Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey day to all.

The combination of turkey and football is intoxicating to the senses. I spent the holiday in Paso Robles, California with my in-laws eating, sleeping in, watching pigskin, and missing the cool crisp Michigan air. I would like all to comment on this post with what you are thankful for this thanksgiving in the land of the free and home of the brave. This is the list of things i am thankful for this year.

1. New babies (Sophia, Eva, Jackson, Trent, many more.)
2. Devin Hester
3. My cats (white sox, peaches and Stephen)
4. The Journey song Don't stop believing.
5. Illinois Football (so i don't have to choose UM or MSU)
6. Advent Calenders full of chocolate
7. Star Wars anything
8. The video game rock band letting me live out the dream of a rock star in my living room
9. Season One of The Wire
10. My Personal relationship with Jesus
11. Juice Williams
12. Safe Plane Landings.....then driving from Las Vegas to Sacramento when the entire airport loses power and seriously freaks everyone out
13. Reggie Bush/Barry Bonds being indicted and investigated
14. Freedom of Religion
15. My beautiful wife Grace

I hope everyone the best Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays. God Bless.

Immigration Reform is Needed?

Give me one rational argument for illegal immigration, please, i cant think of a single one myself and i don't want to feel like a racist like the media says i am anymore.

I cant think of any other group of immigrants in America's past that have came into the country and not assimilated. Irish, Jewish, Italian, and Polish immigrants in the past all came here for opportunities not available in their own countries. LEGALLY. They paid the price to become part of our nation, some would tell you it is every one's right to be here and be able to take care of themselves. It is not a right, it is a privilege to live here and when the first step you take to come here is breaking a law that is designed to protect this country you show a lack of respect for this country.

American Pride

What is the job of any elected official? Firstly, to represent the people that put him or her into that office as best they can--making decisions that reflect the values of the community they were elected to represent gives them the best chance to prosper. Secondly, to inspire confidence and steer his or her constituency into economic growth and self reliance, while making sure that the export business is 10% higher than the importing. Currently, I don't see this happening from the senators and governor that are supposed to be our "voice" in government. I hear excuses about how this presidency has let us down by allowing the economy to fall to the point where jobs are relocating overseas. What we have to remember is that these same Democrats were in office when the NATO agreement was put into effect that enables this to happen. Trying to level the playing field again has gotten us into a world of hurt. They were worrying so much about the poor in neighboring countries being unfairly stepped on by the big bad American economy that they started handicapping us; manipulating the general public into feeling guilty about our success, and blaming others' failures on our success. It is an idea that the party wants us to adopt, that whenever someone does something good the results are negative for someone else. Shame. That is what they sell and i don't buy it. I believe in having pride in where you came from, pride in the people that came before you and sacrificed life so that simple freedoms are safe. Pride in America.

I have heard the democratic policies described as "feel good" policies, while the republicans have more of a "do good" policy agenda. What this means is that instead of doing the right thing and making a tough decision that positively affects the community as a whole, they want to make everyone happy and install a pseudo-socialist government that controls how much we have, how much we make, and how much we spend. By instituting government policies that try and recreate everyone as equals, they are taking away what makes us such a great nation to begin with and that is our individuality. Even now, as we speak, congress is trying to institute a new law that requires business owners to offer paid sick leave to all workers. Taking away a business owners' decision making power is ridiculously overstepping the bounds of what the government is supposed to concern itself with. Sweden has tried this policy and close to 20% of the people abused it severely reducing the strength of the economy. Please give the people of this country back the freedom they fought for and vote republican next year.

Affirmative Action

To me affirmative action is a program that signifies the American governments view that this country's minority population needs a helping hand. It is what is fundamentally wrong with the answers to the problems we believe that we have.

1. The government diagnoses the problem: Minority People are under represented in the higher working classes.
2. They treat those people like the "victims" and instead of creating an equal playing field they find a simpler solution and grade them with a curve.

"Simpler solution" to democrats means a plan that creates tons of new taxes with little results.

For example when someone tells you it is our responsibility as a country to take care of our poor, they are wrong. That is the simple solution and easiest to tax. It is our responsibility as people of faith and values to take care of the poor. Distributing wealth from the rich to the poor just for the sake that they are poor helps no one; it hinders our growth as a nation. Instead of teaching a man to fish on his own, we have made him dependent on the state. A capitalist society needs haves and have not's for it to work. If you knew that no matter how hard you worked or how little you did that your paycheck would be the same as any other person's, how hard would you really work? Everyone does not deserve the same, they deserve what they work for and i believe that America shows us that everyday, with a new story of hard work translating to success. I don't think many of us out there would be breaking our backs like we are now in order to support our family if this was not the case. The carrot of "being well off" and part of the upper middle class is what drives our nation to the top economically. That endless spirit of entrepreneurship and want of more for our family keeps us driven. Affirmative Action kills a person's drive to succeed by providing them an edge they would not have had, thus making them soft and vulnerable when the curtain of protection is lifted and they finally see how harsh the world can be. I believe a person's hard work should be the reason to accept them to a particular school or job, not the color of their skin. Some may say "But Jon, racism is still prevalent in today's society"... to this I say it always will be until we are all treated equal. Affirmative Action does not level the playing field it tips the scales.

