There are times when the voting process seems unfair. Tuesday’s ballot will ask Michigan citizens to pick just two of eight hopefuls to sit on the MSU Board of Trustees for the next eight years, but three candidates are worthy of the position - incumbents Colleen McNamara and Donald Nugent, and challenger Cal Rapson.
McNamara should win, hands down. Since joining the board in 1995, she has been the student advocate among MSU’s policymakers. She was the only trustee to vote against the university’s riot policy in 1999, and she’s not shy to voice her views that students are expected to be a little unruly, and that they should actively address social issues.
The Okemos Democrat graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in social science in 1974 and has not forgotten what her student experience was like. Even though McNamara has joined the “real-world” work force and is the executive director of the Michigan Cable Telecommunications Association, she hasn’t left her educational roots.
McNamara is the students’ trustee. She understands their concerns and fights at their side. Voters should return her to the MSU board.
The choice between Nugent and Rapson, however, isn’t such an easy one. One candidate brings to the table everything the board needs, but the other is the embodiment of everything the board cannot stand to lose.
Rapson brings with him the voice of Michigan’s labor force. The United Auto Workers vice president is an expert negotiator and could prove a valuable asset for the university’s new relationship with the Graduate Employees Union, which signed its first contract in May.
As a land-grant institution, it is MSU’s duty to cater to the educational needs of the state’s average citizens - the Fenton native represents those people as a labor official.
Rapson also has a 21st-century mindset. He understands the need to ensure people are not discriminated against for their sexual orientations, race, ethnicity or gender identity. He understands the importance of diversity issues and knows how to deal with them because of his professional experience.
The Democrat also has done his MSU homework since losing the race for the board two years ago to Trustees Dorothy Gonzales and Scott Romney. He understands the issues that the university is facing far better than he did before.
And then there’s Nugent.
The Frankfort cherry farmer is the board’s expert when it comes to MSU’s financial operation. Nugent knows the university’s pocketbooks inside and out, which would prove beneficial as MSU prepares to suffer its lot of the state’s budget crisis.
It’s no secret that the MSU Tuition Guarantee is dead, whether school officials want to admit it or not. The days of MSU consistently being able to keep tuition increases at or below the rate of inflation are over. Students need officials in place who can manage those rates as responsibly as possible. Nugent has expertise in doing this.
Nugent is also the only trustee who boasts an agricultural background, which is beneficial for an institution founded on specializing in that field.
The Republican’s only downfall is that he is behind the times when it comes to his stance on the social issues that continue to arise as the face of America changes. He just isn’t willing to stand up for the same rights that many students feel need to be fought for.
On Election Day, Michigan voters need to ask themselves one question when deciding between Nugent and Rapson: Is balancing the board’s views on social issues worth the possibility of jeopardizing MSU’ financial foundation as the state faces some of its worst economic seasons?
The answer is “No.”
MSU needs Nugent. If Rapson were up against any other conservative member of the board, he would be a shoe-in. Unfortunately, it’s Nugent’s turn.
It is no secret that Gov. John Engler has shattered the social balance of MSU’s Board of Trustees through his appointment powers - the six-millionaire, two-single-mother makeup of the board is an injustice to Spartans everywhere.
But now is not the time to fix the problems Engler created. Voters can mend them in 2004. We hope Rapson will stick with the university and consider throwing his hat back into the ring then - he is a valuable member of the Spartan family.
During the next two years, no matter who is elected Tuesday, MSU will likely not move far forward or backward in the social strides it has made. Maintaining the financial foundation that is vital to the MSU’s educational and research programs will prove more important for those charged with managing the institution’s $1 billion-plus budget.
Term-limited state Sen. Joanne Emmons also is vying for a spot on the board. While the Big Rapids Republican’s legislative background might be valuable in MSU’s bid for state funding, she is out of touch with the university community’s needs. Emmons seems to best know the university she graduated from in 1956, not the MSU of the 21st century.
Greens Surjit Dulai and Jason LaFay are also vying for a seat on the MSU board along with U.S. Taxpayers Barbara Pacifico and Crystal Van Sickle.
Voters should make the easy pick in McNamara and the tough pick in Nugent for the MSU Board of Trustees on Tuesday.
