“Gov. Snyder’s State of the State speech left a lot to be desired. The governor’s major talking point was the balanced budget, which is a requirement of the Michigan Constitution. Yes, our state budget may be balanced, but at what cost? For starters, we have crumbling infrastructure, an impoverished education system and a broken system of funding for our local municipalities.

“I find it difficult to accept that we live in the Great Lakes State, and yet access to clean water is not equal. Simply ask the residents of Flint. We need to do more to provide support and assistance for families in Flint and other struggling communities. At one point, the governor mentioned accountability. We are one of two states that do not allow residents to FOIA our governor or state Legislature. This exemplifies our dire need of campaign and election reforms that bring real transparency and accountability to our government.

“There was no discussion of proposals or solutions to tackle these critical issues. There was no mention of the struggles of our hardworking middle class, who are not benefiting from the tax credits that the large corporations are receiving. Instead, there was more talk about ‘bringing the greatest minds from around the country to our state.’ While I absolutely support this concept, I also support creating the great minds by investing in education and making college more affordable here at home.

“We have a lot of work to do this term, and there are numerous priorities to address. We need to make Michigan a place that works for everyone.”