Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Dick DeVos squared off in the first gubernatorial debate Monday evening on the legitimacy of their campaign ads and how they plan to improve Michigan's economy.
The Democratic governor and Republican challenger butted heads, each saying Michigan voters are being misled by the other.
"The people of Michigan deserve better, and they deserve the facts," DeVos said.
The advertisements DeVos has run about Michigan's involvement with Honda Motor Co., Inc. lied to the voters, Granholm said. DeVos is guilty of spreading misinformation, she added.
"He said I never met with Honda," Granholm said. "I've met with executives at Honda in Tokyo. I brought back 22 companies and 1,000 jobs."
Bringing up DeVos' record as the CEO of Amway Corp., a direct-selling business, Granholm said DeVos was more interested in finding cheap labor than creating jobs in Michigan.
"In this political season, I think it's important for people to know their facts," Granholm said. "My opponent eliminated jobs in Michigan. He's been saying he is a job-maker — he didn't make jobs in Michigan.
"As CEO of Amway, he eliminated jobs and created jobs in China."
Fostering relations with overseas markets isn't a bad thing, DeVos countered. He said that under Granholm, many of Michigan's young people have left the state to find better jobs.
"The facts are clear," DeVos said. "Under my leadership, I took our company to the international market. Our unemployment rate has gone up to the highest in the nation. The attention is clearly not here for job creation."
Granholm said she is working on one of the most aggressive economic plans in the nation to create jobs.
People in Michigan need to change their mentalities and realize they can't rely on the auto industry like Michiganians have done for 100 years, Granholm added.
"We need to be investing in education," she said. "We compete with India and China. We have to diversify our economy."
Touching on Michigan's violent crime rate, DeVos said any governor needs to be held accountable for what happens on their watch.
"In this world, when bad things happen, people can lose their lives," DeVos said. "This is a question of leadership and getting the job done."
The case of Patrick Selepak, who went on a killing spree in the spring with his fiancee in the Mid-Michigan area after mistakenly being released from prison, was brought before Granholm by the moderator.
"I've prosecuted cases and put bad guys in jail," Granholm said. "When Patrick Selepak was released, it was a mistake. I ordered the people who are responsible to be fired and the department was reorganized."
In closing, Granholm said she will continue to work to make Michigan a place of economic growth and opportunity.
"I am a governor who is going to fight for the everyday citizen," she said. "I ask for your vote on Nov. 7."
DeVos ended by saying the people of Michigan are in need of a change, and he can make the state a better place.
"I am asking you to hire me," he said.
Kris Turner can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.
