ISSUES

Standing Up for Working People

Jim Townsend — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:45:00 +0000

In Michigan and across this country workers and the labor movement built the middle class through hard struggle and constructive partnerships with industry and government. But for 30 years we have been saddled with an economic ideology in Washington, Wall Street and Lansing that views workers as a cost to be minimized, rather than the engine of our economy, and that tolerates and even rewards income inequality not seen since the 1920s. It is time that we stop blaming working people for our economic challenges and start investing in their capacity to compete. It is time for Michigan and its workers to innovate once again and build a state economy that creates 21^st century jobs that will sustain and grow the middle class.

As your state representative I will:

Fight against efforts to make Michigan a right to work state
Champion policies to create a genuine life-long-learning system in our state that expands options for people of all ages to get training and hands-on experience in growing fields that pay good wages
Build partnerships with employers and educational institutions to increase apprenticeships and other work/learning opportunities that enable people to gain an entrée to industry
Work for living wage policies.

We Have the Power to Change Michigan

Jim Townsend — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:36:09 +0000

Metro Detroiters I talk to know what we need to do to restore a growth economy in our region and state. What we have lacked is a fundamental belief that we can work together to get the job done. Regional mass transit… world-class education and retraining… vibrant communities that attract and retain talent… a culture where businesses want to locate and workers are valued. All of this is possible, but only if we have the courage to think beyond the organizational silos and political divisions that have prevented us from even believing that we have the power to define our future. As your state representative I will fight tirelessly for the interests of Madison Heights and Royal Oak but I will also reach out to my colleagues in the region who are interested in building on the assets we share as metro Detroiters to create an economy our kids will be glad to inherit.

Health Care

Jim Townsend — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:33:23 +0000

The health care system in Michigan and the US is an injustice to our workers and their families and a competitive albatross for our businesses. Well over 1 million Michigan residents lack health care coverage and many more fear the loss of coverage. Rising health care costs divert business investment and squelch innovation as workers refrain from changing jobs or starting new businesses because of concerns about access to affordable health insurance. The good news is that we finally have leadership in Washington that is ready to take significant action to address this issue. Our job in Michigan is to become a model of progressive innovation in health care that expands access to affordable insurance and lowers the cost of health care for all.

As your state representative I will:

Work for a strong comprehensive Patient's Bill of Rights
Ensure that our most vulnerable citizens are protected by preserving funding for Medicaid and investing in community health centers
Champion investments in public health and preventive health programs
Create incentives and policies that encourage physicians to collaborate in providing care as a means of improving outcomes and lowering costs

Issues Affecting Women

Jim Townsend — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:33:09 +0000

While much progress has been made in recent decades toward eliminating discrimination against women and opening up a wide array of new opportunities, it is vitally important that we remain vigilant against efforts to turn back the clock on women's rights and freedoms, work to overcome barriers that still stand in the way of full gender equality and take action on problems that disproportionately affect women. The economic crisis in our state hits women especially hard because they still earn only 67 cents for every dollar that men earn, and women are often required to take on a range of duties in addition to work - from caring for children and elders to managing the household and family health. As we build a new economy in Michigan it is vital to ensure that women have the rights, tools and support required to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

As your state representative I will:

Fight to preseve a woman's right to choose and oppose efforts to hamper that right
Champion access to the full range of reproductive health care options
Support legislation to ensure pay equity protections for all workers and insist on enforcement of pay equity for men and women doing equal work
Work to ensure the availability of quality, affordable child care and early education programs
Advocate for enhanced support programs for domestic violence survivors

Environment

Jim Townsend — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:32:41 +0000

The global crisis confronting the environment and the economy present Michigan and the United States with the opportunity to take leadership that will not only address the causes of climate change but also stimulate badly needed investment in alternative energy and other technologies that will create jobs today. We must value Michigan's environmental treasures and stand up to those who would take our water or damage our land. In forming the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, I created an organization devoted to reducing urban sprawl and concentrating investment in developed communities, thereby reducing carbon emissions and the loss of open space. Working as a congressional staffer, I drafted legislation that was enacted to strengthen the Clean Water Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act, laws that are critically important to preserving the Great Lakes and their habitats.

As your state representative I will:

Work to make Michigan the national leader in renewable and alternative energy
Fight to protect our Great Lakes
Champion green building and seek to expand recycling efforts

Transportation

Jim Townsend — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:32:17 +0000

The decisions we make in the next few years about transportation will play a pivotal role in determining competitiveness of our economy, the condition of our communities and the quality of our environment. It's appalling that Detroit is the only large metro area in the US without a rapid transit system; because of this we forego hundreds of millions in federal aid that could help us build transit now. We need a comprehensive overhaul of Michigan's transportation policies to give top priority to the investments that will enhance our state's competitiveness and prevent us from being left behind by states that are racing to invest in public transportation. We must also rebuild our crumbling infrastructure first instead of wasting public dollars on new roads and bridges that we will not be able to afford to maintain.

As your state representative I will:

Fight to reform our state constitution and public acts to enable Michigan to increase the transportation options available and empower residents to decide for themselves how to pay for public transit
Work to increase funding for existing transit systems and insist on a Fix-It-First policy that gives priority to ensuring proper maintenance and safety of existing roads and bridges
Champion the funding of new rapid transit investments, including the Woodward light rail line and the Ann Arbor-Airport-Detroit commuter rail project.

Education

Jim Townsend — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:32:05 +0000

If Michigan is to thrive in the 21^st century we must build a world-class public education system from pre-K to college and beyond. States that produce the highest percentage of college graduates will succeed in the new economy; we must make sure that we invest now so that every child in Michigan has access to an excellent education. That means fully funding public education and taking the steps necessary to bring class sizes down to levels that optimize classroom learning. We must also reverse policies that subsidize urban sprawl and drain population and investment away from fully developed cities and school districts.

As your state representative I will:

Fight to ensure that public education gets the priority funding it deserves
Push for innovative approaches to rewarding teacher excellence that encourage team teaching and other collaborative approaches that have been shown to maximize student achievement
Insist that Michigan’s curriculum requirements meet not just national benchmarks but also those of nations that score highest on international tests in math, science and reading
Work to enable parents to compare their district’s curriculum standards with national and international benchmarks
Build stronger ties between schools, employers and unions to enhance programs and resources, particularly around entrepreneurship, apprenticeships and work-study experiences
Champion comprehensive policies to address the social and economic challenges that prevent too many children from entering school ready to learn.

Economy and Jobs

Jim Townsend — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:25:01 +0000

Michigan faces the most serious economic crisis in our history, a situation that demands that every one of us change the way we think about the economy and our place in it.In the short-run, we must mount an unprecedented effort to address the foreclosure crises that threatens to destabilize our communities by giving families the chance to stay in their homes. This must be our top priority as we move forward with a comprehensive approach to reinventing Michigan’s economy. The economic crisis gripping our state and nation is an opportunity to act boldly to build a new Michigan based on our strengths and values.

As your state representative I will fight for policies to:

Build a 21st century transportation network and create vibrant communities with world-class schools, life-long learning, and cultural options within easy reach.
Leverage metro Detroit’s unparalleled concentration of technical talent to build growth industries around alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences.
Enable metro Detroit to exemplify America’s green future by building and linking our farmers markets, greenways, waterways, and bourgeoning local food movement.
Reverse, once and for all, our build and abandon development policy by concentrating dollars and attention on revitalizing fully-developed communities, such as Royal Oak and Madison Heights.