FeedsDecision 2006
Healthcare tops candidate's list of priorities
When Sam Durante was asked by the State Republican Party to campaign for a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives, he didn’t demur as he had in the past.
“I decided I was going to run mainly because of health care issues,” said Durante. He is the sole Republican candidate for the 18th District House seat, which serves the City of Westland.
He witnessed first-hand the impact healthcare costs can have, even for people with insurance, five years ago when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Now, he said, he hopes to encourage companies to institute simple cost-cutting measures, such as an elimination of redundant procedures by encouraging an individual’s primary doctor to coordinate all tests and medications and to share lab results to help cut down on duplicate tests that could save citizens money.
Durante said that job security is also located near the top of his ‘to do’ list. From his experience as both a business owner and an employee, Durante said that he believes greater diversification in the types of businesses found in Michigan is needed to keep the community vibrant.
“We have to get off the thought that the auto industry is the only industry we have,” Durante said.
He said that he would also support efforts to make the region more appealing to businesses, including the elimination of the Single Business Tax. He stressed that he believes that the tax could be safely eliminated without requiring new taxes if the state would do more to enforce the tax laws already on the books. Among other things, Durante said that he would like to see better monitoring of the various ports of entry to ensure that the appropriate taxes are being paid on items entering the state.
He added that although unemployment is a concern throughout the country, he believes that the job training programs the state already offers and an increased commitment to bringing new companies into the state will help eliminate the problem. Meanwhile, he said that employment opportunities are available, although they may not pay as much as some people would prefer.
School funding remains an issue that he hopes to research further as a state representative, too. Durante said that after he sees the actual numbers involved, he hopes to find a solution to the concerns. However, he said that ‘there’s a lot of waste in the school systems’ that could be trimmed to save the districts some money.
Durante moved to Westland about 10 years ago after living in Plymouth for 20 years. He owned and operated three restaurants and managed several others before accepting a management position with ServiceMaster/Terminix in 1989. He has served on the board of directors for the YMCA in Plymouth and in Westland and spent nearly 20 years on the Plymouth Board of Canvassers.
Durante will oppose the winner of the Democratic primary race in the November general election. Representative Glenn Anderson was term limited.
