VOTER

Recommendations

Info

Page 12 2016 Voter Guide League of Women Voters Biographical Info US Representative - Vote For Not More Than 1 - Two Year Term PRIORITIES: What are your top three national legislative priorities and how would you address them? HHH District 14 HHH (Cont.) ECONOMY: What federal policies do you support for a healthy economy and to help the broader American public improve their economic positions? BRENDA L LAWRENCE, Democrat Campaign Website: http://brendalawrence.com/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/brendalawrenceforcongress/ Occupation / Current Position: Congresswoman, Michigan’s 14th District Education: Graduate of Pershing High School, Detroit (my hometown); Graduate of Central Michigan University, BA, Public Administration. Alumnus, Leadership Detroit. Honorary Doctorate, Lawrence Tech University. Qualifications / Experience: Currently serving in the United States House of Representatives, 2015 to Present. Mayor of Southfield, 2001 to 2015. Served as head of the National Association of Democratic Mayors. Former Trustee, the U.S. Conference of Mayors. A term as Southfield City Councilwoman, which included serving as Council President. A term on the Southfield School Board, which included serving as Board President. GREGORY CRESWELL, Libertarian Campaign Website: http://gregcreswell.wordpress.com Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/gregorycreswell Occupation / Current Position: medical records clerk Education: attended Wayne County Community College: fire science and fire protection technology Qualifications / Experience: a consistent defender of individual rights, the free market, the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Priority 1: Secure increased federal funding for education, training. Greater support for displaced workers training, career and technical schools, community colleges, expanded early childhood development and urban-focused literacy programs are sorely needed. I’ve created the Skilled Trades Workforce Caucus in Congress, introduced related legislation. Priority 2: Defend Medicare, Social Security, Obamacare. These successful programs are under attack. Priority 3: Demand action to end gun violence. Sensible gun legislation is long overdue; I actively participated in the “sit-in” on the House Floor to demand action. 1) returning to the gold/silver standard asap. 2) repealing all forms of socialism laws/programs etc. 3) repealing all federal fees, taxes, permits, licenses etc. I would address them all by sponsoring/co-sponsoring and or voting for those bills to achieve those goals. For our cities to foster more job growth, we need regional mass transit and improved transportation. I’ve been advocating for our region’s piece of the funding pie at the federal level, including support of transit projects and addressing crumbling roads and infrastructure, which are hindering our economy. No longer should we send Washington more tax dollars than we receive back; increased transportation funding for our state can boost job growth. I strongly support increasing the federal minimum wage and have co-sponsored that legislation. I’ll advocate for equal pay for women and advancing the Paycheck Fairness Act. a) returning to the gold/silver standard. b) repealing all taxes, fees, permits, licenses, regulations etc. c) reducing the size of the federal gov’t back to the year 1790. MARCIA SQUIER, Green Campaign Website: http://Migreenparty.org Facebook Page: Marcia Squier (Marcia Squier for Congress) Twitter: @triple_marcia Occupation / Current Position: Equipment manager and Instructor for Tumblebunnies International Education: Bachelor of Science from WSU Qualifications / Experience: I am the Chairman of the Board for the IGPA (Ingleside Grossed ale Park Association)- a private park on Lake Saint Clair in St. Clair Shores, which includes over 300 families (approximately 1000 people) My top 3 national legislative priorities are the following: 1- Defending the constitution and our rights as Americans. 2- Election Integrity and maintaining the democratic process through accurate and fair voting processes. 3-Fighting against misleading and destructive trade deals like the TPP. I would address these issues by supporting legislation that addresses these issues, introducing legislation that would support these issues, and opposing legislation that would be harmful to these extremely important issues. I support the Green New Deal, which will provide millions of new jobs in the renewable energy fields and in infrastructure improvements. This emergency jobs program will provide countless families with the opportunity to support themselves at a liveable wage ($15/hr min.), thus reducing the burden of safety nets built into the country. Michigan Representative – Vote For Not More Than 1 – Two Year Term Duties: The Michigan House shares responsibility with the Michigan State Senate to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws. Qualifications: State Representatives may serve a maximum of three full terms. They must be at least 21 years of age and a registered voter in their district. There are 110 State House districts which are re-apportioned after each census. Biographical Info RANDY LEVASSEUR, Republican Campaign Website: www.ChooseRandy.