08-01-2018 Republicans fill ballot for the 21st and 26th District Senate seats; Primary County Commi

Republicans fill ballot for the 21st and 26th District Senate seats

By Annette Christie 21st District State Senate – Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties Kim LaSata was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2016 and now seeks to be a State Senator for the 21st District which includes Berrien County. She graduated from Lake Michigan Catholic High School, has a Bachelor of Science degree, Cum Laude, from Western Michigan University, and a master’s degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Western Michigan. Kim and her husband have four children and reside in Bainbridge Township. Prior to being elected representative, she was a teacher.

As a representative she worked to raise the personal exemption on Michigan’s personal income tax from $4,000 to $4,900 by 2021, saving $170 per person per year on state income taxes. She voted to reduce and eventually eliminate Michigan’s Personal Income Tax. While she voted for a plan to lower auto insurance rates and provide greater choices for drivers in Michigan, that effort failed due to a lack of votes to pass. LaSata, however, states that she remains committed to delivering a meaningful rate reduction. If elected she seeks to attract jobs and talent to Southwest Michigan by providing a low cost, high-amenity area to live, work and raise a family. She will continue to ensure that kids have access to a high-quality education and will do everything she can to tackle the problem of Michigan’s broken infrastructure. LaSata is on the pro side of all of these issues: insurance reform; tax cuts; education reform; agriculture; workforce development; law enforcement; 2nd Amendment; life; Southwest Michigan. Details of these issues can be found on her website, www.Lasataforstatesenate.com.

Dave Pagel is three-term State Representative representing portions of Berrien and Cass counties. He and his family have deep ties to the Southwest Michigan community. He is the founder and owner of Dave Pagel Farms and Produce, which sells produce from farms statewide. He has owned and operated the produce portion of the business since 1978 and established the farm and apple orchard in 2004. Over the years they have created hundreds of jobs in our area.

Pagel has been a long-time advocate for our local schools, serving as the president of the Berrien Springs Public Schools Board of Education for 14 years. He was also elected to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners, where he served as President from 2008-2012. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from Michigan State University. He and his wife reside in Berrien Springs and have two sons and two daughters. As a representative, Pagel has supported education reform by increasing education choices through home school – public school partnerships; sponsored a bill to allow seniors to keep their homestead property tax exemption; voted to roll back Michigan’s income tax rate; and voted to lower Michigan’s auto insurance rates. He has voted in favor of the following legislation: To provide insurance for the dependents of fallen public safety officers; advocated for expanded mental health services for veterans suffering from PTSD; supported expanded carry for law enforcement officers in gun-free zones; and to enhance penalties for crimes against police and first responders. He voted to increase the personal exemption allowed for the state income tax; voted to lift the cap on charter schools; voted to exempt some agriculture equipment from the sales tax; and voted to ban abortion coverage through Obamacare. Pagel’s positions include needing broadband internet everywhere, a reasonable and workable guest-worker program for farms, and students to have the opportunity to take career technical education vs. a traditional 4-year college degree. Pagel believes that government must support teachers, help schools succeed, support innovation in education and must stop the re-direction of School Aid funds to other budget areas. Pagel, a gun owner, is standing strong for 2nd Amendment rights but also believes that people seeking to carry a concealed weapon should attend a firearms safety course and acquire a permit. Pagel himself has a concealed pistol license permit and took the safety class required even though he was an experienced gun owner. The victorious Republican will face Democrat Ian Haight in November.

26th District State Senate –includes Van Buren and Allegan counties Aric Nesbitt of Lawton is seeking the Senate seat. The former Representative is currently the state lottery commissioner. He had served three terms as a representative before he term limited in 2016. As a representative, Nesbitt led the effort to balance budgets; lower the state’s debt by $20 billion; eliminate nearly 2,300 government rules and regulations; end lifetime healthcare benefits for politicians; require able-bodied welfare recipients to work; and reduce the tax burden.

Nesbitt grew up on a six-generation family farm in Van Buren County. Following graduation from Lawton Community Schools, he obtained a degree in economics from Hillsdale College and a master’s degree in international business. He and his wife still reside in Lawton. If elected to State Senate, he will work to strengthen our economy, limit government, ban sanctuary cities, pay down government debt and be a Pro-Life, Pro-Second Amendment leader.

Bob Genetski of Saugatuck is also seeking the Senate seat. He is currently the Allegan County Clerk and Register of Deeds. He has a degree in education from Auburn University and a master’s degree in education from Grand Valley State University. He was elected to the Michigan House in 2008 and was re-elected for two more terms. His work experience includes sorting packages and loading trucks, corn de-tasseling, teaching and soccer coach.

His voting record as representative includes voting to cut his own pay by 10%, voting for the Religious Freedom Act, and voting against the Snyder Gas Tax & Fee Increase. He passed a balanced budget ahead of schedule, eliminated the Michigan Business Tax, and reduced spending by $1 billion while paying down long-term debt. If elected he would work tirelessly to lower auto insurance rates by providing choices and eliminating state mandates. He would ensure that the money intended to go for roads, would go there. He would support protecting the 2nd Amendment, the Life at Conception Bill, and work to create the right education for the right student as opposed to the one-size-fits all system currently in place for education. Further, Genetski would carry on the fight to improve the lives for our country’s veterans.

