4A - Monday, November1, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
E-MAILSIMONAT SIMKAL U UMICH.EDU
C IC ian :aI*
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the University of Michigan since 1890.
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SIMON BORST
JACOB SMILOVITZ
EDITOR IN CHIEF
RACHEL VAN GILDER
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
MATT AARONSON
MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
We're voting Virg
Bernero has experience that Snyder can't boast
n some ways, this gubernatorial election isn't dissimilar from
the last. A classic Democrat faces off against a businessman on
the Republican ticket. In other ways, it's quite different. Gov.
Jennifer Granholm has been term-limited out of office and a previ-
ously unknown Democrat is vying to take her place. The Republican
candidate for the governor's office, on the other hand, has a surpris-
ingly moderate stance on social issues. With this election, the ques-
tion before Michigan voters is clear: Who has the economic savvy
and social vision to lead Michigan out of the rut it's in?
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Brown, Stephens for regent
Republican Rick Snyder, an Ann Arbor
businessman, is the proud recipient of three
degrees from the University of Michigan -
which probably earns him a few brownie
points from University students and alumni.
In his campaign, he has branded himself as
"One Tough Nerd." He managed to beat out
traditional conservatives in the Republican
primary by appealing to the center. And by
keeping the election focused completely on
the economy and remaining moderate on
social issues, Snyder has managed to hold a
solid 20-point lead in the polls for months in
a state that typically votes Democratic.
Before Democratic candidate Virg Ber-
nero was the mayor of Lansing, he served
as a representative and senator in the state
legislature. This experience in the legisla-
ture - with which he would have to work
as governor - and as an executive leader in
Lansing gives Bernero governmental quali-
fications that Snyder can't boast. Bernero's
campaign has been playing catch-up since
the end of the primaries. As a result, he
hasn't had much of a chance to talk about the
success he's had in Lansing, where he bal-
anced the budget for five years and brought
new business into the city.
It's appealing that Snyder has managed
to fund his campaign without taking money
from special interest groups, which means
he isn't beholden to anyone. Snyder also
made a point to avoid discussing divisive
social issues that would alienate voters. He
hasn't been subversive about his conserva-
tive stances on abortion and same-sex mar-
riage - though, progressively, he supports
stem cell research - and he has made it clear
that he doesn't intend to address these issues
if he's elected. Considering the stagnant
nature of these issues, he would probably
be unable to affect any change even if he did
make thema priority. But voters should still
be wary of giving a powerful office to a man
who hasn't shown support for all of their
personal liberties.
In this economic climate, Snyder's focus
on the economy is justified. Snyder is com-
ing in with a plan - a detailed plan. On his
website, voters can find his 10-Point Plan to
"Reinvent Michigan," which includes pages
and pages of outlines to reform the ethics
of government officials, help the environ-
ment, create jobs, fix the education system
and overhaul the state's tax system. Like any
good businessman, Snyder is coming in with
a business plan and a mission statement. And
that preparation is encouraging.
But the plan has some serious flaws. Sny-
der plans to replace the infamously bad
Michigan Business Tax with a flat 6-per-
cent corporate income tax, which, when
all is said and done, would equal out to a
$1.5-billion decrease in state revenue. And
there's no indication of where Snyder plans
to make up that money. In this respect, his
stance is fairly traditionally Republican -
cut taxes and the businesses will come. But
as it is, the state isn't getting by with the
revenue it has. Snyder has said he'll care-
fully consider all of Michigan's services
to determine where cuts can be made, but
that still may not be enough to balance the
multi-million-dollar budget deficit.
While Bernero hasn't provided as compre-
hensive plans, he has a strong political back-
ground that will be to his advantage. Voters
often forget that Bernero has managed Lan-
sing fairly well during his tenure there. He
balanced Lansing's budget without laying
off city employees and created a friendly
environment for new businesses to move to
the city. But the state's budget is in a much
bigger mess and deals with significantly
more money and employees than Lansing's.
Bernero may not be able to cut government
spending enough to balance the state budget.
