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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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34th District state House race is the one to watch in Genesee County
Sarah Schuch | sschuch@mlive.com By Sarah Schuch | sschuch@mlive.com
on January 27, 2014 at 7:50 AM, updated January 27, 2014 at 8:13 AM
Woodrow Stanley reaches term limit in House
FLINT, MI – It's the race to watch this year in Genesee County.
With state Rep. Woodrow Stanley forced out by term limits, the 34th District state House seat is getting a fresh face for first time in six years.
With three months left until before the April 22 filing deadline, three Democratic candidates have alread shown interest in representing the district, which covers most of Flint.
So far, Genesee County commissioner Omar Sims, Flint School Board member David Davenport and Sixth Ward Flint City Councilman Sheldon Neeley have announced they intend to be on the ballot for the August primary.
So far, no one has announced any plans to run on the Republican side.
The Democratic and Republican primary winners will face off in November, although it will likely be an uphill battle for the Republican given that the district is almost 91 percent Democrat, said political analyst Bill Ballenger.
"This is the most Democratic seat in Genesee County. ... It's the eighth most Democratic seat in the House out of 110. It's just overwhelming," Ballenger said. "It's all going to come down to who wins the primary."
All three candidates on the Democratic side say they are ready to fight for the seat.
Sims, who was first elected county commissioner in 2008, officially announced his candidacy Jan. 11. Sims graduated from Flint Northwestern High School and formerly served as First Ward Flint City Councilman.
He plans to file before the end of the month, Sims said.
"I think it's logical," Sims said of his campaign. "There's a lot of things I bring to the table – my passion, my energy. ... I will be a voice for Flint. Right now we are in the critical period in the community. We need someone who will understand government – state, county and local."
Sims said if elected he would work with the child welfare and educational system. And with the emergency manager gone in 18 months he believes there needs to be laws provided to assist the business community in growth and security.
Sims said he would be an advocate for the Michigan Works! program. Public safety and revenue sharing also important issues that will be a focus, he said.
"It's not only logical, but I'm prepared. I'm training for it," Sims said. "And that's the difference between me and anyone else that's in the race. I wouldn't be in the race if I wasn't confident."
Davenport said he also plans to file before the end of the month.
His platform would focus mainly on education and youth in the community, Davenport said.
"That will be my main goal to focus on child laws through the education system ... to protect education and the welfare of the future of our children," Davenport said.
Being on the school board for five years gives him insight on things that need to be changed, he said. Davenport wants to see the children protection laws in the state updated and have stronger punishment for crimes committed against children.
He also wants to work with districts to tighten up their laws and have a financial agenda to abide by, he said. He also doesn't believe a child should be expelled for 180 for fighting if a weapon was not involved. They need to be in school, Davenport said. And he wants to raise the age at which students can drop out of school from 16 to 17, at least as a start.
And just like there is a senior millage, every city should have a youth millage, Davenport said.
"This is something that I think will curve crime in the community," he said. "Our children are our future and we need to start acting like it."
Neeley said running for the 34th District state House seat has been on his horizon for about a year.
"We're going to evolve to the next step here," Neeley said. "The state rep fits my style of leadership. As a city councilperson, one of our roles is to create city legislature, city ordinances. ... I think it's a natural progression to move into that level."
Even as he campaigns for the state representative seat, Neeley said he will still be fulfilling his commitments to the community in his current capacity as councilman.
Neeley just started his third term as Flint city councilman. He is on the MTAboard, economical development committee and the Karegnondi Water Authority board.
"The body of my work shows that we have been successful and that we will continue to be successful," Neeley said. "We have done some really good work and I will continue to do that as a state rep."
As a state level, Neeley said there really needs to be an evaluation of current state laws that have been enacted over the past three years and see how they are affecting the state. Some may need to be reversed or changed to better accommodate cities, he said.
Some things that would need to be looked at are the emergency manger law, laws regarding women's rights and pro-choice rights. State revenue sharing also needs to be revisited, he said.
"Communities like Flint, Saginaw and Detroit are in need of some of those dollars," Neeley said.
To see the city be successful, it's important to see where it's heading. The Future of Flint is going to look more like a college community, Neeley said.
In the end, however, Ballenger said it won't matter much who is elected to the represent the 34th District in the state House.
It's almost guarantee that a Democrat will be elected to the 34th District state House seat but they won't be in the position to pass anything, Ballenger said.
"The problem for Flint and Genesee County is that except for four years between 2007 and 2010 the House of Representatives has been controlled by the Republicans since 1998," Ballenger said. "That means the Democrats, even though they dominate Genesee County politics and Flint politics, Democrats are in the minority in the House.
"Lansing expects a Democrat to win it and a Democrat will win it."
Tammy Allen, chairwoman of the Genesee County Republican Party, said the Republican Party hasn't been competitive in that district in the past, but the will change.
"It might not be next year, but it will change," Allen said. "(You have to) invest in the community, get involved. My hope as chairman is to make a change and invest in change."
Whoever decides to run, Allen said they need to have a spirit of service. The area needs someone to go into the community and help those who are low income, Allen said.
Gerri Hall, chairwoman of the Genesee County Democratic Party, said she would like to see someone with experience at the local level and who has a desire to work for the working families in the community.
"I think the person who is ultimately elected should have experience and dedication," Hall said. "I'm very hopeful (that a Democrat will be elected to the seat). You can never say I'm definitely sure. But I'm pretty confident that whoever comes out of the primary will be the ultimate winner in the general." |
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Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:23 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Sheldon Neely is having his Campaign Kickoff for the 34th District State Representative seat on 2-27-14 at Rasberries, 448 S. Saginaw, between 5 pm and 8pm. The cost is $20 per prson. |
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Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:26 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint City councilman to organize volunteers for Michigan House run
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
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on February 26, 2014 at 9:00 AM, updated February 26, 2014 at 9:06 AM
FLINT, MI – Flint City Councilman Sheldon Neeley will host a campaign kickoff on Thursday, Feb. 27, at Raspberries Rhythm Bar and Grill.
Neeley, who represents Flint's Sixth Ward, is running for the 34th District state House seat that is being vacated by term-limited Woodrow Stanley, D-Flint.
Others running for the seat include Flint School District Board of Education member David Davenport and Genesee County Commissioner Omar Sims, District 1, and Flint Southwestern Classical Academy teacher Jeff Bean.
The Neeley fundraiser will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to a statement. Call 810-423-0863 for more information.
Neeley has been broadcast engineer with WJRT-TV for the past 23 years and is the president of the National Association of Broadcasters Employees and Technicians Union local 46.
The primary election is Aug. 5.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. |
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Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:30 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Mike Killbreath
February 19
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Here is the note from Terry Bankert that we just mentioned on the radio show ..... A GOOD FRIEND WHOSE JUDGEMENT I TRUST SHARED THIS WITH ME THIS MORNING. 2/17/14..
One of my favorite high school teachers, Jeff Bean posted this the other day: Twenty two years ago I got married and discovered that my job at the time would not be sufficient to support a family. My soon to be wife and I sat down and created a rubric for where we could look for a job and be comfortable moving to. Flint came up number one on that list. Because of people like Woodrow Stanley, Charlie Nelms and Nate Burtley we realized this was a community of great possibilities. I still know that to be true. I have taught for the last 22 years in the Flint Community Schools and have had the chance to work with some absolutely amazing young people and their parents. While the leadership in the past little while may have been shaky, the current Superintendent is more than capable of turning this system around. I want to give him as much help in that as I can. So today I announcing that I am going to run for the House Seat of the 34th District that will be vacant because a wonderfully competent statesman is being term-limited out.
It sickens me when I see what the current Governor and his Tea Party cronies have done to this State that I love so much and in particular to communities like Flint. It is not by chance that Emergency Managers and State Takeovers occur in cities that are predominately African American and occupations that are predominately female. These are scared men who want to peddle fear as a smoke screen to hide their shameless grab at power and economic privateering.
As a teacher I can see the potential in things. I want to take that to Lansing, along with a commitment to build coalitions that can begin to give back the control of this State to the people that made it great, the Middle Class. I spoke at a Rally against the “Right to Work for Free” legislation that the governor said he was against and yet signed into law and got to see how the average workers of this great state, Nurses and Tool and Die Makers, Teachers and Pipefitters were systematically barred from the chambers where their futures were being manipulated to a servitude to profit driven people who would just as soon ship their jobs overseas than to share even a small amount of their bonus money.
I have seen the Governor take away huge amounts of money from the coffers of Public Education, the most important pillar of a strong democracy, then simply lie and say that he has given so much to our children. I want to stand up to that bold face dishonesty. I want to represent the place that I raised my son. A place with an amazing heritage that is as diverse as the American Dream. I have often paraphrased Medgar Evers and said, “I don’t know if I am going to heaven or hell, but I am going through Flint.” I ask the city that I have given my whole adult life to, to support me in bringing your voice to Lansing. Elect me to the House of Representatives from the 34th District. Thank you. |
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Thu Feb 27, 2014 6:51 am |
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