Marilyn Michaels for Monmouth County Women For Obama, Neighbor

Marilyn Michaels is President of MZM Consulting Services, an organization dedicated to helping companies grow their business through the application of management strategies used by successful Fortune 500 companies.

Marilyn lends her managerial expertise to her passion as the Chair of Monmouth County Women for Obama. While this country appears very polarized in this election season, Marilyn believes we can only begin to solve our problems by listening and learning from one another in an open and cordial discourse, which she hopes to engage on PATCH.

In her words, she explains her motivation for her avocation:

&#34;I became an activist in high school in the 50&#39;s when I traveled to North Carolina with my family and saw the<br>separate drinking fountains for blacks and those for whites.  I was horrified.  After graduating from college I entered the corporate world where I remained for over 50 years.  In between, I had two daughters and vowed I could make the world better for them than the one I experienced.  I had to struggle and work at least twice as hard with much longer work hours than any of the men.  I&#39;m certain I was paid less for the same job but everyone was forbidden to reveal this information then. 

 I ran as a delegate for Shirley Chisholm and brought her to Franklin Township NJ so that grammar school children---particularly black children, could see that a black woman was running for President of the US.  She told me that she had experienced far more prejudice while campaigning because she was a woman than because she was black.

I am now priviledged to be working with an amazing group of women in Monmouth County, who share my concerns for the type of country we want to live in. We postulated the following beliefs:

<strong>WHAT WOMEN CARE ABOUT</strong>

We want a country in which it’s possible to live these values:

<strong>Security &amp; Safety, Health, Fairness and Freedom </strong>

We are all connected and everyone deserves a fair chance.

Ensuring the common good helps everyone to thrive and makes for a stronger America! 

We want to elect women and men who support what we care about: 

<strong>We Care About SECURITY &amp; SAFETY</strong>

In our bodies: making our own decisions about if or when to have children

In our homes: being safe and protected from domestic violence

In our families:  having income security, health care, child protection, safe food, water, &amp; air

In our communities: banishing fear of gunshots &amp; other violence

In our country: keeping our sons &amp; daughters home and safe from wars of choice 

<strong>We Care About HEALTH</strong>

Having equal access to health care we can afford

Having reliable preventative care for ourselves and our families 

<strong>We Care About FAIRNESS </strong>

Having opportunity for ALL regardless of gender, race,  sexual orientation, etc.

Having excellent public education &amp; higher education accessible to ALL

Receiving equal pay for equal work-no closed doors &amp; no glass ceilings

Having a fair taxation system

Enjoying a living wage

<strong>We Care About FREEDOM </strong>

To make our own choices about our bodies, families, and lives

 To follow our conscience

To protect this generation and those to come from the harm of climate change, wars, discrimination, poverty,  and injustice 

 <br>As women who care about security &amp; safety, health, fairness and freedom, we want to pass on these values to our children, who in turn, will pass them on to the generations to follow.  

Re-electing President Barack Obama gives us the best chance of securing policies that reflect<br>these values.