According to his website, Bernero also
encouraged $500 million of new private
business in Lansing during his time as
mayor. And he does have several ideas and
principles laid out to resuscitate the econo-
my, like making Michigan more appealing to
green industries and research and develop-
ment companies.
Bernero also has problems with the Mich-
igan Business Tax. He plans to cut the Mich-
igan Business Tax surcharge, according to
his website. Bernero has said he'll work with
businesses to keep finding reforms to the tax.
This would create a more comprehensive,
sensible tax plan that probably wouldn't lead
to a huge decrease in state revenue. Though
he doesn't have as clear a plan as Snyder, Ber-
nero should be able to accomplish revamping
business taxes before his four years run out.
Bernero's more moderate approach to slash-
ing taxes and incorporation of public input
are promising.
Bernero also hopes to maintain some of
Michigan's manufacturing jobs by encourag-
ing more manufacturing of green products
like wind turbines and solar panels. While it
may be unrealistic for Bernero to think that
it's possible to maintain the manufacturing
economy, environmentally-friendly technol-
ogy is incredibly important and Michigan
should be a leader in going green. Bernero
understands the importance of using the
resources Michigan has - both in terms of
jobs and the environment.
Most favorable about Bernero's plat-
form is his plan to create a state bank -
modeled after North Dakota's successful
program - to keep Michigan money and
investments in the Michigan. The concept
would encourage in-state investment. It's
an ambitious plan, but it could have a more
effective and long-lasting impact than Sny-
der's tax cuts. The plan has a clear model
and proven results, and shows that Ber-
nero is considering new, unconventional
plans to bring money back to Michigan.
Though Snyder may seem like a change
from the status quo, his plan to cut taxes
without making up the money in the bud-
get doesn't make much sense. Bernero has
encouraging experience in managing gov-
ernment money and bringing in new busi-
ness. He could do it for the state. Though
Bernero's plans aren't as clearly laid-out as
Snyder's, his ideas are visionary and could
seriously benefit the state. The Daily endors-
es VIRG BERNERO for governor.
very two years, Michigan residents have the
opportunity to elect two members to the
University's governing body. The Univer-
sity Board of Regents, the members of which serve
eight-year terms, is charged with managingthe Uni-
versity's budget and hiring members of its adminis-
tration. This year, the board's only two Republican
members are up for re-election - and they face
strong Democratic challengers.
Andrea Fischer Newman (R-Ann Arbor) has
served on the University Board of Regents since
1994. She has also served on Oakland University's
Board of Regents. As a University graduate with
a long record of public service and an impressive
career in the private sector, Newman understands
how to manage the large amounts of money that the
University deals with each year.
But Newman's view on tuition increases doesn't pri-
oritize students'needs. Since becoming a regent, New-
man has only once voted against a tuition increase;
and that vote was based on the belief that a one-per-
cent increase was too small to be warranted. This sort
of disregard shows that Newman doesn't truly under-
stand the needs of students.
Incumbent Andrew Richner (R-Grosse Pointe
Park) holds BBA and JD degrees from the Uni-
versity. Richner has a lot of experience with how
state funding works - prior to his service as a
regent, Richner served three terms in the state
House of Representatives. Currently, Richner is the
only member of the Board of Regents with a child
enrolled at the University.
Richner plans to focus on implementing multi-year
budgeting and has worked to expand the University's
share of government research money through efforts
like the University Research Corridor. Research is
incredibly important, but the primary focus of the
University must be education - and Richner hasn't
come up with any creative measures to keep costs for
students under control.
It seems that Richner is just as disconnected from
the student body as the rest of the board. He has voiced
opposition to adding a non-voting student representa-
tive to the Board of Regents. Additionally, since his
election in 2002, Richner has voted to raise tuition
every year. After so many increases, more and more
students are being priced out of an education. Though
Richner has a child at the University, he seems to lack
an understanding of the hardships many families face
in paying for their child's education.
Paul Brown (D-Ann Arbor) is the vice president
of the Michigan Economic Development Corpora-
tions Capital Markets Group. In 2009, Brown and
his team created the Michigan Supplier Diversifica-
tion Fund and its proposed federal counterpart, the
State Small Business Credit Initiative, to facilitate
business lending.
