Fight The Right! Democrats Outshine Opponents

ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS

FIGHT THE RIGHT!

DEMOCRATS OUTSHINE OPPONENTS

Nationally, polls show that voters want a change - period. There's very little analysis of what the problems are and who is proposing which solutions. This simplistic attitude of "boot the incumbents" gives Republicans the advantage, since Democrats currently hold majorities in both houses of Congress. The outcome of these elections could result in Republicans gaining control of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

If this move to the Republicans occurs, it will actually be a move to the right wing of the Republican Party. As we'll explain as we discuss specific races, the current assemblage of Republican candidates are, and the current Republican Party platform is, overall, very conservative. Nationally we're seeing ultra-right wing Republicans ranging from Ollie North to Mitt Romney (the multi-millionaire corporate raider facing Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts) to Michael Huffington against Diane Feinstein in California (buy a Senate seat for the extreme right wing).

On the state level there are certain dangers accompanying a consolidation of power by the Republicans (Republicans currently control the state senate and the state house is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats). First, there is the possibility that they will move to amend the constitution to allow taxpayer dollars to be spent on private, religious schools. They could also pass a second constitutional amendment outlawing strikes by all public employees, thereby guaranteeing the legality of punishing striking public school teachers.

Most of the Republican candidates in races we'll be discussing follow Governor Engler's agenda. The main points of this agenda include: a continuing erosion of support for social programs (including public schools); conservative social values (.e. opposition to gay rights and abortion rights); and loosening of government restrictions on "free enterprise" (i.e. the dismantling of environmental regulations). There are, however, on the local level, some moderate Republican candidates bucking the Engler trend.

There are also candidates running in many elections from three minor parties - Libertarian, Natural Law, and Workers World. The platforms of all candidates within any one of these parties are nearly identical. The Libertarians advocate personal freedoms such as abortion rights, the legalization of marijuana, and no gun control; and favor a smaller government - meaning lower taxes and a privatization of virtually all public services. The Natural Law Party is a new age assemblage advocating a personal approach to solving political problems, using methods such as massage and stress reduction. The Workers World Party is a socialist organization in favor of hefty taxes for the rich and none for the poor, and free basic social services (the Workers League Party candidate running for Congress also shares this general platform). Whereas AGENDA sees merit in certain aspects of each of these platforms, we are not particularly impressed with any of their candidates nor do we endorse any of their agendas overall. Thus, AGENDA has not endorsed any third party candidates.

You'll find that AGENDA has endorsed Democratic candidates across the board (except in nonpartisan elections). There are many excellent Democratic candidates running, however, in some cases we see it as a choice between the lesser of two evils. Overall, our concern in this election is to stem the tide of cynicism, confusion and hopelessness which threatens to sweep increasingly conservative Republicans into office.

GOVERNOR

AGENDA endorses Democratic challenger Howard Wolpe for Governor. In this election voters have a chance to bring Michigan out of a truly back ward period in our history. We've had four years of right-wing Republicanism under Governor John Engler. He has been using Michigan as a proving ground policies like welfare reform (in the name of which he has removed 82,000 people from General Assistance), that the Republican right would like to see nationwide.

Challenger Howard Wolpe, a seven-term congressman from Lansing and Kalamazoo, is a dear, progressive voice with a long history of standing up for civil rights and civil liberties. Throughout the '80s he was an anti-apartheid activist on Capitol Hill. His efforts were key in bringing about sanctions against South Africa He has also taken on major corporations, such as Consumers Power with its plan to build a high voltage transmission line through a residential area

One of the biggest reasons to vote for Wolpe over Engler is education. Engler has been a consistent foe of public education, beginning with the dismantling of its funding structure (property taxes) without establishing adequate alternative sources. He has also lent his support to the charter schools law, which authorizes state funding for charter schools outside of the public school system, and spearheaded an effort to undermine the rights of teachers' unions. An even greater danger looms in the future - Engler appears receptive to challenges to the state constitution provision banning state funding for religious schools. This would be a direct blow to the separation of church and state.

Wolpe's stands on education are directly opposite Engler's. He has vowed to repeal the law penalizing teachers who go on strike, is critical of Engler's erosion of public school funding and is an ardent opponent of the use of public funds for private schools. He also says he would try to repeal the state's charter school law.

