Jim Walters says as an engineer he 's good at identifying problems and finding the solutions.
The retired aerospace engineer says Michigan's government is not "of the people, by the people and for the people." Walters says it's run for corporations.
Asked how he would fix that, Walters says the current political system at the state and federal level allows for large campaign contributions to influence votes of lawmakers. He says that needs to change, and the state's tax structure needs reform. Walters says the current tax system hits the middle-class too hard. He says Michigan needs to invest in education, roads and other areas to prosper.
Walters says fixing the state's tax structure would help improve the state's roads. He says wealthier people are not taxed on their investment income. Walters says if that, and other changes were made, the state would have more money for infrastructure. Walters says he would favor a graduated income tax for Michigan. Currently the state has a flat income tax rate.
An increase in the minimum wage was approved earlier this year by the Legislature, Walters says it should be higher. He says someone working 40 hours a week should not qualify for food stamps. Walters says that amounts to taxpayers subsidizing corporations who pay their workers low wages. He says the $10.10 an hour that a group proposed for the statewide ballot would have been a good figure. The petition drive was stalled after the Legislature approved increasing the minimum wage from $7.40 to $8.15 an hour beginning September first. It will eventually go to $9.25 an hour in 2018.
