Rep. Palsrok vs. Dan Scripps

Nov. 1, 2006

In the last of our political interviews, Northern Express goes to the race between State Representative David Palsrok of Manistee and Dan Scripps of Northport in the 101st district of Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee and Mason counties.
Palsrok was elected in November 2002 after working as a lobbyist for three years, first for the Michigan Association of Realtors and then Connect Michigan, a telecommunications advocacy group that he founded. He now serves on committees dealing with natural resources, energy and technology, and financial services and regulatory reform.
Prior to his election, Palsrok served for a decade at the State Capitol. He worked as a legislative aide to state Rep. Dan Gustafson, and as chief of staff for state Senator Michael Bouchard who is now running against U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. Palsrok grew up in Manistee and earned a BA in political science from MSU. He lives with his wife, Emily and three-month-old daughter, Kathryn in Manistee.
Dan Scripps of Northport is a graduate of Alma College and the University of Michigan Law School. He began his legal career as an environmental lawyer in the Washington D.C. office of Latham & Watkins. As a law student, Scripps co-founded the Michigan Election Law Project, a group that works to counter voter intimidation and is spearheading the research efforts for the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.
Like Palsrok, Scripps has put his energies into politics. Before law school, Scripps served as Northern Michigan regional director for the 2000 Democratic campaign and worked in Bill Bradley’s national campaign headquarters during the 2000 presidential primaries. Scripps also served as campaign manager and chief of staff to the Deputy First Minister of Scotland. A graduate of Alma High School, Scripps in 1998 moved to Northport, where he spent many childhood vacations. He is engaged to Jamie Weitzel.
Here’s the interview, conducted via-email:

NE: Representative Palsrok, what do you consider your great accomplishments?

Palsrok: I am most proud of my efforts to protect Michigan groundwater. I spearheaded a Senate package of bills through the house that provides a regulatory model to protect Michigan groundwater. The bi-partisan package was signed by the governor and supported by a diverse group of interests including environmentalists, agriculture, manufacturing, and business. My efforts were recognized by the Michigan United Conservation Clubs when they named me their “Legislative Conservationist of the Year” in June of 2006.

NE: :Whatever motivated you to get you into politics?

Palsrok: To make a positive difference in the legislature for the 101st district and the state of Michigan. I entered my first legislative race with over a decade of state policy making experience and offered the ability to be effective for the 101st district on day one. I believe, in the past four years, I have been that effective voice on trying to turn around the economy, fighting for school funding equity, and matters concerning our natural resources and the environment.
Scripps: I entered this race because we need a representative who will stand up for local people and stand up to the special interests that got us into our state’s financial situation. Living in Northwest Michigan, we have a unique perspective to add to the state discussion on how to get back on track, but our local voices just aren’t being heard.

NE: What’s the number one thing you’ll seek to accomplish?

Palsrok: Finding policies that will revive our lagging state’s economy.
Scripps: I will always put local people first. We must do more to address our local priorities—from reclaiming our heritage from the Milliken years of leading the country on conservation issues to ensuring our local schools are as well-funded as any in the state.

NE: Rep. David Palsrok asked for an apology from Dan Scripps for charging that he took illegal and unethical donations from a payday company. The Secretary of State dismissed the complaint the next day. Thoughts on this?

Palsrok: Clearly this was a personal attack by Dan Scripps as an act of desperation. The Secretary of State dismissed the charges. I believe that I deserve an apology and he refuses. As an attorney, he did not perform due diligence prior to making these false accusations. I think the people of the 101st District deserve better. I was dumbfounded to learn that at the same time he was making these false accusations his campaign was being fined by the Secretary of State for not filing timely disclosures. Perhaps he should spend more time on meeting the requirements of the campaign finance laws rather than making false accusations.
Scripps: I stand by my complaint. The fact that the Secretary of State found that my opponent’s behavior did not violate the letter of the law does not make what he did acceptable.
The facts of the case continue to raise real questions about whether David Palsrok is representing our district. He took thousands of dollars from an out-of-state payday lending corporation at the same time he was actively involved in crafting legislation that directly affected payday lenders. If that isn’t illegal, it should be.
This is symptomatic of an elected official who continually puts big corporations ahead of those who he is supposed to represent. We need a local representative who puts local people first.

NE: The topic of health care ranges from pricey premiums to emergency room abuses to little coverage for mental illness. About 45 million Americans have no health care at all. What will you do to help Michigan people cope?

