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 I want you to send me to Lansing because I know I can make a difference.
The Challenge
Problem solving. Agitating. Brainstorming. Bridge building. We have to think and act inside and outside of the box. We have problems that have got to be fixed that nobody is even talking about. Michigan isn't blue or red and neither blue nor red will win. Purple is our strength. Everybody takes sides and argues that the glass is half full or half empty. But if you pour that same liquid in a smaller glass everyone will agree it is full. Or put it in a bucket and fill the bucket to the half way point and however you look at it there is more for everybody. Basically, everyone wants the same thing. We don't know it because we don't talk. Whether it's an aisle, a bridge, or a train track, the challenge is to discover the common language to make progress.
The Stakes
There are 110 Representatives in Lansing and every one of them is hired to bring back more than their piece of the pie. And that's just in the House. Can you imagine sitting at a table with 110 chairs and one pie in the middle of the table? If you're not focused, if you're not committed, if you don't know when to talk and how to shut up, if you cannot negotiate with the weak and demand from the strong, it's over. If you're not just a little bit shrewd, you don't even get a fork. State Representative is not just a job title, it is a job description and a responsibility that has very real consequences for very real people.
The Methods
It's like fighting World War Two with Civil War weapons. In every battle (And make no mistake, achieving good government -that works- is a battle.), in every generation, the winner is not the side who fights with the tools of the last conflict. It's not the prettiest face. It's not the sharpest suit. It's often not the most obvious credentials. Battles are won by the innovators, by the improvisers, by the people with the vision, creativity, the flexibility, sacrifice and the intensity to see the path, clear the path, and make it work. We need jobs, schools, health, security... Period.
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