I want to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July, and send you my blessings as you gather with your family and friends to celebrate this special time of the summer.
Let’s also pause to celebrate the idea of America and the ideals on which our country was founded - that all of us are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of justice – and that we are never quite finished on our journey towards a more perfect union.
I will be celebrating Independence Day by marching in the Manistee parade at 10AM and the Ludington parade at 2PM on Friday, as well as the Lake Ann Homecoming parade at 11AM on Saturday. I hope that you will watch for my campaign crew and come introduce yourself! If you are interested in marching with us, give the Headquarters a call at 877-DAN-SCRIPPS.
I will also be taking part in the Rothbury Music Festival on Sunday. I will be speaking as part of a panel about climate change and energy policy solutions for the 21st century and what local, state, and federal political leaders can do to lead the way towards energy independence. To learn more, click here.
I hope that you will join me this weekend! Have a Happy Fourth!!
There is a growing awareness that Michigan is incredibly well poised to take advantage of opportunities in the renewable energy field. With incredible wind potential, a number of idle manufacturing plants that could be retrofitted for renewable energy manufacturing and a skilled workforce, Michigan should be a global leader in renewable energy production and innovation. With events like the Michigan Energy Fair, held this last weekend in Onekama, Northern Michigan is particularly well positioned to lead in the area.
Unfortunately all of this has seemed to escape the attention of the Republican-controlled Michigan Senate. Late Friday night, just hours after Governor Granholm announced that Michigan will be home to the world’s first Cellulosic Ethanol plant and helped to kick off the energy fair the Michigan Senate passed legislation that makes a mockery to the broadly shared goal of being a leader in the renewable energy field. The specific legislation calls for a watered down renewable portfolio standard of just 7% which would put Michigan at the bottom of the pack in terms of states that have enacted an RPS. Worse, the legislation actually calls for a combined 7% between energy efficiency and the production of renewable energy. And to add insult to injury, the republican controlled Senate has included coal-gasification as a renewable energy source. Simply put, the legislation passed by the Senate does nothing to bring renewable energy jobs to Michigan and indeed hurts our ability to compete on a global stage in this exciting and growing field. It’s not that the Senate shouldn’t have known better, earlier this month, Jim MacInnes, CEO and co-owner of Crystal Mountain Resort, called for an energy efficiency goal of 25% an ambitious portfolio of policy recommendations, including a renewable portfolio standard. (Not yet posted on the Michigan Senate Energy Committee’s webite). In addition a report released last year by NextEnergy, showed that of the various options being considered, the more ambitious renewable portfolio standard, the more jobs would be created. It is in the face of all this evidence that the senate offered little more than more of the same. We need more than the same tired old Lansing thinking if we are going to get Michigan moving again, and the legislation passed on a party-line vote late last Friday night, does nothing to help with these efforts.
To see pictures of my visit to the Energy Fair, check out my Flickr page here.
State House candidate for the 101st District hails victory for Michigan workers
NORTHPORT – With Michigan’s minimum wage increase taking effect, Democratic State House candidate Dan Scripps hailed today as a victory for Michigan’s working families. The minimum wage will now be set at $7.40 an hour, the third and final step of a plan signed into law in 2006.
“Every Michigan resident deserves to be paid a fair wage for a hard day’s work,” said Scripps, a candidate for the 101st House District. “In these difficult economic times, we can’t continue paying today’s workers with outdated wages. Raising the minimum wage will give our working families some much-needed relief.”
After intense public pressure, a three-step plan to increase Michigan’s minimum wage was passed and signed into law in March 2006. Under the plan, the state’s minimum wage increased to $6.95 per hour on October 1, 2006; to $7.15 per hour on July 1, 2007; and to $7.40 per hour, effective today. A higher wage will help nearly 300,000 people who work at minimum wage jobs in Michigan – many of them the sole breadwinners of their families – and boost local economies.
Just two years ago, the minimum wage in Michigan was only $5.15 an hour – the federal rate that was passed in 1997. The federal minimum wage is set to increase to $6.55 per hour on July 24, 2008, but will still remain 13 percent less than the required Michigan minimum wage. Michigan is one of more than 32 states in addition to the District of Columbia to have a minimum wage higher than the federal rate.