Palsrok: As policy makers we need to make sure that we address the rising costs of health care. One way we can address costs is to make sure that we prevent lawsuit abuses within the system. I believe that it is extremely important that we take a close look at mental health parity. Some studies have shown that we could reduce costs through parity, and I am certainly open to making that change. I think it is also important for policy makers to study the Massachusetts model and apply the lessons learned there in Michigan. Their system is a public/private hybrid solution that could offer constructive changes to Michigan’s problems. Furthermore, one of the fundamental reasons for me to support the elimination of the SBT is because it unfairly punishes employers who provide health care benefits to their employees.
Scripps: Governor Granholm has offered a bold plan to leverage federal funding to provide coverage for the 1.1 million Michiganders that currently have to go without, and I strongly support this plan.

NE: Do you think legislators who voted to cut the single business tax were doing a “cut and run”-- taking credit for slashing taxes, but no blame for a replacement tax?

Palsrok: No. It should be noted that the legislature voted to ratify a citizen’s initiative, which was in response to Governor Granholm vetoing an earlier attempt to eliminate the SBT. Clearly, the people of our state are fed up with what is arguably the worst business tax in America. No revenues have been “slashed” because the elimination of the SBT does not take effect for another 14 months, which is ample time to develop a replacement business tax that will not punish job providers that have payroll and offer healthcare benefits. It is extremely important that the replacement tax reflect our changing economy. I believe there are many opportunities, such as, having our tax laws reflect the importance of developing alternative energy. I am pursuing changes that will allow businesses and residents the ability to receive tax credits for the production and consumption of “green” energy. I am confident that the replacement tax will be better for our future than the current outdated tax structure.
Scripps: While most agree that the Single Business Tax needed to be replaced, the way it was done was irresponsible, creating additional uncertainty for Michigan business owners and leading Wall Street to downgrade Michigan’s credit rating. It’s no wonder that just 14% of Michigan small business owners think this legislature is doing a good job!

NE: Canadians dump trash in Michigan because it’s cheaper than any other state. What are the pros and cons of raising our dumping tax (tipping fee) so they keep trash in their own country?

Palsrok: It is important to note that the Democratic proposal would raise taxes on all Michigan residents. Due to the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court decision that defines trash as commerce, we cannot unilaterally raise taxes just on the Canadians. Therefore, Michigan residents would have to pay higher taxes. Furthermore, the Canadians also have provisions in their contracts that the Michigan companies would be responsible for any new local or state taxes. Presumably those companies would pass these costs to Michigan residents. So, raising the tipping fees would only hurt Michigan residents without the stated benefit of reducing Canadian trash. I did support legislation that would ban Canadian trash as soon as the federal government gives us, as a state, the ability to do so. Federal legislation has moved through the U.S. House and awaits action in the U.S. Senate. I supported a resolution that urges our U.S. Senators and the President to support the legislation.
Scripps: While my opponent claims “Mission Accomplished” on this issue, the amount of trash flooding into our state continues to increase, and we are now the number two destination for out-of-state trash. Instead of leading, however, David Palsrok has repeatedly blocked common-sense legislation that would create a market-based solution to this problem.
Because the revenue generated from this increase would go directly back to local governments for recycling programs, local families would save money under the plan stalled in Palsrok’s committee. In my hometown of Northport, for example, the average family would save approximately $17 annually between the costs of trash removal and recycling!

NE: The legislature this year passed a law that requires all high school students to take four years of college-prep math, although waivers are possible. What do you think of this law? Did you take four years of math?

Palsrok: I supported the passage of the law. However, I did so only after the waiver language was included in the bill. If we are going to prepare our students to compete in the global economy it is important that we include math and science in our curriculum. I did take four years of math in high school and I also took math classes to meet the requirements of graduating from Michigan State University.
Scripps: In general, I support the new graduation requirements. To ensure that our young people are competitive in the 21st-century economy, we need to provide a World Class education to every Michigan student, from universal pre-school to an affordable college degree. As for the math requirements, I did take four years of high school math.

NE: There is a state law that bans specific local regulation of animal factories that carry an overpowering stench and threat of water pollution. Do you think local governments should have a say of where these farms may locate in their townships?

