Snyder, Schuette, Johnson share political visions with farmers
Candidate trio engages agriculture industry at 2010 Elections Conference
Contact: Matt Kapp (800) 292-2680, ext. 2027
LANSING, Sept.. 3, 2010 - Farmers had a chance to hear from candidates running for Michigan's top offices at the 2010 Agricultural Elections Conference and Candidate Forum, held Sept. 1 in Lansing and sponsored by the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) and GreenStone Farm Credit Services with support from more than 20 agricultural organizations.
Highlighted below are some of the platform issues that the candidates shared with more than 250 people in attendance, along with their answers to some of the questions posed by the audience. The event was Webcast live and the recorded Webcast is available online to watch the presentations in their entirety.
Both Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, state attorney general, and secretary of state were invited.
All three Republican candidates participated: gubernatorial hopeful Rick Snyder and his lt. governor running mate Brian Calley, attorney general hopeful Bill Schuette, and secretary of state candidate Ruth Johnson. Robert Young, the incumbent candidate for Michigan Supreme Court Justice, also participated.
Democratic attorney general candidate David Leyton had planned to attend but had a schedule conflict due to his position as Genesee County prosecuting attorney. Democratic secretary of state candidate Jocelyn Benson's campaign had expressed interest but did not commit. Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Virg Bernero's campaign did not respond to multiple invitations and outreach efforts by several event partners, but Bernero has completed a questionnaire for MFB's political action committee AgriPac, available online at MFB elections.
AgriPac, which is non-partisan, won't announce its endorsements for the Nov. 2 general election until after AgriPac meets on Sept. 14. In making its endorsements for the 2010 general election, AgriPac will take candidates' presentations at the Agricultural Elections Conference and Candidate Forum into consideration, along with candidate questionnaires, voting records of incumbents, and recommendations from county Farm Bureaus, placing a high emphasis on the local recommendations of county Farm Bureau-appointed candidate evaluation committees.
Rick Snyder
Government reform and recognition of the significant contributions of Michigan's agriculture industry were centerpieces of Snyder's address.
"The (Michigan) Department of Agriculture (MDA) has gotten shortchanged. That's one of the critical issues that doesn't get talked about enough. You are the successful industry in Michigan. At the same time, you're suffering through budget cutbacks that are being applied across the board. That's wrong," Snyder told the crowd. "We need to invest dollars where they make huge positive impact. We need to ensure the safety of our food supply and we need to have it so you have inspections when you need them to sell your product."
"You're among the most innovative people in the world," Snyder later said of his respect for modern agricultural technology and innovation and future agriculture-related career opportunities for Michigan young people, adding that he'd like to expand Michigan's food processing sector.
"Once you've grown those crops how can we keep them in Michigan and process them further, add value, and be successful. That's good economic development," he told attendees.
Snyder called Michigan's current budget process a "failed system" that leads to people "arguing about who wins and loses the marginal dollars." If elected, his administration would implement what he calls a "value-for-money budget."
"It's about having a budget that's focused on outcomes and results, not spending and activities," he explained. "... When we ask you for a dollar of revenue, we need to show you value for money, not simply taking your money and making you feel like you dropped that check in the fireplace. We need to show you results and outcomes that are meaningful and measurable, that positively impact real people."
Asked specifically about 86 percent of Michigan's general fund supporting the departments of Human Services, Corrections and Education, Snyder replied that he's "looking hard at fundamentally restructuring all of government," and said those three particular departments would be examined for efficiencies early in his term as governor.
"I want government to move from a series of being departments based on functions solely to much more activities and outcomes," he said.
On the issue of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's executive order last year shifting the power to hire and manage the MDA director from the Michigan Commission of Agriculture to the governor's office, Snyder said overturning that decision is "not highest on his list" but could be part of his restructuring plan after he's had an opportunity to consult with industry stakeholders.
"The main thing is you should know you have a governor who appreciates the industry and who wants to build industry ties and relationships," he said.
