Saturday, July 31, 1976 THE MICHIGAN DAILY . Page Five ..in Tuesday's primary: Cty. prosecutor Democrat George Steeh Circuit judge Arthur Carpenter EORGE STEEH is the Daily's choice in the race for county prosecutor. As assistant prosecuting attorney in Genessee County, Steeh earned a reputa- tion as an effective consumer crusader. He has established an impressive re- cord in aiding consumers who fall prey to the often avaricious pursuits of rental agencies, false advertisers and fly-by- night operators. He says he will bring more consumer problems under t h e realm of the prosecutor's office, and find additional ways to cut down on bureau- cratic hassles and unnecessary rip-offs in the community. As students, many of whom are ten- ants, we are impressed with Steeh's ac- complishments, and recognize the need for a county prosecutor who would be keenly aware of the consumers' needs. Steeh's opponent, local attorney Ronald Keys, also has a lengthy record of deal- ing with consumer issues and experience as an assistant prosecutor. But he seems to lack the forceful maner and dedica- tion of the youthful Steeh, a University graduate. Aside from his consumer interests, Steeh advocates an increased emphasis on the solving of major crimes, rather, than lesser crimes involving pornogra- phy and drug possession. He says he would like to initiate a clinical law pro- gram which would offer University law students practical experience as coun- sel in lesser cases. Because of his important accomplish- ments and interest in students and con- sumer protection, we feel Steeh is the best choice for county prosecutor. ARTHUR CARPENTER is the b e s t candidate in the non-partisan cam- paign for 22nd Circuit Court Judge. His opponents, Shirley Burgoyne and Henry Conlin, have long and impressive records as attorneys, (as does Carpen- ter), but an endorsement for the judge- ship must go deeper than consideration of courtroom credentials. We support Carpenter not just for his knowledge of the law, but for his sharp concern for socially-minded groups in the area. University students will find special reasons to support Carpenter - he is the only candidate to have committed him- self in court to tough student cases, and he is principally responsible for students gaining the right to vote in Ann Arbor. ie won the Michigan Supreme C o u r t case which established that right. He is also responsible, in part, for the easing of University residency requirements. We believe Carpenter's extensive ex- perience affords him a wider and more insightful viewpoint than his opponents in dealing with court matters. Although known as somewhat abrasive, Carpent- er's reputation for fairness and honesty underscores the strength of his candi- dacy on other counts. The 22nd Circuit Court judgeship is an influential position. Arthur Carpenter, we feel, would wield that influence wisely. Washtenaw County sheriff Democrat Fred Postill Republican Tom Minick FREDERICK POSTILL is the Daily's choice for the Democratic nomina- tion for Wastenaw County sheriff. During his three-year tenure, Postill has demonstrated that the sheriff's de- partment can do away with the harsh regime of former Sheriff Douglas Har- vey, that it can run an efficient law enforcement program with decency. Postill has instituted some important changes in the department: -withdrawal from the over-zealous, unrestrained Washtenaw Area Narcotics Team (WANT); -Improved conditions in the county jail. Under Postill's administration con- struction has begun on a new prison; -Handling of large groups of citizens with restraint. Of his opponents, only Charles Broder- ick, a former member of the depart- ment, provides a serious challenge. Broderick is a hard-line 'law-and-order" man who would, he says, appoint Doug Harvey under-sheriff. That despicable suggestion alone is enough to dismiss Broderick's candidacy. Postill has been embroiled is a con- troversy of late concerning his alleged participation in a brawl with one or more of his subordinates. The facts are uncertain, but it appears that the charg- es against Postill may have been poli- tically motivated, and we are unswayed in our support. Sheriff Postill is the best thing to hap- pen to the department in years. He should be given a mandate to continue. 1HOMAS MINICK receives the Daily's vote for the Republican candidate for Washtenaw County sheriff. Minick, an Ann Arbor police captain. has local experience and an open-minded view of the sheriff's job; he has an im- pressive background in law enforcement as well. Minick has suggested that sen- sitivity training might be employed to make deputies better at dealing with cit- izens and with the delicate issues and situations often presented by police work. His chief opponent is Fay Johnson, re- tired commander of the Ypsilanti State Police post. While Minick advocates "coming down hard" on hard drug deal- ers and supports cooperation between area law enforcement agencies, he has not favored a return of the sheriff's de- partment to the controversial Washtenaw Area Narcotics Team (WANT); Johnson has. The two agree that sheriff's patrols to outlying regions of the county should be increased. Johnson favors the present system of townships and villages paying the cost for increased protection; Minick, right- ly, says the practice is wrong. While his credentials do not measure up to those of Democrat Fred Postill, Minick is the best of the Republicans. He is young and enthusiastic; and out- shines Johnson. McClary for county post EMOCRAT CATHERINE McCLARY, running for re-election to the County Commission from the 15th District, has serv- ed admirably for two years. She deserves to be returned to her seat. She has eliminated discriminatory language from county contracts and has urged administrators to hire women to coun- ty positions. On the Budget and Ways and Means Committees, she has demonstrated thoughtful concern for the improvement of area social services. Furthermore, McClary has shown a sincere commitment to the Commission and has been scrupulous in studying the issues facing the Board. As one of her supporters asserts, "She is about the only one who reads the entire packet (of committee documents and minutes) before going to the meetings." Her three opponents - all University students - appear enthusiastic but lack her record of accomplishment and dedica- tion, It seems best to stick with a sure bet - Catherine McClary. Vote yes on parks plan V OTERS areturged to vote 'Yes' on the single ballot proposal - to levy a one-quar- ter mill tax in order to bolster the development of parks and recreation facilities in Washte- naw County, The mill is small, and t h e benefit to be gained great. While the Ann Arbor area has a good parks program, there is al- ways a need to safeguard green places, for without such a a f e- guards, shopping malls a n d Tower Plazas would inevitably inundate us. Non-endorsements With this set of endorsements, The Daily breaks a long tradition by supporting candidates in the Republican primary races. We do so because we feel a responsibility to recommend the best candidate in every race we have covered, not just those me would favor in November. But for various reasons, we have chosen to make no endorsements in several races: -State Representative Perry Bullard and John Dietrich, Republican candidate for Bullard's seat, run unopposed. An endorsement in either race would be academic. -Republican William Delhey, county prosecutor, also runs unopposed in his party; however, we indicate here strong dis- favor for Delhey's performance. -The Republicans in the County Commission race have shown themselves to be either too inexperienced or too oppor- tunistic to merit support. Several races were not covered by The Daily.