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SD15 
Sat Aug 27, 2005 at 01:00:00 AM EDT
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2010 Status: Term-limited
Biography:
Senator Nancy Cassis was elected to represent the citizens of the 15th
Senate District in November 2002. Her district encompasses
western Oakland County including Commerce, Highland, Holly, Lyon,
Milford, Novi, Rose, West Bloomfield, and White Lake Townships; the
cities of Novi, South Lyon, Walled Lake, Orchard Lake Village, and
Wixom; the village of Wolverine Lake; and the Oakland portion of the
city of Northville.
Senator Cassis had previously served in the House of Representatives
since 1996 when she took office in a special election. Senator Cassis
also served as Councilwoman for the city of Novi from 1985-93 and from
1995-96.
Senator Cassis has served her community in various political positions,
including:
* Northville Republican Club
* Republican Women of West Oakland
* Farmington Area Republican Club
* Republican Precinct Delegate
* Executive Committee member, Oakland County
Republican Party
* Secretary, 11th Congressional District Republican
Committee
* West Oakland Republican Club
While working in the Legislature, Senator Cassis has continued her
involvement in a number of community organizations. These include:
* Board of Directors, Farmington Area YMCA, 1990
* Novi Partners in Education
* Novi Youth Forum
* First Chair, Novi Land Conservancy, 1983-84
* Member, Novi Schools’ Long Range Planning Team,
1995
* Member, Community that Cares
* Michigan 50’s Festival
* Honorary Member, Multi-Lakes Conservation
Association
* Member, Novi Chamber of Commerce
* Member, Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce
* Member, Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce
* Member, South Lyon Chamber of Commerce
* Member, West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce
* Member, Holly Chamber of Commerce
* Novi Educational Foundation
* Member, Jewish Family Services Mentor Connection
Advisory Board
Senator Cassis was also active in several key positions in the House of
Representatives, including:
* Dean of House Republican Caucus
* Tax Policy Chair, 1999-2002
* Created and hosted the Cassis Business Roundtable
2002- Moving Michigan’s Economy Forward, April 2002
* Formed House Subcommittee on Tax Simplification
* Former Assistant Whip, Republican Caucus
* Vice-Chair, National Council of State Legislatures
Federal Budget and Taxation Committee
* Michigan State Coordinator of the National
Republican Legislators Association
* Member, Republican Alliance to Identify Solutions
in Education (RAISE)
* Member, House Personal Property Tax Subcommittee
* Member, House Republican Senior Task Force
* Member, Michigan Information Network Advisory
Board, appointed by Governor Engler
* Member, National Council of State Legislatures
Commerce Committee
In addition, Senator Cassis has been recognized with a number of awards
in recent years, including:
* Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Paul
Harris Fellowship Award
* 1999 National Republican Legislators Association,
National Republican Legislator of the Year Award
* 1999 Insider Business Journal Best Politician on
Business Issues
* 1999 Michigan Credit Union League Legislator of
the Year
* 1999 Michigan Soft Drink Association Legislative
Leadership Award
* 2000 Insider Business Journal “Who’s Who- Business
Leadersâ€
* 2001 Michigan Manufacturers Association, House
Advocate of the Year Award
* 2001 Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Champion of
Commerce Award
* 2001 Michigan Association for Computer Users in
Learning, Dedicated Public Service Award
* 2002 Michigan Association of School Psychologists
Legislator of the Year
* 2003 Michigan Food and Beverage Association,
Distinguished Service Award
* 2003 Michigan Certified Public Accountants
Association, Legislative Impact Award
* 2003 Building Industry Association of S.E.
Michigan, Distinguished Service Award
* 2003 Providence Hospital’s Order of Charity Award
* 2003 Small Business Association of Michigan
Legislator of the Year
* 2004 Michigan PTSA President's Award
* 2004 Holly and Groveland Townships, recognition
for outstanding commitment to creating jobs and protecting the
environment
* 2004 Michigan Building Owners and Managers
Association, Legislator of the Year
Based on her extensive knowledge of finance and tax policy issues, and
her experience as Chair of the House Tax Policy Committee, Senator
Cassis was selected to chair the Senate Finance Committee for the
2003-2006 legislative session where she is revisiting her tax code
simplification initiative. In addition, she serves as Chair of
the Senate Republican Policy Committee, Co-Chair of the Tax
Restructuring Work Group, Vice-Chair of the Senate Education
Committee. She also serves as a member of the Senate Government
Operations and Technology and Energy Committees, as well as the Joint
Committee on Business Competitiveness.
