For 20 years Mike Stampfler was Portage's City Manager. His experience also includes a stint as Emergency Manager for the city of Pontiac.
He's now the Libertarian candidate for state House in the 61st state House District, which includes the city of Portage. Stampfler says his experience has given him a good perspective of what government does well and what it doesn't do so well. He sat down with WMUK's Gordon Evans. Some highlights:
Role of Government
Stampfler says issues of security and how society is structured are important functions of government. He says government often takes the first good answer that comes around, rather than searching for the best answer.
Troubled Cities
Detroit is going through bankruptcy proceedings, but other cities have been under state-appointed emergency managers. That includes Benton Harbor, and Pontiac where Stampfler was appointed by then Governor Jennifer Granholm as emergency manager. Stampfler says, under the current system, the state does little more than balance the financial books and get communities ready for a "do over." He says the cities need a more thorough restructuring. Stampfler says otherwise many of the same problems will likely still plague the city. Stampfler says a complete restructuring of Detroit would likely mean more state money.
Education
Stampfler says the state's role in education should be to equalize the economic scale between communities. He says the Department of Education should set benchmarks to measure how schools and school districts are performing. But Stampfler says he prefers education be handled at the local level. He says too much money has been diverted from state universities. Stampfler says that has led to universities raising tuition to make up the difference. He says the state should be investing more in higher education. Asked where he would get the additional money, Stampfler says the state needs to face "full square" its financial challenges.
Discrimination
Asked about amending the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Stampfler says he would vote for those changes. He says it's an issue of fairness.
Marijuana
Stampfler says too many people are "marked for life" for arrests related to marijuana. He says it's also a racial issue, and too many people are in prison who otherwise would not harm society. Stampfler favors legalizing marijuana, and says more money should be spent on helping people once they get to prison.
Politics
Asked if a Libertarian can win a state House seat, Stampfler says he doesn't know. But he says asking questions, and raising issues that don't come up in the debate between the two major parties is valuable to the process. Stampfler says Libertarians in the past have taken solace in getting "x number of votes." But he says "I would like to win."
Discussion of other issues can be heard in the web version of the interview.
Roads
The Legislature has been negotiating on a plan to fund road repair and maintenance. Stampfler says he's not convinced that the state needs more money through a gas tax or vehicle registration fees. Stampfler says the state needs to examine how money is spent on road repair.
Energy
Stampfler says Michigan should carefully study other states to examine hydraulic fracturing or "fracking." He says fracking is part of the solution for making Michigan energy-efficient. But Stampfler says the state needs to make sure it has proper regulations in place to safeguard against problems. He says renewable energy should also be part of the solution.
Privatized Prison Food
Asked about the problems with Aramark, the company hired to provide food service in prisons, Stampfler says privatization is a good tool for government. But he says it should result in "a better product at a lower cost." Stampfler says if you only get one, then the service shouldn't be privatized. He says it's also important to "establish protocols" in a contract with a vendor providing service. Stampfler says that requires flexibility and adroitness in government.
