Dan O’Neil - It Won’t be Business as Usual

Dan O’Neil, well known to the Grand Traverse community, introduced himself in a different vein Thursday morning, February 15. Surrounded by many local officials, and under the shadow of the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, Dan offered his reasons for why we should be optimistic about our ability to bring about the necessary changes in our community.

“Politics of the last year has ignited something!” he said. And that was obvious by the enthusiasm of the crowd that gathered at Horizon Books in Traverse City to hear him speak. “I believe we can do better.”

He touched on his concerns over the difficulty for people to obtain their necessary health care – especially the elderly when they have limited income. He is worried that the present administration isn’t doing enough to protect our natural environment, and all the economic benefits it brings to our area. And then there is the crumbling infrastructure and concerns that Line 5 is a disaster waiting to happen. The recent changes in the educational structure in our country leave many youths unprepared to enter the workforce without incurring massive amounts of debt. And what about parents struggling to find affordable housing, while juggling child care and their job; a job that too often does not provide a livable income.

There was no need to even discuss gun violence. It was obvious how the group felt about that issue.

Dan’s approach is simple – “Together, there is no problem we can’t solve.” We need to concentrate on our shared values; much more prevalent than our political differences. The results of present tactics to divide us are distressingly obvious.

With Dan O’Neil, it won’t be business as usual. And that’s what people in the Grand Traverse Area need.

Dan O’Neil for State Representative 104th District – Grand Traverse County www.voteoneil.com