Candidate Questionnaire State and House Senate Seats

Transcription

1 Name: Roger Victory Phone: Candidate Questionnaire State and House Senate Seats Employer: Owner/Operator Victory Farms Office Being Sought: State Senate 30th District *Please feel free to attach a separate sheet if the space provided is not sufficient. General 1. Why are you running for office? Ottawa County has blessed me with wonderful opportunities, I am passionate about ensuring others in our community have their own opportunities to succeed. This is a special place, and people have taken notice, we have some of the largest population growth in the entire state. As we continue to grow and develop as a community we cannot lose sight of what makes us who we are, our Ottawa County Values. 2. What qualifications/experience do you feel you possess that will enable you to fulfill the responsibilities of the elected office you are seeking? I took my families modest farm and transformed it into one the largest speciality and root crop producers in the Midwest. I did not do this alone, but I laid out the plan based on sound science and surrounded myself with good people. I have found that this combination of facts and solid support can wield tremendous results. This has been especially true during my time as State Rep. Working with many of our local leaders and members of the legislature I was able to pass significant reforms that allowed Ottawa County Schools to save $30 million since The same method of working together and using common sense helped to usher in massive Unemployment Reforms that stopped a corrupt system from charging innocent people thousands of dollars and allowed hard working men and women to enter back into the workforce. 3. Have you ever run for political office before? If yes, please explain. State Representative for the 88TH House District. State Questionnaire Page 1

2 4. With all the challenges currently facing our State and Nation, what skills would make you the best candidate to represent Northwest Ottawa County? There are not many people serving in elected office that sign both sides of a paycheck. Being actively involved in Victory Farms daily operations makes sure that I drive back home to Ottawa County every night. It keeps me extremely aware of the real issues that people are actually dealing with. I ll hear it from my employees, I ll hear it from the good folks at our local restaurants when I get my morning coffee. I know the challenges our community are facing because I am right there with the people dealing them, I am one of them. I also have extensive experience dealing with what are considered the Quality of Life Departments. I have chaired the Budgets for the Department of Ag. and DEQ. I have served on both the DNR policy and budget committees. Northwest Ottawa County is blessed with beautiful beaches and abundant natural resources. This demands someone who has a comprehensive understanding of the Quality of Life Departments and how they can best serve and support Ottawa County parks, waterways, and resources. As State Rep. I have repeatedly taken calls from folks from Grand Haven to help fast track beach clean-up efforts before the Coast Guard Festival or to address DNR Officer Staffing levels at the park. 5. If elected, what would be your top priorities and why? The number 1 issue I have heard from the residents of Ottawa County for years is Insurance Reform. Reducing our Auto Insurance Rates will save Ottawa County residents hundreds of dollars every year. There is absolutely no good reason that this hasn t been addressed yet. Michigan pays the highest rates in the nation, the current system is unsustainable and unfair. We also must address our infrastructure needs. This is more than just funding road repairs. We need to make sure we are making smart investments in our waterways, sewer system, and utilities. Our poor infrastructure is holding back our businesses ability to expand and innovate. Economic Development Policy 1. Please describe your general economic development philosophy for our State. Michigan s economy is supported by three pillars: Manufacturing, Agriculture, and Tourism. We are at our best when all three of these pillars are supported and allowed to operate to their full potential and respond appropriately to market demands. 2. What is your position about current economic development incentives and programs? I am a big proponent of Brownfield Redevelopment efforts. We need to encourage reinvestment in established areas and reinvigorate neglected locations. That being said, everything needs to be in balance. Any program should have the backing of sound science that it will be a solid return on investment for our tax dollars. 3. What is your tax policy in regard to spurring economic activity? Our businesses depend on a clear, reasonable, and consistent tax policy. Recently, I worked to stop an unconstitutional overreach from the Department of Treasury that could have cost Ottawa County businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars. I do not enjoy signing the check from Victory Farms to pay our taxes, but as long as I know how much we will be paying we can plan accordingly. 4. How would you address and resolve the challenges our small businesses and entrepreneurs are facing in securing and retaining financing of their businesses working capital and growth needs? I recently supported efforts in the state legislature to do this very thing. It would allow small scale investment for our local businesses. The recent changes to Glass-Steagall have robbed our small local businesses of the ability to get smaller, locally based loans that would allow them to expand to meet market demands. As a State, we need to step up where the federal government has failed, and give our local business the capital they need to expand. This has been done successfully through Public-Private Partnerships, and I would continue to look to those as a responsible means of addressing the issue. State Questionnaire Page 2

