Last Minute Details: Where Do I Vote?

We’re finally down to the wire in this horse race — and what a campaign it has been. We started planning this run over a year ago, and now we have only 36 hours or so left. Every vote counts. If you know of any one who needs a ride to their polling place, let my campaign know. We will help with transportation.

Note that some polling places, especially in Kentwood have changed this year, you can verify your’s at the Secretary of State’s website:

Or just look below the fold for the list of all the Kentwood polling stations.

Leaders line up for a change in Lansing

One of the privileges of this campaign has been to have so many civic leaders support our candidacy.  Many have stood for election themselves. They know how important it is to have some one in Lansing who understands the issues, and knows how to provide the practical leadership that can lift up our State and get it moving.

They’re part of more than 250 business leaders, elected officials and everyday citizens who believe that we need a new way of doing business in Lansing.  The old way has simply broken down.  With their support and yours we can begin to lift up our state with practical, proven leadership.

The complete list is below the fold.

Number Five Thousand

Sometime last week I shook my 5,000th hand in this campaign.

The values on our doorstep are the values we need in Lansing.

That also means I had my 5,000th conversation about our State, what makes it great, and what we need to do.

I’ve been carrying on this conversation for more than five months. The conversations took place across our district: the young family starting out in Gaines township, a worried single dad over in Kellogsville trying to do right by his kids; a very smart, very concerned manager out in Cascade; the elderly couple in Leisure Estates in Kentwood.

The variety of people I met at the door continues to amaze me. I count myself blessed to have met so many of you. My shoes may wear out, but my spirit is revived by this campaign.

And after a few thousand conversations, some topics keep coming up:

• What do we do with Lansing?
  The same old way of doing business just won’t do. We will need new approaches.

• What can we do for our kids?
  They’re our future, but our schools struggle to fulfill their promise. yet far too many are moving out of the state.

• How do we get our economy moving again?
  When one third of small business owners can’t find something good to say about Michigan’s business climate, you know we have work in front of us. Almost everything the State does affects business. Taxes, regulation, benefits – there’s a lot we can do.

They’re great questions. Tough ones, too. We have a leadership logjam in Lansing. It’s going to take a different style of leadership, and a renewed commitment to working together. Here in West Michigan we know something about that. We know that we need to listen to one another if we are to work together.

I believe the values I find on the doorsteps are the values we need in Lansing. That’s why I’m running. We can call them West Michigan Values, or simply call them what they are, common sense.

We’re nothing without volunteers

Can it be that our Fourth of July Parade was only a week ago? Looking over the picture I can only say how amazed I was for all the people who came out to the Kentwood parade. With so many kids, it really was a family affair. It’s exciting when we can share our values with our kids, and they in turn get to share their joy and excitement with us adults

Volunteering is a gift of time, especially in summer, and I will do all I can to honor that gift. While there are no more parades before the primary, we do have three big Saturdays coming up. If you would like to take part, give our office a call at (616) 698-1163, or send us an email to yonker@yonkerstaterep.com. See you then.

Our Fabulous Fourth

We had classic cars and a big rig, but this baby was our favorite. And did you know, we also won the parade award for Best Non-Profit float?

What a great time we had Friday — the beautiful, cloudless sky, the cool temperature — it was just right for a parade! So the team hit two, first the big one in Kentwood, and then off to Cascade. I had a great time meeting so many residents. But it was tiring. That evening, it was so good to finally sit down relax and watch the fireworks.

And as we did, I couldn’t help thinking how thankful I am for this country of ours, for the freedoms we enjoy, and for the privilege of working to earn your trust.

And here’s the truth, we could not do it without a team of wonderful volunteers, young and old.

Below the fold, I’ve put up some more of our parade photos.

Schools: another reason we love the 72nd

One of those things that makes the Michigan 72nd state house district so interesting is our commitment to education. We have some great non-public schools like South Christian – my alma mater. And we have four outstanding public school systems.

Everyone knows three of them: Forest Hills Public, Kentwood Public, and of course, Caledonia Public Schools.

But the fourth, Kellogsville, is doing something even more important: it is succeeding in educating the disadvantaged. This year US News and World Report placed it among the top 10 percent of all schools in our nation for its educational leadership.

Think about it: we can see the future every day in the hallways at Forest Hills Central, or Kentwood, but there is another story of excellence underway, just off Division. I’m convinced that the pursuit of excellence and should not stop because you are the wrong color or are poor. The promise is for everyone.

That’s why I won’t stand idly by when Governor Granholm, or any other politician, tries to cut our children’s education while they play political games. I want to make a first class education the standard and not the exception. We’ve done it in here in the 72nd, and I want every Michigan child to have the same opportunity.