Environment

Being the national hub of the auto industry, Michigan is in a key strategic position to combat global warming through significant reductions in automobile CO2 emissions. By combining reducing energy consumption with a devotion to cultivating renewable energy, our state could indeed be a leader in cutting CO2 emissions and preserving the environment.

My Environmental Plan

* Raise standards in the automobile industry. The automobile was born in Michigan, and Detroit is the leading automobile producer in the country. We have our pulse on which cars are put into the marketplace and can give the auto industry grants or subsidies for producing bio fuel powered cars, solar powered cars, and using other clean energy technology in production.

* Raise the fuel economy standards in automobiles to 50 mpg, which would be on par with the rest of the world in 2016.

* Make walking or bike riding to work affordable for every Michigan family. Often people say they cannot afford to live near their work. I would like to see a $5,000 yearly tax credit for families that live within two miles of their main employer. Living in the suburbs, far away from work, is a personal choice that many people make, and this credit would make it very affordable for people to walk or ride a bike to work.

* Invest in transportation infrastructure such as elevated or underground Metros for cities such as Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Flint. This would provide an attractive and more inexpensive method for those who commute to work, and Metros generally create a great income stream for their city and state if every Metro ticket is taxed a few cents.

* Create a surplus of renewable energy by encouraging Michigan homeowners to cultivate their own solar and wind energy and send extra back to the grid to be resold to the general public and to neighboring states. Government could encourage this by mimicking Germany's buyback program which guarantees a minimum rate of 50 cents per kilowatt hour, guaranteed for the next twenty years, making it worthwhile for the average person to invest in the infrastructure of solar and wind energy. Surplus energy could be sold back, with the eventual goal to create enough surplus energy to export to cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, and Cleveland and generate an enormous income stream.

Three Blind Mice

Three leaders in the democratic party have crossed a line of respect for the American public who gave them their trust. Governor Switzer of New York, Diane Feinstein California Senator, and Pete Stark Congressman of California's thirteenth district.



Switzer is trying to pass a bill that gives illegal immigrants drivers licenses and allows anyone in the state to vote with only a license and not a social security number. Blatantly trying to buy votes from a group that does not deserve the right to vote..... Diluting our vote as Americans in the process. For some reason the thought of giving a group of people that does not pay taxes and have come here with no regard and respect for our laws really upsets me. This is the misuse of power and responsibility that i will call to end when i am elected, taking on the fight that I know you the people want me to.



Feinstein is the worst kind of politician, a hypocritical one with an agenda of power at any cost. Her hatred for all things 'Bush' has blinded her to anything that might be considered positive the President has done. Her staunch support of Cindy Sheehan to sit in front of the President's home in Texas, and other anti-war rallies by the group Pink Code has never been challenged. In the past week though something has changed; liberals that are even farther left than she is are camping out in front of her house and bothering her and other neighbors because she won't stand up to Bush. She has told the papers that she wishes they were homeless people so she can call the police and have them arrested for loitering, since they are such an inconvenience to her. They should not be allowed to picket her home, because they are causing a disturbance and this is not right. The message here is assert your freedom of speech, only as long as you agree with her views and get out of her way.

Stark is the worst offender of them all. This past week he said that President Bush gets amusement from soldiers heads blowing off in Iraq. What happened to respect for the commander in chief and a united front in a time of war? Not to mention, keeping our soldiers spirits up overseas. The first reaction i had when i heard this was sadness, that a representative of our government in a time of war would say something borderline treasonous. No matter what is happening and what you believe this country is The UNITED States, and that is the most important fact.... All three of these democrats have crossed that line and until they learn simple teamwork we are going to be fighting on two sides until the end of the war. The first step in teamwork is making sure that when you don't agree with the majority you set your differences aside and put the team first. They have proven terrible team players.

Rehabilitation

Prisons are not working, and instead of the focus being the rehabilitation of the inmate, the focus is the comfort and well being of the inmate. Someone who has spent time in prison is 84% more likely to return; furthermore, the worse the crime the more likely they will be imprisoned again. What can we do though? They deserve the right to watch TV, exercise, and have time to sit around the yard and talk don't they? I say no, they have taken away something that belongs to good hard working Americans. For example, they may have taken away something tangible like a TV, or perhaps they've stolen one's right and freedom to walk down the street at night without fear of harm, they may even have sold drugs to our youth. Anyone that commits crimes against our society is someone that does not value our freedoms and values, and they do not deserve the same rights we do. They also need to pay us back in order to regain what they have taken for granted; that is the reason for this proposal.


