11/05/2006

Schools, jobs and Iraq on the mind of voters

By
Record-Eagle staff writer

Record-Eagle staff writer

and
Record-Eagle staff writer

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
"We're very good friends, we're just at different ends of the political spectrum," said Claudia Wicksall, whose lawn on her Eleventh Street home differs from her friend and neighbor, Bev Gilmore.

TRAVERSE CITY — Kellie Bray and Justin Jones ate at the food court at the Grand Traverse Mall on a recent weekday, just days before the Nov. 7 election.

In between bites, the two Traverse City 22-year-olds talked about what's on their minds. A top priority for Jones is jobs. He's looking for one.

"The only thing that's hiring is restaurants," said Jones, who said he's had his fill of food service positions.

He currently is working part time and on an on-call basis.

"We meed a governor that gives us jobs," he said.

Jones is no supporter of President George W. Bush, whom he said has turned the nation's economy "for the worst." But his views on Bush don't impact his thoughts about other Republicans, he said.

Bray said there's a need for more low-income housing, places to rent for between $350 and $400 a month. And, locally, she said there's a need for more benches along the Cherriot bus route.

But Bray and Jones aren't sure if they will vote come election day. Bray wished candidates would point to specific accomplishments instead of just talking about what they would do if elected.

"We want someone who will listen to us and will not tell us lies," Bray said. "We want someone who is trustworthy and honest."

Kalkaska resident Stanley Stoops gets about $600 each month in Social Security benefits, and said he has about $100 left over for food and other items after he pays his bills.

"I'm living on a fixed income. A good portion of us older people living up here are living on a fixed income," Stoops said. "The price of everything else goes up but your income."

He saw his heating bill double this year. It's tougher to afford gasoline. The last few years have been rough.

Stoops said he is still weighing the two gubernatorial candidates. He's not sure yet which one might make his life better.

"I ain't sure which one I'm going to vote for yet," Stoops said. "Sometimes I vote Republican, sometimes I vote Democrat, or sometimes I split the ticket."

This year he's leaning toward Dick DeVos over Jennifer Granholm.

"I ain't completely saying yet, but I don't think she's got my vote," Stoops said. "I try to look at both sides of the issues and what they're trying to offer and I try to make a wise decision."

Paul Ozanich of Traverse City said his background reads like that of a prototypical Republican.

But, the veteran who served in the Army is far from joining the Grand Old Party.

"Pretty much everything the Republicans are doing to get people to vote for them is scare tactics," he said.

The "longtime Democrat" took a break from reading a newspaper as he discussed the election year.

Ozanich thinks the most critical race he'll vote on this year is the run for the governor. The economy and jobs are important state issues, Ozanich said. But that's not the only topic that should frame this campaign.

He disagrees with DeVos on a number of issues important to him, among them: Abortion, stem cell research, charter schools and the Republican's approach to the single business tax.

"As far as state politics, I think anyone who votes for Dick DeVos is doing a disservice," Ozanich said.

Granholm isn't to blame for the state's economy, he said. The governor balanced the budget, and a DeVos administration would echo that of former Gov. John Engler — an era in Michigan politics that Ozanich doesn't want to revisit.

His dissatisfaction with the Bush administration colors his view on the current political climate. Ozanich believes he was misled about the reasons to go to war in Iraq, and criticized the president for not meeting with the heads of the Big Three automakers before the election. Republican campaign messages that center on terrorism don't hold water with him.

"I am hoping more people will see through that," he said.

North Central Michigan College student Christy Germain registered to vote just last month and will cast her first ballot Tuesday.

"We have the ability to do it (at age 18), so I wanted to do it," Germain said before heading to a class on NCMC's Petoskey campus. Her first vote likely will go to Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

"I'm leaning towards Granholm," she said. "DeVos, he just wants to cut taxes for himself. I don't think that's right."

Another first-time voter, Elizabeth Griffin, is likely to cancel out Germain's vote.

"Personally, I don't like our current governor," the 18-year-old nursing student said, adding that she'll vote for DeVos.

"I think he's got good ideas to get the economy moving in the right direction," she said.

Drew Oliver, an 18-year-old student at NCMC, said the statewide ballot proposals will draw him to the polls on Tuesday, specifically Proposals 2 and 5, which deal with affirmative action and education funding, respectively.

"These amendments are a very big deal," Oliver said.