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChooseRandy Occupation / Current Position: Co-Owner of Michigan Property Tax Relief LLC, Co-Owner of LeVasseur Dyer & Associates PC Education: University of Michigan - A.B. - Political Science - 1985, University of Michigan Law School - J.D. - 1988 Qualifications / Experience: I am a Proven Tax Fighter, having started a small business that has helped the owners of thousands of homes reduce their property taxes. I am NOT a career politician, and offer a different perspective from them. While they concern themselves with increasing government revenue and serving their special interest friends, my focus is on helping ordinary citizens keep more funds in their own pockets. Priorities: What are your top three state legislative priorities and how would you address them? HHH District 26 HHH First, to reduce the cost of government. Government too often demands more money from the people who pay the bills - the taxpayers. We need governments to live within their means just as the citizens of our state must live within their means. Second, to improve our economy by reducing and eliminating regulations that do not clearly and directly protect public safety. Unnecessary regulations stifle economic development and discourage job and income growth. Third, we must restore integrity to public service. Theft and self-dealing by people who are supposed to be serving the public cannot be tolerated. Education: What measures do you support/propose to achieve improved educational outcomes for students and for school districts? Schools and school districts need to focus on the needs of students and their families. Parental input and involvement is critical for student success. We also need ALL school districts to be financially responsible. When a local school district is bailed out by the state, it means fewer funds available for students in other school districts. Where traditional schools are failing, charter schools offer an alternative that is more responsive to the needs of students and their families. In Detroit, for example, roughly half of families choose charter schools over traditional public schools.
League of Women Voters 2016 Voter Guide Page 13 ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT: What policies do you support to meet U.S. energy needs while protecting our water, air and land for current and future generations? US Representative - Vote For Not More Than 1 - Two Year Term ELECTIONS: What policies do you support regarding campaign funding and voting rights? IMMIGRATION: What are your concerns and plans regarding U.S. immigration policy? HHH District 14 HHH (Cont.) HEALTH CARE: What are your concerns and plans regarding U.S. health care policies or programs? I continue to support the President’s initiatives to diversify our national energy production, in order to secure our energy future without being reliant on foreign entities. In Michigan our environment is a quality of life issue and an economic engine. Our freshwater is critical to our region’s success. I’ve fought to protect our Great Lakes. Any efforts to weaken the Clean Water Act or Clean Air Act have been met with my firm resistance. I oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline, as well as storage of petroleum coke near the Detroit River or our neighborhoods. Our cities should not be treated like corporate dumping grounds. We must address the broken system of funding campaigns in our country, as well as protect our citizens’ voting rights. In Congress, I’ve co-sponsored the Voting Rights Act’s renewal. It is unacceptable that the Republican leadership allowed it to expire. I also support the DISCLOSE Act because transparency is important for good government. Our democratic processes are undermined by the undue, pervasive influence of money. Expanded safeguards against illegal contributions and greater disclosure requirements are essential. The Citizens United Supreme Court decision set a dangerous precedent, which must be reversed. Taking steps to improve our immigration process is overdue and necessary. I support establishing a pathway to citizenship for those already in our country, as well as passing the DREAM Act in Congress. The diversity in our 14th Congressional District, from Detroit to Pontiac to West Bloomfield to Hamtramck, is amazing. Our strong history of immigrants coming to America in search of a better life is part of what makes our region and our country strong. I’m gravely concerned by the divisive rhetoric from Donald Trump and I strongly oppose his absurd wall-building fantasies. I support the Affordable Care Act and advocated for its passage. The ideal federal health care program would be a single-payer system, but ‘Obamacare’ is as a proven major step in the right direction, with millions more Americans accessing affordable health care and many previous hurdles from insurance companies now eliminated. The most time-sensitive priority for this topic area: correcting flaws in the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system. Deficiencies must be addressed -- and we must also prevent efforts to privatize the VA, which would be a great disservice to the men and women who