoms (no church or synagogue should ever be forced to violate their beliefs) but extending Elliot Larsen to the LGBT community should be done immediately.

WHY YOU I am a businessman. I have built up a small but successful real estate management company in the last five years. I know how economies work and I have deep experience in public policy from my years of activism in the Republican Party and my service as Governor Snyder’s policy director. I think I am the candidate with the best combination of energy and experience to fight for what matters to voters in the district. I know how government works and I want to fight for more money for our roads, more dollars in the classroom and to make Michigan the best place to live, work and raise a family.

AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

august 7 primary voter guide

JOSEPH ZANE

Zane, a former Marine, lives in Birmingham, and until recently, was in IT with FCA. He received his undergrad degree from the US Naval Academy and graduate degree from University of Heidelberg.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION One of Michigan’s greatest assets is environmental beauty. First off, having rule-making boards comprised mostly of appointees who have a special interest in the results shouldn’t be allowed to stand.

Some rules are good, and some are bad, and the existing rule-making process may not be effective, but codifying a jury of biased observers, drawn mostly from business, doesn’t make sense. As to funding, before allocating more funding, we must look carefully at how different department are funded. I have a brother who works at DEQ in the Waste Management and Radiological Protection Division (WMRPD). Because it’s funded through a special tax on waste haulers and landfills, it has adequate funding.

Other departments, funded through the general fund, are probably underfunded.

For example, the Air Quality Division only took three physical samples of air quality due to cost constraints. That being said, nothing comes for free. I think before we reallocate money to the DEQ, the legislature needs to make sure that the existing money is being used in an optimized way.

GUN REGULATIONS Michigan should not be working to enact additional restrictions on firearms. The Second Amendment enshrines the act of bearing arms as a right, a right with historical roots in the right to self-defense but also the defense of liberty. The need to have an armed populace to defend against tyranny is as resonant today as ever. We pray that institutions keep individuals in check, but if average people revoke their rights to all firearms, we risk giving up a vital part of the American character. While times have changed, and AUGUST 2018 PRIMARY

the nature of the militia has changed, the underlying dynamic that this represents has not. To restrict a right in any way requires a deeply compelling reason, driven by data, and with a clear and obvious benefit to society. Unfortunately, none of the proposed solutions have that.

Death through assault weapons are a small fraction of overall gun deaths. Even most mass killings wouldn’t have been prevented by an assault weapons ban, with attacks perpetrated by people with vans, shotguns, knives and handguns.

Moreover, criminals, by definition, do not follow laws, so most additional restrictions would mostly affect lawful gun owners. Of the specific questions you list, the only one I would consider supporting is regulation of bump stocks. Even the NRA agrees that restrictions on the ownership of fully automatic weapons should be limited, and if a device that makes the average semi-automatic weapon act as a fully automatic, it is reasonable to consider additional regulations. I’m sympathetic to the drive to do more. The recent spate of mass murders around the globe have been truly horrific. That being said, even to the extent that additional restrictions on gun ownership are effective (which as outlined above, I am not convinced that they would be), they would be treating only a symptom, not a cause.

ROAD REPAIRS Taking from the rainy-day fund risks our fiscal future in an inevitable economic downturn. Some or all of the recent budget surplus should be designated for road funding. Unfortunately, $150 million doesn’t go far when spread out across a state’s worth of cities and counties. There needs to be fundamental change in order for state roads funding to be sustainable.

The current funding model is broken. A gas tax as a funding mechanism becomes more and more inadequate as vehicles become more fuel efficient.

Ultimately, the gas tax will need to make way to a fee for mileage model. Indeed, as location sensors become more and more precise, we can evolve to a model where not just distance traveled is measured, but distance on a given road is measured and could be fed into maintenance for that exact road. Until we make that change, we’ll continue to cobble together short-term measures that fail to address the fundamental issue.

