Gaffney 2005

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastside Republican Club"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B> </B></FONT><B>  | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Eastside Republican Club</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Gaffney 2005</B></div> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Congressional District News</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="more_blog_sites.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More Links!"><U><I><B>Informative Blog Sites</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_testimonials.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Theyre Saying About Us"><U><I><B>Read what they've said about us</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="top_of_page"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I><U><IMG SRC="1204c8820.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="386" ALT="State Representative Ed Gaffney" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="2"></U></I></div> <div> <I><U>Michigan Jobs and Taxes</U></I></div> <div> <B>Ed Gaffney Talks About Economy</B></div> <div> <B>In November Address to ERC Forum</B></div> <div> Michigan's economy led the list of “hot button” issues covered by State Rep. Edward Gaffney, House District 1, during remarks to the Eastside Republican Club Forum at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial on November 15, 2005.</div> <div> Gaffney also commended the ERC, saying, “I appreciate the hard work members of this club have done, not only for me, but for President Bush, Cheryl Costantino, and all the candidates up and down the ticket.”</div> <div> Looking to the future, the second term representative said, “Next year is another election year, and I'll be running for re-election.” >><A HREF="http://www.gophouse.com/gaffney.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.gophouse.com/gaffney.htm"><U><I>Visit Gaffney's online office</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <I><B>Michigan Jobs</B></I></div> <div> Gaffney pointed to leadership as a solution to the State's current economic situation. He said, “I have to be honest… I do like Gov. Granholm! She has personality, and looks good on TV, but she shows no initiative.”</div> <div> Gaffney said, “Michigan has seven percent unemployment, and we lost 150,000 jobs last year alone.” He calculated this equals seven jobs lost each hour she's been in office.</div> <div> “In my opinion,” Gaffney said, “Michigan has the weakest economy in the U.S. because Michigan has the weakest governor in the U.S.” </div> <div> He said that because Michigan is the only state in the U.S. losing jobs, “Michigan deserves a new governor--one who will fight.” Gaffney then expressed support for the 2006 Republican gubernatorial candidate, Dick DeVos, who is running on a platform of economic revitalization and excellence in education. >><A HREF="http://www.devosforgovernor.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.devosforgovernor.com/"><U><I>More about DeVos</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> On the subject of State revenue needs, Gaffney reported that one in seven people in Michigan is drawing Medicaid assistance, contributing to State government's $10 billion annual health care expense.</div> <div> Raising taxes, he said, would not create one new job for Michigan. Yet Gaffney explained that the governor is threatening a veto of the legislature's job creation initiative, because it includes tax relief in the form of a sunset provision for Michigan's Single Business Tax.<IMG SRC="11db5eeb0.jpg" border=0 width="350" height="235" ALT="Gaffney hosts students in his Lansing office" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="2"></div> <div> Pointing to a major victory, Gaffney said, “This year's most significant legislative accomplishment was approval of the $40.5 billion annual budget without a tax or fee increase.” He noted that this includes $175 more State funding for every Michigan public school pupil.</div> <div> <I><B>Property Taxes</B></I></div> <div> Gaffney explained that he is primary sponsor of a bill that would continue property tax relief for homeowners who downsize by relocating within their current community. His proposal would allow them to retain a cap on property taxes even after relocating, if they have lived in their community for at least three years and move to another home within the same municipality or school district.</div> <div> Although the property tax legislation is still in committee, Gaffney was hopeful. “This is going to happen,” he said. >><A HREF="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2005-2006/billintroduced/house/htm/2005-HIB-4269.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/"><U><I>Gaffney's general property tax act</I></U></A>.</div> <div> As a matter of fairness, Gaffney said he has championed changes in the selection of the Milk River Inter-County Drain Board. That drain runs through Grosse Pointe Woods, Harper Woods, and into Macomb County, and local property owners are charged for its maintenance.