Pubdate: Wed, 29 Oct 2008
Source: Saginaw News (MI)
Copyright: 2008 The Saginaw News
Contact: http://www.mlive.com/mailforms/sanews/letters/index.ssf/
Website: http://www.mlive.com/saginawnews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/377
Author: Barrie Barber
Cited: Proposal 1 http://stoparrestingpatients.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

HOPEFULS DRAW LINES IN SAND

Bill Federspiel wants Saginaw County's top law enforcement job, but 
he backs a ballot issue to make legal what's illegal now: The 
medicinal use of marijuana.

Federspiel, a Saginaw Democrat, said while he doesn't favor 
legalizing marijuana in a "free for all" that would lead to 
recreational use, he sees a role for the drug under a medically 
prescribed treatment to ease the suffering of the terminally ill.

"If it's for medicinal purposes, absolutely, I support it," he said.

Proposal 1, which voters will decide Tuesday, would allow the use and 
cultivation of marijuana to treat certain medical conditions if a 
patient had a permit from a physician and registers with the state.

Federspiel made the remark Tuesday responding to a question about the 
proposal at a candidate forum inside a room full of dozens of 
spectators and other federal, state, county and township candidates 
at Carrollton Middle School. They attended the Carrollton Community 
Education General Election Voter Information Night.

The forum, with audience-generated questions, quizzed political 
hopefuls on topics as diverse as the $700 billion taxpayer-funded 
Wall Street bailout to providing health care coverage to the under-or 
uninsured.

St. Charles Republican Kevin Campbell, a retired deputy who opposes 
Federspiel in Tuesday's election, questioned how the state would 
enforce Proposal 1 if it became law. In an interview, he said he opposed it.

His pick for undersheriff, Dennis McMahan, a former undercover police 
office who investigated drug crimes, was outspoken in his opposition 
to what he referred to a gateway drug.

"If you want to protect your kids ... you need to step away from 
Proposal 1," he said. "And I'm going to tell you, I've seen the dead 
bodies and I've seen the people hurt because I spent nine years of my 
life working undercover, and it is not a pleasant sight."

If elected, Federspiel said he would eliminate up to 15 unmarked, 
personally assigned vehicles to staff members at the sheriff's 
department, relocate administrative sergeants to substations 
throughout the county to back up deputies and interact with the 
public more, and reduce taxpayer cost of food service at the jail. He 
said he will choose a local person as his undersheriff but has not 
decided who to pick. Campbell also touted his support for substations 
and an open door to the public.

State House

Meanwhile, state House 98th District candidates James N. Stamas, a 
Midland Township Republican, and Garnet Lewis, a Tittabawassee 
Township Democrat, split over Proposal 1. Stamas said he opposed the 
medical use of marijuana, while Lewis supported the proposal.

On the state budget, Lewis and Stamas said the state must prioritize 
what it wants to pay for. Stamas said education ranks highest on his 
list. Lewis said surveys historically show education, health care and 
infrastructure are most important to residents.

Both also supported a persons' right to a concealed weapon permit, 
but Lewis said a ban should exist on where guns are carried, such as 
schools or churches and synagogues. Stamas said restrictions exist. 
However, the state does allow exceptions to those restrictions.

Congress

Saginaw Township Democrat Andrew D. Concannon, a lawyer running for 
Congress, clashed with Eric Friedman, a deputy chief of staff for 
U.S. Rep. Dave Camp. The Midland Republican didn't attend the forum 
and was in Washington, D.C., for a special meeting of the House Ways 
and Means Committee today, his staff said.

Friedman said Camp has campaigned to, among other issues, lower the 
cost of energy, reform health care, invest in worker training and 
reduce taxes to help people earn more and save for retirement. 
Concannon portrayed Camp's voting record as a sign of loyalty to big business.

"I don't think you invest in your workers by voting for CAFTA and 
every free trade agreement that goes by your desk," Concannon said. 
"He votes for (alternative energy) tax credits only if it doesn't 
compete with Big Oil. He's voted time and time against prescription 
drug (price) negotiations for senior citizens. Why? Because the 
pharmaceutical companies didn't want it. He voted against Medicare 
increases. Why? Because the private insurance companies funding 
Medicare advantage didn't want it. Rhetoric is one thing, but he's 
not gotten results."

Friedman called the claims "baloney." He added that Camp voted for 
tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles. The Central American Free 
Trade Agreement eliminated tariffs against U.S. agricultural goods, he added.

The staffer also pointed to a campaign finance violation complaint 
the state party filed against Concannon last April with the Federal 
Election Commission. The complaint alleged in part "Friends of Andrew 
Concannon" wasn't registered under the Federal Election Campaign Act. 
Concannon had another committee called "Concannon for Congress," 
which was united under the same articles of incorporation, the 
candidate has said.

Concannon said Camp, through the state party, has tried to trip the 
Democrat on a "hypertechnicality" that the FEC has found "benign." He 
said his campaign is in compliance and predicted the federal 
government will dismiss the complaint.

U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee, a Flint Democrat who represents Saginaw, 
appeared but his opponents didn't in his race for re-election to the 
U.S. House 5th District didn't. He faces Republican Matt Sawicki, 
Libertarian Leonard Schwartz and Green Party candidate Ken Mathenia.

Kildee reiterated his long time opposition to free trade agreements 
such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and CAFTA, which he 
said have contributed to job losses, lower wages for U.S. workers and 
have threatened to flood the market with imported sugar.

WNEM, Channel 5 news anchors Sam Merrill and Katie O'Mara moderated 
the gathering. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake