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I Ran On Bold Ideas
To Transform Lansing
I read with great interest Bubba Urdan's
letter to the editor in last week's Jewish
News. Urdan asked in that letter, "Will
you remember the man that came in
second or even the one who won the
race?" He provided some context to this
question by writing, "You will always
remember Bubba from this election, not
that I came in fifth, but you will always
remember my name."
Well, I am "the man who came in
second" out of six candidates running
in the Republican primary for Michigan
House District, 39. I did not run for
state house so others would remember
my name. I ran because I believed, and
still do, that I could make a difference
in Lansing to reduce the cost of state
government, reduce the barriers to job
creation and improve the outcomes of
public education. My proposals to trans-
form Michigan's legislature from full-
time to part-time and eliminate double
taxation on job creators (Michigan per-
sonal property tax) are just two of the
reasons that my campaign was one of
"ideas and not just slogans."
Although I was only 21 at the time
of the primary election, I received the
endorsements of the Detroit News, the
Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the
American Seniors Association and
several dozen other organizations and
individuals including former Michigan
Attorney General Mike Cox and former
presidential candidate Herman Cain.
Because of the bold ideas and vision
offered, my campaign earned consider-
able local and national media attention.
The Detroit News, Oakland Press and
West Bloomfield Patch wrote several
articles about my campaign. My pro-
posal for a part-time legislature was
featured on Real Clear Politics, several
local talk radio shows, and nationally
syndicated radio hosts Mike Gallahger
and Hugh Hewitt interviewed me.
Yet, my campaign did not earn any
coverage by the Detroit Jewish News!
When Herman Cain spoke at my cam-
paign rally at the Library Pub and Grill
in West Bloomfield, the Detroit News,
Oakland Press, West Bloomfield Patch
and several radio stations covered the
rally. The Jewish News received the same
press release as other media outlets, but
chose not to give any coverage to the
rally that drew over 250 enthusiastic
supporters.
Readers of the Detroit Jewish News
would think that Urdan was the only
Jewish candidate in the race. The Jewish
News featured Urdan in several articles

while no mention was made of my cam-
paign, despite the fact the paper knew I
was Jewish. For the record, I am Jewish,
a lifelong member of Adat Shalom, a
community volunteer, and I come from
a kosher home.
The campaign is over and I con-
gratulate Klint Kesto for running an
outstanding campaign. He won fair
and square. Kesto and I were the only
candidates receiving over 20 percent of
the votes cast in the six-person primary.
He just received a few percentage points
more.
I want to thank the readers of the
Jewish News who cast their votes for me
and urge you to vote for Klint Kesto this
November.

Brad Hantler

West Bloomfield

Why Is Chabad Appealing
Dismissal Of Its Lawsuit?
Chabad-Lubavitch of Michigan con-
tinues to improperly accuse the Sara
& Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah
Center and our rabbi of wrongful acts,
despite the fact that Judge Rae Lee
Chabot dismissed all claims against us.
Chabad of Michigan has stated its
intention to appeal the judge's ruling.
The fabric of our community's Jewish
unity will be further damaged as long as
it pursues this lawsuit against us.
The Torah Center is a small com-
munity of Jews that respect the Torah
and Jewish law. We have never done
anything to harm or provoke Chabad of
Michigan. Nevertheless, we have been
singled out and targeted by it. We are not
the only Chabad in Michigan to own its
own building. In fact, several Michigan
Chabad rabbis filed affidavits stating they
also own their own buildings.
Chabad of Michigan's claim that own-
ership of our building was transferred to
it by a rabbinic court is baseless, insult-
ing and offensive. Indeed, Judge Chabot
ruled that the Torah Center was never a
party to the rabbinic court proceeding
and that no rabbinic ruling against the
Torah Center exists.
In fact, Chabad of Michigan could not
and did not get permission to sue the
Torah Center from any Lubavitch rab-
binic court. In order to assert they had
‘`permission" to go to civil court, they
obtained permission from the Union of
Orthodox Rabbis (UOR), a non-Chabad
organization. The basis of this "permis-
sion" is suspect. Indeed, in a July 18,
2012, letter to the UOR, Rabbi Doniel
Neustadt, chief rabbi of the Rabbinical
Court of Detroit, stated:
"There is no record of any summons

of the Board to Beis Din, no record of
any acceptance by them, and no record
of any deliberation where the Board or
its official representative was present ...
Until that takes place, this case does not
belong in secular court ..."
Thus, it has been found by both our
community's rabbinic authority and
the Oakland County civil court that the
Torah Center was never a party to a rab-
binical court regarding its property or
anything else.
It is obvious that, notwithstanding
Chabad of Michigan's claim to the con-
trary, this lawsuit was intended to and
has caused serious disruption to the
Torah Center. We are a small shul with
limited resources, and we have been
forced to incur enormous legal fees.
Chabad of Michigan's claim that this
suit fulfills a higher organizational
purpose is self-justification in its most
disingenuous and destructive form.
The untold disruption of Torah learn-
ing and service to HaShem cannot be
recaptured.
And the funds used by Chabad of
Michigan to sue, together with those
required by the Torah Center to defend
against this frivolous lawsuit, could have
been so much better used for outreach,
education and assisting the poor.
We pray that we all be allowed to
devote our time and resources to more
holy and productive endeavors.

Bais Chabad Torah Center

West Bloomfield

In Support Of Bachmann,
Thomas More Law Center
Regarding the letter "We Need Peace In
Our Neighborhoods" (Aug. 9, page 5), it
is interesting the letter writer chides the
Thomas More Law Center for its asso-
ciation with Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Remember that Bachmann is an
ardent Zionist, defender of Israel, the
Jewish people, traditional family values
and our Constitution. I have considered
"what this means:' and I suggest we all
stand by Rep. Bachmann and appreciate
her support.
Regarding the Thomas More Law
Center, I hope that the writer studied
its very thorough documentation on
the "confusion about the sale amid sug-
gestions that the Farmington Board of
Education acted improperly in approv-
ing it:' There is no confusion about the
sale.
Look at the board minutes of May
3, 2011, where the Farmington and
Farmington Hills City Councils were
told that Eagle and the other schools
were going to be demolished and

Ask Attorney
Ken Gross
about...

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August 30 • 2012

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