Ann Arbor Republican Chase Ingersoll takes stage alone in 53rd District state House debate
Republican Chase Ingersoll said it seemed a bit unusual Tuesday night when Democrat Jeff Irwin didn't show up on time for their scheduled debate at CTN studios in Ann Arbor.
"I'm usually the one that's tardy," Ingersoll admitted.
Republican Chase Ingersoll appeared alone Tuesday night in the absence of his opponent, Democrat Jeff Irwin.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
Ten minutes later, with Irwin still nowhere in sight, Ingersoll found himself in the middle of a one-man debate hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area.
Irwin expressed regret for missing the debate late Tuesday night, saying he got the date mixed up on his calendar.
Ingersoll, owner of A2 Global Shipping in Ann Arbor, faces off against Irwin, a Washtenaw County commissioner, in the Nov. 2 election.
The two Ann Arbor residents are vying for the 53rd District state House seat being vacated by state Rep. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor.
Ingersoll said he realizes his chances of winning in such a heavily Democratic district are slim to none, but he's running to give Republicans like him a choice on Election Day.
"My message may be for a very small minority, but that minority's never had somebody worth voting for," Ingersoll said Tuesday night.
Ingersoll half-jokingly said he believes his best chance of winning the election is if Irwin finds himself entangled in some sort of scandal. Simply missing a debate probably won't hurt Irwin's chances of cruising to victory in November, though.
Ingersoll has been running a relatively quiet campaign.
"I'm not out there raising money, or knocking doors, or anything like that," he said. "That's part of the whole process that I never liked, and I never liked when people knocked on my door."
Ingersoll fielded questions Tuesday night that touched on protecting the state's water resources, the state budget, partisan gridlock in Lansing, education funding, his stance on a constitutional convention and priorities if elected.
As for the idea of a constitutional convention, Ingersoll said he doesn't think the average voter in Michigan understands the issue enough or is qualified enough to elect delegates who would go to work on drafting a new constitution for the state.
"I think the Michigan voting populace is completely unqualified to actually do that," he said.
Ingersoll took exception to a question about shortfalls in state education funding.
"First of all, I disagree with the premise that not enough money is being spent on education," he said, concluding "there's plenty of education out there."
On the topic of protecting Michigan's water resources, Ingersoll said the federal government should have "absolutely no say" about the water here in Michigan, and how the state's water resources are used should be determined only by Michigan.
As for the issue of partisan gridlock in Lansing, Ingersoll questioned whether that's really all that bad. Following the principle that government which governs least governs best, Ingersoll said, perhaps Michigan is better off that the Legislature isn't passing too many laws.
Ingersoll said he's opposed to increasing taxes.
"All you're simply going to do is have businesses head over to Ohio or Indiana," he said. "I could give you a close-to-home example: Right now, if a small transportation outfit titles and registers its vehicles in Ohio, for example, it saves thousands of dollars a year over Michigan. Why is that? Has Ohio found a way to be more efficient?"
As for state budget cuts, Ingersoll said, "Everybody's going to have to take a haircut."
Ingersoll laid out other concerns about the interplay between state and federal government, as well as between local municipal governments and the state.
"I don't think it makes any sense to be sending money from Michigan to the federal government, and then Michigan sitting back here asking the federal government how we can spend it," he said. "Likewise, I don't think it's appropriate for Washtenaw County ... to be sending money to Lansing and then putting our hand out and asking Lansing to send it back to us with a whole list of rules on how we can spend it.
"Are we in Washtenaw County too stupid to figure out how we should spend our own money and what we should spend it on?" he added. "Or are we somehow benefiting in sending it out to a Legislature that brings in many of the crooks and thieves from Detroit, who are elected by crooks and thieves in Detroit, and then they dabble around and they help articulate the rules that we in Washtenaw County then have to live by?"
Ingersoll concluded: "I think we'd be better off if basically Lansing ceased to exist and if the federal government ceased to exist. We're big enough to handle it ourselves."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Chase Ingersoll
Thu, Sep 30, 2010 : 8:16 a.m.
My first friend in Ann Arbor, grew up in the projects in Detroit. The short story of his family is that you either committed to getting out of Detroit or you committed felonies. Granted, there are many different aspects and levels that a problem area like Detroit can be discussed and I don't discount the effect of corporate interest that engage in "urban recycling" as a means to gentrification and urban development. But that does not excuse from personal accountability the voters of Detroit who elect and re-elect the Conyers and Kilpatrick crime families to govern, both locally and to represent them in Lansing and Washington DC. Troubling, is the naivette or wink and nod that voters in Ann Arbor give to the rampant voter fraud and ballot box stuffing that takes place in cities like Detroit where election monitors WILL be physically threatened. But that is what our society as a whole has come to - by any means necessary to win elections and implement our agenda onto other people. And along comes someone who says that we need to disengage from the apparatus (State and National) governments that have a co-dependent relationship with this corruption, and many will say that person is at best impractical, and at worst racist and crazy. And I don't think it is out of bounds to say that Jeff Irwin would simply regard my position as "impractical", but not racist or crazy. Jeff and I are no different than candidates in any race - we start with a different set of assumptions, and even where our assumptions are the same, our opinions as to the most effective process to achieve a mutually agreed goal would be different. But I re-iterate what I think is a reasonable assumption: Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County with its level of education and progressiveness, does itself a disservice by engaging in a legislative system/process where its interest and autonomy is diluted by the influence by a geographic/political neighbor that is collectively, functionally illiterate, and I quote Mayor Bing, "Either they can't read, they can't add or they can't comprehend" But these are people that vote in our statewide office holders and representatives that participate in writing the laws that govern us?! It should be obvious why the state cannot balance a budget.
