By By ANDY HAMILTON / Dowagiac Daily News
BERRIEN SPRINGS – Val Janowski said bipartisanship is the key.
The Democratic candidate for Michigan's 21st senatorial District more than once Monday night called for Republicans and Democrats to work together to solve a number of the area's problems. For example, the issue of out-of-state trash dumping in Berrien County needs to be put to rest "once and for all," the Dowagiac resident said.
"This is going to necessitate that we Democrats and you Republicans come to the table," Janowski said.
Her opponent, incumbent Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, said a workable recycling plan was one answer to reducing the amount of trash dumped in Michigan.
Jelinek said creating markets for recyclables would reduce the amount of items sent to landfills.
To develop the markets, Jelinek pointed to legislation he introduced that would place a two-cent tax on every plastic bag that leaves a store in Michigan. The bill, he said, was not looked upon favorably because it is "looked at as a tax," but added the $7.50 fee proposed by some Democrats was also a tax.
Jelinek also said he had a problem with three landfills operating in Berrien County and wants to see that number reduced to one.
Dumping fees are high because each "class one landfill" has high operating costs and therefore must cover expenses, Jelinek said.
"Since we divide the trash up three ways that means we have to bring more in," he said.
On Michigan's economic issues, Jelinek said southwest Michigan needed to focus "on things that work," such as tourism and agriculture.
The one part of the state economy that has continued to thrive is the $60.1 billion agriculture business, he said.
Another important move Jelinek said he favored was increasing the budget for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in order to recruit businesses from around the country and the world.
Janowski, a Dowagiac resident, said strengthening the environment, education and energy possibilities was key. Protecting natural resources and placing more attention toward generating tourism and hospitality businesses could create and attract jobs to the state, she added.
"We build those areas up and they will bring jobs," she said.
Replacing Michigan's Single Business Tax was also important for the state of the economy, Janowski said. She said the new structure should be "friendly" to businesses.
"The tax will need to be competitive, it will need to be fair and it will need to be low," she said.
Jelinek said there was a need to invite businesses to grow in Michigan. He added a bipartisan, bicameral committee working on a solution to replace the $1.9 billion the Single Business Tax annually generates is due to report by Dec. 12.
"I believe at least part of that is going to be coming from profits of manufacturers instead of investment of manufacturers," Jelinek said. "You know, it's pretty hard to ask a business to grow if you're going to tax them because they invest in their business."