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[!i\\\~l§[[i[!'lli---------------------------------------P_o_Ie_m_ic..:.,_Is __ s_ue_3.....:,_0:...c..:.to:..:b..:.er----14...:..,...:1:...99:...:.2 BY ScorrJ{1NG NEWS EDITOR In order to assist our readers in becoming more informed, the Polemic has . contacted candi- dates for political office. For this issue we asked questions of can- didates for state representative of our district, the 106th. Republi- can Beverly Bodem is the incum- bent challenged by Democrat G.T. Long. Q: What do you consider the major problems of North- east Michigan'? Bodem: Topping the list would be jobs and the economy because everything that sur- rounds that area will effect every other aspect of our lives in some way, and it is very im- portant that we address the jobs and the economic situation that we currently have in Northeast or Northern Michigan. Long: Well, I think every- body will tell you jobs, the economy. I mean we have 32 % unemployment in Cheyboygan, the highest below the bridge of any county. Jobs. We need some jobs up here. That's the bottom line. Q: How do you plan to de- velop a better atmosphere so. people can stay in the area, especially those people of col- · lege age? Long: Every polititian when they're running for office is go- ing to tell you that they're going to try to bring jobs in. But jobs, as we well know, just don't come. You don't wave a magic wand and say "Boom", here they are. I think we have to do a couple of things. The thing is that we have to form a coalition between what business is already here, the college of ACC, · and the high schools, and see exactly what they need right now. And train the p~ple, _partiful_a,rly iq the col- Election '92 Bod.em, Long clash in 106th District lege and high schools, to what their needs are. We have to keep what we have and aggressively pursue other ways. Bodem: I think we have to deal with that in many aspects. One of them is to bring more jobs into the area. In addition to our tourism jobs, . we need a stable base. We do have Besser Co., we've got Abitibi, Lafarge and some of the other busines~es that are stable busi- nesses. But we need to add to that. As to what we can bring, time will tell when we get our roads improved and bring about more incentives for business. Q: What areas do you think need to be attended to to im- prove the access to education in Northeast Michigan? Bodem: I think we need to concentrate immediate! y, and we are doing that, on the funding system. I think it's an outdated system. The "in for- mula out of formula" system is very 'outdated. Maybe when it was instituted many, many years ago, it served the purpose but becau.se of the in- creasing need for dollars for dif- ferent school districts they have had to institute so many complicated procedures such as your catagorical aids, your non- catagorical aids. It is a very com- plicated system. So, I think we need to do away with that, come out with a flat dollar amount grant per pupil and go from there. Long: The main problem of education right now, particu- larly K through twelve, is fi- nances. A major problem is we're splitting our communities now by asking our teachers to become politicians, by going out and trying to get these millages passed. Everybody's upset with property taxes. So, we're going . to have to come up with a new waY.. for f}nanciog scJiools ~d get away from property tax. I think we have a lot of tax loop- holes for big business and I'm not talking Abitibi here, I'm talking major businesses like GM. When they can leave a large plant like Willow Run near Detroit, and go to Texas; take our men away, take our jobs away, take their inventory away and yet we still give them a tax break for doing so in Michigan, I say .... bull. Come on, give me a break. If we cut just 10% of those tax loopholes that we ive t v.er bi business ver large corporations,' we could fi- nance our schools. Regarding access, we need equal education throughout the state. What I'd like to see for a community col- lege is a community college dis- trict. Q: What do you think of the Lafarge situation? Long: I think that both H.E.A.L.(HuronEnvironmental Action League) and Lafarge's PR outfit, whoever they are, are at each other's throats. There are ones to the far right and ones to the far left and most people are in the middle regarding Lafarge in this community. I think people want to see jobs but they also don't want to see the lake or the air polluted, or their health endangered. What I h,we said is let's try and get them together instead of yelling at each other. Lafarge should take some of their PR money and instead put it into maybe a hazardous spill plan so in case one of those trucks goes down, the firemen and the policemen and everyone else connected with the clean- up would at least know what they're dealing with if they have to evacuate an area. Right now, I don't know if they do. I don't think they do. Another thing I'd like to see is uninvited inspec- tions by the D NR or by the EPA or who~ver at Lafarge~ m!lybe _ two a year, with maybe a third inspection letting them know when they're coming. I say, let's have an uninvited inspection so they'll have to be on their toes at all times. If they pass these inspections, then let 'em run. As a matter of fact let 'em have more if they want. They want more kilns, they want to hire more people, great. If they're doing everything · right, fine, but if they're not then I say, hey, change it. I mean to me good business is good environ- ment. Bodem: There's always two sides to an issue, , but it's my feeling that the citizens, the con- cerned citizens. . . I think at times, they have not . been listened to deeply enough and in depth enough. There are some real concerns and I have some real concerns if it is going to effect the environment and effect me and my family, my constitu- ents. The only thing that we have to go on right now are the DNR guidelines, the EPA, both are the latest in technology, the latest scientific data or require- ments. That's what we have to go on., Until we can see some improvement in that, I don't think we're going to see a zero balance in any type of air pollu- tion in the state or country be- cause they do have limits on what they can do now and hope- fully they are trying to live within those guidelines. I think it's very important that the business works with the citizens, Puffy's the local people, the state people, the federal people, to make sure that there is compliance so that we don't end up with some kind of a catastrophe or tragedy in this area. Q: Why should people vote for you? Bodem: I think we need change and I've been working down there for the last year and a half working· for change and I think I need to continue to be down there to work for change. Changing the system in Lansing is not easy, but if we are going to clean up the government and return the power to the people, we need to continue fighting for the change, not for the status quo that's down there now. Long: I think if they look at both candidates, I think they'll be attracted to the type of · energy that I'm trying to bring to this job. That is an approach of aggressiveness to promote this area, . to bring people back to government, even if that takes having a town meeting every. Saturday, not just once a month, or one every six months but every Saturday. Or an 800 number that may· cost me any- where from 5 to· 10 thousand dollars of my own money. We'll do it. We can do that. I'm saying to people you'll see me personally and talk to me about it on Saturday. · If you compare that with what Bev Bodem has done her last two years, you'll find that I might be a more attractive choice. Computer & Supplies 15171 356-6946 "ProdMCI.I riuJ lo ww ~--,." .. I 18 Soulh Rlpley Slrttl Alpena, Ml 49707