Andy Meisner for Oakland County Treasurer

State Representative Andy Meisner (D) a third term representative from District 27 in the Michigan House of Representatives is a candidate for Oakland County Treasurer. On November 4th you get to decide if Andy Meisner will be the next Oakland County Treasurer.

With property prices tanking and foreclosure rates soaring one would like to know what would Andy Meisner be able to do to bring relief to the homeowners. Also with so many jobs being lost, will Andy be able to do anything to bring jobs back to Oakland County.

So I sent a email to Andy with a couple of questions and Andy was kind enough to respond. Here it is:

1. Why do you want to be Oakland County Treasurer.

In neighboring counties, the county treasurer is acting locally to help their communities weather the storm of the national financial crisis by protecting property values, preventing foreclosures and working to minimize the harm of foreclosed properties.

These things, that I will do as Oakland County Treasurer, are best practices that must be implemented immediately.


2. What differentiates you with your opponent

The key difference between my opponent and I is that I want the Treasurer to do everything within his power to protect property values and prevent foreclosures, while my opponent insists doing so is not his job. His contention is hard to substantiate when you review the work of neighboring county treasurers who are tackling the foreclosure and property value crisis, and fighting the blight and copper theft of their neighborhoods.

3. What are your major accomplishments while at the state house.

As a legislator, I have championed the causes of entrepreneurship, foreclosure prevention, stem cell research and tax incentives that have lured $373 million in investments to our state over the last 6 months.

I am also fighting for the right of Hindus to engage in proper burial rituals in designated waters, since current law prohibits this practice.

I chair the House Commerce Committee where I have passed legislation to fight copper theft, cut the property tax "pop-up" and ban smoking in workplaces.

I am the former Minority Leader of the House Democratic Caucus, and current chair of a Judiciary Subcommittee on Mental Health.

4. If elected do you have any power or can you do anything to bring relief to the housing situation and also can you do anything to improve/preserve jobs in oakland county.

There are many tools at the disposal of county treasurers, including starting a land bank to incubate "sick" real estate back to health and mortgage and tax foreclosure prevention. As treasurer I'll be on the board of Oakland County's Economic Development Corporation, where I will continue my work on behalf of job creation and entrepreneurship.