I stand with you, “We the People,” in support of our hard-earned way-of-life! I pledge to stand strong in the face of self-serving individuals who are aligned with those who seek to destroy what has made America great. Please help me protect what is good about this great country and our home, Michigan! The following are the bedrock standards I believe in. They have made America great!!
The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights
The rule of law and order and its value to society
The American Free Enterprise System and the American Dream
The sanctity of life from conception to natural death
Each legal citizen’s right to bear arms against any threat to themselves and their family
School choice that allows parents to choose the best educational opportunities for their children
The sovereignty of our U.S. boarders and the enforcement of those borders
The protection against encroachments of property ownership and each citizen’s rights thereof
The establishment and routine of creating and maintaining balanced budgets
Protection of American industry and the working class against globalist controls
My Goals for the citizens of District 64
Bread and butter issues – We have had enough of Biden/Harris economics that is killing the middle class and driving our society into socialism. I can, and will, stand-up for you to help eliminate, block, or change any Michigan House Democrat efforts that encroach on my fellow citizens.
Education reform – Our education system ought to be a primary concern for every Michigander. Our schools form and educate our children, the next generation of our communities. Even though Michigan is 10th in K -12 spending, Michigan schools only rank 41st in our country. Recent funding for education in Michigan has neglected the importance of Charter Schools and other higher-performing systems. These students don’t deserve to be left behind, especially when the spending is already so high. As a legislature, we need to allow for parental control and local leadership on issues like school choice and common sense funding for public, charter, and private schools. If not, our schools will continue to under perform and our students’ futures will be limited.
Transgenderism – In light of the mass confusion and chaos that has been haunting our youth, our legislators need to take protective action against movements like the Transgender movement. The thought that children can be chemically castrated or subject to the blade of a deplorable surgeon should be infuriating to people of decency and common sense. While this is a multifaceted issue, our focus should not wander from the methods by which this ideology is promoted. Drag Queens and pornographic materials have no place in our schools and sports competitions need to be separated by biological sex. It is absurd that many in our culture view these basic protective actions as somehow oppressive. Our children deserve better than indoctrination, confusion, and unequal competition.
DEI – “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” is a serious issue that has been turned a blind eye because of ideology and identity politics. While none of these terms is bad in themselves, DEI creates an unfair and even oppressive competitive environment in both education and the workforce. State-run schools and employers should focus solely on merit-based application and hiring processes. Instead of hiring people of a particular race, gender, or financial background because they happen to be different in one or more of these ways, we should hire candidates because they’re the best for the job. The same goes for educational admission, scholarships, and program opportunities. No other motive fulfills the American dream for equal opportunity.
Unnecessary regulations (Farms and small businesses) – Our farmers and small business owners have struggled for years with excessive governmental regulations and red tape, many of which are unnecessary and ineffective. The governmental shutdowns of businesses during the COVID pandemic are examples of our government crossing the line and crippling the middle class. While there are some reasonable areas for government intervention in business, the general rule should always be to stay out of local issues as much as possible. Our economy does better when the government allows it to function freely, hence a free market economy.
Support for Small Businesses – Our great state of Michigan is home to over 900,000 small businesses that provide jobs for 1.9 million employees (https://llc.services/small-business-statistics/michigan/). With rising inflation and the high cost of supplies, natural gas, and other fuel sources, small businesses have been struggling to continue to be financially prosperous. Our economic policies on such materials should allow for cheap energy and a competitive and open environment for small businesses. Instead of crippling these businesses, our legislature should reduce the burden of regulatory restrictions and red tape.
Local Control – For decades, governing bodies have competed against each other for the expansion of power. This has resulted in the higher levels of government trampling on the jurisdiction and power of the lower levels of government. This expansion is an abuse of power and undermines the proper function of government. My position is simple. Only the governing body that is closest to and can properly handle an issue in question has the authority to address the issue. This means that local governmental control should be the first line of action when addressing social issues. For example, suppose St. Clair County believes that a public health issue is not reason enough to shut down churches and infringe on the First Amendment Rights of its citizens. In that case, St. Clair County’s local government should be the ones to make the decisions regarding how to address the health issue in St. Clair County. The local government should not be forced to shut down churches if they deem this to be an unconstitutional and abusive use of power.
Taxes on retirement income – The workers of our workforce are constantly burdened with taxes that take their hard-earned income out of their pockets forcing many to work harder just to stay financially prosperous. Once someone has retired, it is even more frustrating when retirement benefits are still taxed. I believe that retirement income should be exempt from state taxes to allow our workers to more fully access the benefits of a life of hard work and contribution to our communities.
Sanctuary Cities – In the debate between President Trump and President Biden earlier this summer, President Trump mentioned that every state in America is now a border state. This is thanks to the Biden Administration’s catastrophic handling of the border crisis that we face. Michigan is certainly feeling the impact of this crisis with the crimes, drugs, and human trafficking that are hurting many families and communities in Michigan. For example, the DEA and other law enforcement in Michigan and Ohio confiscated 4.7 million deadly doses of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced products just between May 23rd and September 8th of 2022. Even though this should be seen as a national security threat, many legislators want to open up our communities and homes to illegal immigrants by instituting “Sanctuary Cities”. Our primary concern should be the safety and well-being of our communities and citizens. Only after getting our “house in order” can we improve how legal immigration and assimilation can occur. (https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/pr/2022_1018_One_Pill_Can_Kill_West_Michigan)
Improved Veterans Services – Every American is responsible for giving back to veterans and their families because of the priceless sacrifices they make both in and out of service. While our words fail to express our gratitude and our actions fall short of their service, there are many ways that we ought to offer resources and benefits for our courageous and selfless veterans. Responsible funding should be used to expand access to mental and physical health programs. Many reasonable benefits could be given to veterans and their families to ease the financial difficulties many face. For example, I believe that additional educational scholarships should be available to veterans’ family members.
Election Integrity – Over the past years, the integrity of our election system has been rightly questioned. Fair elections require standards for voting and counting the vote. Michiganders cannot have functioning State and Local governments if our election outcomes don’t reflect the will of the people. Simple and common sense reforms like photo ID and the restriction of mail-in ballots should not be partisan and controversial.
Standing strong on your behalf of the citizens of District 64 – Joe Pavlov for Mi Representative
