Independence Township Trustee and attorney Dan Kelly announced his candidacy for 44th District State Representative.
‘Full time politicians of both parties have shown themselves to be incapable of cutting the size of our bloated state government,? Kelly said.
Kelly supports Oakland County State Sen. Mike Bishop’s proposal to make the legislature part time.
‘When the people of Michigan enacted term limits,? he said, ‘they thought it would lead to a citizen legislature that would bring real world common sense to Lansing. Instead, what we got was musical chairs among career politicians in many cases; and when we finally get a conservative State Rep. who stays true to his principles, like John Stakoe, we lose him after 6 years. I think a part-time legislature addresses both problems.?
Kelly said Lansing needs to hear from the taxpayers, not politicians.
‘I’ve looked at where the state government’s inability to deal with a billion and half dollar deficit and I think the primary reason for that is we’ve elected full time politicians who don’t have a real grasp of what the taxpayers and the citizens of the state know all too well, which is we have to have a balanced budget,? he said.
Kelly said it’s not time for the same old government, but to ‘get back to the basics,? which he calls ‘the three R’s?- reduce, reform, and reorganize state government.
‘Reducing is to downsize the bureaucracy and not the employees providing services. Reform is to create a part-time legislature which will increase the representation of tax payers and citizens as opposed to full-time politicians. Reorganization of government- is to consolidate services and governments to eliminate duplication and waste in the delivering of services,? he said.
Kelly has served two terms as Independence Township trustee and most recently spearheaded a proposal designed to consolidate services and save Clarkston residents over $300,000 per year in taxes.
Kelly has also demanded a balanced budget for Independence Township, voting against proposed deficit budgets. He supports reducing the size and expense of township government by moving to part-time elected officials at the township level.
After being on the township board for eight years, Kelly said he has seen how government works firsthand. He believes problems have a lot to do with politicians.
‘Basically the refusal of full-time politicians to address what everyone understands as a more efficient way of delivering our services,? he said. ‘The primary reason why politicians don’t want to address these issues is because in all likelihood it leads to the elimination of political jobs, salaries and perks.?
In addition to being an Independence Township trustee for two terms, Kelly is an equity partner with the 50-man law firm, Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C., where he has served on its Board of Directors and Finance Committee. He is married to his wife Kathleen for 19 years and has four children, Caitlin (15), Meaghan (12), Caroline (11), and Brendan (8).
He is a member of St. Daniel’s Catholic Church in Clarkston and sits on various boards and commissions.
Kelly said he excited about his new career change, something he is ‘passionate about and committed to.?
‘I think I bring to the state government a 25-year history of having studied the law and worked in a municipal area as a lawyer,? he said.
Kelly said if he can get to Lansing and force the tough questions, he thinks he can make a difference reducing the amount of taxes necessary to provide basic services.
‘We don’t need new taxes. What we need is a more efficient government,? he said.
Kelly’s fund-raising efforts will begin with a fund-raiser at Dr. Shivajee and Terri Nallamothu’s home in Clarkston on Oct. 11. For more information on Kelly’s message and/or the fund-raiser, visit the campaign’s webpage at www.electdankelly.com. The campaign can also be reached by calling 248- 620-5542.