defended our country. on the issue of energy: complete privatization without any gov’t incursions at all. on the issue of water/air/land protection: only polluters pay while completely privatizing water and land. campaign funding: no limits. no donations from non-citizens, non-US companies etc. voting rights: it must be protected while defeating fraud, corruption, multi-voting by one individual etc. Stop illegal immigration immediately. protect the border, begin deportation of illegal aliens asap. completely privatize health care, i.e. repeal Medicare, Medicaid, Obama-care etc. I support being fossil fuel free by 2030, and will introduce incentives for cities, counties, and states for achieving this goal early. This will end oil drilling, fracking, and other destructive, non-renewable energy sources, thus preserving the environment. I support public funding for campains, and I oppose super pac, corporate, and foreign donations. I support automatic voter registration and removing obstacles that prevent too many voters from being heard and represented. My concern regarding immigration is that we need to stop contributing to the reasons that cause refugees to flee their homelands and focus more on peace throughout the world. America, being the Melting Pot that it is, needs to remain a haven for those seeking to become part of the American Dream. I am very concerned with the health care of all ages of people. I support changing the Medicare age requirements that would make health care (including vision, dental, mental, and chiropractic care) available from cradle to grave for all Americans. Michigan Representative – Vote For Not More Than 1 – Two Year Term Duties: The Michigan House shares responsibility with the Michigan State Senate to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws. Qualifications: State Representatives may serve a maximum of three full terms. They must be at least 21 years of age and a registered voter in their district. There are 110 State House districts which are re-apportioned after each census. Elections: What policy changes do you support regarding campaign funding and voting rights for Michigan voters? ? Voters often are asked to increase taxes, but need greater opportunity to hold governments accountable if the funds are no longer needed or used unwisely. Millage increases should be for a very limited time, with governments regularly held accountable for how they use taxpayer dollars. Governments and elected officials must not be allowed to use public funds to promote candidates, millage increases, or ballot proposals. Newsletters and other materials paid for with government dollars are rarely neutral, even if they are designed superficially to appear so. Their use prior to elections should be limited. Economy: What policies do you support to increase jobs and help Michigan residents improve their economic position HHH District 26 HHH We must continuously look for ways to make government less expensive so that we can reduce taxes and fees. High taxes and fees deter job creation and directly impact the household budgets of our residents. Wasted funds also take away from our ability to maintain and improve our infrastructure. We must reduce regulations that do not clearly and directly protect public safety. Such regulations deter business and job development. We need greater uniformity in business regulations, expenses and procedures between municipalities. Too many variations make it more difficult for businesses to expand and create jobs in Michigan. We must encourage energy production and competition. Lower energy costs will help Michigan residents keep more money in their wallets. It also will reduce the cost of doing business in Michigan, encouraging business and job expansion in our state. Energy & Environment: What actions or policies do you support to meet Michigan energy needs while protecting our water, air and land for current and future generations? I support greater competition among energy providers. DTE and Consumers Energy currently control 90% of the market, but are pushing for legislation that effectively would give them the remaining 10%. Currently, only large institutions such as hospitals and schools have the opportunity to purchase from energy providers other than DTE and Consumers. Those hospitals and schools are saving millions on their energy bills because of the competition, and I believe more Michigan consumers should have the same opportunity to save on their energy bills. I support responsible energy exploration that protects our natural resources and environment. The latest technologies in retrieving energy resources have allowed our country to become much more energy independent in recent years and greatly reduced energy costs for our citizens. Those technologies also have made much more natural gas accessible to us, which is a much cleaner and environmentally friendly resource compared to other fossil fuels.
Page 1 and 2: League of Women Voters Oakland Area
Page 3 and 4: League of Women Voters 2016 Voter G
Page 11: League of Women Voters 2016 Voter G
Page 63 and 64:
League of Women Voters 2016 Voter G
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
show all

VOTER

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?