Governor hopeful Tom George stops in Bay City
State Sen. Tom George was back in Bay City today, campaigning to be Michigan’s next governor. George, whose wife, the former Sandy Stasik, grew up in Essexville, visited Krzysiak House Restaurant in the morning.
By Jeff Kart | The Bay City Times
State Sen. Tom George was back in Bay City today, campaigning to be Michigan’s next governor.
George, whose wife, the former Sandy Stasik, grew up in Essexville, visited Krzysiak House Restaurant in the morning.
He also sat in on a State of the Community luncheon at Bay Valley Resort and Conference Center in Frankenlust Township. George stopped in town last year during a campaign bike ride through the state.
George, a Kalamazoo Republican and part-time anesthesiologist, handed out business cards featuring a top hat. It’s a tip of the hat, if you will, to Abraham Lincoln, who visited Michigan once, in 1856, stopping in Kalamazoo.
George has two key messages.
He says the state needs to cut health care costs for state employees and the poor, by creating a participatory system that requires action like exercise and health screenings. He says health care costs are the state’s greatest expense.
“Health care is important, but paying for health care services doesn’t make Michigan more competitive,” George said. “It’s not the ticket to the future.”
He also believes Michigan government needs major structural reforms, and supports Proposal 1 on the November ballot, which would convene a convention to rewrite the state constitution.
“It’s time,” he said. “We’re on our fourth constitution. We’ve done it every 50 years, and this is year 48.”
Other Republicans in the race include Attorney General Mike Cox, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder.
On the Democratic side are former state Treasurer Bob Bowman, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, State Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township, Speaker of the House Andy Dillon of Redford Township and former Genesee County Treasurer Dan Kildee, according to the Detroit Free Press.
For more on George’s campaign, see www.georgeforgovernor.com.
Posted: 2/13/2010