The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Libertarian will run in Ward 2
EMU grad says third party will diversify city
By Dan DuChene, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: June 15, 2006
A new candidate has emerged in the City of Ypsilanti's elections this year.
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Tom Bagwell, a recent EMU political science graduate, will be running for the city council's Ward 2 seat.
Bill Nickels, D-2nd Ward, currently holds that position, but he is up for election this year.
Bagwell, 22, will be running as a Libertarian for the seat. He is currently the only candidate not running as a Democrat.
Because every candidate in the city is running as a Democrat, they are more concerned with the primary election on Aug 8. This includes the two Democrats running for the Ward 2 seat, Nickels and John Bailey.
Bagwell will run against whoever wins the Democratic ticket in the general election in Nov.
"At least I can vote for a Libertarian and respect myself in the morning," Bagwell said.
Bagwell is currently the chair of the Washtenaw County Libertarian Party, and the communication director for the party on the state level.
"We've done a whole lot in Ann Arbor," Bagwell said. "We're trying to put a face on the party here in Ypsilanti."
The Libertarian Party is typically known for low taxes and less government regulation.
"We're just like any other party," Bagwell said, "except the people on the fringe tend to get picked on more."
Bagwell has been living in the city since he enrolled at EMU in 2001. He graduated in last Dec. and is currently living with his wife of three years, Elizabeth.
"Right now, in the city government, we have essentially a one-party government," Bagwell said. "I want to add more diversity."
"What a disaster," Bagwell said of the Water Street Project. "They bought up all this property, and it's just sitting there."
"First of all, the city has no place centrally planning property development," Bagwell said. "They should just sell all of the property and let them develop it the way they want."
Bagwell described the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, the company operating buses in Ypsilanti, as a "government monopoly."
"Why don't we have competition in public transportation?" Bagwell asked. "No one's really investigated that."
When asked about a city income tax, Bagwell said, "No, absolutely not."
Bagwell went on to say, "Forty percent of the people in Ypsilanti are living below the poverty line." He said, "You can't tax people into wealth."
"Liberty, Community and Responsibility," is the title of Bagwell's platform.
"The people who run our city need to be responsible," Bagwell said.
Bagwell said he plans to listen to the people. He said he wants to circulate weekly newsletters and start an e-mail list. He also wants to add a monthly town-hall meeting to the city council's agenda.
"There are a lot of people who have concerns," Bagwell said. "As council people, we have the responsibility to listen to them."
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