</div> <div> However, there presently is no requirement that any elected official serve on the Board. Gaffney's legislation requires that inter-county drain boards include an elected official from each county affected. It specifies that the board member would be someone already serving as an official for a municipality in which property owners are being assessed for the board's drain project. His bill has passed the House and is now under consideration by the Senate. >><A HREF="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2005-2006/billanalysis/house/htm/2005-HLA-5281-1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/"><U><I>Gaffney on drainage board</I></U></A>.</div> <div> <I><B>Education & Safety Issues</B></I></div> <div> According to Gaffney, “One of the most important bills I sponsored requires school to start after Labor Day.” He said, “Summer in Michigan is short enough. So it took an act of the legislature to define when summer ends!”</div> <div> As a traffic safety measure, Gaffney has introduced an initiative to limit certain new teenage drivers for the first 90 days to only one teen passenger, excluding immediate family members.</div> <div> “There were 129 teens involved in fatal crashes in 2004,” said Gaffney. “We must do everything we can to ensure the safety of our young people. One way to help them become safer drivers is to limit distractions when they're still learning the basics.”</div> <div> He also reported that legislation he sponsored was passed to prohibit convicted sex offenders from living, working, or loitering within 1,000 feet of a school.<IMG SRC="11d92cc50.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="197" ALT="Gaffney, right, taking oath of office for second term" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></div> <div> <I><B>Pollution</B></I></div> <div> To protect Michigan's land, air and water, Gaffney said he is primary sponsor of a bill that will double penalties for discharging pollution under the State's environmental protection act.</div> <div> Gaffney also supported enactment of the measure restricting importation of Canadian trash into Michigan-presently 20% of all trash being added to landfills. Due to NAFTA implications, however, he said federal legislation is required before the Michigan statute can be enforced. He reported that U.S. congressman Mike Rogers of Brighton plans to introduce the necessary federal authorization.</div> <div> In closing, Gaffney pointed to the State of Michigan flag on display and explained how it symbolized unity. He explained the Latin phrase at the top, above the words that stand for "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." He explained that the uppermost words on the Michigan flag, "E Pluribus Unum," come from our national motto meaning, "From many, one." Or, in other words, forming one nation from many states.</div> <div> <I><B>Gaffney's Roots</B></I></div> <div> Gaffney was born the oldest of six kids in a small Connecticut factory town. He said, “Most of my peers growing up didn't go to college after high school.”</div> <div> “They just went to work in the factories. I worked for a few years then decided to change paths and go to college,” he said. Gaffney's new course brought him to Michigan where he attended Michigan State University graduating with a master's degree in history.</div> <div> State Representative Edward Gaffney was elected to the Michigan House to represent residents of Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Harper Woods and part of the city of Detroit. He serves on the following legislative committees: Health Policy (Chair), House Oversight, Elections & Ethics, Insurance, Regulatory Reform.</div> <div> Gaffney holds a <I>juris</I> doctor from Cooley Law School and a master's in law from Wayne State University. He also earned a master of arts in history from Michigan State University and a bachelor of arts from Eastern Connecticut State University.</div> <div> He has served as director of the Michigan Center for Truck Safety; as regional government affairs director for the American Automobile Manufacturers Association; and as legal counsel and research analyst for the Michigan Legislative Services Bureau. A member of the State Bar of Michigan, Gaffney was active in the Traffic Club of Detroit and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.</div> <div> Gaffney has held elective office prior to coming to Lansing. He served on the Grosse Pointe Farms City Council from 1991-2002, chairing several committees; and as mayor from 1999 - 2002. Former Gov. John Engler appointed him to serve on the State Community Corrections Commission and the Governor's Traffic Safety Advisory Commission. He belongs to St. Michael's Episcopal Church, the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, Grosse Pointe Farms Foundation, Eastside Republican Club, and Grosse Pointe South High School Gridiron Boosters. Gaffney is a supporter of the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.</div> <div> Gaffney was born on December 23, 1943 in Hartford, Conn. He and his wife Jane have three children and reside in Grosse Pointe Farms. </div> <div> The Eastside Republican Club Forum is held on the third Tuesday of the month from September through June. Admission is free and the public is always welcome.</div> <div> >><A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><I>More events</I></U></A>.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Gaffney 2005"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>