Candidate Profile: Jeffrey Long For Oakland County Commissioner

Jeffrey Long, a White Lake Twp resident is running for Oakland County Commissioner District 6.

Age: 56
Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Family:I have been married to my wife for 30+ years, and have 2 children. A son who is 21 and is an apprentice in the Operating Engineers Local 324, and a daughter who is 20 and is a Junior at Albion College pursuing a degree in the medical fields.
Occupation:I have been a member of IBEW Local 58 in Detroit, where I currently work as a Business Development/Organizer after working as a Journeyman Inside Wireman since 1990.
Previous elected experience:I am currently serving my second elected term/9th year as a member of the Huron Valley Schools Board of Education, and my second term/2nd year as an elected member of the Oakland County Personnel Appeals Board
Family members in government:No
Campaign website: jefflongfor6th.us

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.
Outside of the COVID-19 recovery, it is helping workers and small businesses regain the economic losses they have suffered. It is imperative to our state's economy that the middle class thrives. This can be done by re-establishing the prevailing wage, eliminating right to work, and making the tax codes fair. At the county level, this means creating policies that encourage tax dollars to be used to hire local residents and contracting local companies. Those who pay taxes to Oakland County should benefit from the spending of those tax dollars.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I support workers' rights, balanced budgets, and most importantly collaboration with Republicans. I want to serve all my constituents, not just one side of the aisle. My opponent has voted against the county balanced budget for this year and voted against hazard pay for first responders during the pandemic.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
During my time at Huron Valley, we have supported balanced budgets, cost containments, fair wages, the use of contractors who are locally based or employ local taxpayers. We have also stood against the privatization of services because it would have cost local taxpayers their jobs. We worked collaboratively with our employee groups to reduce expenses while improving relationships. We also created a fair CPL verification policy that didn't impose on the legal rights of gun owners.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?
We can start with tax breaks, grants, low-interest loans. Small businesses were the first to close and suffer, and are the last to re-open and start to recover. Big business can weather this storm, but small businesses are losing the ability to support families, serve communities, and generate taxes for local economies.

How will you address the calls for racial justice and police reform?
It must begin with an open dialogue. The groups who have been discriminated against need to be listened to. That input then needs to be used to help everyone understand what they have faced, and what they feel would help improve relations. We also need to increase opportunities for these groups. Many of the current issues stem from the lack of opportunities afforded minorities for generations.
I am not in favor of defunding the police. I am in favor of additional training that would build collaboration, understanding, and trust among minorities and law enforcement. All Oakland County residents deserve to feel that law enforcement is there to protect them.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:
I am a pro-rights American. We need to protect all rights, not just the ones we personally agree with. The thing that makes America great is being able to disagree with our neighbors while respecting their opinion. I believe a vast majority of Americans still feel that way. I don't have to agree with you to support your legal rights.
We also need to find more ways to help our schools recover the costs of protecting children and staff against COVID. This could be done by assisting them with county programs and additional funding specifically for protections against the virus. Schools have had to divert revenue that would normally go towards education to protect their students and staff. This, in turn, has reduced the resources needed to provide quality education.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I was raised in White Lake and have lived most of my life here. I attended Huron Valley Schools and graduated from Lakeland High School in 1982. My wife and I bought our first home in Waterford in 1989, and lived their until 1996 when we moved to White Lake. Both of our children graduated from Lakeland High School. I have served Huron Valley for 9 years on the school board, and would welcome the opportunity to serve all of White Lake and Northwest Waterford as your next County Commissioner.