Too many people in our state are living paycheck to paycheck and our trapped in a never ending cycle of simply surviving from day to day. If we want Michiganders to be able to imagine a better future for the next generation we must first get people from a mindset focused on simply surviving to one focused on thriving. To do this we must create an economy that works for all of us and not continue to prioritize the profits of millionaires and billionaires. Everyone deserves to live a life where they can work and meet all of the needs of their families. Here is how I believe we create an economy that works for all of us 

 

Maximizing state benefits:

• We should help residents transition off state benefits by fostering long-term economic independence. This includes:

  • Providing financial literacy and long-term planning classes.

  • Implementing gradual benefit phase-outs to avoid "cliffs" that discourage people from accepting higher-paying jobs.

 

Ensuring big corporations pay their workers fairly, not their Wall Street shareholders:

• Large corporations should not shift the burden of low wages onto the state. We should increase taxes on companies whose employees require state assistance, incentivizing higher wages.

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Investing in our workforce by supporting unions and collective bargaining rights:

• Unions are the backbone of a healthy, strong, middle-class economy. From a four hour work week to healthcare to paid time off to take a vacation, the right to form a union and collectively bargain have afforded the working class so many of these rights we hold deard.

• I want to ensure that Michigan never again becomes a Right-To-Work (For Less) State and that we make it easier for workers to join a union by removing barriers to unionization. I want the legislature to work with the Michigan Attorney General's office to crackdown on employers and billion dollar corporations like Amazon and Wal-Mart who intimidate and harass workers trying to unionize their workplace.

• We must invest in our workforce here in Michigan so we can grow our homegrown talent, and attract more talent come and work here in Michigan.

• Prioritize good paying jobs that provide benefits including things like access to healthcare, paid sick leave and paternity leave.

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Supporting small businesses that are the backbones of our community:

• As the backbone of our economy, small businesses need fewer regulations and a lower tax burden than multinational corporations to help them thrive.

 

Making sure that every parent can afford adequate childcare:

• Parents often make the decision to go down to one income households rather than pay the high cost of forcing one parent to sacrifice career growth to ensure their kid gets the support they need. We must make it easier to start childcare facilities as this will increase competition and lower prices.

 

Ensuring that home is affordable and within reach for every family:

• Freeze rent prices and establish a commission to align housing costs with regional wages.

• Restrict corporate firms from buying single-family homes to stop them from driving up prices.

• We must implement a state-wide right to counsel for low-income tenants in evictions cases

• Establish a state-wide Right to Renew policy. Too often landlords will refuse to renew leases to make it easier for them to raise rent or simply charge their tenants a month-to-month rate and thus maximize their profits. The first right of refusal to renew a lease but sit with the tenants and not landlords.

 

Holding utility companies like Consumer Energy and DTE accountable:

• We must stop constant rate hikes from DTE and Consumers Energy.

• We must take back the power from appointing members to the board that approve DTE rate hikes from the Governor and place them with the legislature and thus in the hands of the people. Doing this would be able to help the people of Michigan clearly identify who stands with lowering the cost of our energy bills and who is against them.