People with disabilities have also experienced the cruelty of Engler's intentions. When Engler first came into office, he tried to eliminate the Department of Social Service's ability to buy durable medical equipment for disabled people. He attempted to limit expenditures to items necessary to sustain Iife, like oxygen. He proposed to eliminate items like crutches and wheelchairs, leaving people with disabilities to sit home in bed.

Wolpe has won friends in the disability community with his support of a National Personal Assistance program, which would be available on a sliding scale cost basis and provide an alternative to nursing homes.

SECRETARY OF STATE

AGENDA endorses incumbent Democrat Richard Austin for Secretary of State. Austin has served in this capacity for the last 24 years. Michigan voters should ignore the ageist remarks being hurled at the octogenarian official and vote him back into the position he deserves.

Republican Candice Miller has served as Macomb County Treasurer since 1992. The anti-choice candidate is running a shamelessly negative campaign against Austin. Her own platform highlights campaign finance reform.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

AGENDA endorses incumbent Democrat Frank Kelley for Attorney General. Kelley has been Attorney General for the last 33 years. Among other courageous stands, he has taken on Palisades Nuclear Power Plant and sued to prevent their dangerous long-term storage of nuclear waste on their premises.

Republican John Smietanka has served as a county prosecutor and western Michigan's U.S. attorney. He was appointed to the latter position by President Reagan in 1981.

UNITED STATES SENATOR

AGENDA endorses Democratic candidate Bob Carr for Senate. The U.S. Senate next term will probably be controlled by a one-or two-vote majority of either party. Michigan is considered vital turf in this tug of war. With a Republican majority, Bob Dole would become Senate majority leader, enabling him to control the whole agenda of what legislation moves forward in the Senate. If this happens, the recent debacle on health care would be just the tip of the iceberg.

Carr has been a member of Congress since 1974, with the exception of one term. He is a fiscal conservative who favors a balanced budget amendment and has a mixed record on his support of labor (he opposed NAFTA but supports GATT). "The left wing tends to want government to take over and do things," Carr was quoted in The Detroit News as saying. "The right wing doesn't want government to do anything at all. I think there's a pragmatic third way."

Carr advocates for a labor partnership, a position that's not totally pro-business but may serve to weaken unions. He supports tax incentives for employers that pay for their employees' hearth insurance. Carr also voted for a bill that would ban companies from permanently replacing striking workers.

His opponent, Spencer Abraham, is a maverick conservative Republican. He served as chair of state GOP from 1983-91 and as co-chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 1992-93. He worked for one-and-a-half years as an aide to Dan Quayle.

Abraham' s views are particularly Machiavellian when it comes to social issues. For instance, on crime, Abraham asserts "three strikes and you're out" crime legislation is too soft "What we need more than anything in this country is swift and sure punishment the first time somebody commits a violent crime," he told The Detroit News. He also opposes abortion and gun control and supports the death penalty.

Whereas AGENDA doesn't stand whole-heartedly behind Bob Carr, we feel he is greatly preferable to Spencer Abraham.

Also running are Libertarian Jon Coon, Workers World Party candidate William Roundtree, and Natural Law Party candidate Chris Wege.

U.S. CONGRESS, 13TH DISTRICT

AGENDA endorses Democrat Lynn Rivers for Congress. Candidates Rivers and Republican John Schall are diametrically opposed in just about every aspect of public policy and personal style. Rivers is a tireless progressive voice and has long record of community service. Her opponent is a very conservative Washington insider who has lived outside of this district for most of the last decade, during which time he missed voting in 20 elections, including the '92 presidential election.

Rivers and Schall are vying for the seat held by William Ford, who's retiring after three decades on Capitol Hill. This district (which was redrawn in 1990) includes Ann Arbor, eastern Washtenaw County (including Ypsilanti) and western Wayne County (including Plymouth and part of Livonia).

Rivers is a first-term member of the State House of Representatives. Prior to that she served for nine years on the Ann Arbor Board of Education, and was president of the board for the last four. She went through law school while raising a child and serving on the school board.

Rivers supports a single-payer health care system, pointing out that there are 37 million people uninsured nationally. On crime, she has voted repeatedly against the demogogic answers, like automatic expulsion of students caught with weapons in school - with no education alternatives for those expelled.

This is Schall's first run for elected office. He is a self-employed labor consultant. His work history includes serving as a domestic policy advisor to George Bush and as chief of staff in the U.S. Dept. of Labor during the latter part of Bush's presidency.

Also running are Libertarian Craig Seymour, Workers League Party candidate Helen Halyard, and Natural Law Party candidate Gail Anne Petrosoff.