He said he supports Proposal 2, which seeks to prohibit public institutions, including universities, from considering race in their hiring or admissions process. In the university admissions process, Oliver said, color should not be a factor.

"If you set it up on an economic basis, and not a racial basis, it makes more sense," he said. "That way, everybody who needs it gets help."

Oliver plans to vote against the Proposal 5, which would guarantee higher education funding at the expense of the general state budget.

The proposal doesn't include enough information, he said, on where the money would come from and where it's going.

"It's not specific to who is getting the money," Oliver said. "I think schools already waste a lot of money."

What would win Cheryl McKeen's vote is a plan to make schools safer and housing more affordable.

The Beulah resident works in the health care industry and stopped by the mall on a recent trip to Traverse City. McKeen plans to vote but doesn't know if she'll cast a ballot for Granholm or for DeVos.

"I'm totally independent," she said.

And so far, neither gubernatorial candidate has relayed a message that has swayed her to his or her side. She emphasized the need for better safety programs in schools, in the wake of school shootings around the nation. Public safety and community disaster preparedness also need to be addressed for Michigan sites like the Mackinac Bridge, she said.

"Safety is a big thing," McKeen said.

And McKeen said more affordable housing programs are needed.

She expects to make her decision at the "last minute" and said she won't be influenced by campaign ads. What matters to her is "what I see with my own eyes, more than what I hear with my ears," she said.

Connie Houghton and Kennetha Barnes try not to let political talk get in the way of knitting.

They are among several knitters who meet some Tuesday evenings at Horizon Books in downtown Cadillac.

The women said they will be happy when the election is over because they're weary of negative ads on TV and calls from campaigns at home.

"All negative. Except for Dave Camp. That's the only one I have heard say anything positive," Houghton said.

Barnes said she receives so many calls from people on behalf of candidates or automated "robo-calls," she doesn't answer them anymore.

"I have two dogs and they start hollering every time the phone rings," Barnes said.

Asked what she thinks is important, Barnes said "the schools, and I don't think they should kill all the doves, either. ... I don't like all that garbage from Canada coming in, it's ridiculous when we don't have enough room for our own."

Barnes also wonders about the millions DeVos has spent from his fortune to become governor.

"They said a month ago he spent $20 million. That would help a lot of poor people," she said.

In the span of about half a block, Republicans and Democrats each have offices on River Street in downtown Manistee, offices patiently staffed by grass roots volunteers and filled with yard signs and bumper stickers waiting to be picked up.

"I think the Republicans have a solid base, because their office is not open on a regular basis, but they must have a behind-the-scenes (operation) because there's a ton of signs" out in the community, said Ellen Somsel, a volunteer at the Democrat's office.

She was busy on a recent Friday evening attempting to recruit election day callers and poll watchers. The callers telephone people likely to vote Democrat to remind them to get out to vote on election day. The poll watchers make sure rules are followed at the polls and observe ballot counting.

"It's just to make sure that the system is working the way it's supposed to," Somsel said.

Somsel said she recruited around a dozen volunteers that day.

Nan Nielsen, another Democratic volunteer, said she is frustrated by how few young people get involved. Her daughter recently sat in front of the office with a guitar, singing songs and attempting to lure other young people to volunteer for the Democrats.

"I just can't believe how indifferent (young voters are). There's just a lack of interest, it's really frustrating," Nielsen said. "I don't know how to fix it, but I do know we've got to get them involved. This is part of it."

A more positive sentiment existed a few doors down at the Republican office, at least on the subject of the involvement of young people.

Volunteer Vern Robinson said a group of students recently volunteered to make calls and conduct a survey on behalf of DeVos.

"It's very encouraging to me to see our young people take an interest, not only take an interest, but get involved," Robinson said.

Charlotte Jessen, another Republican volunteer, said she'll be glad when the election is over because she is tired of the negativity. She said she wished people of different parties could get along better.

"There's a lot of areas where I think there's overlap, there could be, but people just won't talk," Jessen said.

Jessen said in particular she doesn't like the tone of many television ads. She mentioned an ad from an independent soft money group that goes after Republican state Rep. Dave Palsrok.

"They don't tell you really what he's for. They tell you he's for the big drug companies and he wants little people to suffer, but that's not what he's doing," Jessen said. "What he's really working on is cutting down the trial lawyers."

Robinson said he believes Republicans will do well this year, despite lots of discussion by pundits about big, nationwide gains for Democrats.

"I think it's going quite well. I don't necessarily believe in all the polls," Robinson said.