10/25/2006

35th Senate District: McManus vs. Schippers

By Brian Mcgillivary

bmcgillivary@record-eagle.com

Schippers

McManus

TRAVERSE CITY — An elementary school music teacher who embraces ethnic diversity in northern Michigan will face off in the Nov. 7 election with a career politician who wants to constitutionally ban any hint of affirmative action in the state.

"I'm against preferential treatment," said State Sen. Michelle McManus, R-Lake Leelanau, who supports a state ballot proposal to ban programs that give preferential treatment based on race, gender, color, ethnicity or national origin.

McManus' Democratic opponent, Cadillac resident Antoinette Schippers, said it's essential to allow schools to give some consideration to people's background.

"When you have a diverse community it helps everybody and makes it a richer experience," she said.

The two candidates are hoping to represent the sprawling, 11-county 35th state Senate District that includes Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee and Kalkaska counties.

Schippers, 51, has been a teacher for 26 years and a community activist for just as long. She founded the Cadillac United Leadership Task Force to promote diversity after the city of Cadillac presented a commemorative plaque to an area Nazi group. She also helped start the area's first recycling programs and a homeless shelter.

"I've always taught my children if you are able to serve, you are obligated to serve," she said.

McManus, 40, is seeking her second four-year term. She previously spent six years in the state House and worked as former Gov. John Engler's representative.

Both candidates said the economy is voters' top concern.

"It's the economy, hands down, and everything else derives from that," Schippers said.

McManus said replacement of the single business tax will be a key component in the state's economic recovery, but she isn't yet supporting any proposal.

"I don't want to close the door on anything," she said. "At this point I'm interested in anything that is a fair, reasonable, and equitable business tax."

Schippers said the state needs to encourage more entrepreneurship and should start with a renewable energy renaissance zone in the 35th District to attract ethanol plants. She said the state should encourage the conversion of fruit processing waste, with its high sugar content, into ethanol.

"The fruit processors could then sell the waste instead of paying someone to haul it away," she said. "We can make this area the new Saudi Arabia."

Schippers joins McManus in opposition to a state ballot proposal to increase education funding by $565 million and require annual increases equal to the rate of inflation.

McManus said the proposal would "blow the state budget apart."

Schippers said it will hurt schools by "sucking funds from other services that also help kids and families" and contends it will increase the gap between higher- and lower-funded schools.

Schippers wants to address the wide funding gap between school districts by freezing the top 10 percent of districts with the highest per pupil funding and start bringing up the lower districts. She also wants to tinker with foundation grants to provide more money for busing in large rural districts.

McManus said she wants to work on campaign finance reform. She co-sponsored legislation to require more frequent and detailed public disclosure of campaign finances and also wants to draft legislation that will require full public disclosure of state political funds known as 527 accounts.

The Internal Revenue Service requires disclosure of federal 527 accounts, but exempts 527 accounts used by state and local office holders.

Currently those accounts can be kept completely secret. State Sen. Jason Allen of Traverse City is the lone politician in northern Michigan to maintain secret accounts. State politicians such as Allen can use the accounts to accept unlimited donations from corporations, unions, casino interests and others that are banned from giving to political accounts.