The Democratic challenger would like to make
University tuition more affordable and increase the
accessibility of a University education for all stu-
dents. He plans to design a budget that will bring
down tuition costs and reduce the burden of loans
for students. He also wouldn't be opposed to lob-
bying Lansing to ensure that the legislature under-
stands the University's financial needs and the
importance of affordable education.
Brown also stresses the University's role in creat-
ing jobs in the state. Brown would like to increase
focus on technology transfer out of the University
and for the University to be a core economic engine
for the state. He believes commercializing Universi-
ty research and helping small businesses will create
well paying jobs in Ann Arbor.
Brown has said that he'd like to make the Board
of Regents a more visible entity. He's interested in
pushing more against the regents' typical accep-
tance of the administration's decisions and would
like to challenge them to make decisions more
transparent for the public. To increase student
involvement, he would also favor having a non-vot-
ing student representative on the Board of Regents.,
Challenger Greg Stephens (D-Saline) is the busi-
ness manager and financial secretary of the Inter-
national Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and
Secretary-Treasurer of the Washtenaw County
Skilled Building Trades Council.
As a member of the University Board of Regents,
Stephens would like to represent middle class work-
ing families and make tuition affordable for as many
people as possible. He has promised to never vote for
a tuition increase larger than the increase in the cost
of living and would like to tap into the University's
endowment to control tuition and increase financial
aid for students. He has also said that he will not seek
re-election after one term.
Stephens has been active in building and construc-
tion at the University for 16 years and thus has a good
working relationship with the Ann Arbor City Coun-
cil. He would like to use his knowledge of construction
to push for more environmentally-friendly building
options, like encouraging University buildings to have
LEED certification, which would also prove fiscally
beneficial. Stephens would also like to utilize empty
University facilities during the summer for more pro-
fessional training, which would aid Michigan busi-
nesses and bring in money to the University.
Because of their strong commitment to prevent
tuition increases and desire to advance Universityproj-
ects, the Daily endorses PAUL BROWN and GREG
STEPHENS for the University Board of Regents.
0I
Send Dingell back to Congress
t would be quite a feat to oust incumbent Rep.
John Dingell (D-Mich.) from office. Currently,
he is the longest-serving member of the U.S. Con-
gress with an amazing 55 years in office. His tenure
has taught him how to get bills pushed through the
House. His expansive experience and strong rela-
tionships in Washington D.C. are assurances that his
promises will become legislation.
Dr. Rob Steele, Dingell's opponent in the upcom-
ing election, doesn't bring any of the same expertise
or potential to the position - and his policy plans
are even less impressive. He opposes the new federal
health care legislation and favors scrapping the whole
plan. He claims to want to create a new health care
program, but as someone who favors cutting govern-
ment spending,it's hard to imagine that he will be able
to enact a plan with adequate coverage.
Education funding is necessary for Michigan to
create a vital economic climate. Steele has scarcely
addressed the issue of education and how he plans
on funding it in light of his proposed decreases in
government spending.
Dingell, however, has made education a prior-
ity in his campaign and supports increased fund-
ing for it. He wants to increase the affordability of
higher education and has helped pass legislation
that increases the maximum award for Pell Grants
- a need-based initiative to help underprivileged
Americans pay for college.
Dingell also supports initiatives that would
directly help people in southeastern Michigan.
According to a report in The Michigan Daily, he was
recently part of a plan that put $161 million in feder-
al funds toward repairing the line between Detroit
and Dearborn, and the beginnings of a high-speed
line from Detroit to Chicago. Not only is this push
for public transportation good for the environment
and local economies, but it will also add between
1,500 and 1,800 new jobs to the area.
For years, Dingell has served this region with
distinction. And his years of experience and abil-
ity to push through legislation with tangible effects
- like high-speed rail and funding to fix the Blake
Transit Center - show that he can get things done
for Michigan.
In order to ensure that the state stays on the right
path to recovery, the Daily endorses JOHN DINGELL
for the House of Representatives.
Irwin for state Rep.
Warren for Michigan Senate
wo candidates are squaring off this
Tuesday for Rebekah Warren's
vacant seat to represent the 53rd
District in the state House - Democrat
Jeff Irwin and Republican Chase Ingersoll.
