Just got home from the No Kings rally in Livonia. Impressive turnout.

 This is my first post for my 2025 Livonia City Council campaign. I attended the candidate meet and greet at Madonna this morning and I believe a video of each candidate 4 minute spiel  will be posted on a facebook page. After hearing all of the candidates speak it's pretty clear they don't know what the job entails. The council is not an extension of the administration but rather an oversight body that represents the citizens especially as it pertains to fiscal matters. Even the current council doesn't understand that role and is why so much money is wasted.

LWV Candidate Forum

Last night was a candidate forum for the upcoming election on August 6th. Because there are so many folks running the forum was split in two segments. All of the candidates drew numbers to determine what group they would be in and and where they would sit. As I anticipated I drew a low number and had to be in the first group. The audience was much larger by the time the second group took their seats. Many of my friends did not get there till the first segment and with the Thursady night concert many chose to hear some music  first. Even so, it was a surprisingly good turnout. I liked a lot of questions the second group were asked and I was chomping at the bit to respond. A video of the forum will be on the League of woman voters website in the near future. When it posts I will answer those questions here on my blog.

I don't subscribe to the notion of "tough choices" and believe good governance identifies  and manages trends effectively, avoiding having to make decisions in crisis mode.

Basement flooding

My comments on past basement flooding unfortunately are still relevant.  Click on the "basement flooding" link for more details.

Livonia City Council Campaign

I am in the race for council with 12 other candidates. Primary is August 6th and I will be participating in all of the forums.

Candidates Forum for State Representative District 19 (September 2016)

Economy: What policies do you support to increase jobs and help Michigan residents improve their economic positions? Steve King answers. Laura Cox? Candidate has not yet responded.

Economy: What policies do you support to increase jobs and help Michigan residents improve their economic positions?

Laura CoxCandidate has not yet responded.

Steve KingI support trade schools and apprenticeships for building and technical skills.

Over the next decade trillions will be spent on infrastructure and there is already a shortage of workers to operate the equipment to do those jobs.

Skilled machine operator is another job that goes begging. Many trades are experiencing shortages and it takes years to fill the pipeline so those jobs will go to non residents or the work will be shipped overseas.

We have to stop the treadmill to college that no longer guarantees a job but does result in huge student loan debt. This debt is now in the trillions and bigger than all consumer debt for the first time in history.

Work is the most important vehicle to a better life and that is why the process of background checks forces so many to go into the underground economy.

When childhood indiscretions follow you for the rest of your life it is time to re-examine the process.

Economy: What policies do you support to increase jobs and help Michigan residents improve their economic positions? Steve King answers. Laura Cox? Candidate has not yet responded.

Economy: What policies do you support to increase jobs and help Michigan residents improve their economic positions?

Laura CoxCandidate has not yet responded.

Steve KingI support trade schools and apprenticeships for building and technical skills.

Over the next decade trillions will be spent on infrastructure and there is already a shortage of workers to operate the equipment to do those jobs.

Skilled machine operator is another job that goes begging. Many trades are experiencing shortages and it takes years to fill the pipeline so those jobs will go to non residents or the work will be shipped overseas.

We have to stop the treadmill to college that no longer guarantees a job but does result in huge student loan debt. This debt is now in the trillions and bigger than all consumer debt for the first time in history.

Work is the most important vehicle to a better life and that is why the process of background checks forces so many to go into the underground economy.

When childhood indiscretions follow you for the rest of your life it is time to re-examine the process.

What policy changes do you support regarding campaign funding and voting rights for Michigan voters? Find Steve King's answers below. Laura Cox? Candidate has not yet responded.

Elections: What policy changes do you support regarding campaign funding and voting rights for Michigan voters?

Laura CoxCandidate has not yet responded.

Steve KingIn a representative Democracy it should be easier to vote not harder. I support same day registration, no reason absentee voting, multiple day voting and weekend voting. Other States are exploring many options to increase voter turnout and it is time for Michigan to do the same.

The reporting waiver limit for campaigns should be raised to 10,000.00 dollars for local elections and 100,000.00 for State elections. The process we have now is extremely cumbersome and favors the career politicians with their paid staffers and lawyers filing ridiculous reports that do nothing to keep the wealthy from having undue influence.

League of Women Voters asks What actions or policies do you support to meet Michigan energy needs while protecting our water, air and land for current and future generations? Steve King answers. Laura COX? "Candidate has not yet responded.."

Energy & Environment: What actions or policies do you support to meet Michigan energy needs while protecting our water, air and land for current and future generations?

Laura CoxCandidate has not yet responded.

Steve KingI support energy independence for the State. Currently we import billions of dollars of energy every year. It is time to fully embrace alternative energy that comes in many forms.

The State is embracing wind but needs to add much more solar and bio fuels to the mix. The future is electric and the very long process of transitioning from fossil fuel has already started.

There are millions of miles of pipelines transporting oil and natural gas throughout the country. This is an efficient way to move large volumes of materials but it is unwise to run pipelines through the great lakes, our most precious resource.

More must be done to protect this resource - Great Lakes Water - from an environmental catastrophe or from the drought weary regions of the country.

Our recycling efforts must be improved and a carbon tax is inevitable so we must prepare for the greening of our industries by leading. Many States are way ahead of the curve and they along with other countries are going to seize the new green collar jobs.

What policy changes do you support regarding campaign funding and voting rights for Michigan voters? Find Steve King's answers below. Laura Cox? Candidate has not yet responded.

Elections: What policy changes do you support regarding campaign funding and voting rights for Michigan voters?

Laura CoxCandidate has not yet responded.

Steve KingIn a representative Democracy it should be easier to vote not harder. I support same day registration, no reason absentee voting, multiple day voting and weekend voting. Other States are exploring many options to increase voter turnout and it is time for Michigan to do the same.

The reporting waiver limit for campaigns should be raised to 10,000.00 dollars for local elections and 100,000.00 for State elections. The process we have now is extremely cumbersome and favors the career politicians with their paid staffers and lawyers filing ridiculous reports that do nothing to keep the wealthy from having undue influence.

Steve King and Education

League of Women Voters asks about Education:  Steve King's thoughtful answers are featured in this blog post.  Laura COX? "Candidate has not yet responded."

Laura CoxCandidate has not yet responded.

Steve KingCharter Schools have not been the panacea the State had envisioned and need to be held accountable moving forward. The Free Press report spells it out very clearly.

I also support the consolidation of districts business operations.We have 552 school districts and that is far too many central office fiefdoms that have little to do with helping teachers teach and students learn. Pushing every kid into college is also a mistake.

Trade and technical education is the smart choice for millions of young people and needs to be supported long before high school. Local control must be returned to local elected officials.

See http://mibrightfuture.org/ for an example of progressive and innovative approaches to education and training focused on the needs of local businesses.

This can fuel business growth.

League of Women Voters: Steve King outlines top three state legislative priorities - Laura Cox? "Candidate has not yet responded."

Priorities: What are your top three state legislative priorities and how would you address them?

Laura CoxCandidate has not yet responded.

Steve KingEducation, Criminal Justice Reform, and Infrastructure particularly as it relates to Wayne County. I unabashedly support Public Education and do not support education tax dollars being funneled to private and religious schools. This is prohibited in the constitution and a violation of separation of Church and State. As an educator that has worked in 10 districts, 80 buildings and over 400 different classrooms I have a wealth of knowledge to address the challenges of educating children. I support the Ban the Box initiative on job applications and restorative justice as it pertains to school suspensions

Steve King wins 19th District Michigan State House Primary - Was endorsed by Detroit News

"In the 19th state House Democratic primary, Steve King defeated political newcomer Jon Smith 2,606-1,881. King, a former school board member of Livonia Public Schools, will now move on to the general election in November, where he will go against current Republican state Rep. Laura Cox, who is looking for her second term in Lansing."

- Livonia Observer 8/2/2016

District 19 (Livonia): Democrat Steve King is the better choice in this race. He believes the current taxation level is too high, and would examine the budget closely for waste, fraud and other inefficiencies.

- Detroit News 7/15/2016

Steve King shares his ideas with hometownlife (Livonia Observer)

Excerpts from 16 Livonia City Council candidates share their views  (published 7/28/15) 
What is your specific plan to help bring more residents, especially young families, to the City of Livonia?  


King – Young families are most interested in vibrant neighborhoods and good schools. The city and school district must do a better job of working together. The city stood on the sidelines while the district closed schools and lost thousands of students. I believe the city could have played a stronger role in preventing this and must be more involved moving forward. I would like to start a program I call operation renovation that would purchase foreclosed and dilapidated homes turning them into showplaces. A downtown at Five Mile and Farmington similar to Kellogg Park in Plymouth could be the anchor for new family friendly development.

What can be done to continue business development in the city, especially along the industrial corridor along the railroad tracks, as well as Plymouth Road?

King – Livonia is not small business friendly and that needs to change. A culture of service has to permeate all departments in the city with the new mayor leading the charge. As a city we need to decide what industries we want and then actively pursue them. Oakland County went after technology and biomedical and is the most successful county in the country. That is what we need to emulate. We need to consider vertical farming, 3D manufacturing, bioengineering and alternative energy companies to enhance our current industrial base.

What do you think of the idea of creating one downtown or several smaller downtowns in Livonia? How would you go about doing that?

King – I spoke about a downtown during my last campaign and I think it sparked some interest that led to a field trip and fact-finding mission of sorts to a far away city that someone thought was like Livonia. I believe the outcome was, as it is with most government initiatives, a consultant would have to be hired and endless meetings would take place that would not result in much. That will not happen if I am elected. I will do the ground work to make sure it’s right and actually make it happen by getting our citizens engaged in the process.

What would you like to see changed about city government?

King – I would like to transition to an open-source government. That is that any idea from any source and anyone is given a hearing. I would like us to implement a mindset that every program or proposal have a technical and sustainability component. For instance doing things digitally as opposed to using paper. And always looking for a way to use less finite resources and energy. I think Dave Varga’s position as chief of staff or whatever it is called should be retooled to be an ombudsman. The first contact for any issue a citizen may have and the follow-up to make sure the problem has been solved.

Steve King reminds Livonia residents to vote this Tuesday, August 4th.  Vote Steve King!

Press Release: Steve King Endorsed by Home Town Life - Vote Steve King for Livonia City Council - Tuesday 8/4/2015

Steve King Endorsed by hometownlife O&E Media

Voters can’t go wrong with any of these 9 candidates

11:45 a.m. EDT July 22, 2015

A perennial candidate, King is probably best known as the frontman of Steve King & the Dittlies classic rock band. King served on the Livonia school board and ran unsuccessfully for city council and the state House. On the school board, he thought outside of the box and was not afraid to vote against the administration’s recommendation if he didn’t agree with it. A graduate of Bentley High School, King is passionate about the city and says he would work to create downtown space, specifically at Five Mile and Farmington. 

hometownlife O&E Media

2015 Livonia City Council race

I'm in the race and will accept any help from those that are interested. Please contact me at steveking1954@gmail.com

Steve King launches YouTube channel - 1st video features Steve King and the Dittilies in 1988 Emmy winning WXYZ TV Channel 7 St. Elsewhere promo