LOCAL/STATE The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 5, 2002-- 5A Blank check Posthumus, Granholm plan only one concurring debate By Jordan Schrader Daily Staff Reporter While Michigan's gubernatorial can- didates both have said they want to debate several times, the lack of overlap in their schedules indicates they may face off at only one televised event. Republican Lt. Gov. Dick Posthu- mus's campaign announced yesterday he will attend nine televised debates before the Nov. 5 election, but only one of them is also on Attorney General Jennifer Granholm's schedule. Campaign officials for Granholm, a Democrat, said Tuesday she will debate on television twice, in Grand Rapids and Saginaw, and at one non-televised event in Detroit. Posthumus' list includes the Grand Rapids debate, in which Granholm agreed to partici- pate at 7 p.m. Oct. 7, but they differed on the date of the, Saginaw forum. Posthumus The campaigns were in negotiations to work out debate schedules until yes- terday, and spokespeople offered differ- ing reasons as to why the lists are so widely different after the talks. "What we could not get them to agree on at the negotiating table was (a televised debate) in Detroit ... or statewide," Posthu- mus campaign manager Katie Packer said. "We weren't willing to sit back and say 'This is enough for us.' ... I don't think it's fair to the voters of the state." Granholm spokesman Chris De Witt had a different story for what put an end to bargaining. "They broke off negotiations," he said. "They didn't want to work it out so we said, 'OK, these are the debates we're doing."' He said the campaign's proposal to limit debates to three is not unusual, as the last three gubernatorial elections had the same number or less. The dates are final and not open to more negotiation, De Witt said. "I think (Posthumus) will be at all of them. I would be very sur- prised if he's not." Posthumus's schedule includes Detroit, Southfield, Saginaw, Flint, Tra- verse City and Lansing. Packer said the lieutenant gover- nor also plans to be at the untele- vised Detroit debate on Granholm's schedule. Incumbent state House candidate faces tough match for reelection ALYSSA WOOD/Daily LSA freshmen Elizabeth Vink, left, and Valerie Johns sign up for hockey tickets at the Michigan Ticket Office. Detroit CityC ouncil -member dies after undergoing surgery By Louie Meizlish Daily Staff Reporter DETROIT (AP) - City Council- woman Brenda Scott died from a severe infection in her stomach, three days after having stomach-reduction surgery, an autopsy report indicated. The medical examiner classified Scott's death Monday as accidental, caused by a condition called peritonitis, administrator Steve Brown told The Detroit News. Peritonitis is an infection of the abdominal lining, often caused by surgi- cal mishap. Last Friday, the 47-year-old Scott underwent the LAP-BAND System pro-, cedure to restrict the size of her stomach at Port Huron Hospital. She left the hospital Saturday morn- ing. By Sunday night, she complained of abdominal pain and was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital. She died Monday morning. Scott's family declined to comment on her death, but according to a news release from Geoffrey Fieger, they retained the Southfield lawyer "to bring appropriate legal proceedings against those responsible for her untimely death." "I don't think there's any question the operation was performed negligently, and she was sent home improperly with- out being stabilized," Fieger told the Detroit Free Press. "Her life could have been saved." "From what we've looked at our case here, we have no reason to believe that the medical care here was related" to her death, said Kevin Sullivan, medical director at Port Huron Hospital. Sullivan said he had not seen the medical examiner's report or heard from Fieger. He said hospital officials would cooperate with any investigation. The LAP-BAND System was approved last summer by the federal Food and Drug Administration for treat- ment of severe obesity. Patients must be at least 100 pounds overweight to be candidates. Incumbents in state House races can usually expect to coast to reelection. But that is not the case for Rep. Gene DeRossett. DeRossett, a Republican { from Washtenaw County's Manchester Township, saw his hometown and other areas in his current district merged with parts of a predominantly Democratic district. DeRossett DeRossett is now seen as one of the most vulnerable incumbents seeking: reelection to the House. "I've been out knocking on v doors for some time now," he said. "The issues are the same, but I have to get to know people in a district that has changed drastically."7 He is currently the repre- sentative for the predominant- ly-Republican 55th District, Byrnes but his new district - the 52nd - has many more Democratic voters since being redrawn to include the northern part of Ann Arbor, includ- ing North Campus, and other Democratic-lean- ing areas. That change gives Democrats the hope of gaining a seat in the Republican controlled House. His challenger is Pam Byrnes, an attorney and Washtenaw County road commissioner from Chelsea, who hopes to deny DeRossett a third and final term in the state House. "He's basically gone ... lockstep with the Republican agenda," she said. "On social issues I would prefer that we prioritize education and early childhood education, and he has voted to not fund these programs." A mostly conservative - fiscally and socially - lawmaker, DeRossett stresses property rights, land use and economic development as his core issues. "I don't think we need more and more govern- ment and I don't adhere to government being the cure-all," he said. "I don't think we should have to call in on a daily basis to find out what the regula- tions have changed to." He opposes abortion, while his opponent does not. She believes the scheduled one-tenth of a percent reduction in the state income tax should be put on hold, but he is not so sure. DeRossett wants to know more about the state of the economy before the Legislature recon- venes Sept. 17. "I was elected to be fiscally responsible and I think my record speaks for itself." He said during his last term he wants the state to develop a uniform system of septic tank inspection and a uniform construction code. He chairs the House Agriculture and Resource Management Committee and said the state needs to improve regional planning systems. And, he said, agricultural areas should not be taxed based on size, but based on use. But Byrnes said DeRossett is too conservative for his new district. She also said his land use policy is tilted toward land developers, considering that he is one of them. Byrnes supports giving the state resources to purchase development rights from farmers so that the farms cannot later be converted to com- mercial or residential use. And, she said he erred in sponsoring the bill that would allow motorcyclists to no longer wear helmets, as they are currently required to do. That bill passed the House but the Senate has yet to vote on it. "We need to look at the fact that increased accidents and non-use of helmets is borne by all automobile owners," because the cost of funding the state's catastrophic fund for accidents soars if there are more head injuries, she said. four own space.* e throughout the store! $99.99 Papasan Chair & Cushion Chair: Frame, $50. Cushion, $49.99. Ottoman: Frame, $25. Cushion, $14.99. Shoji screen, $99. Flokati rug, reg. $149. NOW $99. Pillows, $12.99 each. Bookcase, $39. Lanterns, $4.99-$9.99. . .M.*,*,..... ..