11-07-1996.pdf

Voters, staffers speak up for candidates
BY KIN AMUMCZYX
STAFF wura
Mary Harden and Kate Raven
ahare different political viewpoints
and support different candidates
in the race for the U.S.
House.
But for several months during
the 1996 election year, they had
something in common: they
worked on political campaigns.
Supporters for U.S. Rep. Lynn
Rivers, an Ann Arbor Democrat,
and Republican challenger Joe
Fitzsimmons were out in full
force Tuesday, from the campaign
leaders and advisers to
the precinct's voters hitting the
voting booths.
Harden worked as Fitzsimmons'
finance director. Raven
was a campaign volunteer for
U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers.
Raven first came in contact
with Rivers when Raven ran for
Canton Township clerk in 1995.
"She helped me a lot and
encouraged me," Raven said.
"We have the same background
and philosophies and share the
same concern about social
issues.
"She isn't afraid to take a
stand and I respect that."
It wasn't just the politics, it
was the person in the campaign
for many supporters.
Harden looked at Fitzsimmons
as a fatherly figure. "He's warm
and caring, truthful and honest,"
she said.
Isaac Gesser of Ypsilanti
backed Fitzsimmons because he
supported Bob Dole's tax cut
proposal and supports the
Republican policies and philosophy.
"When you have a tax cut,
three things happen: it increases
the money available to citizens
Commission
incumbents
re-elected
It was a winning day for local
incumbent Wayne County Commissioners
who were returned to
their seats in Tuesday's election.
Republican Commissioner
Thaddeus McCotter, and
Democrats Vice Chair Kay
Beard and Commissioner
Michelle A. Plawecki won reelection
by a comfortable margin.
McCotter of Livonia with
39,200 votes defeated his Democratic
challenger R. Karl Burnett
of Livonia, who received 20,818
votes, in District 10. District 10
includes Livonia west of Middlebelt,
Plymouth, Plymouth Township,
Northville and Northville
Township.
Beard of Westland with
28,817 votes defeated Republican
challenger Carol Juarez of
Garden City, who received
12,435 votes, in District 12. District
12 includes Westland, Garden
City and Inkster.
Plawecki of Dearborn Heights
with 30,561 votes defeated Margaret
Horvath of Dearborn
Heights, who received 18,519
votes, and Kerry Smith, who
received 1,977 votes, in District
9. District 9 includes Livonia
east of Middlebelt, Redford
Township and Dearborn
Heights.
"You don't ever take any race
for granted. You have to make a
commitment and do the best job,
which I did," Plawecki said after
winning election to her third
term.
She said she felt she was running
for the right reasons. Her
opponent was running, because
she felt that no one should run
unopposed, and she didn't put
up much of a race or go door-todoor,
she said.
•Still you should never take
anything for granted," Plawecki
A tired Kay Beard, who serves
as vice chair of the commission,
said Tuesday night at the Wayne
Ford Civic League in Westland
that she had been working the
polls all day in Inkster, Westland
and Garden City.
This was the biggest turnout
in yean," she said.
Beard waited for precinct
results throughout the evening
f IN NEED OF
Um LU1HIIIIII. li
to buy more or invest, you
increase the sales tax revenue,
and investing that money
increases the general growth
with the economy," Gesser said.
Andy Karhu, of Canton Township,
recently moved from Ohio.
He worked with the Fitzsimmons
campaign on "a limited
basis."
"From my perspective as a
young taxpayer, the Republican
agenda brought me here," Karhu
said. "I support less government,
more state control and leas
taxes, which are things Joe is
for."
Karhu worked at a precinct on
Tuesday in Inkster. "A lot of people
went for a straight ticket and
that concerns me. How informed
are the voters when they have to
carry a slate into the voting
booth?"
Fitzsimmons spent more than
$600,000 of his own money on
his campaign, which concerned
the Rivers camp, including
Raven.
"I sent her more money, and I
know a lot more did the same,"
Raven said. She was "saddened"
by the negative tone of the
Fitzsimmons campaign, she
said.
"He wanted to run a campaign
like that and use the basic taxand-spend
liberal' label. (His
campaign) was just making
waves."
Rivers also returned $244,000
from her congressional budget,
which Belleville resident Debbie
Chamberlain liked about Rivers.
"I like the fact that she spent
just about the least amount of
Congress from her budget,"
Chamberlain said.
Carl Jarman of Westland liked
"everything" about Lynn Rivers.
The Democrats are working for
The Observer!THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7,1996 •Alt
the people and are doing what
the people are asking them to
do."
Westland proved to be a big
winner for Rivers. Votera leaving
polls at the clubhouse of the
Holliday Park cooperative
reflected much of that support
for Rivers and President Bill
Clinton.
Dean Ceifetz voted straight
Democrat. He said his whole
family is Democrat. He supported
Rivers and Clinton.
"I think (Rivers) has better
ideas than Fitzsimmons. President
Clinton also needs another
four years in office.
"I'm not any better than four
years ago, but I'm not any worse.
And Dole wasn't in time with his
ideas."
Hermann Hartmeyer also
voted for the Democrats. He said
Rivers wat "doing a good job."
He criticized the Republicans for
last year's Congressional gridlock
during budget hearings.
"I would like to bury the
Republicans so deep so I won't
see them for the next 20 years,"
Hartmeyer said. "I don't see her
doing anything wrong. You don't
Bee (the Democrats) doing any of
that stuff.
"It's just unacceptable. If the
Democrats had done the same,
I'd have the same problem with
them."
Jack and Linda Chenault supported
Fitzsimmons because
they did not like Lynn Rivers.
"She hasn't done anything,"
Jack Chenault said. "I refuse to
vote for anyone once I look at
her ads and most of her ads are
blatant lies. Fitzsimmons' ads
are more believable and accurate.
I would take the lesser of
the evils."
At Edison School, Heather
C R E E Cigar 0tt<
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'AGE Cellular
Connor supported Rivera.
1 heard she's very good on the
issue of student loans and cares
about thaL and I can relate to
that, being a college student,"
Connor said.
Diane Smith split her ticket,
voting for Dole and Rivers.
"I just read the stuff in the
mail and then make a list (of
who I will vote for)," Smith said.
But the political tables turned
in Canton Township. The
Republicans voted in big numbers
throughout the township,
including Field Elementary
School on Haggerty Road.
Greg Remmy voted Republican
and for Fitzsimmons.
"I feel confident with him in
office," Remmy said. "He's pretty
straight-laced. I supported him
because he wants to cut waste in
government and he basically
agrees with Gov. John Engler."
Steven Seiler also voted for
Fitzsimmons.
"Rivers is too loose with programs
and spends too much
money," Seiler said. "Fitzsimmons
is conservative. He would
hold the line on spending and
that's what he promised to do."
Eric Bretz supported the
Democrats, "mainly because of
what Clinton's done," he said.
Tm proud of what he's done in
the Persian Gulf," Bretz said.
Bretz said he had no opinion of
Rivera, but called the campaign
"a pretty heated thing."
"I don't think they should cut
each other down," Bretz said.
Steven Seiler, voted for
Fitzsimmons:
"Rivers is too loose with programs
and spends too much
money. Fitzsimmons is conservative.
He would hold the line on
spending and that's what he
promised to do."
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