STATE SENATOR, 18TH DISTRICT

AGENDA endorses Democrat Alma Wheeler Smith for State Senate. In her current capacity as County Commissioner, Smith has demonstrated her ability to work cooperatively and get things done. Smith is a thoughtful, caring community member with a good grasp of the issues. As state senator, she would look out for the interests of youth, women, workers, and the environment. She's the only candidate, locally, that people with disabilities care enough about to work hard for.

Smith is the daughter of late former Ann Arbor Mayor Al Wheeler and civil rights activist Emma Wheeler. She has worked for the last eight years as legislative coordinator for State Senator Lana Pollack. She has also served on the school board in South Lyon for eight years, including three as president of the board.

Smith and Ypsilanti businessman Joe Mikulec are vying for the seat being vacated by Lana Pollack. The district includes all of Washtenaw County except for York and Augusta Townships.

Republican candidate Mikulec is making his first run for public office. He describes himself as a follower of Governor Engler and "a real conservative."

Smith and Mikulec differ on their opinions of the new state law requiring automatic expulsion for any student with a weapon. Smith, like Rivers, rejects it because it offers no alternative for these kids. "There is no requirement that the school district place them under the care of the Probate Court or social services or mental health programs," Smith told The Ann Arbor News. "They are just out."

STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 52ND DISTRICT

AGENDA endorses incumbent Democrat Mary Schroer for State House of Representatives in the 52nd District. Schroer deserves recognition for the courageous and principled stands she has taken during her first term in the state legislature She has avoided the trap of voting for simple solutions to complex problems and stands up on the House floor to defend her positions. She has shown a real commitment to education, women's rights, the environment, and addressing the root causes of crime.

Schroer worked as an administrative assistant to State Senator Lana Pollack for nine years prior to her election to the State House in 1992. She currently serves as Vice Chair of House Committee on Public Health and Vice Chair of House Committee on Public Retirement. She is also a member of House Committees on Insurance, Corrections, and Human Services and Children.

In the legislature, Schroer opposed Engler's "educational reform" measures, starting with school finance reform. "I voted against S.B. 1 because it was passed in haste with little understanding of the complexities of school finance reform," claims Schroer in her campaign literature. "The end result will be little tax relief for many of my constituents and, rather than bringing poor school districts up to par with wealthier districts, it will result in a severe under funding of education in future years."

Schroer is being challenged by Republican Martin Straub in the district encompassing northern Ann Arbor, most of Ann Arbor Township, and the townships of Dexter, Lima, Lyndon, Northfield, Scio, Sylvan and Webster.

Straub has served as a county commissioner from Chelsea for past the past twelve years (he was twice elected chair) and as a Dexter Township trustee from 1980-82. He currently works as vice president of Transportation Systems in Ann Arbor.

Also running is Libertarian James Hudler.

STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 53RD DISTRICT

AGENDA endorses Democrat Liz Brater for State House of Representatives in the 53rd District. Few people understand the issues affecting our district better than former City Council member and former Mayor of Ann Arbor, Liz Brater. Brater would be a strong voice countering the Engler agenda, and would make a fine successor to Lynn Rivers, who is vacating this seat in her bid for Congress.

Brater is opposed by Republican Renee Bimbaum in the district which encompasses downtown and southern Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township. One of the biggest strikes against Bimbaum is that she is a new comer to the area. As someone who has only lived in Arm Arbor for three years, she cannot possibly understand the community's needs well enough to represent it in the legislature.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, U-M BOARD OF REGENTS, MSU BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF GOVERNORS

These races stretch the meaning of "electoral democracy," for the reality is that voters have virtually no choice. There is no primary for candidates for these offices. They are nominated at party conventions, usually on a political patronage basis. Many of these candidates barely campaign or don't bother at all. What it usually boils down to is that if they make it into office, it will be on the coattails of their party's major candidates. Therefore, AGENDA has chosen not to make endorsements in these races, with the exception of U-M Regents.

Just keep in mind that Republican nominees are sure to be Englerites and the Libertarian candidates have as their agenda to privatize all public education. Cast your votes (or choose not to cast your votes) accordingly!

U-M BOARD OF REGENTS

AGENDA endorses incumbent Democrats James Waters and Paul Brown for U-M Regents. Both of these candidates have taken some progressive stands on the board, for instance supporting the rights of gay men and lesbians. Waters claims that in his next term as Regent he wants to concentrate on affirmative action, multiculturalism, and the advancement of women in the University.

