StraightTalk: With State Representative John Kivela
Marquette, MI – April, 2014 – This month, on StraightTalk, Brian Cabell sits down with State Representative John Kivela at Babycakes in Marquette.
BC: A few years ago you were selling cars and repairing cars, and now you’re in the state legislature. How’d that happen?
JK: It really started with someone asking me to serve on a board. I served on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Loved it. Ran for the City Commission. Loved it. Worked with public policy. Loved it. When I was selling cars, it was always relationships with people. In politics, it’s the same thing.
BC: You’re a Democrat but you seem to get along well with Republicans. Why is that?
JK: When I was running, I told people I was fiscally conservative but socially liberal. Keep the government out of our bedrooms. It’s the social issues that drag us down so many times. But fiscally, when I was with the city, we balanced our budgets. At home I balance my budget. If I don’t make my payments, they take away my car. That’s how it works. Shouldn’t government be the same way?
BC: You’ve met Governor Snyder. What do you think of him?
JK: I think generally he’s done an all right job but there are some question marks. For example, a non partisan agency reported dollars into the Treasury from individuals are up more than 30% this year. But when you look at what large corporations are paying into the treasury, that number is down 82%. That would be fine if you did it to create jobs but in 2010, Michigan was ranked 48th in unemployment. Where are we today? We’re still 48 th. Someone’s got to answer for that.
BC: You met President Obama a few years ago when he came to Marquette. What struck you about him?
JK: Unbelievable personality. I’ve never met anyone that was more charismatic, someone that could light up a room like that.
BC: Some people have the idea that legislators are stuffed shirts–people that are only concerned about power and money. Has that been your impression in Lansing?
JK: No. Everyone works with bad people from time to time. Every job I’ve had, there are people I didn’t care for. Are there some less than desirable people in Lansing? Yeah, there’s a couple. Not all legislators are lawyers, like some people think. I work with an auto mechanic, retired teachers, farmers, chiropractors. Really, the legislature is the melting pot. It’s not a bunch of stuffed shirts. Everybody that I work with wants to do the right thing. We don’t always agree on how to do it but there isn’t anyone out there who says “I wanna do this just because it’s going to benefit me.”
BC: You’ve dealt with lobbyists. Have they made attempts to win you over, offered you things that aren’t quite right, maybe corrupt you?
JK: No, lobbyists serve a very useful role. I know the car business. If bill comes up dealing with cars, I know how it will affect the customer. But if a bill comes up affecting real estate, I don’t know the background on how this law will affect the buyer. The good lobbyists, and most of them are good, will give you both sides of the story. Are there some that are less than scrupulous? Yes.
BC: Have you ever encountered outright corruption, a bribe?
JK: No, not at all. Not even close.
BC: In Lansing, do you sense a difference between Yoopers and those who live downstate?
Michigan State Representative John Kivela gestures with his hands as he share some of his thoughts and opinions in Marquette, MI. (photo by Ron Caspi)
JK: It’s not necessarily Yoopers. It’s rural. The real divide in Michigan is rural and urban. The policy is set for the urban areas and the rural areas have to adapt to that. Perfect example is school funding. Our districts typically receive a little less up here, per pupil, but yet our transportation costs are so much higher. Many districts downstate don’t have buses because they don’t need them. But one of my districts, the Tahquamenon Area public schools…1400 square miles, 700 students. They have to pay to transport them. Is that fair?
BC: Let’s talk about a few specific issues. Obamacare. A good idea or a bad idea?
JK: I wasn’t a fan of it when it passed and I’m still not convinced because we didn’t identify how we were going to pay for it. It was smoke and mirrors, they said it would finance itself. I think everyone realistically knew that wasn’t the case. If someone had said “Here’s our plan and you’re going to have to pay so much for it,” I’d be good with that. I think people are entitled to good health care. All that being said, the ship has now sailed. Now we have to figure out how to make the best of it.
BC: Marijuana legalization. In favor of it or opposed?
