Up North Progressive

Mark Schauer was greeted in Reed City, Michigan, today by an enthusiastic crowd of people at The Depot on 200 N. Chestnut Street. People waved signs and cheered as he walked up to the porch to address the crowd gathered on a muggy Friday morning.

Schauer didn’t waste any time with small talk as he launched into his personal background to establish his motivation for running for governor. He comes from a middle class family and knows how the middle class struggle to make ends meet with fewer jobs and higher taxes. Michigan under Rick Snyder only works for those already well off. The poor, the elderly, working families, and our youth aren’t doing well under his governorship.

Mark Schauer then talked about the Michigan Dream, which is the state’s own version of the American Dream. Rick Snyder has worked to take that dream away from the state through tax cuts for the wealthy while raising taxes on the elderly, poor and working families. Michigan currently doesn’t work for everyone. To bring back the Michigan Dream, Schauer talked about his new economic plan for the state.

The ten-point plan focuses on restoring Michigan’s public education. Education is Mark Schauer’s primary issue and he has a plan to restore the state’s public education system so that it is well funded, has enough staff for smaller class sizes, and prepares children to enter into a competitive job market. The plan also outlines how to create jobs needed to protect the environment, for high tech industries, fix the state’s infrastructure and invest in renewable energy for the state. Schauer during the meet and greet in Reed City shared the goal of Michigan’s energy needs being provided by 30% renewable energy by 2035.

Mark Schauer talked about government in Lansing not having priorities that helped all people in Michigan. He wants to improve transparency and accountability in government; something Rick Snyder promised in 2010 but fell far short of once he was governor. Disclosing donors to political funds and making redistricting a non-partisan commission. He also wants to put an end to politicians giving lobbyists priority over the people they’re supposed to represent and secure voting rights for all eligible voters.

He finished his talk by pointing out in 2010, 955,000 registered Democrats living in Northern Michigan didn’t come out to vote in the election. Now we have Rick Snyder for governor and a Republican dominated state legislature taking the state the wrong way. He asked everyone there to do their part to contact these people and make sure they get out and vote on August 5 and November 4. He concluded with, “We vote, we win, we change Michigan together” and asked everyone there to say it with him.

Thanks to Osceola and Mecosta County Democrats for providing the opportunity for people in the Reed City area to meet and talk with our next governor, Mark Schauer.