“Increasing the minimum wage is a win-win for Michigan,” Scripps said. “It will put more money into our workers’ pockets, which will then be put back into our local businesses. With the cost of food, gas and other necessities continuing to increase, today’s action will give our working families the boost they need.”
The 101st District includes Mason, Manistee, Benzie, and Leelanau counties. The Inside Michigan Politics Newsletter lists it as a “Toss Up” and it is also one of the “Top 10 State House Seats to Watch,” according to the Michigan Information and Research Service.
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Michigan Energy Fair |
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Friday, June 27nd - Sunday, June 29th, 2008
in Onekama, MI
at the Manistee County Fairgrounds |
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This weekend marks the 3rd Annual Michigan Energy Fair put on by the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association that will be held right in the heart of the 101st District at the Manistee County Fair Grounds in Onekama. The fair has been called “one of the most comprehensive expositions of renewable energy generating equipment, home and business energy efficiency techniques, and technical workshops in the state”. The event expects to host over 100 exhibitors and sponsors as well as number over 1000 visitors. Notable speakers, including Governor Granholm, and Ann Arbor’s energy coordinator Dave Konkle, will also be on hand.
The excitement that surrounds the Michigan Energy Fair is thrilling, and we should be proud it calls Northwest Michigan home. We are in a unique position here in the 101st District where we have the amazing potential to be top leaders in the nation for renewable energy production and innovation. This provides us with the opportunity in Manistee County and Northwest Michigan to really have an economic advantage. If we can create, invent and manufacture the renewable energy systems that are going to build that future here in Northwest Michigan, that’s jobs! There are companies that are looking at Manistee County right now, there are companies that have announced an interest in Mason county, right now, that would bring jobs to this area. We are in a position here in Michigan where we can do the right thing from an environmental and energy standpoint, but also from an economic standpoint. I urge you to check out the fair this weekend and learn more about this amazing opportunity! For more information about schedules, speakers, exhibits, and places to stay go here.
You can also check out a video here of the fair organizer Jeremy Wittrock during last year’s fair:
Just in case you missed the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum that I participated in last week at Manistee High School, you can listen to it online through Interlochen Public Radio right here.
Picture credit: Manistee County League of Women Voters
A recent poll out by the Midwest Democracy Network shows that just 11% of Michigan residents feel that the legislature is on the right track, though a majority feel they have faith in the future as long as the right change comes along.
This follows the candidate forum Wednesday night when one of my Republican opponents, Mike McManus, indicated he felt the public perception of Lansing was just fine. While Mike McManus might think Lansing is doing a good job, given the McManus family’s close ties with the Lansing establishment, the voters of Michigan have clearly had enough. This election represents a fundamental choice of change versus more of the same. And I’m the only candidate that can bring real change to Lansing.
The poll also shows that most Michigan residents want an end to the political games that characterize so much of what goes on in Lansing. Ending these games and building a broad bi-partisan common-sense agenda for Michigan’s future is the central element of what I do as a founding champion of the Center for Michigan’s “Michigan’s Defining Moment” campaign. Indeed, I am the only candidate for state house, from either party, to serve as a founding champion for this effort. It is going to take this type of common-sense leadership, and not simply more of the same of Lansing’s petty partisan games to get Michigan pointed in the right direction and I’m running because it’s time to get Michigan moving again.
By the way, you can check out a video of my intro from Wednesday’s forum here:
Last night I had the pleasure of taking part in a Candidate Forum held by the Manistee County League of Women Voters at the Manistee High School. I was joined by my four Republican opponents in a 3-minute question and answer format focusing on issues relevant to Michigan, and specifically the citizens of the 101st District.
Check out the clip of my introduction here:
Dan Scripps, the Democratic candidate in the 101st District, has been included in the first round of Red-to-Blue Michigan Majority candidates by the Michigan Democratic Action Network (MDAN), a Washington D.C.-based organization that works to elect Democratic candidates in the Senate and House of Michigan.
