A handful of candidates hoping for Primary Election victories in two positions up for grabs on August 8 discussed important issues at Orion Township Hall, during a Candidates Night Forum on July 21.
The forum was put on by the North Area Citizens Conference, in conjunction with Orion Neighborhood Television (which broadcast the event live and will rebroadcast it leading up to the election).
Three candidates running for the 46th district state representative position answered questions from moderator Jim Milford and an audience of about 25 for an hour.
They were followed by two candidates running for county commissioner, who also answered questions for an hour.
All five of the candidates present are running on the Republican ticket. Democrat state representative candidate Bill Pearson and Democrat county commissioner candidate Katie Zielinski are running unopposed in the Primary.
Incumbent Republican State Representative James Marleau, and challengers Dan Myslakowski and Thomas Poulin, each gave opening statements before taking questions on a variety of topics, ranging from the economy to transportation and water quality.
Each candidate had a different approach to dealing with the issues.
‘Obviously our economy is in dire need,? Poulin said, noting that government needs to get out of the way.
Poulin would be in favor of things such as streamlining schools? administrative costs ‘before throwing more money to address a need.? He said that constant spending doesn’t solve every problem, and that master plans must be maintained by local governing bodies.
Myslakowski encouraged the audience to re-elect the current representatives if they were happy with the past two years.
He noted that he was endorsed by the Sierra Club and said that Michigan must do a better job of nurturing its valuable water supply, which accounts for 20 percent of the world’s fresh water.
‘I think I can work with both sides of the aisle on any issue,? he said in his closing remarks.
Marleau said education is one of his top priorities, and that the state is lagging behind.
He also talked about road issues, noting that Oakland County has 50 percent of Michigan’s new jobs and its residents must be able to get to work.
‘Together, we can keep Oakland County the number one county in Michigan,? he said in closing.
After a short break, incumbent Republic County Commissioner Eric Wilson and challenger Michael Gingell took center stage in a question and answer session that was decidedly more heated.
This was due, in part, to more direct questioning from the audience, that included questions about the Eagle Valley Landfill, voting and attendance records, and the compensation received by commissioners.
More personal questions ranging from their views on the governor’s race to what kind of cars they own were also asked.
‘I think there are definite differences between the two of us,? Gingell said.
With regards to the Gingellville Community Center issue, the challenger said he hasn’t given ‘hot air? to those involved.
‘Right now, there are just not a lot of options,? he said.
Gingell also said the current traffic situation is a ‘mess,? and what is being done to address it is ‘not enough.?
Wilson said his track record as commissioner speaks for itself, and called himself a ‘can-do-person.?
He said the signatures he got in support of repealing the Single Business Tax reflect that.
‘Orion Township needs help in creating jobs,? he said. ‘You have to take action, you can’t just talk about it.?
Milford said the forums have been taking place for over 20 years, and their success was based on the impartiality of the questions being asked.
‘I thought the audience participation was exceptional,? he said, noting that he had a long list of questions that he didn’t get a chance to ask.
‘We believe that a well-informed public is vital,? Milford added.
The two-hour ONTV program (Channel 10), will air on July 30 and Aug. 6, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day.
The election will be held on Aug. 8, and Orion Township Clerk Jill Bastian said sample ballots should arrive to homes by the end of next week.
Bastian stressed that the ballots are only a sample of a much larger ballot meant to give the voter an idea of what they will see in the booth.