Michigan's State Prison Proposal

1. All Prisoners are given sentences of hours needed to work, not just days in prisons.

2. The terms can not be lessened based on good behavior.

3. All amenities (TV, classes, visitation, books) are going to be worked for based on hours worked daily.

4. Jobs will include Highway Cleanup, Forest Clearing, and Crop Picking. But the largest amount of jobs will be in Manufacturing so that the prisoners have the opportunity to learn skills in order to become working members of our society. The jobs in plants will be brought in by tax breaks for the plants and the opportunity to lessen costs on labor.

5. All the jobs that the inmates are completing are helping to pay for the time they stay, and the revenue that it is replacing can go to our schools, roads and other areas under funded.

6. Inmates who do not want to work are given one hour a day by themselves outdoors and that is all.


I would like to introduce the second member of my staff, my brother Matthew Rodriguez. He is going to be heading my Design and Marketing team on the new campaign. His eye for photography is amazing and when combined with his computer skills and love of animation we are excited to see what he has in store for this election year. Known for his basketball skills in the town of Zeeland where he grew up, his smile and charisma are just as bright as the potential he brings to our team. Thank you for your support and Welcome Matthew.

My Michigan State Health Care Proposal

Lets get one thing straight, when Nancy Pelosi and the democratic party says that voting against an increase in federal funding for children's health care is akin to wanting children to not receive medical help, she is a liar. The democratic party wants you to think that the children who are in poor and needy families are turned away by doctors and clinics, laying in the gutter sick and dying while the rich and wealthy sit around and laugh. When a child goes to the doctor or clinic they are always treated, what is at stake is how the bill will be paid. Medicaid covers all families with incomes on or below the poverty line, the increase would be for families of 4 that make between 42 and 81 thousand a year. That does not sound like a family in need of funds to myself, and if your in an area that this is not enough money to live comfortably..... move.

The Michigan State Health Plan

1. Government Medicaid is only for families at or below the poverty line

2. Independent Board of 7 former appointed doctors from which all major specialties would be represented. All malpractice cases would have to make it through this board, and the decision that it has would be final. This would lower costs greatly in the judicial system, and trained professionals would be the ones deciding what constitutes malpractice in an industry that is riddled with fake lawsuits that take up time and money. This would lower the insurance costs for medical professionals and in turn come back to the consumer and the government that pays for the Medicaid families.

3. Have all insurance that is bought in state have a waiver that states this malpractice board is the final arbiter in all cases.

4. Patients on Medicaid can have the Medicaid revoked or lowered if the patient smokes, takes drugs, drinks heavily or is obese to the point that it affects their health without medical condition.

The advantages of this system are many, the judicial system's load is lightened so money is saved by less cases being tried. Then the insurance for both the consumer and the doctor is lowered, plus the insurance companies are happy by an increase in profit percentage when the false claims go down since they are easily weeded out by trained doctors. With the extra money that is also saved by the governments Medicaid program, taxes can also be lowered.

Separation of Church and State

I can not pick up a paper without hearing the separation of church and state being brought up to try and shame social conservatives who want to cast votes based on beliefs learned in the church. The idea that "voting on what you believe" is infringing on someone else's right to live is completely wrong, it is what we are called to do. It is the judicial systems job to do the best they can to interpret our laws. Our job is to vote someone into office that will best serve us as a country, reflect our beliefs and live in a way to honor each one everyday. An example of this is when someone tells you that voting for someone who favors a ban on abortion is wrong since it is infringing on the right of a woman to choose and pushing your biblical beliefs on them. This is exactly what is protected in the Separation, not denied; the right for you to send your opinion and voice by voting for someone who mirrors what you want to say. The Separation was not meant to keep beliefs out like some want you to think, but include them no matter if you like them or you don't.

I want to also introduce my top political consultant and Chief of Staff, Eric Neutzling. Eric is a long time friend whose controlled demeanor and quick wit are like a fresh breath of cool air. His background includes a psychology degree from Calvin College, law enforcement, and counseling special ed kids. On top of being an expert chef and musician, he is also adept on the baseball diamond with a bat in his hands. We are excited and proud to welcome him.

First Things First

Welcome to my web site. The very first thing you need to know is... this blog is my launching pad for a seat in the 2016 Michigan State Senate. In my various posts, I will discuss the political issues that affect you. I ask for your continued support as I gain gradual but determined momentum, like a heavy torant of water creating a new path, towards 2016 and beyond.

Thank you.
Jonathan Rodriguez