Candidate Q&A: Tim Golding, State Senate Candidate, District 14

Note to readers: The Sun Times News has made its media outlet available to candidates running for public office. Articles published do not reflect an endorsement by the STN. Submissions are from candidates who responded within our guidelines. In order to be as fair and equitable as possible, candidates can submit their responses to four basic questions.

1. Who are you?
2. Why are you running?
3. What issues do you think are important?
4. Why should we vote for you?

Candidate’s responses are printed as submitted.

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My wife, of almost 29 years, and I, live in Grass Lake. We have 4 grown children as well as a wonderful daughter-in-law and a wonderful son-in-law.

When we have free time, my wife and I enjoy gardening and working in our yard. We also enjoy hunting, fishing, camping and spending as much time outdoors as we can.

I am running for office for several reasons, Here are a few: I will always work in a manner that tries to bring civility back to politics, we desperately need that today; our government could do so much more to properly serve its citizens if it weren’t bickering amongst itself so much. I will fight for tax reform so that we can all keep more of our hard-earned dollars. I will work to ensure all children in our state receive a quality education which prepares them to thrive in their future, be that a future pursuing a college degree or entering a skilled trade career. I will fight for fiscal responsibility in Lansing; I believe that our government needs to start doing more with less, and it needs to stop carelessly spending our money. I believe we need leaders, like myself, who will hear all sides of an issue prior to making decisions, and those decisions must best serve the entire community, not a select group or special interest.

And this is how we can do it: With families struggling because of the rising cost of goods, we need to provide tax relief by increasing child tax credits, increasing income tax deductions, reducing our state income tax rate, and by reducing our state gas tax rate. We need to strengthen public education by keeping parents involved in their children’s education; ensuring they are welcomed at board meetings and at every interaction with the schools. We also need to ensure reading, writing and arithmetic are the main focus of K-12 education; currently Michigan public schools rank #38 in the nation, 61% of kids are doing math at below grade level and 51% are reading below grade level, we can do better than this. I will also work to ensure election integrity by trying to implement things like photo ID requirements, strong signature verification measures, eliminating unsolicited request for absentee ballots, etc. Additionally, I will look for ways to continue to wisely invest in our infrastructure. I cannot guarantee outcomes, but I can promise that no one will work harder to properly represent the great citizens of Washtenaw and Jackson counties in the new 14th Senate District.

I look forward to spending all of my time and energy, between now and the November election, earning the respect, and ultimately, the votes, of the citizens of the 14th. I will count it a great honor to represent this new district in the State Senate. My success as a business owner, my involvement in our communities, my experience on local non-profit boards and serving on the Grass Lake Township board, have given me the experience and skills I need to be successful in Lansing. I am a coalition builder who has built a successful business by being a great listener, by being a servant, and by building trust with those we serve. I will actively listen to the concerns of the citizens, and I will work tirelessly to provide solutions that best resolve those concerns.

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Michigan State Senate Districts for Washtenaw Co. Image: Michigan.gov