Fixing the rot within the house

You caught me in my natural habitat: wedged into a corner of an old house, covered in dust, trying to figure out why I didn’t choose a job that comes with air-conditioning.

This is my day job when I’m not running for Congress. 

I take on places that have been ignored and neglected for too long, clean out the rot, and make them livable again.

Trust me, it’s not glamorous work. 

There are spiders…and there are worse. There are smells. There are moments when the house feels like it’s winning. 

But at the end of the day, I know the only way to fix something that’s been left to fall apart is to roll up your sleeves, grab the tools, and crawl into the mess.

That is the same approach I take to politics. 

Washington is full of rot. The foundations have been eaten away by lobbyists, career politicians, and people who think holding office is about celebrity rather than service. 

And just like an old house, the problems don’t get better if you ignore them. They get worse.

Jack Bergman has had years to fix the cracks and shore up the foundation for the Upper Peninsula.

Instead, he’s treated the district like a vacation property. 

He swoops in, cuts a ribbon or two, then heads back to his comfort zone at his out-of-state primary home while the problems pile up.

If one of my renovation projects looked like his record, I’d be fired on day one.

I don’t mind doing the dirty work. 

I’ve spent a career solving problems others would rather paint over. 

And I’m ready to do the same in Congress. I want to defend democracy, fight for fair wages, protect rural hospitals, support small businesses, and actually show up for the people who live here.

If you’re ready to help me clean out the rot and rebuild a government that works for families in Northern Michigan, I need you in this fight. 

Chip in today so we can fix the damage together and finally have a representative who does more than cover up the cracks.

Wayne StilesDemocrat for Congress