Part of what makes the Lansing area such a fantastic place to live and work is our local elected officials. Few people realize what a powerful impact our city council and county commission have on our day-to-day life. Even fewer know who actually dictates local governmental policy.
In order to change the tide, I'll be regularly bringing you profiles and interviews with some of these folks, another
Liberal, Loud and Proud exclusive!!!
For our first installment, I'm pleased to bring you one of Ingham County's Commissioners,
Curtis Hertel Jr., hailing from the 9th District (NE City of East Lansing, and NW Meridan Township).
Curtis has lived in East Lansing since 1996. Married to Amy, they have one son and are expecting another child in December. He received a Bachelors degree in Social Relations from the James Madison College of Michigan State University. Currently Curtis is the Legislative Liasion for the Department of Health.
On the Commission, Curtis serves as the Chair of the Human Services Committee, and also serves on the Finance Committee.
Curtis has been very active within the community, serving on many boards and has been spotted at many local charities and community events, pitching in a hand with the rest of us. Curtis knows that a little old fashioned elbow grease and perseverance is the way to get things done, and has always been known as a true servant of the people. Some of the groups he's worked with include:
- Capitol Area Health Alliance
- St. Thomas Aquinas Parish
- Great Lakes Folk Festival
- Ingham Health Plan Board of Directors
- SE Marble Neighborhood Association
- Maral Pro-Choice Michigan
- Michigan Association of Local Public Health
- Sierra Club
I recently had a chance to speak with Curtis, and he was kind enough to answer a couple questions solely for this
LLP installment.
LL: What is it about Michigan, and your district that makes you want to serve the people?CH: I believe in public service. I grew up in a household where I learned that public service was noble and government can still do good things. I am 28 years-old but I still have a very old-school opinion of politics. I believe loyalty and hard work are more important than clever answers and focus groups. Michigan has given me and my family at opportunity to serve them and in many ways big and small made us who we are.
I love serving my district because it is home. I went to school at Michigan State and met my wife there. My son was born at Sparrow Hospital. Who wouldn't want to live and serve in a place that felt like a small town community but still had access to MSU sports, cultural events and the Wharton center, and great ethnic food.
LL: What's the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome as an elected official over the past year? CH: In many ways the biggest challenge has been in balancing being a good public official with also being a new dad to our son C.J. Serving the people takes time. County Commissioner is a part time job and my full time job as Legislative Liaison for the Department of Community Health also is time consuming. I probably on an average week work 60 hours, and that is not
including campaigning. I am lucky that I had a good role model in my father and a good partner in my wife Amy. Even when he was Speaker of the House my dad still found time for his children, and he had four of us. So Amy and I make it work. We have rules. We always have dinner together no matter what the schedule is. I try to always be there for bath time. I take CJ to the Potter Park Zoo, MSU to feed the ducks, or the science center every weekend.
Most nights CJ falls asleep on me while watching the Tigers. I am sure I am missing things, and public service is important to me but it is always a struggle.
LL: What's your biggest accomplishment since being elected to serve?CH: My biggest accomplishment is increasing access to health care. Ingham County is now on our way to 100% access to basic preventative care by 2010. We will most likely be the first county to reach this important goal. I have led the fight to make access to care a priority in our budget process. There is nothing the County does that in the long run will have a greater effect on our community.
LL: What do you want to see changed in your next term?CH: We are on a good track in Ingham County. The nice thing about having a 12-4 Democratic Majority is we have already set a progressive agenda. We have a Living Wage law to protect workers. We have a domestic partnership policy to give equal rights to our LGBT employees. We have made funding for access to health care and preventative programs a top priority. I want to continue to invest in these progressive ideals and work to make Ingham County a
positive place for people of all backgrounds. I want to increase protection of our farmland and green space. And if the voters agree on November 7th I look forward to taking over the running of Potter Park Zoo and continue to improve on this wonderful asset to our community.
LL: What's your take on the Internet political community like this blog?CH: First off I like that it gives real people the power to comment on issues without being censured or spending thousands of dollars. Blogs can be very powerful in building networks of supporters and in energizing the base. The only thing we have to remember is the internet is a passive medium. People only find a blog or website if they are looking for information already. The internet cannot be used as a replacement for traditional politics. Knocking doors will always be the most important way of reaching voters. Television and direct mail will always be a better way to reach an unengaged public. As long as blogs are used in addition to these traditional ways of communicating they are very positive thing. I also would like to say we as elected officials need top thank bloggers. We read you, appreciate you hard work, and sometimes we post on your site anonymously.
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You can also read more about Curtis at the
LSJ's Voters Guide.
Curtis has this girl's vote for multiple reasons, but I have been most impressed by his continued dedication to making sure the people of this county have great healthcare, and with as little financial burden as possible to the taxpayers.
If you’re poor or struggling, thank your lucky stars you live in Ingham County. Across the state, Ingham is looked to as a model of how to create positive relations between state government and private sector, as well as how local governments can help fill the increasing void created by welfare changes. “We’re even filling more gaps than the state has intended,” says County Commissioner Curtis Hertel Jr. with a grin. For several years now, Hertel says he and his fellow commissioners have watched as welfare “reform” “…just pitched people out on the street. This isn’t reform at all. What we now have to do is make up for some of those gaps.”
As an example, Hertel points to the $12 million Ingham Health Plan. It may sound like supplemental insurance, but it isn’t. For those who can’t get medical coverage under Medicare, Medicaid or other programs, IHP provides basic preventive medical care at no or minimal cost to the client. IHP is funded entirely by general county funds and presently assists some 13,000 county residents to obtain basic medical coverage.
IHP was so successful that the commission recently created the Capital Area Prescription Program, or CAPP. “It’s something like a buying club,” describes Hertel. By enrolling large numbers of people without prescription coverage, the county can negotiate bulk contract for reduced treatment costs with local pharmacies. The pharmacies get a guaranteed increase in business, the clients get cheaper medicine, “…all at no cost to the county,” says Hertel. “Clever, huh?” (Lansing City Pulse 1/12/05)
Of course, that's just one reason out of many. You can see yourself, as Curtis has been endorsed by the following organizations.
- UAW
- MEA
- Greater Lansing Labor Council
- Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Michigan Association of Police Organizations
- SEIU
- Lansing Association for Human Rights - given a Very Positive Rating
I could go on and on about Curtis and why Ingham County needs him for at least another term. Like all good representatives of the people, Curtis loves to hear from his constituents, and you can reach him at hertel2002@hotmail.com.
I am confident that
Curtis Hertel Jr. is one of our rising stars, and I wish we had more candidates like him, a real public servant, dedicated to serving the people, particularly those that don't always have a voice from high-powered, big money special interest groups.
Vote November 7th!~LL
