McGonegal sets the debate record straight

RIGHTON – Mike McGonegel, candidate for the Michigan House from the 66th District, issued the following points of clarification to closing remarks made by his opponent, Chris Ward, following Monday night’s candidate forum sponsored by the Livingston County League of Women Voters and the Daily Press & Argus

“Mr. Ward demonstrated his willingness to shamelessly mislead Livingston County voters while responding to accurate charges I have made regarding his record,” McGonegal said. “Mr. Ward avoided acknowledging the fact that he withdrew an amendment to an appropriations bill he wrote that would have arranged a sweetheart land swap for his contributor Mr. Earl LaFave. This was done without a public hearing, and when caught in the act Mr. Ward quickly withdrew his underhanded attempt to help a contributor."

McGonegal said Ward followed a similar method of operation to help a private developer by asking the public the foot the bill when he tried to get the state Legislature to usurp the self-governing rights of Livingston County with a bill that would have created a Downtown Development Authority in Green Oak Township where there is no downtown. He now claims this would have been preferable to the roundabouts the developer had to pay for.

He then claims he sponsored a bill that allows Michigan wine vineyards to ship directly to consumers, when the record clearly shows his original attempt was to force these same small business owners to only distribute their product through the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers, who were Mr. Ward's single largest campaign contributor in the previous cycle.

Finally, Mr. Ward takes credit for sponsoring legislation on ethics reform and school finance that he has previously acknowledged would stand no chance of being passed by the full legislature, a waste of the people’s time and resources.

Voters in the 66th District deserve a better standard of candor from their representative in Lansing.