By By MIKE WALKER / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN - Governor Jennifer Granholm ended a long day of travel in Berrien and Cass counties Saturday as the guest of the South County Democratic Club at the Moose Lodge, downtown Buchanan.
More than 130 members and guests showed up for a cornucopia of Democratic candidates seeking national, state and local offices.
Education in Michigan, one of her top priorities, is critical to the state's economic future, she told those who gathered in Buchanan and earlier at noon at the American Legion in Niles.
She said she was fighting to make Michigan the first state in the nation to make college or post-high-school vocational study accessible and affordable for every child in the state.
In Buchanan, she approached a table of youngsters and asked them to stand and raise their right hands to make a pledge. She then administered the Governor-Granholm-School-Oath, “Before the Governor of the State of Michigan, I pledge that I will stay in school and finish college,” while the audience applauded.
Other speakers at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Gala included three of the Democratic candidates for Michigan's Attorney General. Alexander “Sandy” Lipsey of Kalamazoo is a representative in the Michigan House of Representatives; M. Scott Bowen is a former judge and ex-member of the Grand Rapids City Commission; and Amos Williams, who served in Vietnam and as a police officer in Detroit before becoming a lawyer 20 years ago.
Kim Clark from Three Oaks and Democratic candidate 6th Congressional District spoke of change: “America and Congress need a change of direction. We must return to a national agenda that reflects our citizens' best interests, and not let oil and big money lobbies dominate our country's decision making.”
Janet King and Judy Truesdell are running for the Michigan House of Representative, 79th District and 78th District respectively.
King said the state legislature has been irresponsible - irresponsible in fiscal matters, irresponsible in protecting the environment, and irresponsible in fighting for Michigan's families and when elected she will work to promote change that will move Michigan into the 21st Century.
Truesdell spoke of jobs and improving education. “Our region has lost too many jobs to other states and countries. It is time to reverse that trend and to creatively identify new commercial opportunities for our existing businesses as well as recruit new companies to our region to help grow our economy,” she said.
The last speaker was Jess Minks, Chair of the South County Democratic Club and candidate for the County Board of Commissioners for the 11th District (The 11th District consists of Bertrand, Buchanan and Galien Townships, Galien Village, and Buchanan City). He said when elected, he intends to put an end to the flood of out-of-state trash that is being dumped into our local landfills - an environmental nightmare.