However, the more compelling reason to vote for them is to prevent their opposition from taking their seats in the next eight-year term. Moderate Republican Regent Veronica Smith seems to have fallen out of grace with the Engler camp, and subsequently was not nominated for another term. Instead, the Republicans nominees this year are products of the religious right, and if elected may provide good company for maverick conservative Deane Baker.

Dan Homing is an insurance agent from Grand Haven and Andrea Fischer is a Birmingham attorney. Both have embraced the teaching of creationism in public institutions (which they view as a counterbalance to the theory of evolution). Both also believe that teacher tenure should be eliminated.

Also running are Libertarians Emily Salvette and Gary Bradley, Natural Law Party candidate William Quarton, & Workers World Party candidate Kevin Carey.

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Board of County Commissioners is one of the most comprehensive yet least understood branches of government. The Washtenaw County Board oversees a budget of $130 million dollars. They are mandated by law to fund numerous county services, which together account for most of the budget. About half of the county's funding comes from local revenues and the rest comes from the state. Some of the services funded by the county government include the Circuit Court, District Court 14A (the only district in the county not covered by a municipal government), and the Departments of Sheriff, Treasurer, and Public Health. The county also provides some funding to the Drain Commissioner, Friend of the Court, and Public Works Department.

Through the Human Services Department, the County Commissioners are able to maintain a variety of programs that are neither federally run nor mandated by the state. These include programs such as food distribution, fuel and housing assistance, Head Start, summer lunches for children, home weatherization, and job training. State and federal governments help fund these programs at a ratio of about five to ten dollars for every dollar spent by the county.

The politics of the county board are tricky. Party designation is not always as significant as it is in other areas of the electoral arena Currently there are eleven Democrats and four Republicans on the Commission, yet the informal majority leadership bloc includes four Democrats and four Republicans.

Personality seems to play a greater role than ideology in determining coalitions. A great number of votes are over cut-and-dry budgetary issues, where there is little room for argument. Consequently, many votes are unanimous or decided by a 14-1 majority. Thus it should be no surprise that many of the candidates, regardless of party affiliation, echo one another's platforms.

[An aside - most of the Republicans are campaigning on cleaning up the Treasurers Office fiasco, a situation they blame on the Democrats. Whereas it certainly is alarming that the books are a mess and it's difficult to determine which funds are in which accounts, it's a non-issue in that the county commissioners have no supervisory role over the treasurer - she's an elected official. And there are certainly no partisan roots to the problem. The entire Board of Commissioners has been trying to help straight en the matter out for months.]

All county commission seats are up for election every two years, yet this time around there are races in only  12 of the 15 districts. AGENDA here provides information on the candidates in all 12 races, yet only makes endorsements in nine.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 1

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race where the Republican incumbent Joseph Yekulis, Jr. is running unopposed.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 2

AGENDA endorses Democrat Jan BenDor for District Two County Commissioner. BenDor has a long history of activism in Washtenaw County. She's held leadership positions with the clerical union at EMU, Washtenaw County NOW, the Superior Land Conservancy, SAFE House, and many other organizations. In all of these capacities, as well as in her elected Superior Township positions, BenDor gives her best effort. She consistently upholds her responsibilities and shows enthusiasm, creativity, and good humor.

BenDor's opponent in the race to fill the seat being vacated by Alma Wheeler Smith, is Republican Larry Yapp, a former Domino's executive. Yapp stresses his support for law enforcement, local businesses, and family values.

District Two includes Northfield, Salem, and Superior Townships.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 3

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race where the Republican incumbent Richard DeLong is running unopposed.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 4

AGENDA endorses incumbent Democrat Carlos Acevedo for District Four County Commissioner. Although there are many reasons to support him, Acevedo deserves to be re-elected for his devotion to the job alone. He may well be the hardest working commissioner on the board. He learns the issues thoroughly and takes the initiative to fight for what he feels is important.

Acevedo places a high value on the human services the county provides. He champions projects such as Head Start, which benefit the county 's neediest residents.

Republican challenger Robert Carris a retired Ann Arbor public school teacher who is campaigning on the aforementioned Treasurer's Office issue.

District Four includes the western and southwestern part of Ann Arbor.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 5

AGENDA endorses incumbent Democrat Barbara Levin Bergman for District Five County Commissioner. Bergman, who holds a Master of Social Work degree, brings the perspective of asocial worker to the board. She is in favor of the county's human services programs, particularly the community mental health programs. She is also a proponent of programs for at-risk families with young children.

