renardberrysr.com

I am seeking office because I care about our community and I care about the future of this city, and this state. I

believe that "our" concerns as Detroiters, and residents in District 6 are not being adequately represented in

our states legislature. As "your" elected representative, I would work with residents "first", and then business

owners, and others that are in a position to help us develop a much clearer understanding of what kinds of

assistance is needed to get our city back to respectability. I believe that their are laws that

need to be

re-

examined, dead issues that need to be resurrected, and relationships that need mending to bring relief to

Detroit. I am the right person to start getting those things done fast! We need leaders who will focus on the

long-range health of our city (and state) not on

short-term schemes designed to gain political clout. We must

begin to change how things are being done in Michigan politics. The power is in the hands of the people, "You,

the voters! We must stop electing these crooks and cons that try to use high profile and emotionally charged

public policy issues

"city vs. Suburbs" to distract voters from seeing the poor job they are

really

doing. If

elected I will succeed in fixing this mess. Detroiters "deserve" a better quality of life

I "need" your

vote so that I

can work to get what we deserve (and that's

positive results fast!

MY TAKE ON THE ISSUES

As a citizen I think what I expect from my elected officials are very comparable to any other ordinary citizen's

expectations in Michigan. As a candidate I use that understanding and I know that most ordinary citizens want

their elected official to be

very

responsive.

Citizens

want someone who can lead, but first you want them to

listen

to what you have to say. You want respect and attention to your point of view.

Your

elected official

should be trusted

to use

great care and sound judgement based on facts

handle what needs to be

done

and get it right

We "need"

a true representative for

and of

the people, not a

typical Detroit

politician

that

ignores your input

and

opinions

for their "own" agendas. And who dosen't produce good long-lasting results

I humbly ask that

you cast your vote for me, I will be th

representative that offers th

e right kind of

commitment

to the citizens of District 6

and to the city of Detroit

I will get the results Detroit needs right now!

Below I have

listed in more detail

my stances

on the issues that plague Michigan.

Please, i

f you have any questions I will be

glad to communicate with you, Please contact me at ren

ard

renardberrysr

.com or 313-414-4214.

HEALTH CARE

I will support legislation that provides and protects quality health care and health insurance at an affordable

cost to all Michigan citizens. I believe that this often rhetorical hurdle in Michigan's legislature can be handled

by electing

epresentatives like myself

that will put the good of the people ahead of politics and partisanship.

Michigan citizens including seniors and our children deserve affordable insurance and quality health & mental

care.

INSURANCE REDLINING

I pledge to

help

champion the cause and eliminate the discriminatory tactics of

Redlining

by auto and property

insurance companies in Michigan. Residents of urban cities such as Detroit and Highland Park are unfairly

paying twice and sometimes triple the premium amounts that suburban citizens are paying. The rates are

calculated using unfair and often irrelevant statistical data like zip codes and credit scores. I believe basic

auto

coverage rates should be based on a persons driving record, and that persons individual history of theft and

damage. Affordable auto and property insurance rates should be available to everyone,

and that will be a focus

of mine.

EDUCATION

I will work

and explore realistic ways

to extend state funded public education

for four years

of college. That

would be an investment into Michigan's future. We must also ensure that a quality and equal public education

is available to all students in Michigan. Public funds should only be used to support public schools. I support

the schools of choice format allowing open enrollment into any Michigan public school regardless of where a

student's residence is. I think enrollment spots should be given to students who live in the particular school's

district first, then any remaining availability should be open to all Michigan students. This will promote fair and

equal education in Michigan's public schools. And this plan won't hurt Detroit schools because it's main

purpose is to help even the playing field for urban schools like ours in Detroit. I support closely monitored

legislation that will directly provide for increases in teacher's salaries and legislation offering creative incentives

to attract good teachers to urban school districts like Detroit. I also support reduced student-to-teacher ratios,

and increasing the legal drop-out of school age to 18 years old to reduce drop-out rates and better equip our

children to be productive adults.

