Melissa Noelle

I have lived in Michigan my entire life, I was born in Garden City (Wayne co.), I was raised in Harrison (Clare co.), lived in Reed City (Osceola co.) and now I reside in Mt. Pleasant (Isabella co,).
       Our roads and infrastructures are crumbling and falling apart, When we have a governing person in office and they tell us, the people of this state, that things will get fixed and made better, that person needs to keep their word and get the job done. I am sick and tired of hearing campaign promises and then nothing gets done and the problem gets worse.
       I drive around the state a lot, and I know most of the major roads and where they go. Every time I drive them I see construction and patching in places that don't need it as bad as other roads in other towns. The roads in Detroit and surrounding areas are completely destroyed and nothing has been done to make these roads not only easier to drive on but SAFER, some of these potholes could take a front end out and cause an accident.
       There has to be a way that the state can find a solution to fixing all the roads and they will last, ever thought of using hempcrete of some type (you science people figure a way to make hemp into a durable solution for roads). Not only would it finally fix these roads, but it's better for the Earth and environment and it would introduce more hemp farmers, which in turn would give jobs. We, the people of Michigan, need to work together to find a good solution that will work once and for all.
       Affordable housing, is not affordable and I now can see why Isabella county is the poorest in the state, which I found hard to believe compared to Lake co, Wayne co and Luce co, Rent here is outrageous and it's un-affordable, especially for someone like me who ge's disability (I want off it) and brings in $780.00 a month and have a $700.00 rent, along with other monthly bills. If we are going to give people a minimal amount of cash to live on then one of 2 things need to happen, either people on disability (SSI &SSD) get more money to live and survive, or landlords and property owners need to lower the cost of housing. You want people to thrive and put money back into our economy and state and invest into our future, then we as a whole need to make it easier for Michiganders to survive.
       Food stamps were designed as a back up for food, and now we rely on the $180.00 a month to fill our bellies for a month, if the state wants people to stop using food stamps, then we need to help them financially so cash can be used more for food.
     My 2 boys got sent to prison in 2014 (charged with armed robbery), they were 17 and 20 and at that time I knew nothing about how the state of Michigan ran the MDOC, and how the whole system needs a revamp. My 17- and 20-year-old sons got thrust into an environment that is meant for the worst of the worse. Like my 2 boys, most inmates in our prison system are good people who made a very bad choice in life. If we offer life skills in our system and actually teach these inmates the skills they will need when they get out, they could be productive members of society and get good jobs, and buy homes and pay taxes. That's the way the state should be making money off people, not by having our DOC a revolving door for mistakes and making money that way. Why not Michigan be the first state to revamp the prison system like Norway and treat our inmates like real people and not animals. Again, for an inmate to contribute to our towns in a positive way.
       And once and for all, we get rid of these damn drugs that have overtaken almost every county and city in this state. I fell into that whole drug use and pill addiction for 20 years and it destroyed my life and my teeth.  I almost died twice. When I came home, I got my medical card and I got myself off all narcotics. Then it was an eye-opener on how there is so much to offer in both the hemp and cannabis industries. Why not let the state make money and make jobs and allow people to get healthy. There is so much to offer from growing and cultivating hemp and cannabis.
       We need to teach our children that it is OK to be different, look different, believe differently, think different and stop this bullying thing in our schools and on social media. I was that poor fat girl who wore glasses so I know what it's like to be looked at as different and treated like dirt because of who I was. Since then, I have lost weight and had some skin removed and got myself healthy and stronger and no-one ever guesses I weighed #310 at one time. I see young people looking down on others because of a lack of knowledge. Our children need to realize we ALL come from different genetics and backgrounds and that diversity is a good thing, to accept the fact that everyone is not the same and nor should they be..Individualism is a great thing, learn from it.
       Our Great Lakes and inland lakes are a mecca for outdoors enthusiasts (me being one of them) and all I see when I look around at our lakes, our rivers, our marshlands and the shorelines of the big lakes is garbage and waste. Michigan is a beautiful state that offers so much in the area of hunting and fishing, and all this garbage is polluting the things we catch or kill to feed ourselves. Young people want challenges, here is one...go out and collect garbage in every county. Our beautiful state is looking trashier and trashier, so who would want to come here?
       I have watched the town of Harrison go from this nice place to take your family and go do outdoors stuff. It was a nice vacation spot and now you go around that town and all you see is houses falling apart and drugs running rampant. If we want to have tourists come to these nice towns and bring money, then we as a state need to clean them up and make it somewhere where others would want to go and maybe live.
       I would love to see towns like Flint, Saginaw and Detroit get back to their glory. Our cities and towns around the whole state have so much to offer people but they need work.
       I don't like seeing elderly people deciding on eating or paying for their medication. They are in the last years of their life and may need life-saving medications that cost an arm and a leg. Michigan needs to offer something new and improved when it comes to insuring EVERYONE fully.
       Dental care should be just as important as a 6-month physical. Insurance companies need to work with dispensaries for cannabis users. They paid for 20 years of benzodiazepines, muscle relaxers, nerve relaxers, antidepressants and narcotics for me, why not pay for my healthy medicine.
       I attended MMCC, Baker College and FSU (no degree...yet). When it comes to higher education the state needs to push for more trade schools--those are skills that can be used throughout life and offer opportunities. Students who choose to attend college to climb the corporate ladder should not have to take out loans before they are 20. Even tho they graduate college, they are in debt up to their ears and unless they get that high paying job they can not pay off that loan and don't get ahead. There has to be a way to make trade schools and colleges affordable so we can get ahead and survive and not live in debt and creditors begging for money.
       We need a candidate who understands and who listens and most importantly we need a candidate who the people of this beautiful state can talk to and give ideas and suggestions to make their home town better. If we all work together to make Michigan Green and Great, our next generations will have a good place to call home.
       I truly believe it is time for a change in our politics and how we are governed. If we as people of the State of Michigan want to make this a good place to call home, then we need to figure out ways to fix situations that help and work for everyone. I truly think our society will become better and our economy will become even better.
       Time for a change!