And though the election hasn't taken place
yet, Ingersoll has already said that the only
chance he has of winning would be if Irwin
found himself embroiled in a scandal.
Ingersoll's social platforms are starkly at
odds with the values held by many residents
of the 53rd District -,an area known for its
large liberal population. Especially troubling
are Ingersoll's negative views on higher edu-
cation. He's not only against further fund-
ing of higher education - he's also against
the idea of higher education, stating on a
questionnaire from AnnArborcom that he's
"embarrassed how I naively participated in
the 'higher education racket'."
Irwin has extensive experience in office
after serving as a member of the Washtenaw
County Board of Commissioners for the past
eleven years. His track record of advocacy
for the preservation of the environment and
the Great Lakes highlights his progressive
views on a very important issue. This stance
also shows some potential in the effort to
create green jobs and green energy - anoth-
er issue in which Irwin earns praise for his
record. The LGBT community also counts
Irwin as both a friend and an ally. He says he
will work extensively with LGBT groups in
the future to move the cause forward.
Irwin's stances on most issues and ini-
tiatives are favorable and coupled with his
many years of experience, there's no doubt
he'll do a good job taking over for outgoing
Rep. Rebekah Warren and serving in the
53rd District seat of the Michigan House.
The Daily endorses JEFF IRWIN for the
53rd District.
emocrat Rebekah Warren and Republican
John Hochstetler are facing to represent the
18th District in the state Senate. And since
Warren - the current representative for the 53rd
District in the state House - is favored to win the
District's Democratic population, Hochstetler has
been forced to mainstream his stance on several
issues. But despite his acquiescence to the area's lib-
eral streak, Hochstetler still lacks Warren's experi-
ence and an understanding of what Michigan needs.
One of the main differences between the two
candidates centers around social issues. Warren
has a history of pushing for important causes like
women's rights, pro-choice legislation, marriage
equality and stem cell research, which has earned
her the Daily's endorsement in her campaigns for
the state House of Representatives. And Warren is
also a strong supporter of the state's film incentive
program - which has boosted the film industry and
created a large number of jobs in the private film
sector. In contrast, Hochstetler has criticized the
program, stating that the state isn't making back the
money it's spending. And though Hochstetler hasn't
run his campaign on the basis of social conserva-
tism, he doesn't have Warren's track record of push-
ing for more progressive legislation.
The state's troubling budget deficit and continu-
ally decreasing services have been on the many vot-
ers' minds this election season, and both Warren and
Hochstetler have specific ideas of how to get the state's
budget back on track. Warren favors implementing a
reformed tax system that would introduce a gradu-
ated state income tax to bring in necessary revenue to
public schools and infrastructure.
On the other hand, Hochstetler favors a tax abate-
ment that could potentially stimulate the economy.
And Hochstetler has also expressed dissatisfaction
over the six-figure salaries of many public school offi-
cials. While cutting taxes could be beneficial, Hoch-
stetler hasn't made clear what he's going to cut to
account for resulting decreased revenues - an espe-
cially troubling fact when the state is already running
a massive deficit. Cutting public school official salaries
could also draw more qualified candidates away from
the public education system or to other states.
Both candidates also have ideas to reform the state's
sentencing system to save money on corrections. But
Hochstetler's proposed work program probably isn't
viable, whereas Warren's idea to decrease the amount
of time that mustbe served before aprisoner is eligible
for parole could save the state a lot.
Hochstetler may mean well, but his lack of
enthusiasm for social progressivism and proposed
economic policies aren't in keeping with what
Michigan needs. Because of her progressive history
on social issues and her sound fiscal policy propos-
als, the Daily endorses REBEKAH WARREN for
the 18th District state Senate seat.
0
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Jordan Birnholtz, Adrianna Bojrab, Will Butler, Eaghan Davis, Michelle DeWitt,
Ashley Griesshammer, Will Grundler, Jeremy Levy, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley,
Harsha Panduranga, Tommaso Pavone, Leah Potkin, Asa Smith, Laura Veith