Jobs and the Economy Talking Points

• Mike understands that Michigan’s economy is struggling and he is fighting to protect jobs we already have and to create new, good-paying jobs. As a former small business owner, he knows that Michigan workers can outwork and outhustle the competition when the playing field is level. That’s why he’s leading the fight to crack down on unfair Chinese trade practices that steal American jobs – including his legislation to double the number of “trade enforcement cops” the U.S. has to stop China and other nations from cheating.
• Mike’s jobs plan also includes American energy independence by 2015, that would create over one million jobs and help America’s auto industry build the next generation of cars that don’t need gasoline.

Tips for Writing a Letter

• Be sure to provide all your contact information in the spaces provided.  Some editors may have questions about your letter and need to contact you and many papers will not publish a letter without the name, address, and phone number of the author. 
• Be sure to choose a topic that matters to you.  Passion is important.   The talking points provided below are there to provide an outline of the issue and to server as a starting point to your own letter.  You letter will have more merit and will be more likely to be published if it is in your own words.
• Focus on relevent issues in the news, particularly those that were recently published in the paper you are writing.  If possible cite a specific article, the more recent your topic made news the more likely you are to be published.
• Finally, keep your letter around 250 words.  Wordy dissertations and letters longer than 250 words are never published.  A letter to the editor should be brief and to the point.