Bergman's challenger, Republican Stephen Miller, is running on a platform of opposing political yard signs and - you guessed it - the treasury fiasco.

District Five includes the eastern part of Ann Arbor.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 6

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race which pits incumbent Republican Raymond Schultz against Democrat James Cregar. Both candidates are opposed to the proposed EQ (formerly Envotech) hazardous waste complex in Arkona Township. Schultz, as a county commissioner, has voted with the majority on most issues. He joined with other Republicans, however, in his vote against funding for Planned Parenthood.

Cregar was chair of the Board of Commissioners in the early '70s. He is a retired U-M political science professor. Cregar would like to return the board to the days when it was divided into nine districts - unlike the current setup of 15 districts.

District Six includes Milan, part of York Township, and the townships of Ypsilanti and Augusta.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 7

AGENDA endorses Democratic incumbent Judith Carol Walter for District Seven County Commissioner. Although Walter annoys some by being a real stickler for process, she lends her support to vital human services programs. One issue she worked hard on was to achieve pay equity among county officials (in an attempt to put an end to subjective salary fluctuations whenever a new official comes on board). Walter is campaigning hard against the Augusta Township hazardous waste dump. One of the best reasons to support Walter, however, is to prevent her opponent from winning.

Republican challenger Marlene Chockley is a product of the religious right. She has been known to say that officials need to follow the "laws of God." Chockley 's running on accountability issues, starting with the Republicans' favorite - the Treasurer's Office.

District Seven includes Pittsfield Township and part of York Township.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 8

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race where the Republican incumbent Michael DuRussel is running unopposed.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 9

AGENDA endorses Democratic incumbent Grace Shackman for District Nine County Commissioner. Shackman is a three-term commissioner who has been active in the county 's efforts to explore alternatives to incarceration and is a member of the HIV/AIDS task force. She advocates a government/non-profit organizations partnership as a way to stretch resources in human services.

Schackman's opponent is Republican Olga Ortiz, a homemaker and EMU student who has never held elected office. Ortiz is campaigning on improving cooperation among commissioners.

District Nine includes northwest Ann Arbor.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 10

AGENDA endorses Democratic incumbent P. Christina Montague for District Ten County Commissioner. Montague, who works as a family service coördinator for the Ann Arbor Public Schools, is a strong proponent of Head Start. Her biggest concern as a county commissioner is that the programming funded by the body meet the needs of minority and low-income people. She works well with county staff and is an effective advocate for community organizations in her district.

Opposing Montague is Republican homemaker Sandra Kirk, who only moved to Ann Arbor two years ago. This is Kirk's first bid for public office. She's running on a platform of accountability within all branches of county government.

District Ten includes the north side of Ann Arbor and part of Ann Arbor Township.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 11

AGENDA endorses Democratic incumbent Dave Monforton for District Eleven County Commissioner. Monforton, a lawyer and legislative aide to State Representative Lynn Rivers, has a thorough understanding of the functions of county government and is very effective in his role as commissioner. He is prochoice, works to protect the environment, and supports low-income housing initiatives (such as projects by Avalon Housing). Monforton is particularly skilled at determining how to get the most bang for every buck the county spends on human service programs, through matching grants provided by state and federal governments.

Monforton's opponent is U-M undergraduate student Michael Christie. Christie is a Republican who seems reluctant to admit it - at least as far as his campaign literature around U-M campus is concerned. One of Christie's campaign issues is to improve roads in the campus area. Perhaps he doesn't realize that the county government is not responsible for roads in Ann Arbor.

District Eleven includes downtown Ann Arbor and the U-M central campus area.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 12

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race which pits seven-term incumbent Meri Lou Murray against Republican Richard Hoogesteger. Murray is a controversial figure on the commission. As chair of the Ways and Means Committee, she runs the county commissioner meetings where issues involving funding are discussed. This is a position of great power - it enables her to control both the flow of information and the length of debates. Unfortunately, she doesn't use this position to facilitate openness on the county board or with the public.

Murray can be credited with the reorganization of the county's human services programs, following a streamlined or "one-stopshopping" model. This move both saves the county money and saves consumers time. Murray is a hardworking commissioner who gets things done. Unfortunately, she also creates needless conflict.

Hoogesteger is an attorney who, in addition to complaining about the Treasurer's Office mess, advocates trimming the county budget - starting with commissioners' salaries. He also wants to protect the environment, but in such a way as to not place too many restrictions on developers.

District Twelve includes the south-central and southeastern Ann Arbor.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 13

AGENDA endorses Democratic incumbent Ronnie Peterson for District Thirteen County Commissioner. Probably the best reason to support Peterson is that he works tirelessly on behalf of his district. His pet issues - job retraining, drug eradication, and the Harriet Street Commerce Center - all speak to what his constituents value most. The lifelong Ypsilanti resident and Huron Valley Central Labor Council official is also pushing for improvements in the juvenile court system.

The Republican challenger is Steven Hyder, an EMU student. Hyder argues in favor of a comprehensive crime prevention package and a reduction in pay for commissioners.

District Thirteen includes central and southern Ypsilanti. COUNTY

COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 14

AGENDA endorses Democratic incumbent Suzanne Shaw for District Fourteen County Commissioner. Shaw was recently appointed to the county board, filling the vacancy created by former chair Mary Egnor's resignation. Shaw is a longtime activist with the county Democratic Party and a member of the Ypsilanti Charter Commission. She advocates openness and communication on the Board of County Commissioners, the restoration of the Huron River and Ford Lake, and county-wide recycling. She has not been on the commission long enough to rate her performance, yet we believe she deserves a full term to prove herself.

Republican challenger Russ Valvo, a corporate strategic business planner, takes standard Republican positions including downsizing government, lowering taxes, being "tough on crime," and demanding accountability in the good ol' Treasurer's Office.

District Fourteen includes parts of both the city of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township.

COUNTY COMMISSIONER- DISTRICT 15

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race between Democratic incumbent Dillard Roy Craiger and Republican challenger Paul Scholand. Craiger is good-hearted and truly cares about his constituents. He's well-known in his district and has personally lent a hand to many therein. His effectiveness on a personal level, however, is offset by his ineffectiveness on a political level. Dillard lacks initiative in creating policy on the commission and does not demonstrate a clear understanding of the process.

Scholand, a civil engineer, is campaigning on fiscal accountability and improved efficiency of services.

District Fifteen includes most of Ypsilanti Township.

ANN ARBOR MAYOR

AGENDA endorses Democratic challenger David Stead for Mayor of Ann Arbor. Stead has demonstrated outstanding leadership, consensus-building and problem-solving skills during his first term on City Council. His understanding of budgetary issues enabled him to negotiate an agreement with the City Pension Board that saved Ann Arbor taxpayers nearly one million dollars. He also led efforts to amend the city administrator's proposed budget, to restore funding to social services (including drug treatment for youth) slated to be cut.

Prior to his stint on Council, Stead has worked as Director of the Center for Environmental Policy, Economics and Science; Executive Director of the Michigan Environmental Council; and Chair of the Recycle Ann Arbor Board of Directors. Stead is running against incumbent Republican Mayor Ingrid Sheldon in the first November mayoral election in the city's history.

Sheldon was a city council member from 1988-92 and was elected mayor in April 1993. There's no question that she has been very involved in the community - with the Huron High PTSO, SOS Community Crisis Center, and as an Ecology Center block coordinator (the list goes on). She is a former teacher in Ann Arbor and Livonia public schools.

Sheldon has excelled at the ceremonial aspects of being mayor. She's probably made a record number of proclamations and appearances at community groups' events.

Unfortunately, the mayor's job requires much more than that. In terms of leadership, Sheldon's performance has been less than adequate. She's sat on the sidelines for many issues, and on others she has been in opposition until the vote - at which time popular sentiment convinced her to switch sides. Sheldon has not set the agenda as mayor - she tends to leave that to the city administrator.

Stead claims that as mayor he will work toward reaching a swimmable water quality for the Huron River. This would be a tremendous gain for all Ann Arborites and a tremendous achievement for any mayor.

ANN ARBOR CITY COUNCIL- WARD 1

AGENDA endorses incumbent Democrat Tobi Hanna-Davies for First Ward City Council representative. There's never much of a race in the traditionally Democratic first ward. This is so much the case that this time around the Republicans couldn't even muster up a sacrificial candidate. Hanna-Davies is, however. being challenged by Independent Andrew Wright. Challenger or none, we would still write this endorsement for the outstanding candidate, Tobi Hanna-Davies.