3 Workforce Development Policy 5. What ideas, policies and incentives would you support to help build and attract a workforce for the future? We have to get our young people exposed to multiple career pathways earlier. This is best done on the local level. We should be giving our local school systems the flexibility to meet local market demands. I have the honor of serving on the Advisory Board for the Careerline Tech Center. This is a shining example of a system that works. The more we can support similar programs, the better our future workforce will be. 6. How would you suggest the current public school system be improved or changed in order to better prepare a world-class workforce, particularly a workforce possessing necessary high-tech skills? As I mentioned before, more local control and flexibility. A more personalized, career oriented educational program will help give students the skills they need, reduce the massive debt from student loans, and provide a direct pipeline into the workforce. We also must focus on developing the soft-skills of our young people. A strong work ethic, time management, and personal responsibility are not things that can be learned in a textbook. I have had hundreds of young people graduate from Victory Farms who have gone on to be doctors, lawyers, business owners, etc. They all say that the best training they received was out in the fields at Victory Farms. There simply is no classroom substitute for tangible, real world experience. 7. Local business and industry has identified that barriers to growth are lack of affordable housing, regional public transportation and qualified employees. As an elected official, what role would you provide in helping to address these issues? As a member of The Dept. of Transportation Budget Committee I have been actively involved in helping fund and develop more regional public transportation opportunities. This is the first leg of addressing these barriers. We can get an additional, direct bus line up and running a lot faster than we can build new affordable housing options. As we expand these transportation networks, we are expanding our talent pool. I also secured funding for a unique skilled labor training opportunity. Mobile Labs from MSU will be moved around the State in partnerships with Community Colleges. By bringing these training programs to local institutions we will be able to rapidly train the existing populations and better meet regional demand. This model could be highly effective in multiple fields and I will continue to support similar efforts. Education: 1. What do you see as the most critical challenge facing Michigan s educational institutions in the next one to three years? As I have mentioned, we need to return local control to our educational systems and allow them the flexibility they need to meet the demands and realities of their region. This will help our young people better find the career pathway that best fits with their god-given talents and also help them develop those soft-skills that are important in every career and are helpful to just be a productive, active member of society. 2. Would you change proposal A? What specific funding would you propose to support a quality educational system? Thankfully, Ottawa County has historically been very responsible with our public school budgets, this coupled with our recent population growth has led to relative stable and robust funding when compared to the rest of Michigan. That being said, we need to always stay aware of legacy costs and make sure we are fiscally responsible on a local level. This is why I worked so hard to pass the School Bond Loan Fund reforms that has saved Ottawa County Schools $30 million since Common sense efforts, like this, work to support the viability of our school systems, without forcing them into unproven and untested funding mechanisms. State Questionnaire Page 3

4 Environmental Policy: 1. What is your philosophy regarding additional regulations, fees, and taxes as they relate to environmental protection or enhancement? As a farmer, I am very supportive of the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). MAEAP has allowed Michigan to be a national leader in striking the right balance between industry and environment. The Dept. of Ag. works with farmers and producers to utilize sound science and proven best practices to help them achieve MAEAP certification. MAEAP has been proven to not only help protect our natural resources and the environment, but has also been used as a effective marketing tool on both the local and international scale. As consumers become more environmentally conscious the market is quickly shifting to meet this new demand. As such, regulations and fees should be used to help foster an industry s growth into these new market demands, not stifle their expansion. 2. How would you suggest green space be preserved while at the same time sustaining economic activity and growth? As I mentioned before, I am very supportive of Brownfield Redevelopment grants and similar programs. I am also a big advocate for Farmland Preservation. We need to make sure we need to work with local communities and businesses to help them reinvest in older properties. This not only helps improve the look and viability of an existing community, but also protects our green spaces. 3. Do you support incentive programs that promote Brownfield redevelopment, and/or the revitalization of functionally obsolete or abandoned property? Why or why not? Yes, very much so. Please see above question. 4. What action/policy would you support to control invasive species of fish and plants, protect water quality and critical dunes in and around the Great Lakes? We need to support our DNR Officers and Facilities. These are the frontlines of protecting our beautiful Ottawa County beaches and coastline. The more research stations and experts we have out in the field the better understanding we will have of the problems we are facing. With a clear understanding of the issues at hand, we can then craft solid solutions, based on sound science. Transportation 1. What is your philosophy regarding mass transit and what would you do, if elected, to incentivize regional collaboration regarding mass transit? I was very active in bringing the special Tulip Time Trains to Holland earlier this year. I strongly feel that this is the first step in making our own West Michigan travel hub. These same trains can help bring tourists to the region for Grand Haven Art Festival, Coast Guard Festival and other local events. Once these lines are established we can branch out using bus systems to send people over to Grand Rapids for Art Prize, concerts, etc. These systems must be carefully measured and rolled out in timely fashion to meet demand accordingly, but once established they will be a huge benefit to Ottawa County residents and businesses. 2. How would you propose to address the funding shortfalls for Michigan s highways and bridges? I have served on the Budget Committee for the Dept. of Transportation for the last 4 years. It is an unnecessarily messy and complicated budget. I have been working hard to breakdown the bureaucracy and cut through the administrative red tape that eats up a significant portion of that budget. We have to put more funding directly into our roads and bridges and the best way to do that is to cut the the departments wasteful spending. The most recent MDOT Budget has a record high investment in road repairs, but we cannot overlook the huge funding source that a more efficient department will provide. State Questionnaire Page 4

5 Tax Policy 1. What is your position on expanded taxation (proposed tax on services) to address Michigan s deferred projects? I am opposed to expanding taxation to services. As a member of the Appropriations Committee and having Chaired 2 Budget Committees, I know what we can find the funding we need by cutting wasteful government spending and encouraging department efficiencies. 2. What role, if any, should the State have in addressing unfunded liabilities throughout the Michigan s communities? The state should serve as a resource center for financial responsibility. The state has the unique ability to provide guidelines based on proven best practices that have been used in other regions with similar demographics. Local governments need to adopt early warning systems that catch financial issues before they become too big to overcome. Once flagged as a problem, the locals can use the guidelines that best fit their situation to begin to help get their finances back in order. Energy Policy 1. What is your position/plan for reliable, cost effective energy for the State of Michigan? I am a big supporter of Energy Choice. By uncapping our alternative energy regulations we will open up our utilities to actual free market forces. This will push competition and innovation, driving costs down through faster technological advancements and basic market forces of supply and demand. Please attach additional information regarding your community and business affiliations. State Questionnaire Page 5