VOTE: Kate Segal for State Representative

When the voters sent me to Lansing, I found a partisan environment where petty politics crowded out compromise and progress. Whether it was the deeply flawed budgetary process, or the dangerously powerful lobbyist presence, the legislature simply has not been doing enough for the communities of Michigan.

I spent the last two years as your State Representative listening to the voters I serve. I made the tough votes in favor of moving us towards a smaller, leaner and more efficient state government. I voted to end the outrageous perk of life-time health care for legislators and voted to slash my own pay by 10 percent. As families across the state must tighten their belts to stay afloat in these indisputably difficult economic times, so must the State of Michigan and the Legislature. I will continue to make these tough choices in your best interests in my second term. My goal, above all others, is to make state government work better for you.

I am also proud of the work I did to balance the budget without raising taxes. By cutting ineffective programs and protecting the ones that provide invaluable services to our community, I am fighting to ensure that state government lives within its means. I partnered with military officials and community members to save the Michigan Youth ChalleNGe Academy (MYCA), a program that gives high school drop-outs a second chance at life and that has already turned thousands of troubled youths into productive members of society. I am eager to continue the fight to fund the MYCA and other programs that make a positive impact on lives and save the state money.

I am running for re-election because I have seen how large the problems we must face are, and I am ready to once again tackle these problems on behalf of the people of Calhoun County. I am ready to continue the fight against waste and inefficiency, and I am ready to defend great programs like the MYCA. So I ask for you to join me as I seek another opportunity to serve my community and fight for the positive change that Michigan needs.