A question coming to the forefront today is what is more important — the truth or social justice? Can we have both? Sure we can, but when a person is blinded by a cause they cannot see the truth. An analogy I like to use is “tree huggers,” people who cannot see the forest, because they are holding so tightly to one tree they can’t see the other trees in the forest around them.Some in our area are so devoted pro or con to the abortion issue or women’s choice issue they know nothing else. Folks running for township boards declare themselves 100% pro or con on abortion; yet no township board member can do anything about abortion. It is a tree in the forest of issues that will let folks vote for them even if there is nothing they can do to deny or allow abortions.
Township boards have hundreds of important issues their vote can impact, but abortion is not one of them. Roads, parks, development, fire, police, housing, zoning, planning and many more, but not abortion.
Folks running for the Michigan State House or Senate who profess their support or non-support for Jerusalem being the capital of Israel — can they impact on that international issue? No, but who cares? Some folks will vote for or against someone based on Jerusalem.
A person running for a Michigan county, township or state office who is for closed or open national borders will be elected in a primary based on an issue they will have no control over, nor will they be able to open or close any international border if elected. The way a politician comes down on the hot button issues matters; it is totally possible for a person to be elected to office without taking a stand on any local issue, anything on which their stands will matter.
I advocated for John James long before President Donald Trump came out supporting him, but many folks voting in the primary will not look at his stand on issues he can affect, and just see whether our President supports him or not.
Tip O‘Neill is credited with saying “all politics are local;” perhaps we need to amend that and say all politics are national. Quite frankly I do not care what a person running for a township board thinks about abortion, immigration, North Korea or the Russians; they can and will not do anything to affect those issues. Tell us about farming issues, zoning issues, environmental issues, roads, taxes, fire, police, parks and local issues they can affect.Whether or not a person is a member of a church has been in local campaigns for many years; that is great, but it matters, how?
We in Michigan are lucky that we do not have to follow the most severe environmental laws; we are one of a few states that has not signed onto a federal law that requires an environmental study before developing property that has an intermittent mud puddle on it. Anyone running for state office needs to be asked and openly state what their stand is on this important issue.
Folks are not concerned with local issues; what is your stand on open or controlled borders, allow abortions or not, support the military or not. They are all issues no local or county elected official has any impact upon, but we elect folks based on national issues, why?
Be darned if I know; however, we need to ask local candidates local questions concerning local problems and solutions and vote accordingly. Will we concern ourselves with local issues? Probably not; however, we should.
I look to the editor of this on-line newspaper. He is a confirmed liberal; however, he and I agree on most local issues. We do not agree on many national or international issues, but the left and right can agree on many things if we just do not hug our ideological trees so tightly that we cannot see the forest of vital local issues all around us.
Everyone and anyone voting on local issues, whether they be in Michigan or Arizona, would be wise to heed these words!
Don’t allow issues that can cloud your decisions distract you, the voter, from who is best suited to represent you on matters he or she can truly affect.
Really great piece, AB. A place we see eye to eye with 20/20 vision. Thanks.
Thank you for the comment.
The only time I ever agreed with you. Good article.
Mr. Longstreet,
Sir,
Hell must be freezing over. Thank you for the comment.
“All politics is local,” was used by Congressman Tip O’Neil who began his political career as a member of the MA House in 1936 and O’Neil used it again in the ’82 campaign in the November general election when it was found his GOP challenger had gotten significant donations from Texas.
At the local and county level, it seems important these days to let voters know you are pro-life if you are running for office as a Republican. Why is that important for township, village, city and county issues, unless its there to establish that fact so voters remember when those holding local office decide to run for state legislative office? This year our Allegan County Prosecutor, running for her first full term, felt she had to list memberships to show she was pro-life. I’m interested in a County Prosecutor who knows and prosecutes cases based on written local and state law.
