Doctor Joins Race For Congress

Dr. Edward C. Pierce, founder of Ann Arbor's Summit Medical Center, has announced his candidacy for the Democratie nomination for the Second Congressional District seat. Dr. Pierce joins John Ruether . of Ypsilanti Township as the announced candidates for the August Democratie primary. The winner will vie for the congressional seat now held by Republican Marvin L. Esch, who has yet to announce his intentions regarding reelection. Dr. Pierce is a former Ann Arbor city councilman, serving from the old Fourth Ward from 1964-66. In 1967 he lost in a bid for mayor. But Dr. Pierce is perhaps best known for having founded the Summit Medical Center in .1968. The center provides medical care for many of the city's poor. Along with Dr. Jerry Walden, he set up the county's first methadone treatment center, which was later taken over by the I ' Community Mental Health Center. In announcing his candidacy, Dr. Pierce made the following statement: "As a doctor, most of whose patients are working people, black and white, I have the satisfaction of helping thouI sands of families who have been shortI ehanged by our society. But I have begun I to realize that prescribing medicine is nót I enough; that these people - and to a less I dramatic degree all of us - suffer from the deep-seated social ills of militarism, racism, sexism and an outworn economie philosophy that promotes grossly unfair distribution of income, tolerates both unemployment and inflation, and shows more concern for oil millionaires than for working people. This realization has motivated me to run for Congress," he said. "Four major problems face this country: 1) we continue to conduct our foreign policy as if we were the world's policemen - an arrogant and costly sion; 2) we are a rich nation with mulionaires flourishing behind tax shelters while the poor lack the essen tials; 3) our President can't lead us because he lacks our confidence and respect; and 4) racial antagonism continúes to undermine our democratie society," according to Dr. Pierce. Dr. Pierce asserts that our aggressive foreign policy has deprived all citizens oí the funds to build a just society at home and has given the U.S. the reputation of a "bully around the world." "I favor a significant reduction in our arms budget. We need an adequate protective shield but not the billións to bankroll.such misguided adv entures as the Vietnam War. Such funds should be diverted from the Pentagon and used to provide our citizens with jobs, descent nousing, efficiënt mass transportation, and a medical care system which is a source of pride rather than shame," he continued. "For the first time, a nat ion al health insurance system is a possibility ia this bountry if we build a veto-proof Democratie majority in the next Congress I've been on the front line of delivering medical care to all kinds of people for 14 years. I would like to contribute my expertise as one of the few doctors in Congress in formulating an economical and effective health care plan," Dr. Piecce said. In commenting on the economy, Br. Pierce said, "The goal of the presewt economie game plan can be summed np in eight words: 'the rich get richer arad the poor get poorer.' I know of families with several children in which the onlji wage earner, very often a woman worka for pay so low that the farriily cannot decently be supported. In Congress I will work for the enactment of legislation that will strip away tax shelters for the rich and build barriers against poverty, such as an adequate minimum wage law." On the subiect of impeachment. Dr. Pierce said, "Richard Nixon epitomizes much of what is wrong with our nation. Whether it's bombing Cambodia secretly, impounding funds voted by Congress for vital domestic programming, cheating on his income tax, or ordering illegal spying on citizens, Nixon has to come to stand for a lack of morality in govern.ment. Our trust and confidence in him as a man and in elected officials in general has been seriously eroded by Watergate. I am not a man who has sought power or wealth. I think my record shows that my aim has been to serve, people. I would go to Washington in that spirit and high on my agenda would be casting a vote for the impeachtaent of Richard Nixon, speeding him to an early trial by the U.S. Senate." On the subject of race relations Dr. Pierce commented, "People of all races I are functioning together bettèr today than they were 20 years ago. But racism continúes to infect our society: keeping urban blacks in the ghetto where unemployment, inadequate education and rotten housing make life brutal and short. "It doesn't need to be this way. There is no one magie solution, but the blight Df racism can be cured: by improving schools, housing, medical care, employment opportunities. We need to concéntrate on basic remedies like these instead of being distracted into fights over busing, which I regard as less effective I than any of the above as a remedy to our I racial ills. Where busing is legally 1 lated to overeóme past acts of illegal I iiscrimination, we must emphasize such I concerns as the safety and convenience I of all individuals invojved. And we must I insist that quality education is provided J ;or all studénts so affected. Above all, we I must view busing as a short-term, super I ficial remedy for a deep-seated social 1 ness," he continued. "Basically, laman optimist. I thinkj we can learn to give up our war-makingl adventurousness, we can organize our I economy so that we all enjoy its benefits, I we can put Nixon on trial before the 1 We and we can learn to live together in I larmony. But it will take both I ment and hard work," he concluded. Dr. Pierce was bom in Three Rivers, I Mlich. and moved to Ann Arbor at age 10. I Uö graduated from Ann Arbor High scR'.ool in 1947 and served in the Air forcee until 1951. Dr. Pierce graduated 'rom the University in 1955 and from the J-M 's Medical School in 1959. Af ter servng i as an Ínterin at St. Joseph Mercy I Hospital, he was in private practice here :rom 1961-68.