LWVKA 2010 Voter Guide

Provide biographical information, including your qualifications for a seat on the University Board and the reasons you are running. (100-word limit)
What are the two most pressing issues facing this university today and what is your position on those issues? (100-word limit)
What role should the university play in the economic development of the state of Michigan? (100-word limit)

Brian Breslin
Republican, www.breslinformsu.com
Did not respond in time for publication.

Mitch Lyons
Republican, www.lyonsformsu.com

B.A., Business Administration, MSU, 1992. Professional football player, NFL, 1992– 1999; Professional money manager and investment advisor, 1999–present. I have extensive experience in the workings of MSU, as a student, alumnus, mentor, and active member of the university community. I will bring a fresh perspective to the Board of Trustees, which is critical at this point in time. I am running because I know that MSU can and will be a leader in helping the citizens of the state of Michigan address the economic issues we face, in part through the responsible education of our young people.
The burdensome debt of our graduates, and the loss of focus in our mission as a university are paramount issues. The burdensome debt our young people are saddled with to receive their college education forces many to leave Michigan for better, higher paying opportunities in other states upon graduation. Additionally, we have lost our core focus as one of the premier Land Grant universities in the nation. I will be a forceful advocate for cost containment and endowment growth to make tuition more affordable for Michigan residents, and I will champion a return to our core mission as a university.
MSU can and will be a leader in the reinvention of the Michigan economy. We have nearly as many patents issued as Harvard every year! We have some of the best and brightest students in the world, and we must engage more public-private partnerships to see these innovations and technological advancements brought to the market in Michigan. This will create and retain high paying jobs. Our greatest strength as part of the economic reinvention of Michigan is our intellectual capital. I will work tirelessly to see our advancements in agriscience, technology, life sciences, and others, put to use in Michigan.

Dennis Denno
Democratic, www.dennisdenno.com

I am a graduate of MSU, the U of M, and Detroit Catholic Central High School, a small business owner, a lifetime member of the MSU Alumni Association and a board member of the Arabic Language Instructional Flagship program at MSU. I am concerned that higher education is becoming out of reach for middle class families due to high cost of tuition. We need to control costs while also fighting for our priorities. We need to make sure that MSU is maximizing its ability to turn research dollars and the classroom experience into jobs and businesses throughout Michigan.
The two most pressing issues are the spiraling cost of tuition and the need for more job creation. We need to be able to control rising costs at the university while also making tuition affordable for Michigan’s working families. We also need to make sure that MSU is maximizing its ability to create jobs and businesses that benefit every region of the state. The research power of the university in the fields like physics and agriculture should be used as a job creation engine for the whole state.
Taxpayers need Trustees who will strengthen MSU’s economic input in Michigan. MSU is one of the best research universities in the nation and many of MSU’s programs are rated as the best in the nation. Other research universities nationwide use research and classroom experiences to successfully spin those resources into economic investment. I would like to see MSU maximize its ability to create jobs and businesses for the 21st Century and will be very active in this issue if I am on the Board.

Colleen McNamara
Democratic
Did not respond in time for publication.

Surjit Singh Dulai
Green

Surjit Singh Dulai obtained his Ph.D. from MSU, and then went on to teach English and Humanities at the university for 35 years. He chaired the Humanities Department, was actively involved in the faculty council and represented the university nationally and internationally through teaching, speaking and writing. Surjit and his wife have lived in Shiawassee County for over 35 years. Their son is a graduate of UM and their daughter of MSU. Surjit is running for Trustee in the hopes of enhancing communications, interaction and understanding between the student body, the faculty, university administrators and the community.
Diversity is a core value at MSU, but the university is losing that diversity in its student body. This means that “majority” students are not exposed to as many viewpoints and cultures. And thus are not getting a well-rounded education. I have innovative ideas for helping MSU regain its position as a diverse institution. MSU must develop ways to respond more quickly to changing technology and ideas. Too often this university has mot moved as events develop around it. Faculty, staff, and students need to be able to go to dynamic decision-makers who can allocate resources to try new ideas.
MSU should play a critical role in the state’s economic development. First and foremost, we can provide the state with people who have the knowledge and skills to both create and fill jobs in such up-and-coming fields as renewable energy, alternative fuel, local/organic farming, agri-tourism and more. For instance, with agriculture as the second-largest industry in Michigan and MSU having a venerable agricultural college, we have an opportunity like no other institution in the state to provide education on high-tech, local, organic farming. And supporting a local organic movement means keeping money and jobs in Michigan.

Bob Czak
US Taxpayers
Did not respond in time for publication.

Christine C. Schwartz
US Taxpayers
Did not respond in time for publication.

Dan Johnson
Libertarian, www.lpwm.org/DanJohnson
Did not respond in time for publication.

Michael H. Miller
Libertarian, www.lpwm.org/MichaelMiller
Did not respond in time for publication