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball
Thu, Sep 30, 2010 : 6:43 a.m.
Chase has my support. The real problems are up in Lansing - that is where the votes will be cast - that is where a new direction and new budgets are needed. 16% poverty in Michigan. A loss of $12,000 annual income per family over Jenny's term at leadership, 16% unemployment, the best and brightest are in mass exodus mode, - where is Michigan headed???
Rich Birkett
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 8:46 p.m.
I have doubts that either of these candidates are qualified or committed enough to be State Rep. Too bad there aren't other candidates.
Caveat Emptor
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 5:41 p.m.
Given Mr. Ingersoll's comments, it seems that Mr. Irwin was right not to legitimize Mr. Ingersoll by sharing the dais with him. Mr. Ingersoll is clearly pandering to those elements of the electorate which are clearly mentally deficient enough to believe that the "ideas" he espouses will benefit anyone at all. Yes, Michigan should control entirely its interest one of the largest fresh water supplies in the world without regard for other states, much less other countries. Oh, and we don't need a government at all. We're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. Everyone else be damned. These are not ideas for management of public policy, they are the ravings of a lunatic.
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 3:42 p.m.
This is what happens when you're a one-party town. Candidates don't have to listen to their constituents any more. Definitely not a PC approach to the Detroit problem, though. I suppose the Republicans can't afford a handler in an area where they stand no chance of winning. He's right, but he can't say it that way.
Snarf Oscar Boondoggle
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 12:23 p.m.
@Ingersoll: "Ryan: Thanks for the coverage and the accuracy of the quotes."...the most important of which (for starters) is: "I don't think it makes any sense to be sending money from Michigan to the federal government, and then Michigan sitting back here asking the federal government how we can spend it," he said. "Likewise, I don't think it's appropriate for Washtenaw County... to be sending money to Lansing and then putting our hand out and asking Lansing to send it back to us with a whole list of rules on how we can spend it." thankyouverymuch... where;s my ballot?
peg dash fab
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 10:40 a.m.
Peter Eckstein read my thoughts
Peter Eckstein
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 10:07 a.m.
Mr. Ingersoll complains of "a Legislature that brings in many of the crooks and thieves from Detroit, who are elected by crooks and thieves in Detroit." There is a name for this kind of stereotyping.
Speechless
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 8:56 a.m.
When the heavy favorite to win an election blows off a campaign debate and gives a poor excuse, it normally rubs me the wrong way. In this case, it still does to a fair degree. At the same time, though, judging from certain occasions when I've encountered comments or posts on this site that were keyboarded by Ingersoll, there's a parallel, and rather different, gut reaction. It feels like he's reaping a small bit of 'karma,' courtesy of Irwin, for his past entries lampooning street people, social minorities, and non-religious non-conservative lifestyles, while on an occasion or two playing the race card in such a way that it allows wiggle room for deniability if called out. As he has, at times, mocked the credible economic and social concerns of some of the disenfranchised, it's now Ingersoll's turn to get a modest taste of disdain.
Jeff Irwin
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 7:48 a.m.
To the league, the voters and the readers here, I apologize for missing the forum. For whatever reason, presumably an error on my part, I had the event scheduled for this evening (Wednesday). I hope that anybody interested in learning my views on the issues will look into the previous fora held for the primary, my website (www.VoteIrwin.com) or simply ask me directly.
tdw
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 7:43 a.m.
Hmmm.....I did'nt even realize a Republican existed in Ann Arbor
Huron74
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 7:40 a.m.
"No pandering or slandering" Ryan? Given that the Ann Arbor.com commentariat's partisanship is so raging and toxic at this point in the election cycle if they did their heads would explode.
Chase Ingersoll
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 7:21 a.m.
Ryan: Thanks for the coverage and the accuracy of the quotes. For the public: the Q and A given by the League is really difficult, because you are REQUIRED to limit your answer to 60 seconds. But many of the questions have multiple parts and take 60 seconds to be asked. In fairness to Jeff Irwin, a mix up on a schedule is an easy thing to do if you are actively campaigning and containing costs by managing your own campaign. There are also a number of activities in Lansing that candidates who are most likely to win are more than encouraged to attend. Since I am not doing anything like that.....well, my schedule is a lot easier to keep track of. Don't worry, I am certain that the league and 99% of the other local and statewide groups will still endorse Mr. Irwin. If you have questions, please address them publicly in this forum and I will be happy to respond. But please, although I know it is the season for it - no pandering and no slandering.
Jimmy McNulty
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 6:54 a.m.
Blew off the debate? That speaks volumes.
InsideTheHall
Wed, Sep 29, 2010 : 6:14 a.m.
So why did Irwin duck the debate? Is he afraid to debate the issues?