Don Wickstra resides in Hamilton. He is a dentist by trade. He and his wife have two adult sons. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Hope College and completed his studies at the Loyola School of Dentistry. Wickstra has served on the Heath Township Planning Commission for 20 years. Wickstra is running to offer voters a choice on the ballot that is different than politics as usual. The same issues that are on political flyers (i.e. fix our roads, lower auto insurance rates, and reform welfare),

should have been fixed long before now with a Republican controlled state government for the last eight years. He believes that by better promoting conservative principles, and by adding an experienced, business-wise and servant-leader perspective to the Republican team, they can find ways to better respond to the real-world concerns. The victorious Republican candidate will face Democrat Garnet Lewis and Libertarian Erwin Haas in the November General Election.

Primary County Commission races… Hodge vs. Hinkelman and Chappell vs. Freestone

By Annette Christie Long-serving County Commissioners in both Berrien and Van Buren counties face opposition for their seat. Berrien County District 2 Jon Hinkelman of Watervliet is seeking his seventh term as the commissioner representing Watervliet City, Watervliet Township (south of I-94), Bainbridge Township, Pipestone Township, Eau Claire Village, and Berrien Township in Berrien County. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners since 2013.

A lifelong resident of Watervliet, he is a graduate of Watervliet High School and Southwestern Michigan College. Starting with 27 acres, he and his father began the farming career that has now evolved into 450 acres of grapes and 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans. He serves on several agricultural organization boards including Welch’s and the National Grape Cooperative. He and his wife have three adult children. As a Commissioner, Hinkelman also serves on the Land Preservation Board, the Cornerstone Alliance Board, and on the Committee on Committees. He seeks to continue as a part of the Board of Commissioners which is doing some great things. The Board of Commissioners, with Hinkelman as one of 12, has worked with staff to add another facet of the gem which is the Berrien County Parks System with the Paw Paw River County Park opening soon in Watervliet; built a new animal control facility; consolidated multiple health department facilities into one; created a Public Defender Office to provide for the indigent citizens of the county; remodeled the jail to make it last another 20 years; and with taxpayer value at the forefront of the decision, voted to absorb the Road Commission into Berrien County as a new department. Hinkelman commented that the board added a lot on their plate with shouldering the addition of the Road Commission as a county department but feels that the decision will remove the politics from road improvements and work to better partner with the townships that know their roads and their priorities best. “They (the townships) will be paramount in what is planned one, two, five years in the future for their roads,” Hinkelman said adding, “The normalization of the Road Department will ultimately provide better roads for everybody.”

Bill Hodge is currently the Bainbridge Township Supervisor. He is in the second year of a four-year term.

Hodge resides at 1050 S. Bainbridge Township Road. He and his wife have two grown children. Hodge graduated from Valparaiso University with a degree in political science/marketing. He has owned his own business and has experience in financial investing, real estate, and insurance. Prior to be elected to office in Bainbridge Township, he served as an Interim City Manager for the City of Watervliet. Hodge, who has received the Citizen Planner Certificate from Michigan State University, has served on the Berrien County Planning Commission and the Watervliet Township Planning Commission. Hodge had served on the Berrien County Road Commission for three years. Once he was elected and took office as Bainbridge Township Supervisor, the county vacated his position on the Road Commission as the two offices were incompatible. Hodge challenged that decision in the court system. In 2017, Berrien County Judge Donahue ruled that the two offices were incompatible but included in a prior ruling that the county followed an incorrect procedure for vacating the office. Hodge received lost wages and attorney fees. The Road Commission was dissolved upon Berrien County taking it over September 28, 2017. While Hodge couldn’t be reached for comment he told the Herald-Palladium that he was running because he wanted to give voters a choice and because he has the skills and willingness to serve the residents. He said he agrees with many decisions that the board has made with the exception of taking over the Road Commission.

Van Buren County District 4 Richard Freestone of Bangor has been a County Commissioner for 20 years. District 4 includes Bangor Township, Hartford City, Hartford Township, and Keeler Township. Freestone is a lifelong resident and was a teacher in the Bangor School District for 31 years. He also served on the Bangor School Board prior to being elected to the County Commission. He and his wife have two adult children.

He serves on the Building & Grounds Committee, Public Transit Board, Area Agency on Aging, and the Road Commission. Some of the accomplishments of the county while he has served include an improved financial condition, digital computerized courts, and a health department building. Freestone hopes to continue serving the citizens of Van Buren County and wants to continue to keep the county operating efficiently.

Mike Chappell is a resident of Hartford. He and his wife have three children. Chappell graduated from Hartford High School and the University of Northwestern Ohio. He is currently attending Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He is a retired administrator of Hartford Public Schools, a captain of the Hartford Fire Department and is a United States Air Force Veteran.

He is the Vice President of the Van Buren County Firefighters Association and the Hartford Lions Club. He is a member of the Hartford American Legion. Chappell believes that education doesn’t stop after high school. “We need to prepare not only our high school students, but also our adults for the jobs that are now available,” Chappell said. He would like to encourage and help small business startups to protect and grow jobs. He would like to see drug resistance promoted beyond the high schools. “We need to keep people from starting drugs and help people recover from addiction and start new lives,” Chappell said. Chappell has personally worked on fire prevention programs in the schools and is working on drug resistance programs. “We need to keep our community safe,” Chappell said.