Bryan Mielke for state rep.
Letter to the editor
During my times as a student at Central Michigan University, I have come to understand the value of higher education in my life. It is well known that level of education is the greatest predictor of income in this country. Higher education is the key to success for millions of Americans, and it should be given high priority by our elected officials.
Unfortunately, college education is falling on the list of our state government’s priorities. Tax cuts for corporations have received a larger focus under Rick Snyder and the Republican- majority House in Michigan in the last four years. Meanwhile, higher education costs continue to rise exponentially, making college unaffordable for many middle-class and lower-income families.
Coming from a middle-class family, I have experienced first-hand the strain that high college costs force upon families. State appropriations for higher education in Michigan once covered 80 percent of college costs. Today, the state covers less than 20 percent.
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While all politicians talk about making education a big priority, not all of them have a record of truly supporting it. The Republican leadership in Lansing exemplifies this problem. When facing budgetary issues in 2011, they decided that a $1.8 billion business tax cut was more important than funding our educational system, as college costs have continued to rise since they came to power.
Isabella and Midland county’s 99th Michigan Congressional district is at the forefront of the higher education crisis as it contains CMU, one of the state’s largest universities. Students residing in this district need a representative who will fight to make college affordable for every one. Unfortunately, our current representative, Kevin Cotter, has not made education funding an important priority. He has voted with Republicans in the state house to make big business tax cuts the focus of legislation instead of education. Students at CMU cannot afford any more of Cotter and the Republican’s cuts.
On Nov. 4, we have a chance to reverse this trend. Bryan Mielke is a candidate for this district who understands the value of education and will actually promote policies that will expand access to college for everyone. Mielke supports the proposed legislation known as the SMART Act, which would allow students to attend college with the agreement to pay back a small percentage of their future earnings. While Cotter says he supports higher education, Mielke supports proposals that will actually strengthen the system. The choice is clear for CMU students. A vote for Bryan Mielke is a vote for affordable college for all.
The letter was written by Ross Fisher, a CMU Graduate student from St. Clair.
