To the editor:

I was on the Ontonagon County Economic Corporation as a trustee for several years. The bulk of my insight is related to that experience. Shortly before I started on the EDC Board, the White Pine Mine went out of business, and shortly after that, the Smurfit Stone Paper mill went out. The county was left to this day with two large employers that never came back.

While I was on the EDC Board, a study was done by the Florida State University (free I might add) that indicated that the UP would be best served by concentrating on the forestry and the tourism industries and small business. This turned out to be very accurate.

Now we have Ed McBroom running for state senator. He has run a farm here in the U.P. — a family farm, not a corporate entity that can roll with each economic punch and come back relatively unscathed. I have several friends who are farmers, and I am constantly amazed at the depth of their knowledge about environmental, market, business, health and logistical issues regarding getting a product to market. Farming is truly a value-added product in every sense of the word. I am willing to bet that Ed endured many economic setbacks for each lesson that he learned.

Each of Mr. McBroom’s decisions has been with the consideration of the small businessman. Small business is the economic engine that will see the UP through the next 20 years. Heavy-handed rules, regulations, taxes, restrictions, and duplication of state and federal laws will stagnate any chance of our U.P. being able to survive let alone thrive.

Why we have the catastrophic injury clause on our vehicle insurance is a good example of a sellout by our legislature to lobbies that made a convincing argument that this is a good thing for our people is an example of short-sightedness. Small business is the one sector that is hardest hit by vehicle insurance rates. Ed McBroom is the only candidate who has voted to lower our auto rates.

We cannot let the tax and spend issues of a liberal government keep us down. We must have politicians like Ed McBroom that can review upcoming issues with an eye to not only to survive but prosper in the future.

Thank you for considering my point of view.