On May 23, I left Grand Rapids, along with 23 others who volunteered to go to the capital in Lansing for the day, to lobby the legislature to address the problems facing our state.  We split up into groups of four and went to see our representatives in our districts and lobbied for:

·        An end to the budget crisis.

·        A fair resolution to replace the single business tax.

·        We talked about our business and how the lack of fair trade is eroding our market share and loss of jobs that goes with it. 

·        Education was also included in the meetings and the message we conveyed to the senators was:  No more cuts on education, no reform, and no privatization. 

Our lobby sessions were with Representative Bill Huizenga, Representative Hildenbrand, Senator Wayne Kuipers, and House of Representative Pro Temp Speaker Mike Sak.  On a scale from one to ten, with ten being the best, they rated in this order:  Mike Sak – 10, Bill Huizenga – 6, Representative Hildebrand – 3, and Wayne Kuipers – 3.

I went into each lobby session with an open mind.  There was no blame game or finger pointing.  We had a lot of good constructive dialogue, and I came away feeling very good about the impact we made.

In the afternoon session, House of Representative Pro Temp Speaker Mike Sak of Grand Rapids brought our group on the floor of the House and introduced us to the House of Representatives.  This was something I will always remember. 

By the time we left, the capital late that day, I was convinced that we made a difference.  We were able to form alliances with politicians that we once thought was not possible.  If you ever get a chance to go to Lansing and lobby, please do so.  For me, it was a very rewarding experience.

Respectfully submitted,

Greg Golembiewski

Chief Trustee

Local 730, UAW