Why I am running for congress?

1. When I was running for the Beverly Hills council, Michigan, during the November 2008 General Election, families complained about lost jobs, foreclosed homes, disrupted families --
2. Now people are very worried because they do not know when they would find jobs
1. People have to be hospitalized (some even die) due to depression caused by disruption of family lives attributed to lost jobs.
2. New graduates can not afford to pay students loan
3. In the early 2000s, my master’s and doctoral students would tell me they were pursuing graduate education because by the time they completed their education there would be jobs; now my master's and doctoral students do worry because they do not know when jobs would be created 
3. Employers downsizing causing few employees to do the work of many employeesàstress, business suffering/poor qulity products and services, family disruption
4. People are leaving Michigan-->negatively affecting tax base
5. We are losing out in the global competition

Is this the Michigan/America I know?

1. No! The Michigan/America I know is the one where:
1. Employers paid to hire employees
2. Employers paid for the employees education
3. Employees changed jobs whenever they wanted
4. Research led to new inventions
5. People lived the American dream!—job, family, luxury items  

Can I help turn things around?

1. Sure! Without a doubt!!
2. No more worry! Jobs we can create!! Collaboration is the game plan!!!
3. Lead a consortium of international experts –in governments, businesses and academia in many countires --that address global issues. Will leverage my international exposure/reputation to address the identified issues of my campaign
4. Focus: 1) Jobs,  2)  Homes, 3) Alternative (Green) energy  --Wind, solar and battery/R & D, 4) Education

  Summary

• No more worry! Jobs we can create!! Collaboration is the game plan!!!
• Focus: 1) Jobs,  2)  Homes, 3) Alternative (Green) energy  --Research & Development
• Leverage my international reputation/exposure

POLICIES

JOBS

The backbone of Michigan economy has always been manufacturing: indeed it comprises 44% of the gross state product. Everything else is puny compared to manufacturing.  This means that as the nation as a whole loses manufacturing jobs, Michigan suffers the most. In fact between 2000 and 2005, Michigan lost 218,000 jobs in manufacturing. The losses in manufacturing jobs are not being offset by jobs in other sectors of the economy.

As a result, for the first time, our children stand to lose the grounds their parents gained in the past. The next generation can no longer count on being able to attain the solid middle class lifestyle which their parents had with just high school education. We should not concede the manufacturing sector of our economy that easily. Without the manufacturing base we could also lose the drive to innovate which transfers to all other sectors of the economy. Manufacturing pays higher wages than any other sector of the economy given a person’s education; this means that a high school graduate who lands a manufacturing job will do far better in manufacturing than in any other job.

Many of the countries taking our manufacturing jobs may not be playing fair and we need to point this out and make policy makers enforce fair trade not just trade. Any country competing with us in the production of manufactured goods, which does so in manner we judge to be unfair should be put on notice that we will not stand idly by and let that happen. We should vigorously oppose unfair trade practices which undermine our manufacturing base; and where necessary we should impose tariffs to even the playing field. 

EDUCATION

Hand in hand with protecting our vital manufacturing base, we should also work assiduously to improve our educational system. The job of the future even in manufacturing and construction requires the ability to read blueprints, use robots and computers and do calculations of the sort which high school alone will not do. To maintain our competitive edge, our industrial policy must also provide the right education for our youth. We must not be content with just a high school diploma for our youth, we should strive to at the very least, provide a minimum of a two-year technical community college education for all high school graduates who do not want a four year college ed

HEALTH

The nation needs to have a comprehensive health reform that will ensure that all Americans, regardless of working status, will have access to decent medical care. Families should not be forced into bankruptcy because they do not have adequate health insurance and are therefore unable to pay their health bills, nor should insurance companies be allowed to deny applicants for health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. Our strategy to accomplish that includes creating jobs to cover for health insurance.