The Reason I’m Running

Well, we wrapped up the door to door today. And as I look back I kept hearing one issue on the doorsteps — an issue that hits our family.

“What will happen when our kids graduate? Will they stay in Michigan?”

That touches home. We have college students, and soon enough we’ll be empty nesters.

One of the saddest aspects of Michigan’s economy is how we’ve turned our children into our most valuable export. Instead of staying around they go to where opportunity is better: Texas or Florida or North Carolina. And who can blame them.

And when they leave, all too often they never come back.

That brings me why I’m running. I’m not running because I have an agenda, or because I have this life desire to go Lansing, or because this is somehow a family business. I’m running because I want a State where my children can return after college, a state with real opportunity and good jobs.

I’m running because I think I can make a contribution to our State

I’m running because it’s not too late. We can do something. Now. Together. It’s time to put Michigan’s economy on a better foundation.  To get our economy growing again,  we will take need to take a look at our tax code and what we can do to create fairer taxes. We will need make sure Lansing runs lean.  And we will  need to make sure that children throughout the State are well-educated.

All that will take a practical, even a servant leadership.

Every time I look at the family picture, I realize again this election is personal. The challenges are real. But  there’s good news There still is time — we only have to  take it. This Tuesday, let’s make a Michigan our kids can come home to.