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS I don’t feel that the ongoing expansion of charter schools threatens the K-12 system. By introducing an element of competition, I hope that failing schools have the opportunity to reform and revise their practices. That being said, while I think the statistic you cite is probably misleading – charter schools tend to be built as an alternative to already failing

schools, not in affluent suburbs with excellent schools – charters should be held to the same level of accountability and transparency that public schools have. Ultimately, the charter vs public debate misses the point. We need to be pushing more options for all students, both inside and outside of the public school system. On the one hand, this can go toward providing more academically rigorous opportunities, such as the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills, where I went to high school. On the other hand, this can and should go toward providing more vocational and skillsbased training. It is worth considering offering vocational training including apprenticeships to many students while they are still in high school. In order to serve both Michigan’s students and Michigan’s economy, we must build a training pipeline that produces the right mix of skills for the future economy.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION It should be passed. I personally have never used cannabis, but I see from the experience of many close friends that prohibition has been a bad policy from the start. While use of cannabis is not good per se, and its over-use can be harmful, it is no worse than alcohol (and probably safer), yet its ban still results in life-changing convictions at a significant cost to tax payers. It’s patently unjust and unnecessary. Moreover, cannabis prohibition pushes significant economic activity underground. Legalization has the potential to create a whole new industry to Michigan, which could revitalize economically depressed areas. Add to that the fact that taxes from the proposal will add additional funds to roads, schools and municipalities without increasing the tax burden to the general population, and “yes” on the legalization proposal is a no-brainer.

ETHICS/TRANSPARENCY In general, I am in support of all laws that support good governance and transparency. I support laws that would require financial disclosure for legislatures, as it is essential for citizens to make informed decisions. Same thing for expanding Michigan FOIA. Citizens should be able to understand how and why lawmakers are making decisions, and that’s a big part of it. I would consider a pay-to-play bill, although I would have to consider the particular provisions. While I don’t want pay-to-play in Michigan politics, especially in the middle of the campaign, I’m wary of additional administrative burdens on already shoestring campaign organizations, such as many at the state rep level. The last issue I would bring up is campaign finance. You won’t fix any of the other issues until we figure out a way that shifts the focus of candidates from

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raising money from special interests willing to write $1000 checks to raising money from the general public in small dollar donations. I would look carefully into the feasibly of enacting a small donor tax-credit in Michigan.

PRO-LIFE/PRO-CHOICE I am pro-life. The fundamental question that drives my position is whether and when a fetus is afforded the same dignity and status as a full-fledged human.

Modern western society has agreed that, once a baby is actually born, parents have an obligation to keep that baby alive. Failure to do so is negligence at best and homicide in the worst case. This is true regardless of the circumstances of hardship of the family. Federal law establishes 24 weeks gestation is the latest someone can legally get an abortion. Yet every pregnancy is different, and babies have been able to survive as early as 21 weeks and 4 days. Do premature babies born this early have less of a right to live than those born after the threshold? It becomes a slippery slope. The one clear cut exception is when the life of the mother, which has moral value equal to that of the baby, is in danger by carrying the baby to term.

CODIFYING CIVIL RIGHTS Yes, Elliot-Larson should be expanded to include sexual orientation. Gay and lesbian Michiganders have the same dignity and rights as other citizens. ElliotLarson is well-established law. I count gay men and women as some of my closest friends. The thought of them being denied a job or housing that they would otherwise be qualified for is upsetting.

Extending the law would not beseech anyone to change their deeply held beliefs or infringe on any fundamental rights. It simply provides the same basic opportunities for the LGBT community that everyone else has.

WHY YOU Do you believe in the American Dream? I do. Michigan was the place where, in the 1950’s and 1960’s, my grandparents, fresh off the boat from Poland, were able to work hard and make their way into the middle class. It was the best place in the world to work, live and raise a family.

That’s why I joined the Marines. I wanted to give back, and at 18, I pledged to continue that drive to preserve the American dream. I will work tirelessly to regain that stature that faded near the end of the 20th Century. I am focused on solving the issues that matter most to Michigan. Roads, high tech infrastructure, education, jobs and veterans’ support are issues that both Republicans and Democrats can agree we need to work on to be competitive in the 21st century economy.

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