LANSING -U.S. Senator and Detroit Democrat Carl Levin made his way to several Michigan colleges Tuesday, including a stop at Lansing Community College.
“I thought we’d talk a bit about the economy,” Levin told the audience of about 40, which filled up a college classroom.
“If we don’t pay down the deficit, you’re going to be saddled with it. We’re hoping to do the fiscally responsible thing with this surplus.”
The senator’s stops also included Calvin College in Grand Rapids and Mott Community College in Flint.
Levin outlined his desire to use excess funds to pay down the national deficit, rather than use it on the proposed tax cuts.
Levin stated he believes the proposed cuts are too large and are targeted at the wrong people, telling the room that the upper class doesn’t need any tax cuts.
“I believe we should take the surplus, partly at least, and use it to reduce the deficit,” Levin said. “Paying down the debt should be our top priority over tax cuts.”
He added that any Republicans who want a larger tax cut than the proposed cuts by President Bush are “wronger than Bush.”
Levin opened up the floor for questions from the students and spent the bulk of his visit answering inquiries about defense spending, campaign finance, prescription costs and how working in the Senate while equally partisan, bearing both 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, is going so far.
The visit came a few days after Levin’s announcement that he intends to run for his seat once again in 2002. A victory in the election would mean he would serve a fifth term. He’s already one of the senior legislators on Capitol Hill.
Because of the timing, some questioned the senator’s desire to make the classroom visits.
“Clearly, the senator is trying to get back in touch with his constituents after spending so much time in Washington,” said Sage Eastman, spokesman for the Michigan Republican Party. “I think the question in the next election is whether or not it’s time to get some fresh ideas in there.”
Despite the seriousness of the trip, Levin was quick to joke, especially when he walked into the wrong classroom.
Upon discovering that it was filled by a business class and not the political science and government students he expected, he reacted by saying, “Well, that’s important too.”
Most of the students that were supposed to hear Levin speak were receptive and enjoyed the chance to ask questions of the four-time senator.
“I’m pretty strongly Republican, but he had some viewpoints that made me think about the Democratic Party,” said Kurt Richardson, an LCC pre-law junior.
Richardson asked a number of questions during the session and was surprised by Levin’s answers.
“They were pretty straightforward - a lot of politicians beat around the bush,” he said.
