In calling out Ward editorial board forgets it endorsed him

A dollar short and two years late are just a few of the descriptions that fit the editorial by the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus calling out term-limited state Rep. Chris Ward, R-Brighton, for missing more votes than any lawmaker in the 94th Legislative session that just ended Dec. 30.

Closing the gate after the horses are gone is another way to describe it; he is term-limited. But the editorial claims "Ward owes his now-former constituents an explanation."

As you recall, Michigan Votes, maintained by the conservative think tank Mackinac Center for Public Policy, keeps track of missed votes, and according to them, Ward missed more total votes for the entire session that ran from January 2007 to Dec. 20, 2008 than any lawmaker. This occurred while Ward was in a leadership role. He was the No. 2 Republican in the House; the Majority Floor Leader until the GOP lost control of the House for the 94th Legislature, and then he was the Minority Floor Leader until he was sacked for voting to increase the state income tax in October 2007 that ended a brief government shutdown.

"Prior to his maverick 2007 vote, Ward's attendance record was fine. So why did he all of a sudden start missing work 20 percent of the time during his last two years in office? Was he sulking over losing his leadership position? Was there some other explanation." Said the editorial.

Simply not true. Ward missed more votes than any lawmaker for the calendar year 2007, and that was eight months before he made the vote he was rightly praised for.

Once again, for full disclosure, I was a volunteer for Ward's Democratic opponent in the November 2006 race. We worked hard, but we got killed. During the campaign, there were clear indications of what his attendance record would be, and we saw very little of Ward in the 66th District and in Livingston County. In fact, this very same editorial board that is now calling Ward out endorsed him without the traditional endorsement interview of him or his opponent.

Being a Republican in Livingston County should not mean automatic victory, nor should an incumbent go unchallenged in the primary.

Garcia is named one of the most extreme right-wingers in the Michigan Senate

Livingston County’s state Senator is one of the most extreme right-wingers in the Senate, according to the annual survey by the subscription only MIRS and Michigan Votes. Garcia checked in very close to the top at No. 4 with a rating of 88 percent.

Livingston County voters are familiar with three of the top four extrenmists. Heading the list is Nancy Cassus, and residents on the southeastern part of the county are likely familiar with her because part of her district includes neighboring South Lyon and Lyon Township. Cropsey represented Livingston County as a Senator in the 1980s.

We really got a clue how extreme Garcia was when we were introduced to him in 2001 when he ran in trhe special election for the then 26th District Senate seat vacated by Mike Rogers after his election to the U.S. House. He ran in a three-person GOP primary against Judie Scranton and Larry Julian, and the goal of that race was to see who could be the most conservative. Garcia won.

The rankings are based on their votes on 29 bills in the last session that included everything from so-called welfare reform that places a lifetime limit of 48 months of benefits to repealing the state's mandatory helmet law.

Sen. Martha Scott heads the list as the most progressive with a perfect rating.

1. Nancy Cassis (R-Novi) — 93.10 Percent
2. Allan Sanborn (R-Richmond Township)— 92.31
3. Sen. Alan Cropsey (R-Dewitt) — 89.66
4. Sen. Valde Garcia (R-Marion Township) — 88
5. (tie) Sen. Michael Goschka (R-Brant), Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland), Sen. Tony Stamas (R-Midland) — 86.21
6. (tie) Sen. Jason Allen (R-Traverse City), Sen. Mike Bishop (R-Rochester), Sen. Michelle McManus (R-Lake Leelanau) — 82.76

1. Sen. Martha G. Scott (D-Highland Park) – 100 percent
2. Sen. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) – 96.43
3. Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman (D-Detroit) — 92.59
4. Sen. Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit) – 89.66
5. Sen. Buzz Thomas (D-Detroit) – 85.19
6. Sen. Gilda Jacobs (D-Huntington Woods) — 82.76
7. Sen. Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) —75
8. (tie) Sen. Ray Basham (D-Taylor), Sen. Burton Leland (D-Detroit) —70.37
9. Sen. Bob Emerson (D-Flint) — 69.57
10. Sen. Deborah Cherry (D-Burton) —62.07