Born in 1944, Cassis earned her B.A. from Ohio University, summa cum
laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She went on to earn her M.S. and Ed.S.
degrees from the University of Michigan. Senator Cassis taught
from 1966-68 in Cleveland for the Ohio Public Schools, and she was
later a school psychologist in the Novi Community Schools from 1980-96.
Senator Cassis and her husband Victor have seven children:
Richard Cassis, Gwendolyn Cassis, Mona Cassis, Laila Cassis, Louis
Cassis, Caroline Weiner, and Drew Covert. They have been blessed with
eight grandchildren and are members of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in
Livonia.
In her spare time, Senator Cassis enjoys traveling, reading mysteries,
walking on the beach, and spending time with her grandchildren.
(Republican
Caucus)
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Sat Aug 27, 2005 at 01:00:00 AM EDT
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District
map
General election vote totals:
Year
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Dem
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Dem #
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Dem %
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Repub
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Repub #
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Repub %
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2002
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Sean Carlson |
35,305 |
37.1 |
NANCY CASSIS |
57,583 |
60.5 |
2002-Sean P. Sullivan (USTP) 2,340 (2.5)
Primary election vote totals:
2002 (R) Cassis 9,436 (46.2); Mike Kowall 9,341 (45.8); David N.
Wolkinson 1,628 (8.0)
Kerry % = 44.1%
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Comments, 171 words in story)
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Mon Jul 30, 2007 at 17:07:47 PM EDT
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Just in case you had one last hope that Senate Republicans were actually human and cared about their fellow man, think again. Their latest victims?
Michigan's poor.
Republican Senator Nancy Cassis (R- Crazy) a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, has spent too much time living in the lap of luxurious Novi with Amway Guy and other Republican Millionaires to the point where she's forgotten how most of the world lives.
Cassis' has introduced Senate Bill 662, which would suspend help towards Michigan's poor through the Earned Income Tax Credit, until the state budget has a surplus of $250 Million.
The EITC was signed into law by Governor Granholm after being passed as a bipartisan measure. From Lt. Gov. John Cherry - The EITC is a refundable federal tax credit that helps working people achieve economic stability and security.
-snip-
With the current economic downturn, the EITC is more important than ever for Michigan's working families. Estimates are that $12.3 to $49 million can be brought directly into the wallets of Michigan's working poor families through a successful outreach effort. So we're facing a $1.9 BILLION hole, and Cassis wants to screw Michigan's impoverished and working poor till we've got $250 Million to play around with. I'm no mathematician, but even I know there's a big gap from here to there.
That's a difference of $1.65 Billion, and unless Dick DeVos decides to become a real servant of the people and donate his entire worth to the state (don't hold your breath on that one), that's not going to happen anytime soon.
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Sat May 19, 2007 at 11:20:25 AM EDT
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Unless
the Michigan Senate Republicans act, funding for public schools will
be slashed in 12 days.
Note:
today we continue our series of posts taking a closer look at the
individuals in the Senate who are blocking the new revenues Michigan so
desperately needs.
 Name:
Sen. Nancy Cassis (R-Novi), chair of the Senate Finance Committee
Senate
District: 15
Official
home page
Office
phone: 1-517-373-1758
Education: B.A.
from Ohio University, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She
went on to earn her M.S. and Ed.S. degrees from the University of
Michigan.
Occupation
(before election): school
psychologist in the Novi Community Schools (1980-1996)
Awards,
etc.: "Strongly favors" requiring a 3/5
vote of the legislature in order
to increase taxes (read Sen. Gilbert's responses in the Michigan Family
Forum voter guide here).
Sponsor
of a proposed Michigan "Taxpayers
Bill of Rights" amendment (2005-06). Sponsor
of legislation to designate the cherry as Michigan's official state
fruit (2005-06). Briefly a candidate
for governor in 2005 (quickly dropped out and endorsed Amway
Guy). Endorsed
by Citizens
for Traditional Values. Member
of Michigan "Romney Caucus."
2006
vote total: 57.6% (37.7% for Ray Raczkowski)
Official
campaign finance reports (Nancy Cassis for State Senate)
Cumulative
political contributions for 2006 cycle: $225,688
(Total
amount raised by opponent:
$1,440)
Under
term limits, Sen. Cassis is NOT
eligible
to run again in 2010.
Featured
quote:"The problems with companies - the
ones that are leaving - do not have, as their major factor, taxes. But
we think this will stimulate the economy to such an extent that those
who are going to look at Michigan, to settle here, to locate here will
be really encouraged to do that." Hear
the quote here.