DRIVER RESPONSIBILITY LAW

I will work to end the Michigan Driver Responsibility Law. I think it's unfair, and puts needless burden on

drivers already affected by a weak Michigan economy. For a person to pay outrageously high penalties, on top

of the ticket fee being charged by the municipal law enforcement agency in the place where the infraction

occurred is absolutely wrong! There are citizens that are faced with unaffordable insurance bills due to unfair

redlining practices that drives up insurance cost. And, because of high unemployment rates those citizens

could often have to make decisions like either paying for shelter and feeding their families, or to pay insurance.

Well, something has to be put off, and it's usually the insurance. Lets say for example, you are on the way to

work one day. You are pulled over by the police and ticketed. You pay the fine for the ticket, but you don't

know that the state will soon send you a bill for as much as $1000 on top of that fine you already paid under the

Michigan Driver Responsibility Law. You will have to pay a Michigan Driver Responsibility fee for

TWO

CONSECUTIVE YEARS

! You barely can make ends meet and the state suspends your license for non-

payment. You take the risk and continue to drive to work (usually outside of Detroit). Each time you are

stopped by the police after that you will be charged another Driver Responsibility fee and have to pay it also for

two consecutive years! I have provided a link on the community page of this website for more information on

this issue and it's fees.

ECONOMY

I think that our high crime rates can be linked to many different obstacles that face our community. One that I

believe is at the root of most crimes, is the lack of employment opportunities. We are continually being told that

the auto and manufacturing industries are dead in Michigan. I disagree with people who say that because, last

time I checked people are still driving and buying cars, they are still shopping at stores and buying items that

must be manufactured. I don't see why those cars, and manufactured items can't be made right here in

Michigan. When I am elected, I will work to get legislation passed that will make Michigan more attractive to

businesses by offering them creative incentives like huge tax breaks and/or tax exemptions with certain

stipulations that would include the hiring of Michigan citizens. Also, my plan would reward businesses that

offer quality jobs to low income workers, out-of-work and unskilled workers and second chance employment

for citizens with non-violent criminal records. Some people may ask what revenue does the state gain if it does

not collect taxes from those businesses? If we don't sweeten the pot, businesses will always choose more

attractive states like New York, Illinois, California and Texas over Michigan. We can't lose what we never had;

But Michigan

would

gain revenues and a boost to our economy because people will have to relocate into

Michigan to follow their jobs. Those people will buy homes (stimulating our Real Estate industry), they'll buy

groceries, eat at restaurants, shop at malls and stores, book flights at airports and purchase cars at

dealerships ALL located in Michigan! We don't have to give up our manufacturing identity in Michigan. I

support more training and post-high school education for employment opportunities in the technical industries,

but we have citizens with families, rents, mortgages and car loans that need unskilled jobs to live, right now-

today! And I WILL get results for those citizens.

RIGHT TO WORK

I am AGAINST allowing Michigan to become a right-to-work state. I think that will translate into a "right to work

for less" state in Michigan. I am a UAW, and auto production line worker, I know what it feels like to have been

asked by my employer to take a pay cut (and I refused). During these times it is impossible to think that a

person could earn a decent living without a living-wage adjustment to counter the high expense of gas prices,

high utility bills and outrageous insurance premiums! We cannot allow this proposal to succeed in Michigan.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

I will support legislation that increases the Unemployment benefit pay-out from the

current

maximum

somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 per week. If a worker is laid off from work and qualifies for the

maximum that means that their pay checks would have sometimes doubled or tripled the

current

pay-out they

receive. These hard times make it very difficult for families to save much money and I think this is somewhere

that government can help the people. Some legislators that have been corrupted by big money supporters and

interest groups will tell you that Michigan is nearly broke. That simply is NOT true. The funds Michigan has

needs to be

budgeted

and/ or allocated

better; They appropriate funds into areas that hardly mean anything

toward enriching

the lives of Michigan's citizens. I will put the spotlight on that, and get results for Michigan's

citizens!

For State Representative
District 6 (in Detroit) 2010

Precinct Delegate - District 12 Precinct 8
13th Congressional District
Michigan Democratic Party - MDP
UAW - Local 600