Jackson Citizen Patriot:
Cavasin in Senate race

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Republicans are still chafing over their loss of the 19th state Senate seat to Democrat Mark Schauer four years ago. In fact, two of them -- Al Cavasin of Concord and Elizabeth Fulton of Battle Creek -- are competing in Tuesday's Republican primary to be the party's nominee in November's election.

Cavasin is president/CEO of Great Northern Sentry Co., a private investigation and security-consulting company in Jackson. He says he is seeking the Senate seat in response to requests from a number of people. "I'm fed up watching Michigan hemorrhage, losing jobs, neighbors and farms." The Legislature's key role, he says, is to create a business-friendly environment, and that starts with dismantling the Single Business Tax.

Fulton differs with Cavasin on what to do next. A librarian with Battle Creek Public Schools and co-owner of an area sportsman club, Fulton supports ending the SBT. However, she doesn't like the idea of replacing it with other taxes, but argues for spending cuts. When asked where she might cut spending, she cited the waste she sees in public education.

Cavasin, though he calls the SBT "a travesty for state business," would replace it with a tax that's fair, equitable and based on profits. In structuring that replacement tax, he would include a $500 million tax cut to stimulate investment.

Of the two, Cavasin is a much stronger candidate. His ideas come out of his own experience as a businessman with 80 employees and $1.8 million in revenue in 2005. He was named the Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce's 2003 Small Businessman of the Year. He is well-informed, doesn't see issues in black and white, but rather in the nuances that lend themselves to working with other people toward solutions in public policy and law. Fulton struck us as a candidate whose solutions don't have the ring of authenticity in the real world. She might be a good candidate for school board, but the state Senate demands someone who has wrestled with these issues either in the real world of business or in local government. She is weak in her background on both points and knows little about Jackson County. Her grasp of state issues is weak.

Either of the Republicans will have an uphill fight to unseat Sen. Schauer, who has worked hard in Jackson County. Al Cavasin is definitely the better choice to take on that challenge. Our recommendation is that Republican voters in the 19th State Senate District support Cavasin.

-- Jackson Citizen Patriot