LANSING -- In a sea of Lansing Republicans, including the pool of U.P. representatives, Steve Lindberg is the lone Democrat sailing the U.P. political ship.
We recently met with the senior representative in Lansing to find out how it feels to be the only one representing his party in Lansing.
"This term, the government is going to be controlled by the Republican Party," said Lindberg. "They own the Governor's office, they have the Supreme Court, they have the Secretary of State and the Senate and the House, so sure, that changes dynamics. You know, when you don't have the other party, checks and balances, they can pretty much do what they want."
What the Republicans want...to make $1.8 billion in cuts. A former teacher and guidance counselor, Lindberg fears Republicans will chip away at an already bare bones public education fund, something he strongly opposes.
"We need to prioritize what we're going to spend our money on, and education is one of them from my perspective," he said. "If we don't do that in the long run, we're going to lose. Young people are our future, and if you don't invest in your future, you don't have one."
Lindberg said the solution isn't cutting more education, he says the solution lies in our taxes.
"There is an alternative to look at closing tax loopholes, as we like to call them, or tax expenditures," he said. "We're going to have to look at everything. I truly believe that everything has to be on the table."
Everything including the ideas of his Republican colleagues, ideas he's hasn't had to face previously in his term, but he's prepared to adapt for the best of his district.
"The only way that we're going to have a voice in the Upper Peninsula is if we stick together as legislators, from the U.P. Stick together," said Lindberg.
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