We are running a campaign for Congress based on New Priorities. Of those, the number one priority is to provide living wage jobs for all of Michigan’s 6th District. The economy of Michigan and America as a whole is in a terrible state today, but with a new direction of policy at the national level we can create economic opportunity and prosperity for all.

Incumbent Rep. Fred Upton (R – St. Joseph) has laid out his plan to bring jobs back to Michigan. While we applaud Rep. Upton’s concern about unemployment in this area, his approach to fixing the problem is simply a continuation of 30 years worth of trickle-down policy that got us into this mess to begin with.

Our campaign is a fight for New Priorities that will lead to greater job opportunities for working people both now and in the future.

• Physical Infrastructure – We need to rebuild our roads, bridges, schools, water and mass transit systems. In doing so we will also put millions of Americans back to work. The jobs created by public works projects around the country would pump sorely needed money back into the economy.
• Green Energy Infrastructure – A new, renewable energy system will create green jobs for thousands in Michigan. We can utilize Michigan’s skilled work force by manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels here.  Through publicly owned windmills we can harness enough energy in this state to stop spending millions importing coal and actually export energy produced right here within our borders.
• Manufacturing Infrastructure – Manufacturing is the backbone of any strong economy, and we need to update our infrastructure to be competitive with the rest of the world. We can do this by providing job creation tax incentives for companies that expand their workforce and/or supply skills training for their existing workers.
• Human Infrastructure – We must invest in education from early childhood through higher education. This year 40,000 Americans will earn PhDs. Compare that to over 600,000 Chinese students receiving doctorates. In order to stay competitive in a global economy we must make higher education more affordable. Finally we must take the next step in providing health care by making Medicare for All a reality.

We will focuses on the justice system, education, and the economy as all of these massive entities are relative. More inmates means more tax dollars are being spent. Those millions of Americans have no chance to contribute to the economy. Economies that don’t have a well-educated work force can easily stagnate and are slow to advance technologically, a key factor in economic growth. The Federal governments’ disruptive control of the educational system has teachers not teaching student how to think, or life skills, but what to know to pass standardized tests. We have the resources to have the finest educational system in the world, and the market and society should hold sway in education, ensuring children are learning skills relevant to our ever-changing world.