My letter to The Pioneer: BOB LOESCH: Political debates matter Posted by Pioneer Staff on October 29th, 2014 To the editor: Maybe you had the good fortune, as I did, to learn about the American political process by studying the Nixon and Kennedy debates and the debates between Steven Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Maybe you know that the ancient Romans, Cicero and Caesar, engaged in fierce political debate. Candidate debates have been a fundamental part of our politics from the beginnings of democracy, and the winner is always the same—the voting public. So I was thrilled to learn last May that the Ferris State University Political Engagement Project had invited the candidates for the 33rd Michigan Senate race and the 102nd Michigan House race to a town hall style debate to be held five months hence. A staffer for Senate incumbent, Judy Emmons, Vice Chair of the Senate Education Committee, was first to acknowledge the invitation. Her opponent Fred Sprague promptly accepted. Shortly thereafter House Representative, Phil Potvin, and challenger, John Ruggles, accepted. I was sure the students were in for a memorable learning experience. I expected too much. Sen Emmons dithered away the months until late in September when her staffer announced a scheduling conflict. It’s pitiful and utterly unacceptable. The same week, though somewhat less disappointing, Mr. Potvin’s staff person emailed that the representative would participate only for a half hour, since he too suddenly had a scheduling conflict. Despite all their high-handed talk about the importance of education to the future of our state, participating in an educational event for students, just couldn’t be worked in to the schedules of our incumbent legislators—not even with five months lead time. I’ve been told that some students from other counties were paired with our students to help them learn about American democracy. What a lesson they’re getting. Elected officials who are paid more than $70,000 a year, provided with insurance, retirement and pensions by the taxpayers, and who are given a professional staff, owe it to their constituencies, and in this case, their students, to publicly discuss their voting records and answer questions from the media. Bob Loesch Big Rapids
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:57:32 +0000
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