Dear Friends,

Effective leadership is supported by cooperation. As community leaders, your knowledge and contribution are vital to developing new strategies for Michigan. As a candidate to become your State Senator, I am interested in meeting with you to discuss your perspectives and concerns.

I am a life-long resident of Lapeer County.  I graduated from Lapeer East High School, attended Mott Community College, and graduated from both the University of Michigan – Flint and Thomas M. Cooley Law School.  My background and professional experience is in law, business, accounting, and taxation.  I have been an independent business owner for the last 14 years.  As an attorney I specialize in estate planning, probate, taxation and tax resolution, and bankruptcy.  I have been married for 14 years and have four children.  Three of my children are homeschooled and one attends St Paul’s Lutheran School.

People have asked me why I want to work as your state senator. Each week I do between 10 and 15 new consultations with families that have worked for many years to now see their jobs, businesses, homes, and life savings gone.  The need for a new direction in Michigan has broken my heart.  I am fed up with the same old politics with no progress for our state!  It is time to pump new blood into Lansing to solve the problems we now face.   I long to see a state that is inviting to risk takers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners.  We have created in this state a situation where no business, given a choice, will locate here.  Our costs for doing business are far higher than other states and as a consequence we have not just lost business to other countries, but have lost huge amounts of our economy to other states.

There are many reasons for this failure of our state’s economy, and both parties have played a role in that failure.  I believe the people of Michigan are ready for a new direction that is focused on individual liberty, freedom, and real fiscal restraint.  If we will allow individuals to be creative and prosperous, then businesses will return to Michigan and jobs as well! When businesses return and people are prospering, we will have enough resources to provide for solid education and a good, basic government for our citizens.

At this very moment nearly one in five individuals is on some form of public assistance! This is an unsustainable course for our state!  I am asking you to join my campaign to turn Michigan back toward prosperity and freedom.

I am running a campaign that may be slightly different than my competitors.  I will not go the way of conventional wisdom in political campaigns, which is to say as little as possible about any issue so that I can change my position with each new crowd, but rather I will state simply and clearly the way forward for our state These guiding principles and precepts are the keys to freeing our people from the tyranny of an overtaxing, overspending, and over regulating government. I am committed to this plan.

· Eliminate the MBT (Michigan Business Tax) – Just reducing this tax as some have suggested will not correct our failed business climate.  This tax must be eliminated. We compete against states that have no business tax. This tax was created and increased by both democrats and republicans in backroom deals. Our Michigan businesses then responded by closing their doors and moving south in huge numbers! We must fight this sort of destructive deal making!

· “Red Tape Effect” – New businesses face insurmountable obstacles when they try to locate in Michigan. Right now a business can wait months or even years to get the approvals needed to develop a facility in our state.  In some southern states it is literally a few weeks from purchase to site development. Also, Michigan is known for its strong union roots but now these are a repellant to any new business that might locate here. We need to be a Right to Work state. We need to eliminate the obstacles in order to draw new businesses to Michigan.

· Seniors Property Taxes – In some states seniors receive exemptions on property taxes. Many of our seniors are being forced from their homes due to excessive property taxes.  We should move toward giving our seniors relief from this oppressive tax in Michigan.

· Falling Property Values – Property values have fallen but that has not been reflected in our property taxes.  Right now the only process for appealing residential property taxes is confusing, varies from county and state and is basically failing our citizens. We need a clear way for individuals to seek redress for the downward adjustments made to their property values.

· Unfunded Mandate – Unfunded mandates are requirements demanded by the state but paid for by the local government. The Michigan Constitution prohibits this action but lawmakers have routinely ignored the law. The State of Michigan needs to pay for what it demands from local governing bodies.

· Law Enforcement – We must address the issue of our underfunded law enforcement as well as the early release of violent criminals and sexual offenders who are invading our streets again! The job of law enforcement is impossible without the correct amount of resources.

· Agriculture - From crop, horse, cattle, hog, and small family farms, Michigan has a large number of farms that contribute to the economy.  Farmers are the “third leg” of our economy and cannot be overlooked as a vital industry in Michigan. Farmers need help with reduced regulation from the DEQ and less taxes. We must do a better job of protecting this vital part of the Michigan economy.

· Choice in Education – We must move to develop choice in education and make every option available to families that will allow them to make wise decisions for their own children. We have schools in Michigan where less than 25% of the children graduate and of those who graduate from these schools, less than half can read past the 6th grade level.  We cannot allow these children to be enslaved in a life without the possibility of success and prosperity. We have a very powerful teacher’s union in Michigan that controls education and much of our political process and this desperately needs to be changed.  The government and special interests cannot assume the rights of parents to choose how and where to educate their children.

· Natural Resources - Michigan’s natural resources are its crowning glory. We have a huge outdoor sports and tourism economy. It needs to be protected and developed further. Where possible, our state lands need to be turned over to local control. This makes it possible to have citizens involved in determining the use of their “own backyards.”

· 2nd Amendment – Our Constitution speaks clearly to the right to bear arms in our country.  Unfortunately the laws of our state are terribly unclear.  Our state needs to move toward a policy that is in keeping with the intentions of our founding fathers, “…the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

My desire is to work to make this state a place where my children and yours can find prosperity and success! For this goal to be achieved, people will have to sacrifice and fight to restore the principles of our Founding Fathers. My guiding philosophy for legislation is dependant on the Bible and prayer, the Constitution, and finally, the needs of our society to have a controlled and restrained government.

I look forward to speaking with you in the near future. May God richly bless and guide you and your family!

Todd A Courser – Candidate for State Senate