Let me introduce myself!

Citizens of Michigan’s 97th District:
My name is Tim Barnum and I am seeking to represent you in Lansing and throughout the region as the State Representative for Michigan’s 97th District, a position currently held by Rep. Tim Moore, who is term-limited out of office.
Last year nearly 90,000 people fled the state of Michigan*. Unemployment swelled to over 15 percent and school aid, revenue sharing and nearly every agency of state government suffered deep cuts and/or layoffs. The private sector didn’t fare much better.
Finally, after years of partisan bickering, negligence and a lack of rationale, reforms are being introduced at the state level to make government more efficient. These include moving to a part-time legislature and reforms to Michigan’s tax structure – reforms I not only support, but would embrace and aggressively work towards establishing if elected as State Representative for Michigan’s 97th District.

Part-time legislature
Since I first heard of a part-time legislature petition called the Kalamazoo Proposal, about the time I started working at the Arenac County Independent in 2007, this has been an item I have felt the state needed to examine more closely.
First off, state representatives in Michigan are paid nearly $80,000 per year. As someone who has never lived in great wealth or made a substantially high salary, I believe it could be reduced to between $40,000 or $50,000 a year and still attract enthusiastic individuals. Also, as someone who has witnesses many times what taxpayers are getting for their money, such as watching the city of Standish deal with the closing of its largest employer, the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility, a state prison, I realized there is definitely no bang for the buck.
Next, I feel that by employing representatives full-time, legislators are simply staying in Lansing and representing their caucuses and the lobbyists frequenting their offices. Instead of pounding the pavement in their district, or attending city, county and township meetings, legislators are meeting with people who may have never stepped foot in the district they represent.
That’s not right, and taxpayers have every right to demand a change. I would embrace that change.

Tax reform
$1.2 billion in cuts. That’s how the state attempted to salvage its budget for 2010. What were we left with? Laid off teachers, police officers and firefighters; reductions in aid to county fair premiums, libraries and social services, and STILL, a budget fight on the horizon.
Proposals in regards to closing tax loopholes for large corporations outsourcing Michigan jobs, punishing environmental polluters and repairing the state’s REGRESSIVE income tax structure could, and should all be examined and pursued. I feel that if elected, I will keep in mind the people that are being hurt by the “look the other way” attitude when it comes to generating revenue from these sources.
Revenue increases, the new word for taxes in Lansing now, have been proposed. For instance, a sales tax on tickets to sports, movies and concerts has been discussed, as has sales tax on bottled water and pensions. I’ve even heard during my campaign that some people think the fairest way to generate revenue would be sales tax on food and drugs.
I would be irresponsible if I said there is no way I could ever support any of these measures. If one were brought to a vote in the state House, I may support it, if action were first taken to ensure those in great wealth aren’t paying a smaller percent of taxes than the common man or woman in the state. I would also support the one least detrimental to my constituents and in NO WAY would I support taxing pensions.
But, just haplessly and greedily looking to drain more money out of working class people can’t get the state out of the mess it’s in. The Michigan Business Tax is keeping small businesses, and manufacturers from expanding and locating in Michigan. If only one percent of those who left the state this year started a business in Michigan instead, that would equal almost 900 businesses, with an unknown amount of jobs. By decreasing the surcharge on the MBT and improving the single business tax, I feel we can once again be a destination for businesses. And I would aggressively promote and vouch for businesses to locate at Arenac, Clare, Gladwin and Northern Bay counties everyday of my term, whether I was in Lansing or the district.

In closing
Do I have lofty goals and expectations? Yes. That I cannot argue. But after reporting on what the state has been through, and by researching its downward trend that has continued since the turn of the century, I feel I cannot sit idly by any longer. Michigan may never have the same auto industry it once had and it’s time to not only attempt to rebuild that industry but establish a new, fresh reputation. Michigan is currently not a glamorous destination for any industry or service, and it’s not attracting the tourism and new residents it should. However, in the 97th District and beyond, I see potential. Potential that needs direction from a representative in Lansing who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and roll up his sleeves – a representative who doesn’t owe political alliances and lobbying agencies anything, but will work for the people who elect him.
Michigan has slipped away from us, support Tim Barnum and let’s Take it Back.



Nearly 90,000 leave Michigan in '09

Michigan's non-seasonal adjusted jobless rate (unemployment) tops 15% in June and July (some navigation needed)

Executive Order 2009-22 and its effects

Michigan's regressive income tax

Part-time legislature