[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 25, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    TRIBUTE TO FORMER MICHIGAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE PAUL TESANOVICH

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                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 25, 2001

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute today to Paul 
Tesanovich, a former representative to the Michigan House of 
Representatives from the 110th Representative District, which is 
comprised of six counties--Gogebic, Ontonagon, Baraga, Iron, Houghton, 
and Keweenaw--in my congressional district.
  Paul was first elected to the House in 1994, and he has just 
concluded his service in the Michigan House because of the Michigan 
term limits law. This law was enacted at the will of the voters of 
Michigan, but I have to confess that in this case I believe the law has 
turned a dedicated public servant out of office.
  Mr. Speaker, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where Paul and I are 
from, is an area rich in natural wealth and scenic beauty. It is also 
an area that, because of its sheer size, offers a wealth of diverse 
social and political issues. Because its population is sparse, however, 
its representation in Lansing is meager in numbers.
  Spokesmen for this region, therefore, must stand taller and speak 
more eloquently than their downstate counterparts. Paul served on the 
important Appropriations Committee in the Michigan House, a position 
that allowed him an excellent platform to speak on behalf of his 
region.
  Paul brought an essential understanding of the region with him when 
he went to Lansing. He knew that the part of the state he represented 
has a rich and diverse heritage. In fact, one community, Calumet, once 
was so vital and prosperous that it came within one vote of becoming 
the capital of Michigan.
  Paul and I had the opportunity to work together on many major issues, 
perhaps the most important of which was trying to rebuild the region's 
economic vitality in the face of challenges like imports, which have 
devastated its copper mining industry.
  In trying to address the problems of unemployment arising from the 
closing of the White Pine Mine and related economic fallout from that 
closing, Paul and I have shared the knowledge that we have great 
resources at hand in this part of Michigan, which will be at the heart 
of any development effort. These resources include the excellent 
quality of the area's workforce and the strength of its nationally-
renowned engineering school, Michigan Technological University.
  I wish Paul and his wife Julie and their three children the best in 
Paul's post-legislative career. He has my respect and friendship, and I 
will miss working with him.

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