15th district fiscal crisis media coverage:
Schools
put brakes on driver's education - Observer & Eccentric, May
17, 2007
School
district facing $680,000 cut in state aid - Observer &
Eccentric, May 3, 2007
Recipients
fear some doctors will deny treatment if funding is cut - Oakland
Press, 5/3/07
Educators
protest possible cutback of $125 per pupil - Oakland Press, 4/27/07
District
braces for state slashes - Novi News, 4/26/07
The
$34 million question: How to spend Novi's cash? - Novi News, 4/26/07
Budget
cuts threaten arts programs - Oakland Press, 4/21/07
Amount 15th
district schools stand to lose on June 1 unless
Sen. Cassis votes for
new revenues (Senate
Fiscal Agency):
| Walled
Lake Consolidated School District | $-1,922,488 |
| Huron Valley Schools | $-1,296,964 |
| South Lyon Community Schools |
$-850,666 | | West
Bloomfield School District | $-838,352 |
| Novi Community Schools | $-771,626 |
| Oakland Schools | $-516,594 |
| Holly Area School District |
$-510,463 | | Holly
Academy | $-77,806 |
| TOTAL |
$-6,784,959 |
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Tue Sep 26, 2006 at 22:02:42 PM EDT
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State Senate candidate Ray Raczkowski was recently featured on Comcast Newsmakers, aired on the CNN Headline News channel. Video of his interview can be seen on his Website here.
Ray is running in the 15th district against incumbent Nancy Cassis.
www.Ray4StateSenate.com
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Wed May 24, 2006 at 21:10:17 PM EDT
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2006 status: defeated.
Campaign website
Biography:
Ray, born in 1954, grew up in Allen Park and at the age of 12 started working in his Father's Tool and Die / Machine Shop. He learned early about what it took to run a business, and as it was a union shop to work with the Teamster’s.
After high school Ray went to Michigan State University to study Systems Science Engineering.
While at MSU he married and became the proud father of Kelly David Raczkowski. Taking on the responsibility of full time school and family he worked full time at various jobs to make ends meet.
By 1976 Raymond along with his father and brother started a construction company. When major contracts started coming their way they knew they wanted a quality workforce and so they joined AFL-CIO Local 98, Plumbers and Pipefitters.
In 1977, he became a father again with the birth of Joseph Alden Raczkowski.
The business grew and along with it came recognition for quality work as the company received a Best Project of the Year Award. When Ray’s father retired the operations were sold and he moved on to work in the engineering field.
In 1984, Ray and his company received a Certificate of Honor from the Detroit City Council for coming to the aid of citizens caught up in the 1984 Tiger Championship celebration.
During his engineering career he has worked for many leading firms including General Electric, Robert Bosch and Eaton Corporation.
While working for those firms in Advance Manufacturing and Process Improvements, Ray honed his skills in Continuous Improvement by studying methodologies of QOS, Lean Processes, Six Sigma and Theory of Constraints. In each of the organizations he proved his advance planning skills.
“Managing business and striving to improve the work environment and profitability are skills, while on paper seem dry and boring, in real life will be of great benefit to working in Lansing,†is the way Ray describes his background and how it will help him at Michigan's Capital.
For the last five years Ray has been a consultant on improving small businesses. Ray is committed to helping People, Businesses and the Environment.
(source: campaign website)
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Mon Sep 12, 2005 at 01:00:00 AM EDT
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Today's announcement by Sen. Nancy Cassis that she's no longer running for governor (see today's Michnews) made me think of a curious episode involving the Novi Republican. A few years ago, while I was board-opping Bill Ballenger's WKAR call-in program, Cassis was a guest (I can't remember the topic). One of the call-in "regulars" was a genuinely certifiable right-wing nutcase named "Bob in Lansing." The encounter was so strange I saved the tape. Here's how it went:
Ballenger: Go ahead Bob.
Bob: Just a quick comment. I just want to say that I was talking with God. And God told me that all taxes should be voluntary, and that liberals should pay for liberal programs and conservatives can pay for the conservative programs. All taxes without exception, in the future, will be 100% voluntary. That's the only way to guarantee that government won't bloat until we're all tax slaves like we are today.
Cassis: Yes, entirely our tax burden is too great on Americans and Michigan citizens and we're trying to do everything we can to reduce that tax burden, while insuring a quality education for the children in our community.
The thing that was so striking was how Bob's divinely-inspired voluntary tax plan drew no argument from Cassis. Actually, it kind of sounded like she agreed with him. Maybe she does? I guess if she becomes the LG nominee, we'll have to find out.
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