Dan Kelly is hoping to turn in his seat on the Independence Township Board for one in Lansing.
He filed as a Republican to run for the 44th District seat in the Michigan House of Representatives, serving the townships of Independence, Springfield, White Lake, and Highland, and the City of Clarkston.
Kelly wants to work parttime, along with the rest of the state legislature.
‘I believe a part-time legislature will not only save the state of Michigan millions in reduced salary and exorbitant benefit packages for current legislators, but it will also reduce the influence of lobbyists and Lansing’s special interest groups on our legislators,? he said.
‘The budget debacle and tax increase of last year was a direct result of elected politicians being more concerned about the Lansing bureaucracy than about reducing our bloated state government and the taxpayers who pay for it.?
Kelly is serving his second term as trustee on the Independence Township Board.
His priorities include fiscal responsibility, especially concerning retirement-benefit promises made to employees.
‘This is something the state has failed to do or even account for. At the same time, our current full-time legislators receive life-time health care benefits after only six years of service, the budgets they approve do not account for these future debts,? he said. ‘I would stop the life-time health care benefit for legislators, reduce the size of government, and lower our taxes to spur economic development.?
He said fulltime politicians don’t ‘know or understand? what makes a business successful. The state could save millions in expenditures and lost tax revenue if politicians were not making business and economic development decisions.
Instead, everyone’s taxes should be lowered and development should be left to businessmen and entrepreneurs.
‘We have to understand that when our governor grants millions of dollars of tax relief to particular businesses like windmills or the film industry, she does so at the expense of existing businesses or other industries who may wish to locate in Michigan,? said Kelly. ‘I am tired of full-time politicians believing they know better which businesses will succeed.?
In addition to serving on the Independence Township Board, Kelly has served on the Township Planning Commission, Senior Advisory Board, Sashabaw Overlay District, and numerous lake boards and township subcommittees.
He is a member of the Oakland County Republican Party Executive Committee and a strong advocate of pro-life issues and conservative values. He and his wife of 20 years, Kathleen Kelly, have four children, Caitlin, 16, Meaghan, 13, Caroline, 12, and Brendan, 9.
He is an equity partner and former board of director of the Troy law firm, Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton, P.C. He advises corporate and commercial clients, municipalities, school districts, and public entities.
One of the primary differences between business and government is government doesn’t worry about going bankrupt, he said.
‘In business, if our budget is in deficit, we must make the cuts, no matter how difficult that is. In our state government, there seems to be an attitude that running a deficit is okay and when necessary we can always simply raise revenues by increasing taxes,? he said.
‘Full-time politicians whose sole experience is government cannot be trusted to make the cuts necessary. Without reducing government, we cannot lower taxes.?
Kelly is running as a Republican in the Aug. 5 primary, an open seat created by the term-limited Rep. John Stakoe, who is endorsing Kelly. For more information, check www.electdankelly.com or call 248- 620-5542.