Lois Shulman
Republican
Oakland County
House of Representatives District 39
Why are you running for office?
My two oldest daughters no longer live here and my two youngest asked me to list reasons why they should stay in Michigan and I need to give them at least one. We need to respect the need of young minds and their needs if we want to recruit the best and the brightest to work, live and play. I moved to Southeastern Michigan thirty years ago to support and raise my family in terrific schools and culturally sound environment. After thirty years our economy is a disaster, we still do not have a mass transit system in place, our education system is a mess, there are no incentives or hopes that new businesses are flocking to our state and as the custodians of the greatest amount of fresh water in our nation, we need to protect it and the resources that it provides. Our time is up and we HAVE TO think out of the box and support new leadership who will take responsibility and revisit and recreate the way we do business in Michigan. In order to get rid of wasteful spending we need to look at how things work together when creating, spending and regulating our hard earned taxpayerâs money and provide them with real solutions to our states problems.
What is the biggest problem facing Michigan residents today and how would you solve it?
Our economy absolutely has to be remedied, there should be no question in the minds of representatives that small business owners are angry that they lost their businesses and/or jobs when banks stopped loaning money, yet government handed out loans to save big business at their expense. In addition to government reforms, if this state is to provide jobs in a timely way for Michigan Families the Michigan Business Tax must be repealed, incentives for small business owners must be in place. Since banks were already given federal economic stimulus monies, the state should act as a "co-signer" for current and small business owners regardless of their credit rating. Qualifying business owners would be anyone (non-felon) who retained a small business for a minimum of five years and was still in business in 2001 or later should be extended this opportunity. These entrepreneurs lost their businesses to the same lack of funds big business faced yet received help from government. By providing a guarantee to the private banks in Michigan it will encourage these Michigan leaders who have experience and the drive to make a strong impact and strengthen and grow our economy rapidly.
Making these changes will significantly increase outside investment in Michigan. The incentive provided to former Michigan entrepreneurs will attract out of state investors or former smallbusiness owners back to Michigan to work together on new and exciting business opportunities. It would seem likely that many new opportunities would logically stem into mass transportation, clean energy and technologies due to existing dollars in these areas.
What's a better solution: finding revenue or cutting costs to meet Michigan's public education budget? How would you do it?
“Extended Education”
Higher education is critical if we expect businesses to stay or locate in Michigan. While „higherâ education is important the need for a solid early education investment in Michiganâs children is critical. Perhaps rethinking education and viewing it as an Extended Education is a more appropriate terminology. When we think of higher education we think in terms of college, when we need to look at the whole education system and what will give future generations the tools they will need to succeed in business it would be prudent to adjust the way we currently think and invest in our system.
Steps to a fiscally sound and successful school system: *Our earmarked dollars for education need to be audited.
*The recognition that the public sector benefits need to more closely reflect the private sectorâs benefits.
*Public employees benefit structures need to more closely reflect those in the private sector.
*Districts could look at savings by changing the way children are transported to school. (Using public transportation and having security on public buses would benefit the community as a whole, as well as, helping educate children about their community and a more clean and green way of travel thereby creating less obesity and a cleaner environment and more aware community)
*Technology improvements have to be implemented for students and administrators alike.
The above are simply starting points of how and where to save money all while raising the bar for our very capable Michigan future, our students. The bottom line is we have to rethink OUR Education System, the way our dollars are spent and review the way education does business and live within our means. The simple starting points above provide the necessary dollars for the critically needed early education programs, as well as, most or all of the monies necessary to continue
