I Timothy Rujan, husband of April, Father of Ellie and Nicholas, currently a Bay Port resident in Huron County, come forward today to announce my candidacy to be the next Michigan Governor.  As your next Michigan Governor, I will assemble a team to promote principles and a “Made in Michigan” vision.  I propose a Plan for action to keep a promise:  To renew and restore greatness to our Great Lake State, Michigan.

I’m the son of the Patricia Rujan and the late Wesley Rujan.  Growing up in Redford Township my father served as Lieutenant on the Redford Township Fire Department in Wayne County. Through his hard work and excellent family values , my father was able to build a retirement fund…retire…and was able to live his dreams; owning farm land with a farm house and a barn and making sure his family was successful.

All my life I have been a blue collar worker. I began working in Auto body repair while still in high school. Soon after, I moved to the thumb and worked for Michigan Oven until they closed. I  then worked at Active (Sebewaing Industries) until they were sold to Tower Automotive where I became Metal Finish Leader, Union Steward and Safety Steward for the united steel workers Union until Tower Automotive closed.  I currently work as an Emergency Medical Technician for Scheurer Healthcare Network as well as volunteer for the Fair Haven Fire Department.

In 2008 I was appointed to the Huron County Board of Commissioners.  As Commissioner I strove for transparency in government and common sense solutions to the problems we faced. I reinstituted a recycling program in Huron County, promoted tourism and was on the following committees:  Chaired the Agencies Committee which oversaw the Agricultural Services, Transportation, Senior Citizens, Veterans Affairs, Solid Waste, Vice Chair The Finance Committee and served on the Human Development Committee, Personal Committee, and Sebewaing Lifelong Education Committee.

Today in the 21st Century while our nation’s economy experienced a record-breaking expansion, Michigan experienced economic decline. Instead of using that time to set our state on a path toward low tax and positive growth ----We squandered that chance for advancement and set ourselves on a course toward higher taxes and negative growth.

During the last eight years, with no population growth, government spending in Michigan has grown relentlessly.  In spite of the enormous amount of taxes paid by the working citizens, Michigan government has persistently failed to live within its means.   

I pledge to the people of Michigan, the year 2010 will mark the end of this disastrous cycle.  Strong medicine is required.  As your next Michigan Governor, I will chart a new course for Michigan. We must first recognize that the hand of government reaches all too far into the pockets of the people.  THIS MUST END.

Those in power now promise simple answers to complex problems. What we see around us is the steady advance of socialism. Like water dripping on a rock it steadily erodes our personal freedoms one by one. We must stand for our rights and say “There is a point beyond which they must not advance.”

This is the issue of this election: whether we believe in our capacity for self government, or whether we abandon the principles that gave birth to the American revolution and admit that a few little intellectual elite in the capitol can plan and chart the course of our lives for us better than we can chart them ourselves.

As I travel through Michigan, I hear the call for lower taxes resonating in every corner of the state. The people are demanding action, and I believe they deserve it -- because they are right. The very real fact is that Michigan will never have a competitive edge as long as our taxes are higher than those in our neighbor states.

Taxes are necessary for the services to run a State, County, or local government; they should not be used to control the people. Over taxing for control must and will stop.  We must eliminate these so called sin taxes and other taxes whose only purpose are to control the people of Michigan.

Our prescription for Michigan's fiscal crisis does include one absolute spending priority. For as we build our future, we must focus on one precious resource: our children. My budget will fulfill another pledge to our citizens: to put education back at the top of the agenda, where it belongs.

Furthering economic growth is never easy, and creating jobs is an enormous task. But it is made much easier by some of the natural advantages we enjoy. We have magnificent resources; our people are strong and determined. And -- perhaps most importantly -- we know what works. There is no substitute for loosening the grip of unnecessary and costly regulation on industries and entrepreneurs and reining in the taxes that inhibit the growth of Michigan Small Businesses.  There is no substitute for hard work, and aggressive competition in both foreign and domestic markets.

We need to renew many things: The spirit of enterprise, confidence in public officials, the proper role of government and the full empowerment of people. In the words of Governor John Engler to "restore Michigan's full promise", we must also "restore that most central of all characteristics of human achievement: The need for individuals to commit themselves to improving their own lives and communities.”

Everything that is special about Michigan is special not because of what the government has done. It's what the people have done. Communities coming together and neighbor helping neighbor through the good times and the tough times -- everyone needs to take an active role.

It wasn't long ago in our state that when a neighbor’s house or barn caught fire people came to help, they did not wait for the fire department nor did they wait for the police, the community would pull together and lend a helping hand. They didn't want pay or gifts they did it because it was the right thing to do.

In spite of all the challenges that confront us, we should never forget all of the things that make Michigan great. And we should never forget the resilience, the optimism, and the indomitable spirit of the people of Michigan. I know the people of this state and I believe in them. Failure is simply not in their nature.

As we embark on this long journey we must look back and recognize the problems we face and how we got here; poor management, bad fiscal policy, corruption, catering to special interest groups and last but not least are the career politicians who seem more interested in their own prosperity and the prosperity of their cronies than in the prosperity of the people of Michigan. If we elect another career politician as governor, it would be the same as reorganizing the deck chairs on the Titanic, the outcome will be the same.

Now some may feel that our great state is on a similar course as that ill-fated ship. That it's time to leave the deck chairs behind and head for the lifeboats of other states and watch as the once-great ship of Michigan sinks below the waves.

That is why today I am officially announcing my candidacy for Governor of the great state of Michigan.  I want to build our state into a new ship. One with a new crew, a new heading, and a newer more powerful engine that will safely propel us past the obstacles we face and toward our ultimate destination: prosperity.  With your help, I will rebuild the tired ship of Michigan and transform it into a sleek, efficient vessel that will be the pride of its true owners -- each and every citizen of this great state.

If elected, I will work to return a new luster.

Support our goal to restore FREEDOM, EMPOWERMENT OF THE PEOPLE and restore Michigan's full promise.

Thank you, God Bless the great State of Michigan and God Bless all its people!