The MDAN endorsement comes on heels of Scripps being the first Michigan House candidate endorsed by the 21st Century Democrats, a national organization committed to electing progressive candidates in key competitive elections across the country.
“Clearly there is a lot of national attention being paid to this race and I am honored that my plan to get Michigan moving again is being received so positively by MDAN and its members,” said Scripps.
The 101st District includes Mason, Manistee, Benzie, and Leelanau counties. The Inside Michigan Politics Newsletter lists it as a “Toss Up” and it is also one of the “Top 10 State House Seats to Watch,” according to the Michigan Information and Research Service.
A special thanks to our friends Jimmy, John, and Dennis of The Jettisons who performed two benefit concerts for us last week! The guys were great and we had awesome turn outs!
The guys rocked it out Wednesday night at the InsideOut Gallery in Traverse City to a boogy-influenced audience full of dancers. On Friday in Manistee, a different adventure ensued as the power went out. The guys relocated to a parking lot on River Street and treated spectators to an acoustic show. Thanks to everyone who made it out!
As part of the events, we came prepared with voter registration forms and information for young voters. Jimmy Higgins, lead singer, stressed the importance of getting out the youth vote in a previous interview we did with him:
“I can’t overstate the importance of youth involvement in the political
system–the youth vote carries all kinds of weight and can go a long way in
deciding the outcome of an election. In the case of Dan’s campaign, it’s all
the more important that young people vote, because his election will be a
huge step toward preserving the beautiful natural environment of the area,
among many other positive results.”
And we couldn’t agree with him more!
10. He cares about jobs, schools and the great outdoors.
9. He will work hard so that when we’re done with school we don’t have to leave the state to find good jobs.
8. He uses Facebook, MySpace, YouTube & Flickr.
7. He has a really cool website: www.danscripps.com.
6. He’s an environmental lawyer who also knows how to attract investment to Michigan in renewable energy and other green technologies.
5. He’s married to Jamie, who’s a rock star! (Trust us. We’re rock stars. We know.)
4. He has been invited to talk about climate change and energy solutions for the 21st century at this summer’s Rothbury Festival.
3. He set up his website as a blog. Most politicians only want to talk; Dan actually listens.
2. He was born in Michigan, raised in Michigan, educated in Michigan, and has what it takes to build a better future for Michigan.
1. Because Dan understands how great Northwest Michigan is, and will fight to protect our quality of life!
You can take a look at pictures from the event on Dan’s Flickr page.
You can also check out AikoAdam’s posts at Blogging for Michigan, Michigan Liberal, and West Michigan Rising highlighting our adventures in Manistee!
Scripps is only State House candidate in Michigan to be endorsed by national organization
Dan Scripps, Democratic candidate for State Representative in Michigan’s 101st House District, has been endorsed by 21st Century Democrats, a national organization that support Democratic progressive leaders in key competitive elections across the country. Scripps is the only State Representative candidate in Michigan to receive the group’s endorsement.
21st Century Democrats was founded to seek out candidates that share their vision and support of strong progressive issues in order to create opportunities for working families. They provide grassroots-oriented field organizers to their endorsed candidates, and stress face-to-face personal connections with the voting public versus overbearing television commercials. In addition to this one-on-one guidance, they also provide support to the candidate after Election Day. 21st Century Democrats also dedicates their time towards training young activists, including those involved in Dan’s campaign, in effective political organizing and fieldwork that cultivates progressive leaders that go on to be activists in their communities or run for office.
Dan is one of three candidates in the State of Michigan to receive this endorsement, the others being Oakland County candidate for treasurer, Andy Meisner, and Gary Peters, candidate for Congress in the 9th District.
“I am honored to have been chosen as the only candidate for State Representative in Michigan for this endorsement. The 21st Century Democrats are a key national group working to identify leaders who will create good jobs in a growing economy, invest in education and work to protect our natural resources. I am pleased that they recognize that these are the same issues I’m stressing in my campaign.”
The 101st District includes Mason, Manistee, Benzie and Leelanau counties. The Inside Michigan Politics Newsletter lists it as a “Toss Up” and it is also one of the “Top Ten State House Seats to Watch,” according to the Michigan Information and Research Service.
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