2018 Kent County Candidate Forum on the Environment

 candidate forum 2018

Sierra Club Greater Grand Rapid's Karl Butterer wanted to bring a candidate forum to the area, and in collaboration with others from Sierra Club and 4 other sponsoring groups, that goal came to life in the 2018 Kent County Candidate Forum on the Environment.  Over 100 people attended this voter educational event, hosted by Former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, and moderated by two former Michigan legislators. 

Below is an excellent summary of the event, from West Michigan Environmental Actions' Blog:


Water Pollution, Inclusivity Emphasized At Congressional Candidate Forum July 18, 2018

 

by: Ericka Popovich

Written by: Beau Brockett Jr.

Eight candidates for the Michigan legislature outlined their solutions to environmental problems to a packed conference room at June 28’s Kent County Candidate Forum on the Environment. Clean waterand environmental justice became the two top talking points.

The event was organized by WMEAC, Citizens Climate Lobby, Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids, Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimitedand Sierra Club. The Dominican Sisters hosted the forum at their Marygrove campus. Former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell hosted the event and former Michigan legislators Chris Kolb and Ken Sikkema moderated the panel. Sikkema and Kolb asked their own questions to the candidates, then chose questions from audience question cards. The seven Democrats and one Republican were the first to respond to an invitation sent to all candidates running for seats that serve part of Kent County. The following list provides the names, parties and residences of each participating candidate. 

Craig Beach (D) of Rockford — Senate District 28       Winnie Brinks (D) of Grand Rapids — Senate District 29       Daniel Oesch (R) of Alto — Senate District 29       Ron Draayer (D) of Kentwood — House District 72       Bill Saxton (D) of East Grand Rapids — House District 73       David LaGrand (D) of Grand Rapids — House District 75       Rachel Hood (D) of Grand Rapids — House District 76       Lauren Taylor (D) of Grand Rapids — House District 86

Moderators and audience members alike expressed their concern over Michigan’s water. Sikkema provided the opening question, asking candidates the best way to raise money for water infrastructure improvements. Hood said multiple funding sources were needed, like foundation grants, federal money, revenue sharing, bonds and business fees for water extraction. Ousch said he would determine where government funding was currently going to and what its return on investment was before establishing infrastructure funding priorities. LaGrand countered both candidates’ method, saying Hood’s methods only shifted money from one source to another and Ousch’s method would generate little revenue. LaGrand called for a progressive income tax and a refined corrections system that incarcerated fewer people. Saxton sided with market-based solutions, saying that business should pay accordingly for the water they use.

As moderator, Kolb asked candidates if they would support legislation that reduced agricultural runoff and created a septic code. Leaking septic tanks and runoff can contaminate water systems. Both Brinks and Draayer, supporting the hypothetical legislation, said that farmers should be involved in policy creation. Beach’s offered his own twist on the legislation to entice farmers. If they abided by septic codes and runoff laws, farmers would receive a reward. If they didn’t follow measures, they would be given a pollution tax. “If you don’t have clean water, farmers, you don’t have a job,” said Taylor.

When a question from the audience asked candidates if Wolverine Worldwide was responsible for contaminating the Rockford-area water system with potentially harmful chemicals, Saxton and Beach said the shoe company should be brought to court. Brinks said that community pressure was necessary to remind corporations that they have a moral responsibility to provide clean drinking water if they pollute water systems. She said that all costs of environmental cleanup should be covered by Wolverine Worldwide.

All candidates agreed that Michigan’s decision to approve a Nestle request to increase water withdrawal in Osceola County was unfair. The permit for increased withdrawal from 250 to 400 gallons a minute was only $200. Solutions ranged from a designation for water to be held in public trust by Brinks to Nestle’s withdrawal either being stopped, slowed down or become costlier for the company by Oesch.

The final question of the night asked candidates what they would do to ensure a Line Five breach never occurs. Line Five is composed of twin Enbridge oil pipelines that run from Wisconsin to Sarnia, Canada, under the Straits of Mackinac. All the oil comes from Canada and 90 percent of the oil returns to Canada. LaGrand set a tone that reflected Brinks’, Beach’s, Taylor’s and Draayer’s responses. “The only way to have 100 percent assurance of something is to eliminate it,” he said.

Read more at WMEAC.org: Water Pollution, Inclusivity Emphasized At Congressional Candidate Forum https://wmeac.org/water-pollution-inclusivity-emphasized-at-congressional-candidate-forum/2018/

candidate forum 2018