There has been “outside money” going to Congressional and U.S. Senate races since the late 1960s. After the Citizens United decision, the floodgates for political cash opened for a lot of state legislative campaigns and it’s difficult to follow the money. That’s because you or I can send an unlimited amount to the 501(c) (4) of our choice and remain anonymous. Our donations becomes “dark money” the 501(c) (4) can then spend on “interest ads” on TV, radio and mailers. The 501(c) (4) has to state how much they spend for a particular candidate’s “interest” on a particular issue
Current election laws allow individuals to make “dark money” donations to 501(c) (4)s such as Americans for Prosperity and Michigan Conservative Values. I bring up those two because both participated in supporting candidates in the recent primary by sending out glossy mailers on behalf of Steve Johnson and Aric Nesbitt, respectively.
Americans for Prosperity sent out a glossy flyer asking people to support Steve Johnson because he wants to protect Michigan voters covered by insurance from government bureaucracy. Never really explained what we are to be protected from except rolling back No-Fault Insurance. In my experience over the last five years with several hospitalizations, the bureaucracy already exists. Its with whatever health care insurance company you select.
Successful GOP candidate for State Senate Aric Nesbitt had backers with deep pockets. My neighbor and myself received at least three to four glossy four-color pieces with multiple photos of the candidate and several times with photos of President Trump, too. Many of the campaign pieces were not sent by the Nesbitt campaign. They were sent by a group called Michigan Conservative Values. The 501(c) (4) has an address. It’s in an East Lansing strip mall east of MSU’s campus that also has a UPS store, a dry cleaner and a few other businesses. For all I know Michigan Conservative Values was a 501(c) (4) set up specifically to support Mr. Nesbitt’s campaign.
Why is Americans for Prosperity investing thousands of dollars on the behalf of a MI state representative to promote his re-election? More importantly, who is behind Michigan Conservative Values and what other candidates if any did they support like that group supported Aric Nesbitt?
When groups like that are spending big money on State House and State Senate races the façade of “local politics” is gone. The bigger question in my mind is whose interests are being represented in Lansing? The voters on those districts or the nameless, faceless donors to the 501(c) (4)s and those running those organizations?
And so it goes.
Mr. Couchman,
Sir,
Once again you missed the point. The point is not money in politics it is taking a stand on local issues. The left out spent the right in the last General Election, (well over $140,000,000), we missed it when you condemned that? The location of Michigan Conservative Values or who they support is not the point, nor is who the Democratic Socialists or George Soros supports, it is how will local candidates stand on local issues and asking folks to vote based on local issues for local officials. My fault, I should have explained it in more detail.
Thanks for the comment. js
It’s impossible to get through to those afflicted biggly with Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). My Trumpy Bears are smiling!
Don’t Tread On Me,
Thank you for the comment. Keep um smiling.
Mr. Traxler, who were the Democratic Socialists running for state representative and state senate in the districts Mr. Johnson and Mr. Nesbitt sought the GOP nominations?
I saw no campaign mailers from any candidate connected with George Soros.
Mr. Traxler, it would be a great public service if you could please provide a list of the Democratic Socialists who appeared on the August Primary ballot who will appear on the November ballot running under the Democratic Socialist name and party symbol for those two races I mentioned.
At the same time can you list the candidates on the November ballot for the two races I mentioned whose candidates got support from 501(c) (4)s connected to George Soros?
I know Americans for Prosperity sent mailers on behalf of Steve Johnson and Michigan Conservative Values sent multiple mailers supporting Aric Nesbitt.
If you can’t list any local candidates, I suspect you are repeating knee jerk dogma you’ve heard from a conservative talk shows, TV programs or websites.
Maybe you can find out who is the person or persons who founded and are running Michigan Conservative Values along with who makes up their donor list. Good luck.
Mr. Couchman,
Please read my answer to your first comment.”The location of Michigan Conservative Values or who they support is not the point, nor is who the Democratic Socialists or George Soros supports, it is how will local candidates stand on local issues and asking folks to vote based on local issues for local officials. My fault, I should have explained it in more detail.” Please read and understand you do not tell the contributors to this paper what to write, heck even the Editor and owner never has that much gall. Saying that you sure do write in the same tempo and tone as a former contributor to this very paper???
Please read the column before you comment. Thanks again for the comment.