Hanna-Davies' work in the community long predates her city council career. She has been a tireless activist for a range of peace and human needs issues. On Council, Hanna-Davies was one of the leaders of the effort to stop Fuller Road from going through a growth of ancient oaks and from being widened to five lanes along the river. She also led the effort to turn the Arm Arbor Inn into permanent affordable housing, and has pressed for meaningful citizen involvement in the search for a new police chief.

Andrew Wright is a U-M student and serves as the Michigan Student Assembly's representative to City Council. He has not demonstrated the expertise or experience to qualify him for a seat on city council.

ANN ARBOR CITY COUNCIL- WARD 2

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race which pits incumbent Republican Jane Lumm against Libertarian Douglas Friedman.

ANN ARBOR CITY COUNCIL- WARD 3

AGENDA endorses Democrat Jean Carlberg for Third Ward City Council Representative. Carlberg is very knowledgable and articulate and has a long history of civil rights activism in our community. She was a public school teacher for 30 years, and has been an Ecology Center volunteer coordinator, President of the Huron Education Association, and an organizer of the Neighborhood Watch Program. She is running on a platform of improved city services, safe neighborhoods, environmental protection, and human services.

On the other side is Republican Lee Pace, a onetime Democrat was also the Republican candidate in the last city council election. Pace likens himself to a Horatio Alger and implies that everyone should be able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. He is Vice President of the Southeast Ann Arbor Neighborhood Association, which fought the siting of more public housing in their area.

Libertarian Richard DeVarti is also running. DeVarti is well-informed on the issues and takes principled stands, yet also embraces traditional Libertarian stances, such as opposition to gun control and privatization of public services.

ANN ARBOR CITY COUNCIL- WARD 4

AGENDA endorses Democrat Stephen Hartwell for Fourth Ward City Council Representative. Hartwell demonstrated his leadership abilities and commitment to the community as Vice President of the Ann Arbor School Board. He advocates neighborhood safety, affordable housing, and a clean environment. Hartwell works as Executive Director of the Michigan Future Problem Solving Program.

This race pits Hartwell, a progressive Democrat, against Katie Renken, a conservative Republican. Renken is anti-choice and opposes Ann Arbor's Domestic Partnership Ordinance. Renken's husband, Duane Renken, is a former City Councilmember and one of Ann Arbor's wealthiest landlords.

ANN ARBOR CITY COUNCIL- WARD 5

AGENDA endorses Democrat Elisabeth Daley for Fifth Ward City Council Representative. Daley has strong commitment to social justice and human services issues. She works as Employment Coordinator for Trailblazers, a rehabilitation program for emotionally impaired adults.

Daley is the past president of the Washtenaw Alliance for the Mentally III and was active in the Safehouse funding campaign. She currently serves on the city's Community Development Block Grant Executive Committee. Daley works very hard and will be very thorough in her duties as city council member.

Republican Peg Eisenstodt was administrative assistant to former mayor Jerry Jemigan. She is campaigning on the vague platform of "stopping council bickering" and improving basic city services. She lags far behind her opponent in communication skills and the commitment to the community.

JUDICIAL RACES (NON-PARTISAN)

MICHIGAN SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

AGENDA endorses Donald Shelton and Conrad Mallett, Jr. in this race where you can vote for two out of four candidates. See Rose and Weber Object! on next page.

COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE- 3RD DISTRICT AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race. See Rose and Weber Object! on next page.

CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE-22ND CIRCUIT

AGENDA endorses Lore Ann Rogers in the nonpartisan race for judge in the 22nd Circuit Court. Rogers s extremely smart, efficient, and even-handed. In her capacity as Co-chair of the Washtenaw County Race, Gender and Ethnic Bias Awareness Committee, she devotes countless hours to identifying and eliminating bias in the judicial system. Rogers, who has handled civil cases for most of her eleven-year legal career, was the top vote-getter in this summer's three-way primary.

Throughout her legal career, Rogers has acted as counsel in numerous cases defending civil liberties and women's rights. As a cooperating attorney for the ACLU, she successfully challenged Ypsilanti's prostitution loitering law. Rogers has acted as counsel for Planned Parenthood, argued a case on behalf of the Hash Bash, and has handled several sexual harassment cases.

Rogers is running against District Court Judge Karl Fink for the spot being vacated by Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge William Ager Jr. The Circuit Court handles all civil cases above $10,000 and felonies in Washtenaw County. Lawyers' polls point to both Fink and Rogers as excellent candidates.

