In Michigan
Dece�ber 16-22, 1
a
chard ireflec s 'on' e
c
LANSING - Gov. James J.
BI nchard said press em­
phasi on negative c mpaign­
ing forced him to use
negative t ctic nd may
have caused him to lose the
election.
The print media put too
much empha is on negative
campaigning, Blanchard aid
in a Capital News Service in­
terview at Michig n State
University. He wa forced to
use negative campaigning be­
cause of a "cynical climate"
created by the pres ,he aid.
The press attacked nega­
tive ads in campaign stories,
Blanchard said.
"The print media covered
what they saw on TV," he
said.
THE TV CAMPAIG ads
were aimed at undecided
voters. he aid. Although he
said he regrets having to use
negative campaign ads, he
had. to an wer his opponent
attack and let people know
that John Engler was not
new face and had been in the
Legislature for 20 ye rs.
"We re a product of the
y tern, which I regret," he
aid. Blanch rd aid the
pre polls m y I 0 have f-
Blanchard
deliver
ByTho V
Capital New Servic«
fected his 10 in the election.
"If I could change one
thing it would be that
newspaper don't publish
'poll ."
Blanchard said he has
received many letter from
voters apologizing for not
voting because they believed,
according to the polls, that he
would win easily.
"I don't trust newspapers,"
he said. I think the Detroit
Free Press and The Detroit
News ei ther got used by the
pollsters or they used the
pollsters."
BUT BLANCHARD in-
ists he will not blame the
pre s for lostng the election.
The bigge t problem he h d
all year was convincing hi
party and supporters that it
was going to be a tough elec­
tion, he said.
"The last thing I would do
is blame the press for having
lost the election, Blanchard
aid.
He said he lost support
from organization such as
the pro-choice movement,
because- they looked at the,
polls and figured he did not
need their campaign support
ince he would win.
says Engler can't
LANSING - Gov . -e lect
John Engler made campaign
promises knowing' he can't
deliver, according to Gov.
James Blanchard.
"Engler knows he can't
deliver," Blanchard aid in an
exclusive interview with the
Cap ital t Ne ws Service, at
Michigan State University.
Blanchard said people
should keep track of all of the
c mpaign promi es which
Engler made. "Bspe ctall y
property taxes and the little
things. "
"I don't know how he'
going to be in a car and be
hands -on governor. The
Upper Penin ula will certain­
ly be uffering if he does," he
said.
PEOPLE WHO promise a
lot of new spending and tax
cuts, knowing they can't
deliver, should be held ac­
countable, Blanchard sid.
They arc basically telling
people there's a free lunch
out there or they don't have
to work to make things hap­
pen, he aid.
Blanchard aid he doesn't
thin Engler's promise to cut
property taxe by 20 percent
i valid either.
"I didn't make tho e
promi e becau e I intend to
maintain our t res strong
financial position," he aid. .
"My opponent promised
about S5 billion in new
pcnding and tax cuts, I
believe knowing he can't
deliver. "
"I don"t think he can do it,
not without cutting local
spending and taxes,"
Blanchard said.
"BY DOl G THINGS
like raising taxes or tuition
at community colleges he
might fulfill his 5-billion dol­
lar promise, but not in the
near term," he said.
"Right now I just see them
dancing around," Blanchard
said.
A spokesman for the
Engler camp aid that those
comments ju t how that
Blanchard, "obviously
doe n't know John Engler."
"We certainly plan on
keeping all of our campaign
psorni es," said John Trus­
cott, Engler transition team
ecretary.
"We're going to sell
several of the planes - we
really don't know what we
have yet - and Gov.-elect
Engler plans to keep his
promi e to u e his
Oldsmobile," he ide
TRUSCOTT SAID IT ha
already been decided . here
to make the cut for property
tax relief. ,
"We're cutting SSO million
BI nchard's taff con-
ducted poll throughout the
year and determined that no
matter who he ran against, it
would be a close election be­
cause voters are hesitant to
elect a governor to a third
term, he said.
The emphasi on negative
campaigning al 0 put more
distru t in hesitant voter, he
said.
