Retired teacher and technical writer Bette Pierman says she doesn't think that her Republican opponent has represented the majority over voters.
The Democratic candidate is challenging Republican Senator John Proos in the 21st state Senate district. Pierman says after being laid off from an advertising agency, and not being able to find work, she decided it was time to run for office. Pierman says cutting funding to education in Michigan has diminished the quality of education.
Asked how to bring more jobs to the state, Pierman says Michigan needs to make itself more attractive to a younger entrepreneurial population. She says many areas in the Saint Joseph, Cass and Berrien Counties don't have high-speed broadband internet access. Pierman says she would like to see a statewide network to ensure that high-speed access is available throughout Michigan.
Pierman is critical of the state's emergency manager law. She says some cities have worked well with an appointed manager. But Pierman says the people's voices were not heard with the first two city managers in Benton Harbor, which she says created friction on many levels.
