Editor’s Note:
This is the candidate profile given to all local candidates for the Nov. 6 general election. Not everyone submitted a response.
Basic guidelines for the profiles are as follows:
- Absolutely no mention of any political party;
- Absolutely no mention of opposition candidate or their positions;
- Avoid using boilerplate answers. The purpose of this questionnaire is to give voters an opportunity to hear what YOU have to say about the issues at hand.
- Each candidate is given the exact same question and word count limitations. If they exceeded the word count the answer was rejected. In the space where an answer was to have been submitted, a note will say, “Answer rejected because it exceeded word count limitations.
- Answers were rejected outright if they mentioned a competitor, a competitor’s position, or either political party. In that space will be a note that says, “Answer rejected because it included comments about the competitor or a political party.
Answers were NOT edited in any way.
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Senate District: 105th Michigan District
Name: Melissa Fruge
Age: 38
Community of residence: Boyne City
Education: CMU/Bachelor of Science, Journalism
Michigan continues to experience the loss of many talented individuals in Northern Michigan due to a lack of quality employment opportunities. What specifically do you plan to do to bring more jobs to the Northern part of the state?
I’ve considered relocating because this is a serious issue. Young people have difficulties finding affordable housing, quality daycare and wages simply aren’t enough to meet basic living expensed. Solutions include raising the minimum wage, building an infrastructure to meet 21st century, housing incentives, and investing resources into pre-K programs.
Q: Organizations such as the Children’s Assessment Centers in Roscommon and Iosco Counties specialize in helping minors who are victims of sexual assault. Despite widespread support by local government and law enforcement, the state continues to decrease funding for these types of organizations. If elected, what will you do specifically to ensure funding is secured to keep these programs viable?
As a victim of childhood sexual assault I will fight to ensure funding for these resources is allocated properly and not diverted for special interests.
Q: For Northern Michigan businesses to be competitive across the state and nation, we need dependable broadband internet service, which we do not have in many areas. Would you be willing to support a broadband infrastructure program similar to the National Highway System in order to bring Northern Michigan up to speed? Why or why not? And if so, how do you plan to accomplish that project?
We’ve heard it called the internet super highway, so treating it like the National Highway System makes sense. Dependable broadband service is critical for student and business success, building an infrastructure to support those needs is essential. It also essential everyone be able to access and afford broadband services. It should be held to operate in the public interest.
Q: In regard to Line 5, the Canadian oil transfer line at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac:
The Great Lakes Business network, a growing coalition of Northern Michigan businesses, strongly opposes existence of the pipeline because of the danger to the waterway and its potential effect on tourism. Instead of forcing Canada to build a pipeline on its own property, the State of Michigan recently opted to allow Enbridge, the owner of the line and the company responsible for the Kalamazoo River oil spill in 2010, to start a permitting process to build a new pipeline beneath the straits. Do you support the rerouting of the pipeline to Canadian property and the subsequent closure of the pipeline in order to prevent a spill?
I support all efforts to remove Line 5 from underneath the Straits and end Michigan’s ties with Enbridge.
Q: Due to groundwater contamination with PCB’s in the Grayling and Oscoda areas, do you support greater restrictions on the use of chemicals which may negatively affect Michigan’s greatest resource, the Great Lakes and our groundwater? What legislation will you propose to reduce the number of cancer-causing chemicals being used in the state. (Do not use existing Michigan Department of Environmental Quality or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines as a boilerplate response).
As Michigan is home to 21% of the world’s freshwater it is inexcusable that we do not have the world’s strictest water protection policies. I don’t believe standards should be relaxed to only meet federal requirements and the DEQ shouldn’t be controlled by private enterprise or special interest groups.
Q: The Michigan legislature and governor are largely exempt from the Open Meetings Act, even though local officials must follow the law. If elected will you introduce a bill to revise the act to include the written and online communications all appointed and elected officials, as well as employees at the state level, especially since many state meetings are not held in public? Why or why not?
If I don’t introduce a bill to revise the act myself, I certainly would support one that is introduced. The Michigan Legislature and Governor work for the people, and as such have a responsibility to be open and transparent.
Q: What individual or group is your largest campaign contributor at the time you completed this questionnaire? How will you handle potential conflicts of interest that may arise affecting that contributor?
Nearly all of my campaign contributions have come from individual donors, averaging around $70. My responsibility lies in representing the interests of the people.
Q: Why should people vote for you?
We’ve too much in common, and too much to lose, if we don’t start working together. I pledge to be that change, to lead with integrity and set things right.