Fink claims to have no political agenda, however he was the only judicial candidate in the primary to be endorsed by Right to Life. Much of his support comes from the Republican Party- they distribute his campaign literature from their headquarters. Rogers has taken a controversial stand in favor of some of the teachings of anti-pornography crusader and U-M law professor Catherine MacKinnon. On questioning, however, Rogers claims she is not in favor of censorship. She told AGENDA that pornography should not be iIlegal except in those cases where someone is physically hurt or killed in the process of making the material (such as snuff films or films involving the sexual abuse of children).She does not fee) that hate speech, in and of itself, should be illegal. However, if it is an aggravating circumstance in a physical crime, this should be taken into account.

A final reason to vote for Rogers is that if Fink wins in November, his district court seat will be opened up to an Engler (assuming he wins re-election) appointee. And we could do a lot worse than Fink on District Court

DISTRICT COURT JUDGE- DISTRICT 14-A

AGENDA makes no endorsement in this race. See Rose and Weber Object! on page 8.

COUNTY MILLAGE PROPOSAL Proposition to renew the increase in the tax limitation for parks and recreation purposes including acquisition, development, and maintenance of park lands and operation of recreation facilities for the benefit of Washtenaw County citizens.

AGENDA endorses a vote for YES on the County Parks Millage Proposal. The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission is asking voters to renew a millage of .25 mills for ten years to maintain county parks. A .25 mill tax means that the owner of a $120,000 home would pay about $15 per year. This money represents about 60% of the parks budget The rest comes from user fees and state and federal grants.

The ten facilities in the Washtenaw County Parks Recreation system feature lakes, nature trails, a fitness center, and a water park. Some parks are free and others charge a small entrance fee.

Many of the townships in the county have no park system of their own - they rely on the county government for this service. This will only remain possible if this millage renewal passes. 

CITY MILLAGE PROPOSAL

Ann Arbor City Charter amendment authorizing a renewal of a tax for parks.

AGENDA endorses a vote for YES on the City Parks Millage Proposal. This funding proposal for renovation and improvement of park facilities asks voters to renew the parks tax at .4725 mills for six years. This would cost the owner of a $131,000 home about $31 a year.

Seventy-five percent of the funds would be used for parks rehabilitation and 25 percent would be used for new development. Some of the plans the Parks and Recreation Department has announced are to renovate Fuller and Buhr Park pools and to improve bicycle paths and neighborhood parks.

STATE PROPOSAL A

A Proposal to convene a constitutional convention for the purpose of drafting a general revision of the state constitution.

AGENDA endorses a vote for NO on Proposal A. In the creation of a new constitution, progressives have the most to lose. Depending on the mood of the electorate (which is pretty conservative these days) and those drafting the document, it's possible that it could result in tighter restrictions on abortion, public funding for private schools, greater privatization of a range of public services, and the imposition of the death penalty. In addition, the process of writing a new constitution carries a $20-25 million price tag.

The last state constitution was ratified in 1963. That document requires that voters make the choice, every 16 years, whether or not to create a new constitution. This proposal carne up for a vote and was rejected in 1978.

If this proposal is approved, the process calls for two more statewide elections - one to elect delegates and another to ratify the new constitution. If the latter were to fail, the current constitution would stand (at least until this proposal comes up again in 2010.)

The state constitution is far from perfect but the process of amending it is far preferable to scrapping it and starting over.

STATE PROPOSAL B

A proposal to limit criminal appeals.

AGENDA endorses a vote for NO on Proposal B. See Rose and Weber Object!

STATE PROPOSAL C

A proposal to amend Michigan's auto insurance laws.

AGENDA endorses a vote for NO on Proposal C. See Rose and Weber Object!

STATE PROPOSAL P

A proposal to establish a Michigan state parks endowment fund, increase the maximum allowable amount of funds in the Michigan natural resources trust fund and eliminate the diversion of dedicated revenue from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.

AGENDA endorses a vote for YES on Proposal P. Michigan's parks are in desperate need of an infusion of funds. State funding allocations to the parks have greatly decreased since the '70s. As a result, user fees have increased and the condition of the parks has deteriorated (some have even been forced to close).

Proposal P does not impose a new tax. Rather, the monies for this fund would come from revenues collected by the state for the drilling of oil and gas or mining of minerals on state-owned land. Further, the proposal would outlaw politicians' current practice of raiding the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for other projects.

We all use Michigan's parks. Proposal P represents an easy way to invest in the future of these invaluable community resources.