Palsrok: I think it is important to balance local zoning and the right to farm in Michigan. I believe that our current laws accomplish that balance. I have supported legislation that will encourage farmers to meet the requirements of the Michigan Environmental Assessment Program. I believe providing incentives for farmers to adhere to sound environmental policies is a win for the environment and a win for farmers.
Scripps: I believe the legislature went too far on this issue, tying the hands of local government. There are probably places where concentrated farming practices make sense, but for the state legislature to assume that these practices are suitable to every township in Michigan is wrong.

NE: Some experts say that Lake Michigan is at the “tipping point,” thanks to alien species, global warming, and zebra mussels (the mussels have cleared the water allowing for greater algae growth).  Ideas?

Palsrok: I sponsored and passed legislation that requires ocean-going vessels to treat their ballast water before discharging it in Michigan waters. I have worked to get other states to pass similar legislation by attending meetings with the eight states and two provinces within the Great Lakes Basin. It is extremely important that all the states and provinces within the basin pass similar laws. Also, I am working to find a funding source for the electric barrier on the Chicago River channel to stop the spread of the Asian Carp.
Scripps: The threats facing the Great Lakes are real, and we need a legislature that is committed to doing all it can to reverse these dangerous trends. While my opponent deserves credit for his work on alien species, he also wrote the loopholes in our water laws that allow for water diversion outside the Great Lakes basin and has offered no leadership on preventing the instances of “Green Slime” caused by too much phosphorous in our water.
I’ve been endorsed in this campaign by Clean Water Action, the Sierra Club, and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and look forward to leading the fight on the conservation issues facing our state.

NE: State and local funding per student is nearly double in rich school districts like Farmington and Bloomfield Hills, and that’s not “equal opportunity.” What’s the answer?

Palsrok: The answer is to bring equity to the school aid budget. We have had some success on this issue in the last school aide budget by getting an additional $20 million for the lowest spending districts. This is not a partisan issue but rather a geographic one. I am hopeful that we will have more success on the equity issue in future budgets.
Scripps: We need a representative who will walk the walk, not just talk the talk, on equity in school funding. My opponent has sponsored 672 pieces of legislation in his four years in the State House; not one of these dealt with the unfairness in school funding. As representative, I’ll work with anyone – Republican or Democrat – to provide local students with the opportunities they need to compete.

NE: Do you think there’s anything you as a state legislator can do about global warming or the war in Iraq?

Palsrok: In regards to global warming, we can work to provide incentives for alternative energy in our state. On the war, there is little to be done in the legislature other than wholeheartedly supporting our troops so they can safely return home.
Scripps: One of the strengths of our federal system is the separation of powers between the federal and state governments. Within this framework I’m committed to being the best state tepresentative I can be. That said, I think we can “think globally and act locally” on the issue of global warming to ensure we’re doing everything we can to serve as responsible stewards of our planet.
While I am, like most Americans, opposed to this war in Iraq, I don’t believe there is much of a role I can play as a state representative (other than my role as an American citizen) on this particular issue.

NE: What’s your take on Michigan’s job problem?

Palsrok: Obviously, we have an economy in transition. I believe that it’s important to take bold steps to change and reform Michigan in order to meet the many challenges of this transition. That is why I supported the bi-partisan Michigan 21st Century Jobs Fund, the elimination of the SBT, the implementation of post-labor day school starts and the direct shipment of wine. All of these changes not only have a positive effect for the state, but also benefit the 101st district.
Scripps: As a state, we should have done much more, much earlier to diversify the Michigan economy. The challenges we currently face are a direct result of the unique structural elements of our state’s economy. To turn the corner, we need to build on our strengths and create the economic infrastructure necessary to compete. A more competitive business tax environment is one element of this. In addition, we need to make Northwest Michigan a global capital for alternative fuels and renewable energy production and innovation, expand Michigan’s broadband network, develop a homegrown entrepreneurial culture, take the politics out of tourism investment, and invest in building the best-educated workforce in the world.

NE: What’s the latest book you’ve read and liked?

Scripps: I recently read Dave Dempsey’s biography of Governor Milliken (William G. Milliken: Michigan’s Passionate Moderate). If Dempsey’s book was required reading in Lansing, perhaps we might move beyond partisan battles and once again focus on the challenges facing our state, our environment, and our people.
Palsrok: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear author unknown – to my three-month old daughter Kathryn. I also recently finished The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. A must read.

NE: Your favorite saying?

Palsrok: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” -- Abraham Lincoln
Scripps: “No trout are caught with dry legs.” - Spanish proverb