Political
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
April 7-13, 2010
Page C-4
Plummer Launches Bold Campaign for Congress as Candidate for Change
preneur and Detroit-area pastor Glenn Plum- mer has launched a bold campaign for elec- tion to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat from Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
“When bold leadership is
needed more than ever, Caro- lyn Cheeks Kilpatrick seems absolutely asleep at the switch in Washington. Ms. Kilpatrick is either content with business as usual, or she is so distracted with other things that she is now com- pletely ineffective.”
– Glenn Plummer
Plummer announced his candidacy on March
GLENN PLUMMER
Armed with an ambitious plan for the Detroit
area’s economic revival and a diverse group of supporters -- including longtime viewers of his television programming -- broadcasting entre-
29, speaking to a large audience in the lobby of the historic Penobscot Building in downtown Detroit. Plummer called upon the region’s con- gressional delegation to work in unison more often, and proposed a national industrial policy to regain America’s lost manufacturing edge. He said bolder and more visionary leadership is needed to address an economic crisis that has produced the equivalent of “a second Great De-
The Plummer Plan
A
ccording to Glenn Plummer’s campaign website, plummerforcongress.com, “the heart of Glenn Plummer’s campaign for Congress is The Plummer Plan, a 7-point strategy for job creation and economic growth in the 13th Congressional District and all of Greater Detroit.” The website argues
that government can stimulate economic development by investing in infrastructure, research and de- velopment, and support for entrepreneurs and organized community groups.
Greater Detroit’s congressional delegation
must form a united front in Washington on every issue affecting the regional economy. Only a unified, bipartisan caucus fighting for Detroit and the region will be able to bring home the full range of federal investment, programs and services the city and region de- serve.
must be identified and regional cooperation must improve in order to complete current and proposed projects for regional bus, commuter train, light rail and high-speed rail systems.
pression” in metropolitan Detroit and the state of Michigan.
“The spirit of change, the movement for
change that sent President Obama to the White House in 2008 is alive and well in 2010,” Plum- mer said. “If ever a state, a city and a district were overdue for radical, fundamental sweep- ing change – it is the State of Michigan, Greater Detroit, and the 13th Congressional District in the year 2010.”
Plummer accused incumbent Rep. Carolyn
Cheeks Kilpatrick of being “virtually silent and nearly invisible since the economic recession hit the nation in December 2007.” He added: “When bold leadership is needed more than ever, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick seems abso- lutely asleep at the switch in Washington. Ms. Kilpatrick is either content with business as usual, or she is so distracted with other things that she is now completely ineffective.”
Plummer even predicted in a March 24 Mich-
igan Chronicle article that Kilpatrick would not enter the race. Public records indicate that she filed for office days after the article appeared.
“It was my belief that Ms. Kilpatrick would
recognize that 13th district voters want more active, aggressive, energetic representation in Washington, and she no longer has the support she once enjoyed in this district,” Plummer said in response. “In addition, she had not officially filed. However, now that she’s officially in the race, I look forward to a vigorous campaign.”
GLENN PLUMMER
From Television Enterprise to
Campaign Trail
Rev. Glenn R. Plummer is a broad-
casting entrepreneur who founded the Christian Television Network (CTN) in Detroit in 1982, and is Senior Pas- tor of Ambassadors for Christ Church in Redford Township. Plummer re- mains Chairman and CEO of CTN, the nation’s first African-American-owned Christian TV network, and its flagship station, WLPC TV-26 in Detroit.
• 1955 -- Born in Brooklyn, New York
• 1972 -- Graduated from Rudyard High School in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
We must leverage available federal and The U.S. government must adopt a new
national industrial policy, with strengthen- ing and expanding America’s manufacturing base being the main goal. Manufacturing can revive and thrive if government improves tax credits for research and development and clean energy technology; limits tax deduc- tions for foreign investment; buys American; and cracks down on currency manipulation by China and other low-wage nations.
local resources and aggressively use tax breaks to encourage high-tech entrepre- neurs to launch and grow their businesses in the 13th District and the region. Perhaps the Department of Agriculture could assist the growing urban farming movement in the city of Detroit, for instance. And why not attract new firms involved in electric battery devel- opment, solar energy, wind energy, biofuels, fuel cells, water and soil remediation, building retrofitting and smart energy (automatic man- agement of energy flow to machines, homes and businesses) to the 13th District?
• 1970s -- Attended Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Mich.; Brooklyn College, New York City; William Tyndale Bible College in Detroit
• 1982 – Founded CTN, first African American Christian TV network
• 1990s -- Built and expanded three television stations: Channel 26 (WLPC) in Detroit; TV-48 Detroit; and
Channel 61 (WPLN) in New Orleans.
• 1996 -- Sold TV-48 in 1996 to Paxson Communications, now known as ION Media Networks Inc.
• 1999 -- Founded Ambassadors for Christ Church in Redford Township, Mich.
• 2001 -- CTN became a 24-hour, satellite TV network. (Network is currently not broadcasting by satellite, but still broadcasts 24 hours, 7 days a week).
• 2001- 2005 -- Served as Chairman and CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters, first African American to hold that position.
Federal resources should be employed to With proper promotion, private investment,
Congressional leadership and the use of exist- ing federal economic development resources, Detroit can become a true hub for new growth in motion picture, recorded music, theater, digital media and cultural arts ventures.
improve the tourism industry; business trans- portation systems tied to the Detroit River; shipping of imports and exports; and the envi- ronmentally sound use of water by the bever- age industry.
• 2005 – Founded the Fellowship of Israel and Black America (FIBA), which he still leads as president. FIBA encourages the strengthening of traditionally close ties between African Americans and American Jews, and seeks improved dialogue between Black America and the state of Israel.
• 2007 – Met with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev.
• 2008 -- Met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem, one of many meetings through the years with top Israeli officials. Discussed with Olmert plans to build a Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center in Jerusalem.
• 2009 -- Met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Greater Detroit should make better use of Aggressive development of mass trans-
portation in Greater Detroit is a must to keep the region competitive. Available federal aid
existing federal initiatives to encourage the active involvement of churches, synagogues and mosques in urban redevelopment. We need all community stakeholders on board.
• 2010 – Announced partnership March 21 with The Impact Network (owned by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson) to switch TV-26 from analog to high-definition digital broadcasting.
• 2010 -- Announced candidacy March 29 for the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.
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