SAGINAW, MI — A group of Saginaw County-area Democrats joined together at Saginaw's Savoy Bar and Grill to endorse Michigan gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer.
Michael Hanley, chairman of the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners, said he met Schauer in 1996 on the former congressman's first campaign for state representative.
"I can't tell you what a strong leader Mark has been since the very beginning," said Hanley at the event Monday, Feb. 24. "He certainly has a great wealth of experience. One thing he has carried with him throughout that entire experience is a strong support for working people."
Schauer pledged to, if elected, provide leadership that will have a positive result for communities like those in Saginaw County.
"The story in Saginaw County is really the story of Michigan," Schauer said. "Communities, particularly schools, have been hit hard by the failed policies of cutting funding for education and systematically privatizing education in Michigan."
Gov. Rick Snyder, elected to a four-year term as Michigan's 48th governor in November 2010, officially announced his bid for reelection in a whirlwind tour to six Michigan cities, including Frankenmuth, earlier this month.
Others joining Hanley in endorsing Schauer on Monday included:
- U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township
- State Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes, D-Saginaw
- Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel
- Saginaw County Treasurer Tim Novak
- Saginaw County Public Works Commissioner Brian Wendling
- Saginaw County Commissioners Cheryl Hadsall, Katie Greenfelder, Sue McInerney, Carl Ruth, Chuck Stack and Robert "Moe" Woods
- Saginaw Township Supervisor Timothy Braun
- Saginaw Township Trustee Mark Gorney
- Buena Vista Township Supervisor Dwayne Parker
- Bridgeport Township Supervisor August "Augie" Tausend
Kildee said Schauer has been a "champion for the middle class," citing his fight at the federal level to support the auto manufacturing industry.
"We cannot have another four years of an out-of-touch millionaire who rewards his friend at the expense of working middle-class Michiganders," Kildee said.
Schauer joined Kildee in criticizing the policies of incumbent Snyder, who bills himself as "one tough nerd."
"A nerd should know, you don't build a strong economy by cutting a billion dollars from public education," Schauer said. "You don't build a strong economy by cutting critical funding to our local communities."
He said he would pursue investments of state funds in both Michigan's education system and local governments, making the state's communities an attractive place for potential business investment and residents.
"The state needs to recommit to a real partnership with local communities," Schauer said. "And that means revenue sharing. We're not going to have a healthy economy until we have a healthy community."
Oakes said Schauer's "calm voice with a strong message" is the right one for the state.
"We can make him the next governor," she said.
Oakes added that Schauer has been a powerful voice on issues that directly impact women in Michigan.
"He's been there, he's spoken up, and we need to make sure we have someone as a governor who will speak up on behalf of women and women's issues, and that is Mark Schauer," she said.
Federspiel said he is a strong supporter of Schauer because he believes the candidate has "done his homework" to find out what the area needs in terms of support for its public safety efforts.
"As sheriff of the county, I feel very good about supporting Mark for governor to help us get our community back," he said.
Schauer acknowledged that, under Snyder, the number of state troopers dedicated to the city of Saginaw has increased. But he said real, proactive, engaged policing efforts are best served by properly-funded local governments.
"The governor does deserve some credit for deploying the state police," Schauer said. "But that's not the same as local communities having the resources to have police officers and firefighters that come from and live in those communities."
Schauer also pointed to Snyder's failure to secure funding for improvements to Michigan's transportation network, saying he would provide strong leadership and work with state lawmakers to find a compromise on the issue.
"This governor has completely failed on his ability to address our pothole problem," he said. "This is a legislature of his own party, and he's gotten nowhere in addressing our infrastructure problems. I've never seen our infrastructure in worse condition."
Schauer, a native of Howell, was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1996 and represented the Battle Creek area's 62nd District until he was elected to the State Senate in 2002.
He ran for Congress in 2008, defeating former U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. Two years later, Schauer was defeated by Walberg, who retook his congressional seat in 2010.
Schauer also stopped at the Saginaw County Democratic Party's fall banquet in October to speak with local party members.