Governor hopeful visits Copper Country
George came to town for lunch at the Pilgrim River Steakhouse on a break from riding the "Tour da U.P." bike race. The nine-year legislator is trying to win the Republican ticket for governor.
By MICHAEL H. BABCOCK, DMG Writer
HOUGHTON - Tuesday afternoon, the Houghton County Republican Party was visited by state Senator Tom George of Kalamazoo.
George came to town for lunch at the Pilgrim River Steakhouse on a break from riding the "Tour da U.P." bike race. The nine-year legislator is trying to win the Republican ticket for governor.
While serving in the senate, George has also been working part-time as a physician, and his experience in the medical field is what he'll be riding as he looks to move the state forward.
"As a practicing physician, I've got a lot of ideas about health care with a kind of Republican sense," George said. "We have a lot of uninsured, we need to help them, but the government can't make you healthy by giving you a card. Health involves your behavior, there is a personal responsibility aspect that's been somewhat overlooked. I have an interest in expanding coverage and helping people, but I want them to be partners."
George said this partnership will be vital for Michigan's future.
"This is a key to turning Michigan around, we spend a lot of money on health care, but yet we're not very healthy and this is hurting our state's budget; it's taking money that could be going to fixing roads, locking up prisoners or give businesses tax breaks," George said. "(These are) things we want to do, but we're constrained in doing because we're spending too much in health care and we don't get much return because we smoke too much and we don't exercise."
George also wants to change the state's energy policies, relying less on wind and solar energies.
"You can't build your policy on those, they are too small of a piece," he said. "We need some new coal-fired plants, we probably need a new nuclear plant, and the current administration has been opposed to that."
George also talked at length about the budgeting process, something he says needs to change.
"We need to fix (the budgeting process) so we can avoid having these budget standoffs we've been having," he said. "Those are all things that would create a better environment to bring in jobs, because ultimately it's about jobs and employment."
While these big issues are something the entire state needs to work on, he also spoke about the specific needs of the Upper Peninsula.
"We have great natural resources, great hard-working people, now we have to connect the two," George said. "We have to have state policies that allow judicious use of our natural resources, we have to look at the permitting processes that are used. We have to protect the environment, but we also have to allow its use so that we can tap into those natural resources, there has to be a better balance and right now it's too tilted against businesses, it's too hard for them to get permits, so we need to relax that a little bit so that businesses can thrive."
George's visit was short, but for those in attendance, much was learned.
"I'm glad Senator George was able to give us in Houghton County his view of what he would change in Michigan to put us in the right direction and get us on the right track for the economic re-stabilization of our state," said Mary Sears, vice chair of the Houghton County Republican Party.
For additional information on George, visit his Web site at georgeforgovernor.com.
The original article can be seen here.
Posted: 8/7/2009