Norm Shinkle

Candidate Name: Norm Shinkle
Age: 71
Candidate for State House District 73
Candidate Website: normshinkle.com
Candidate Contact for Public:
Are you registered with any party? If so, please share your party affiliation: There
is no party registration in Michigan.
Please share all your social media accounts - facebook.

1. What motivated you to run for the position you are seeking election to?
Answer: To help that family living from paycheck to paycheck trying to
achieve the American Dream.

2. What is your vision for the public body you want to serve on?
Answer: I want the Michigan House of Representatives to be known for
looking out for the taxpayers and the average resident of this state.

3. How does your vision differ from that of your opponents?
Answer: Her voting record does not help the family living from paycheck to
paycheck trying to achieve the American Dream.

4. Funding for schools has been a consistent concern for nearly three decades.
Proposal 1, passed in the 90s was supposed to level the playing field in funding
assuring that districts with distressed property values would receive comparable
per pupil funding. That has not been the case. If elected, how will you address the
underfunding of schools?

Answer: Schools are not underfunded. There is more than $19 billion spent
on public education in Michigan and every child now receives an equal
foundation allowance for their basic educational needs. Funds should be
prioritized in the foundation allowance and to direct student and classroom
support. There has been an increase in administration but a decrease in
number of teachers, which is not the right direction. Those administrative
funds should be put back into classrooms.

5. Has school choice, which allows students and parents to apply for and attend a
different school district than the one they live in, been a success? Yes.
Why or why not?
Answer: Any time a family has a choice to find the education setting that
best meets their child’s need, it is a success; the student benefits.

6a. Proposals in Michigan have long sought to use public dollars to pay for private
school tuition and costs. Do you support vouchers for private schools? Vouchers is
a word used by people that don’t want choices for students in education. I support
choices for educating our students. Why or why not?
Answer: Funding should follow students to the school of their choice public
or private. Consider it as part of the backpack that students take with them
each day to learn. The dollars follow them to those that are providing the
education services. One should focus on what is at issue; the education of
each child.

6b. If vouchers are approved, public schools may see a decline in enrollment. How
would you close the funding gap by a reduction in per pupil funding?
Answer: If students leave a particular school, the cost to educate the
remaining students is less.

7. Educators have been under scrutiny over LGBT youth support, LGBT history,
the American history of communities of color and more. In addition, school
libraries are pulling books off of shelves in public school libraries and public
libraries.

8. Please share your perspective as you pertains to providing safe schools and
education for LGBT youth.
Answer: LGBT youth should be treated like all other with no
discrimination.

9. Please share your perspective about integrating the history of communities of
color into curriculums in the public schools.
Answer: I support the efforts of the local and state elected school boards that
are charged with this goal; as well as with many others. It is important for students
to have an accurate history of our country and culture.

10. Do you support the removal of books some find objectionable from public
school shelves and public libraries? Why or why not?
Answer: The reading materials in public school libraries are the
responsibility of the librarian and those responsible for that library’s policy, in
most cases the local school board. My personal opinion would be directed to that
person or board.

11. If you support such removals, at what point does the purge of objectionable
books stop? When it is the Quran? When it is the Torah? The Nag Hamadi? The
Bible? What policies will you put in place to monitor and assess removal of books?
Answer: I would refer to my answer in the previous question.

12. If you do not support the removal of objectionable books, what policies will
you support to stop the removal of books from public school libraries?

Answer: I would refer to my answer in the previous question.

13. There has been a split on how COVID was responded to by schools, and other
government bodies. Please answer the following questions:
a. Did you support the shut down of schools during the COVID-19 crisis? Why or
why not?
Answer: The decision should be left to the local school board.
b. There has been a marked loss of educational gain as a result of the shut down.
How will you address this problem?
Answer: Support efforts at remedial programs, including summer classes.
c. Did you support face masks?
Answer: The wearing of a face mask is a personal decision and could be a
condition of employment or service.
d. Do you support the COVID-19 vaccine?
Answer: The receiving of a Covid-19 vaccine or any vaccine is a personal
decision and could be a condition of employment or service. I personally received
the vaccination and booster as well as a flu shot once a year.
e. Do you support vaccination for all students in public schools? Why or why not?
Answer: The answer depends on the facts surrounding the disease and the
know effects of the vaccination.
f. There has been a growing mental health crisis among our youth. It was present
before the pandemic, but experts warn it has gotten worse since the pandemic. If
elected, how will you address the mental health needs of our students?
Answer: There is no ‘one size fits all’ answer to this question.
g. There have been a number of school shootings, with deeply tragic consequences
for students, teachers and administrators alike – as well as communities. If elected,
what will you do to address the school violence crisis, including school shootings?
Answer: I will assist School Boards to protect their schools.
14. Elections have become a serious concern for some voters. Please answer the
following questions:

a. If you lose your election, will you accept the results? Why or why not?
Answer: Yes; if I lose – I lose.
b. If your election is close and you chose to pay for a recount, will you accept the
result of a recount? Why or why not?
Answer: I will.
c. Much has been made about the 2020 election. Do you believe Donald Trump
won the election? Why or why not?
Answer: No, Donald Trump did not win the election just as Richard Nixon
did not win the 1960 election.
d. Do you believe there was widespread election fraud? Why or why not?
Answer: There were widespread changes to election procedures that did not
follow the laws of individual states. The laws and procedures need to be followed
regardless of the circumstances to ensure that all citizens believe the election was
fairly conducted.
c. Do you believe leaders in Washington are involved in a secret pedophilia ring?
Why or why not?
Answer: No
d. Do you believe the Jan. 6 Capitol incident was appropriate in light of the
election? Why or why not?
Answer: If ‘incident’ means the woman getting shot; it was not appropriate.
15. Are you a member, or have you ever been a member or donated to any of the
following organizations:
Socialist party - no
Rock the Vote - no
The Democratic Party - no
Any Democratic Candidate for Office - no
The Republican Party - yes
Any Republican Candidate for Office - yes
The American Taxpayers Party – I don’t think so
Any American Taxpayer Party Candidate for Office - no

The Heritage Foundation – I don’t think so but I like them
People for the American Way - don’t know them
III Percenters - don’t know them
Proud Boys - no

16. Please share with readers and voters your qualifications for the position you
seek.
I have served is various positions that give me a perspective to problem
solving. I was on a County Commission, a Township Board, the State Senate, the
Michigan Tax Tribunal and the State Board of Canvassers. Government is too big
and intrusive on people’s freedoms. Too many in power ‘get off’ on telling others
what to do, how to live, and what to think. This is not what our country was
founded on. I will attempt to give people a better chance to achieve the ‘American
Dream’.