With the November 2008 election barely in his rearview mirror, Oxford Township Trustee Joe Bunting already has his sights set on winning a seat in the Michigan State House of Representatives next year.
‘Once I got into office here in Oxford, pretty much after my first board meeting, I came home and told my wife this is what I want to do full-time,? said the 32-year-old Birmingham police officer. ‘I want to take the next step in my career and move forward.?
Bunting, a Republican, is hoping to take over for state Rep. Jim Marleau (R-Lake Orion), elected in 2004, who cannot seek re-election next year due to term limits.
Marleau currently represents the 46th District, which encompasses Oxford, Orion, Addison, Brandon Groveland, Holly and Rose townships along with the villages of Oxford, Leonard, Ortonville and Holly.
Over the last month, Bunting, who was the top vote-getter among the trustee candidates in November with 5,690 votes, has been laying the groundwork for a shot at state office by talking with everyone from local leaders and business people to teachers and his neighbors.
His goal is to bring their ideas, concerns and needs to the state level.
‘What I’m doing right now is compiling information,? he said. ‘Sometimes you get so many people in government telling you what they’re going to do versus going out there and asking what can we do to help you.?
Bunting does not believe the fact he was just elected to his first public office five months ago should be viewed as a strike against him.
‘You might say it’s too soon, but look at all my experience in government work,? he said. ‘Eleven years at a police level gives me a lot of experience. I’ve seen how government works and how it has not worked for people.?
Opportunities to climb the professional ladder should be seized, not discouraged, in Bunting’s opinion.
‘I would never deter anybody from trying to advance in their life,? he said. ‘It’s just like a promotion. I would never tell anybody to pass up a promotion.?
Although he’s running as a Republican, Bunting believes most folks, regardless of party affiliation, care about the same things right now ? the economy, jobs and education ? and he wants to find solutions that benefit everyone.
‘I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democrat, you want someone in this job that’s going to be your voice, fight for you and try to make things better,? he said. ‘My job’s to work for the people and do the best thing possible for our families.?
As a husband and father who’s also working on obtaining his bachelor’s degree in political science from Oakland University, Bunting sees himself as no different than anyone else trying to juggle family and career while seeking to improve their lives.
‘I’m basically your average Joe out there, no pun intended,? he said. ‘I have a family just like everybody else. I pay taxes. I don’t want my taxes to increase. We’re all trying to pick up extra work if we can.?
When it comes to ideas, Bunting’s a big believer in thinking outside the box.
In order to attract new companies and industries to Michigan, he’s been looking into the possibility of eliminating the business tax.
Such a move could encourage companies to build factories and offices in Michigan, which would lead to jobs, workers spending paychecks and people buying foreclosed homes, according to Bunting.
Bunting’s interested in the concept of having people who receive government aid to help finance their education use their skills for a period of time doing community service work and helping others as a method of repayment.
Right now, he’s working on creating ‘crisis management teams? throughout the township. He would eventually like to take the idea statewide.
These teams would consist of average citizens who would be taught things like CPR, how to identify suspicious vehicles and when to call 9-1-1. They would know the senior citizens in their neighborhood and what their medical needs are in case of emergencies like power outages or natural disasters.
‘The idea is to get the community more involved in helping out each other,? Bunting said.
Along with injecting some new ideas into state government, Bunting also hopes to dispose of some old ones, specifically blaming previous administrations for current ills.
‘No more blaming the past,? he said. ‘We have problems. Our goal is to fix these problems. Let’s move on to a better direction. Then once these problems are fixed, we can look back and see how to make sure we don’t do this again.?
In the end, Bunting hopes people will identify with his message and help send him to Lansing. ‘I hope the people believe in me,? he said. ‘I hope they believe that I’m moving forward to do the right thing for people in Michigan, in Oxford and in the 46th district.?
‘I can’t do this by myself. I need everyone’s support and help. I’m going to be around here for a long time. I’m 32. I’ve got another 40 years of government work ahead.?
Those who wish to contact Bunting can do so by emailing him at 3jab@sbcglobal.net.