Snyder was also asked about his feelings toward animal agriculture and environmental stewardship in light of extremist organizations' criticisms of modern agriculture to which he replied, "Those groups need to back off and understand the right answers are scientific-based approaches using generally accepted agriculture and management practices. That's the right way we should be doing things in our state."
He went on to speak out against burdensome over-regulation and "old, broken" bureaucratic forms of government saying, "Once the rules are established, once you know you have best practice, you have generally accepted practices that are best in country and best in class, people should be able to operate. That's the approach of how do you help people succeed if they're complying and when they're complying with the rules instead of penalizing people or stopping activity."
Bill Schuette
Schuette vowed to use his experience as a past MDA director and U.S. Congressman to be "on duty" for Michigan's agriculture industry if elected state attorney general.
"I understand that Michigan agriculture is a huge, important economic cog in part of Michigan's economy and we need to unleash it," Schuette told attendees.
Schuette said one of the biggest hindrances to agricultural growth is burdensome over-regulation as is happening in California where restrictive regulations are threatening the state's agriculture industry, particularly its livestock and poultry sectors. "(I'm) not going to California-ize Michigan," he said.
"As your next attorney general I'm going to protect the farms and families of Michigan and send a big message out there that if you spill a jug of milk in your farm yard you don't need a containment holding pen where milk is spilled on the ground," Schuette continued, referring to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that would require dairy farmers to develop oil spill prevention plans for their on-farm bulk milk storage.
"Fact is animal agriculture is important to the future," said Schuette, adding that he's the first to recognize the proactive steps farmers take to protect the environment.
"Farmers are the first stewards and the first conservationists. I know that...I'm going to stand with you every way," he said.
Schuette said he would also help farmers through his push for a "fairer, smaller and lower" tax rate and the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax.
His plan for downsized state government also calls for reforming state Department of Corrections spending, including competitively outsourcing services and modeling business practices after other states that spend considerably less on prisoners than Michigan.
When asked what he would do to support and strengthen Michigan's Right to Farm Act, Schuette pledged to seek guidance from the agricultural community and learn what farmers need to maintain a viable production agriculture industry in Michigan.
Ruth Johnson
Johnson said her successes as Oakland County clerk/register of deeds combined with her experience as a state representative who worked on agricultural issues including those related to codifying food law and preserving private property rights makes her uniquely qualified to run the Department of State and earn the support of Michigan's farm community.
A large part of Johnson's platform centers on opposing new fees and fines which she describes as taxes in disguise.
"A few years ago the Legislature voted for the largest fee, fine and taxes in the history of the Secretary of State office. Was it to help run the Secretary of State office better? Was it for technology? No. It was to try to take care of the shortfall in the general fund loan and that's something we all have to stand together and fight no matter what it is because it hurts families and it hurts businesses," she told the crowd.
If elected, Johnson would work to cut department costs through a variety of means including expanding technology, privatizing services wherever possible and networking with other public entities such as libraries and county clerk offices to reduce brick-and-mortar office expenses.
Johnson said she's also committed to protecting the "integrity of the elections process." "I think we can make voting more convenient but at the same time much more secure," she said.
Specifically, Johnson would require residents to show an ID when they register to vote and go to the polls. Johnson also supports issuing a different style driver's license to individuals who are in the state legally on work permits and Visas but don't have the right to vote.
"I don't think profiling would happen because you have a driver's license that says you're here legally. You have a right to be here. We want you here. But you can't vote with that driver's license," she said.
When asked about federal Department of Transportation ID requirements for farm trucks, Johnson said she favors "less paperwork and less expenses" for operators. To weigh in on requiring permanent trailer plates, Johnson said she needed more information but recognized there are pros and cons. Johnson is a proponent of offering more specialty fundraising license plates like the Agricultural Heritage plate which helps support agriculture educational programs for grades K-12.
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Editor's note: Photos of Rick Snyder, Bill Schuette and Ruth Johnson from the 2010 Agricultural Elections Conference and Candidate Forum are available for download online at the elections photo gallery.
