Candidates' Forum

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastside Republican Club"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B> </B></FONT><B>  | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Eastside Republican Club</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Candidates' Forum</B></div> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Congressional District News</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_testimonials.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Theyre Saying About Us"><U><I><B>Read what they've said about us</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="top_of_page"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I><U>Candidates Come to Eastside, Answer Audience Questions</U></I></div> <div> <B>2008 ERC Candidates' Forum Held at War Memorial</B></div> <div> The Eastside Republican Club conducted an October 21 candidates' forum at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.</div> <div> Thomas R. McCleary, Jr., vice chairman of the Club, moderated. “As an added attraction, we also invited all five of the nonpartisan School Board candidates to address the Forum,” he said.</div> <div> McCleary noted, “This is only the second election where School Board candidates will be on the November ballot, making it a great opportunity to find out the qualifications of the candidates who have not had the publicity their position deserves.”</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="159" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 224 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="178e96cd0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="205" ALT="Edward J. Gubics -- U.S. Congress, 13th District" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 205 ><NOBR><div> <I><IMG SRC="177e96b70.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="183" ALT="Eric M. Turin -- County Commissioner, 1st District" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 211 ><NOBR><div> <I><IMG SRC="178296bf0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="191" ALT="Richard Zeile -- State Board of Education" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 223 ><NOBR><div> <B><IMG SRC="178696ca0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="202" ALT="Darryl J. Miller -- GP School District Board" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 232 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="178b96d50.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="213" ALT="Judy Gafa -- GP School District Board" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> A total of 10 candidates participated, including four candidates in the nonpartisan Grosse Pointe public school board contest. They are competing for two school board positions.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="159" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 214 ><NOBR><div> <I><IMG SRC="177c96bd0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="189" ALT="Mary Treder Lang -- State Representative, 1st District" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 217 ><NOBR><div> <I><IMG SRC="178096c50.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="197" ALT="John G. LaFond -- Univ. of Michigan Regent" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 253 ><NOBR><div> <I><IMG SRC="178496e20.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="226" ALT="Taras P. Nykoriak - - Wayne County Sheriff" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 238 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="178896d70.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="215" ALT="Chris Cornwall -- GP School District Board" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 225 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="178d96c50.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="197" ALT="Ahmed Ismail -- GP School District Board" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Edward J. Gubics -- U.S. Congress, 13</B><B>th</B><B> District</B></div> <div> Summarizing his conservative perspective, Gubics said, “I believe that you can make better decisions for yourself and your family than the government does!”</div> <div> About the incumbent representative's level of experience, Gubics asked, “What good is experience if you are doing things the wrong way?” As an alternative, he said he offers character and conviction. >><I>More here </I><A HREF="http://www.edwardgubics.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.edwardgubics.com/"><U><I>www.edwardgubics.com/</I></U></A></div> <div> <B>Mary Treder Lang -- State Representative, 1st District</B></div> <div> By cutting wasteful State spending, Lange promised, “We'll keep more of our money in our pockets.” She is spreading her message in door-to-door campaigning.</div> <div> In answer to an audience question about the hundreds of thousands of dollars from Kalamazoo Democrat <A HREF="http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=29215" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml"><U>Jon Stryker</U></A> being funneled into her opponent's campaign, she challenged her opponent to “come clean on his dirty campaign.” >><I>More here </I><A HREF="http://www.mary4house.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mary4house.com/"><U><I>www.mary4house.com/</I></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Eric M. Turin -- County Commissioner, 1st District</B></div> <div> Turn promised an energetic fight for the interests of the eastside communities in District 1. >><I>More here </I><A HREF="http://eturin.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://eturin.org/"><U><I>eturin.org/</I></U></A></div> <div> <B>John G. LaFond -- Univ. of Michigan Regent</B></div> <div> LaFond cited wasteful spending, inefficiency, and lack of accountability at the University. He also pointed to the lack of leadership on the Board of Regents.</div> <div> He promised to use his experience and passion on behalf of students, families and the taxpayers. >><I>More here </I><A HREF="http://jglafond.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://jglafond.com/"><U><I>jglafond.com/</I></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Richard Zeile -- State Board of Education</B></div> <div> Zeile pledged to “bring common sense to education in Michigan.”</div> <div> As an example, he said, “The more policies, the less likely they are to be followed!” Instead, he stated, good policy must be used to influence such areas as school culture, especially when achievement is not hindered by ability but stifled by a lack of motivation. >><I>More here </I><A HREF="http://drzeile.net/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://drzeile.net/"><U><I>drzeile.net/</I></U></A></div> <div> <B>Taras P. Nykoriak - - Wayne County Sheriff</B></div> <div> Nykoriak, of Hamtramck, promised to run a more efficient law enforcement operation by “cutting from the top,” instead of adding layers of administration at the expense of officers in the field. >><I>More here </I><A HREF="http://nykoriak.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://nykoriak.org/"><U><I>nykoriak.org/</I></U></A></div> <div> <B>NONPARTISAN CANDIDATES</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Darryl J. Miller -- GP School District Board</B></div> <div> Miller pledged to use his finance background to pursue other efficiencies before considering outsourcing public school tasks. He suggested voters also support Judy Gafa.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#555555" FACE="Arial" ><B>Terrill Newnan -- GP School District Board</B></FONT><B> </B>[Not pictured.]</div> <div> Did not attend.</div> <div> <B>Chris Cornwall -- GP School District Board</B></div> <div> “I have the right skill set,” declared Cornwall, an attorney and business law specialist.</div> <div> He promised to be an independent voice accountable to taxpayers, while also listening to input from the public school administration and teacher representatives.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Judy Gafa -- GP School District Board</B></div> <div> Gafa cited her volunteer duties in various public school settings and her efforts to prevent outsourcing of such tasks as custodial services. She suggested voters also support Darryl Miller.</div> <div> <B>Ahmed Ismail -- GP School District Board</B></div> <div> Ismail is the only incumbent on the ballot. He commented on the value of teamwork among the seven board members. Ismail is a strong supporter of the fine arts curriculum.</div> <div> Because of his expertise, Ismail has been enlisted to provide instruction to other public school board members from throughout Michigan.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#555555" FACE="Arial" ><B>Richard Cunningham -- Judge of 3rd Circuit Court</B></FONT><B> </B>[Not pictured.]</div> <div> Cunningham was unable to attend, but attorney and ERC member John Stempfle spoke on his behalf. He explained that Cunningham has previous experience as judge. He commended Cunningham's intellect as an attorney. Cunningham is endorsed by the ERC. >><I>More here </I><A HREF="http://www.cunningham4judge.com/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cunningham4judge.com/index.ht"><U><I>www.cunningham4judge.com/index.htm</I></U></A></div> <div> The Eastside Republican Club Forum is held on the third Tuesday of every month from September through June at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. Admission to the Forum is free and the public is always welcome.</div> <div> For more information about Eastside Republican Club programs, <A HREF="mailto:webmaster@eastside-republican-club.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:"><U>contact us</U></A>.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="6" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="709" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD > <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 65 WIDTH="695"><div> <I><B>View Your Michigan Sample Ballot Now!</B></I></div> <div> The Michigan Voter Information Center provides an assortment of information related to voter registration and election administration in Michigan, including an advanced look at a sample of your local ballot. >><A HREF="http://www.mi.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633-49313--,00.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mi.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633-"><U><I>U</I></U></A><A HREF="http://www.mi.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633-49313--,00.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mi.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633-"><U><I>se one of two search options for registration information or to view a sample ballot</I></U></A>.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Candidates Forum"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>