JK: Personally, I’m opposed to it but I think it’s one of those social issues. We’re moving that way. Let’s just work on it and get it done. Even though I’m not a fan of it, socially I realize that’s where we’re headed. What we have now in Michigan with medical marijuana is just foolish, it doesn’t work.
BC: In your youth, did you ever smoke marijuana?
JK: Never. And my kids will back that up.
BC: What do you think about raising the minimum wage?
JK: I’m in favor of raising it, maybe a dollar to a dollar fifty, and then I would also like to see a provision where it was pegged to inflation. The minimum wage right now is not sufficient but to raise it to $10.10, I think, could be catastrophic. For a place like this coffee shop (Babycakes), they’d have to make do with one less employee. That’s what’s going to happen. I would like to see a more modest increase and then peg it to inflation.
BC: Gay marriage. Yes? No?
JK: Absolutely in favor of it. I have a sister who’s a lesbian and I ask people that are against this, “Can you tell me what rights I should have that my sister shouldn’t have?” And then the other question is exactly how is that gay marriage is going to affect my own marriage again? My marriage is still fine. Things are still okay.
BC: We’re talking about digging more mines in the UP. A good idea?
JK: A good idea. They can be done safely. It’s what we do up here. We cut trees, we dig stuff out of the ground. It’s important to our economy and we need to move forward in a safe, positive manner.
BC: The Tea Party is still around, they’re still pretty strong. Do you sympathize with them or do you feel they’re a threat?
JK: I don’t feel they’re a threat, myself. I find it entertaining because the people who fear the Tea Party the most are not the Democrats, it’s the Republicans. The Tea Party is unlike any other group. I could be voting with the Farm Bureau on eight out of ten issues, and they would love me and pat me on the back. If I worked with the NRA and I voted on seven out of ten of their gun bills, they’d say “Thank you, John. Thanks for being a supporter.” But if you vote one bill wrong with the Tea Party, you’re dead to them.
BC: If you could pass one law, what would that be?
JK: On a realistic level, I’ve got these bills I’m working on right now that deal with the meth epidemic. This is not just in the UP, it’s in the rural areas. It’s become paramount right now, it’s explosive. That’s what I’d like to get through, and I’m optimistic we’ll get it done by this summer.
BC: Have you considered a run for Congress?
JK: Never. I love what I do right now but I can come home and be myself. But when you’re at that level, you don’t have your life anymore. I wouldn’t be doing this interview with you right now. I’d be fundraising. You’re running for re-election right after your election.
BC: Is there some surprising thing that your constituents don’t know about you?
JK: I don’t know. I’m not a complicated person. I love to cook. That’s something a lot of people don’t know. I cook gourmet when I can.
BC: You underwent a severe weight loss a few years back. How did that come about?
JK: It’s going on four years now. I struggled with my weight my whole life, up and down, more up than down, and it just got to a point where I knew I had to do something so I had bariatric surgery. And it was very successful, gave me a new lease on life. I’m down 90 pounds but if I don’t eat right, it’ll go right back up. But I was given a gift and we try to take advantage of that. We hike and bike and walk the dog, exercise a lot.
BC: You’ve been married to your wife Sandy for nearly 25 years. What’s the secret to that?
JK: Making the right choice. Picking the right person and making sure you spend time together. When I’m home, like I am right now, we eat dinner on the table together every night. I’m home every weekend.
BC: If you lay out a perfect day for John Kivela, what would you be doing?
JK: Ohh, that’s tough. Like last week, lying on the back of a cruise ship reading a book, that’s pretty good. With my wife, just her and me, with no cell phone coverage.
BC: A couple of philosophical questions. The nature of man: are we good or bad?
JK: I think naturally good, without question. When we were on vacation last week and went to a restaurant, we were chatting with two couples. Great people. They were just so wonderful to talk to and just every once in a while, you get reaffirmed that people are good.
BC: A final question. Is there someone up there looking over us?
JK: I guess I’ve got to believe there is. I’ve never really been a spiritual person, maybe because of my upbringing, but sometimes, yeah, I believe there is someone up there.
BC: Thank you, John.
You can connect with Brian and view more of his writing at? BrianCabell.com
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