BLANCHARD SAID
-Pres ide nt George Bush's
decision to raise taxe also
may have had an effect on the
Michigan campaign.
"The federal fin ncial
mess has imposed a grea
den on the rates," he aid.
The governor pay the rice
MICIDGA CITIZE
P 3
•
o
for the di ati Iactto n of
what s going o n in
Washington. It
Blanchard Ian to tay in­
volved in public p licy­
making, he aid. He 'al
plan to help o.th r g vern.
"I will remain involved in
Michigan poli tics, but I don't
nticipate running for office
again," he aid.
SEVEN INTERLOCHEN AR1 S ACADEMY tudent are recipient of The klllm n
Found lion c 01 r hip for 1 0-91, ccordin to Ac demy Director Raymond L.
Rideout. A priv te, grant-m king org nlaatlon, The Skillman Found tio w rd
grant for the peclrlc purpo e of chol r hip for tudents fro the metropollt n
Detroit re . The recipient (l-rt) are: A ron mith, on of Beatrice mit of B tie
Creek, enlor, voice; J iandre Dou I , dau hter of C rolyn Jone and Le .. oy
Dougl Jr., both of Detroit, ophomore, percu ion; Dary! Youn , on of Charlene
Hamblin of Detroit,junior, voice; Ro lee Billing I ,dau Mer of Yvette and Donald
B n of Detroit, ophomore, nute; Siwa'tu pike, on of G II Ander on Kil ore nd
Sam Spike, both of Detroit, junior, vi u I rt '; R chel Dou la ,d u hter of C ro n
Jones nd Leroy Dougla .Ir., both of Detroit, senior, vi sual art '; nd not pictured,
Nicole Spivey, daughter·of ma e Spivey of llighland I' rk and Lee pivey of Detroit,
Junior, vi u I rt. Selection of the reclplents i ba red primarily on out t ndin
c de lc perform nee a demon ·tr ted by grade " ttenda ce, record , te cb r
nd/or coun elor recommend tion, nd any t ndardlzed te ting of c de ic
perlor ance.
Ichigan legislators win natio
State Representatives
Ch rl Ie J. Harrison Jr., (0-
Pontiac) and Teola Hunter
(D-Detroit Speaker Pro Tern)
were elected to serve in
leadership po itions for the
National Black Caucus of
State Legl lator .
Harrison was selected to
erve as Financial Secretary
and Hunter was selected as
Region IX chairper on at the
14th Annual Conference of
the NBCSL held recently in
in the Department of Com­
merce, S50 million in the
Department of Labor, we're
going to implement a hiring
freeze that wi II ave S200
million, and we're going to
end orne state contracts,
which were going to friends
and cronie of the Blanchard
admini tration, and th t will
ave S200 million."
St. Thoma, U S. Virgin
Ian s:
I t is indeed an honor 0
ha e been ch en by y
caucus colle ues to he p
prepare for the h llenges f
the next two cars," said
Har ison. "I 10 k forward to
working wit member
acros the coun ry to ensure
the continued f nancial u­
ces of our orga ization."
A financial secretary,
Har ison will chair the
Budget Comm Bee of the.
NBCSL, shall p rform tho e
dutie outlin d for the
Budget Committ e, includin
mak ng budget r commenda­
tion to the Nat onal Execu-
Committee. Harrison
erved two consecutive
two-year term Region IX
Chairman, tepp n down to
allo the se l clion of
Hunter.
"IT I PRIVILEG for
me to accept thi po ilion,"
said Hunter. "I am truly
looking forward to working
wi th the members of Region
JX to fo ter inter tate
cooperat on and advance the
effectivene s, independ nee
and integrity of the legi la­
ture a equal, coordinated
br nches of government."
Region IX include the
tate of Michigan, Wis on­
in and Ohio. A chairp r­
on. Hunter will coordinat
legi lative and congre ional
efforts on i ue affecting the
region, report to the NBCSL
any concern of the region,
nd convey the concern of
the caucu to their congre -
sional delegation when
neces ary.