Why I should vote for Mike McGonegal instead of the incumbent

People have been telling me that I have been telling them why not to vote for Chris Ward, instead of why to vote for Mike McGonegal. I think it’s obvious both why you should vote for Mike and not vote for Ward, and the fact that Ward is not representing the people of the 66th district is more than enough. He represents the special interests, and his major preoccupation seems to be on how to get more power instead of trying to address the problems we face in Michigan.
We are facing major problems, and it’s going to take bi-partisanship, cooperation and having everyone at the table to find some solutions. That’s not happening in Lansing with Ward’s so-called leadership.
Mike can tell you in his own words why you should vote for him, and if you live in the 66th District, you most likely have met him or soon will meet him at your front door.
This is the speech he gave last month announcing his candidacy.

I hope from this point on that the printed media will record that my last name is McGonegal, not Democrat.
We decided to make the announcement at the Brighton Mill Pond. It was initially going to be given to the ducks, but Joe Carney said that they don’t vote and they’re anti-gun.
I am married to my wife, Meg a registered nurse at CS Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. We have been married for 28 years, have raised four children, and that experience in and of itself qualifies both of us as accomplished politicians.
I am the second youngest of six children. Neither of my parents finished high school. They put a great emphasis on education and the three boys went to a Catholic Boarding High School. We studied Latin and Greek, Physics and Chemistry, --a classic liberal arts education. When I asked a professor why I needed four years of Latin, he said it didn’t matter what we learned, so long as it was true. I developed a love of history-- and politics--that I still have to this day. I was taught to respect the opinions of others and understand that there is more than one path to the same goal.
I did not get out of high school and become a professional politician. I graduated from college and became a public servant.
I worked in law enforcement as a State Parole officer in the ghettoes of Cleveland. I carried a gun; I had a gun pointed at me. I arrested people, investigated crimes. I learned first hand the devastation of crime and poverty on a community. I developed an understanding of the rule of law. I realized that in the final analysis our freedom is nothing more then the adherence to technicalities. This candidate will not have to be brought up to speed on issues of law and order.
The majority of my life, the way I’ve made my living was in the private business sector. I am very familiar with the automotive industry--the supply chain--and the difficulties they are having today. The changes we see in that industry are fundamental changes to the business model. The global economy is a fact of life, we need to adjust to it and participate in it, not be victimized by it.
In recent weeks I have gone door to door, introducing myself to you—my neighbors. I have been amazed at the warm reception I received. There is anger and fear over the policies in Washington, staggering debt, the outsourcing of jobs, and uncertainty in the future.
It is clear to me that it is time for a change. People need and deserve a legislature that protects and serves them, not the narrow special interests. We have the second most expensive legislature in the entire nation, and yet they have failed to solve or even address the critical problems and challenges that face us.
Our lack of ineffective policy to deal with runaway health-care costs is at the root of our job problems. It fuels the export of manufacturing jobs, erodes the competitiveness of our automotive companies and their suppliers and reeks havoc on our ability to properly fund public education. The problems have been there for years, yet the Michigan Legislature has not offered one solution.
I don’t believe in big government, but I do believe in effective government. I don’t believe that there is a program for every problem, nor do I have all the answers. The issues we face do not lend themselves to conservative or liberal solutions, but are rather technical and practical and highly complex.
I face an uphill battle, but so does Michigan. I will be an effective legislature with a clear message. The most important thing we can do is to have a diverse, expanding economy of non-exportable high skilled, high wage jobs. Education, health care, and a clean environment will all flow from a good economy.
The people are tired of blame and bickering. The problems we face are man made and will be solved by man. We need to look at what passes for leadership in today’s world.
Sometimes to change people you have to change people. Make the change and elect Mike McGonegal on November 7th.