Candidates present views at MSU Union during student-led question and answer session

Editor’s note: This is the final edition in a series of articles profiling the candidates for the two open City Council seats in the Nov. 3 election.

The Union became a site of heated debate and tension Wednesday as the four candidates for East Lansing City Council’s two open seats gathered to respond to students’ questions and insert jabs at one another’s views.

The ASMSU-sponsored forum was the candidates’ first joint appearance to debate their stances on local issues The incumbents, Mayor Vic Loomis and Councilmember Kevin Beard, are vying against the challengers, local activist Hans Larsen and MSU professor Phil Bellfy, for the two open seats on the East Lansing City Council.

The forum, a structured question and answer session, was meant to give permanent residents and students a chance to hear the issues from each candidate’s point of view.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

With about 20 people in attendance, the candidates discussed hot-button issues affecting both students and permanent residents. Emily Serkaian, the community liaison for ASMSU, said the idea behind the forum was created two years ago by former ASMSU Community Liaison and current Student Assembly Chairperson Kyle Dysarz, and because of the positive response, Serkaian decided to host again.

“There really haven’t been any other formal organizational efforts (to put on a forum) so it was nice to have this,” Serkaian said.

The questions

The night featured some heated topics, including questions regarding the City Center II project and candidates’ involvement with MSU. City Center II is a development project slated for the area between the corners of Abbot Road and Grand River and Evergreen avenues.

Many of the candidates accused the others of misrepresenting facts and jabbed at their positions.

ASMSU members and audience members drafted questions for the event. ASMSU Academic Assembly Chairperson Kristy Currier submitted a question regarding the Medical Amnesty Bill recently passed in the Michigan Senate, which would prevent legal action against a minor who seeks medical help for overconsumption of alcohol.

All four candidates supported the bill, although Bellfy said he was not familiar with it.

Loomis said he applauded ASMSU’s efforts to get the bill passed. He said it was another example of the working relationship between MSU and the City Council.

Larsen said although he supported the bill, it was sad the bill was needed in the first place. He said it was up to the prosecuting attorney in each case whether or not to prosecute someone for trying to help another person in medical need if they’re an intoxicated minor.

In his rebuttal, Loomis pointed out there were no prosecuting attorneys for the city of East Lansing, to which Larsen said Loomis was incorrect.

Beard also supported the bill, saying it was important not to risk student safety.

“We lose young people every year … because of overconsumption and alcohol poisoning,” he said. “I think this is a tool which we can use … to encourage the Good Samaritan to do the right thing.”

The candidates’ involvement leading up to the election also was addressed. An MSU student asked how each candidate engaged students.

Larsen said his goal in the campaign is to enlighten residents and students about city officials’ wrongdoings.

“My primary focus of this campaign is to expose the massive, reckless waste and squandering of taxpayer dollars to the detriment of the taxpayers, all to bail out a financially insolvent developer,” Larsen said, referring to City Center II.

Loomis and Beard listed off their involvement in student groups, as well as awards and endorsements they had received.

Bellfy, who is a professor at MSU, mentioned his direct relationship with students on a daily basis, as well as his involvement as an adviser to on-campus student groups.

Public response

Serkaian said she thought the dialogue was successful. She said ASMSU wanted to give students access to the candidates, and she hopes to continue panel discussions for future elections.

“There were some good issues discussed,” she said.

Graduate student Connie Cheng, who attended the panel, said seeing the candidates in person and getting to know who they were helped her educate herself about the candidates and important East Lansing issues.

“I like to hear this kind of democracy process because I come originally from China, and I am learning democracy,” she said.