A good legislator knows that he/she represents all of the people in the district to which that legislator is elected. So it is interesting to see that the four candidates running for state representative in the 35th district represent a broad cross section of the community.
Two have connections to education — Darryle J. Buchanan, currently a Southfield school board trustee, and Charles Roddis, who leads the finance department in a downriver district. Another, Jeremy Moss, is a Southfield city councilman, and the fourth is Nicole Brown, who works as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Wayne County.
Roddis, who ran two years ago, really wants to reform funding of education in the state — a laudable goal. He is thoughtful and well-reasoned, but with his apparent skill in turning around a school district about to fail, maybe Roddis’ talents would better serve the public if he were to run for a school board of education post.
Nicole Brown clearly is passionate about serving people, and she could be described as a pro-labor candidate. There are fewer of those these days. But Brown’s ideas show the inexperience of the newcomer. Nevertheless, Brown should stay active in the community and gain experience by serving on some boards or commissions.
Buchanan has been a driving force for change on the Southfield School Board. He will be missed in that position.
In his interview, Buchanan had difficulty in talking about anything other than education. He admitted that the loss of some key endorsements hurts, but he is sticking to his conviction that he made the right decision in such areas as outsourcing to keep the district financially afloat.
His convictions and his leadership with the Michigan Association of School Boards might make him a better candidate for the intermediate district school board or, eventually, the state board of education.
That leaves Moss. The temptation is not to endorse him, because the city of Southfield really needs him, or someone like him. But, given the other choices and the state of affairs in Lansing, voters should give Jeremy Moss a solid win to ride on into the state capitol.
Simply put, Moss will be a breath of fresh air in the Legislature. While some candidates like to talk about what was, Moss focuses in on what could be. And at age 28, he brings a perspective that will help to revitalize Michigan and, of course, the south Oakland County area.
Moss understands that the old ways don’t work anymore, and that if the state is to thrive, it needs to attract and involve younger generations than are generally represented now in Lansing. Moss isn’t talking about youth for the sake of numbers, but in knowing that an economy is built on the shoulders of the people who live and work within it.
Furthermore — and this is significant — Moss has shown while serving on the council that he can get his agenda front and center without antagonizing other members of the council. Hopefully, that skill will carry over into his dealings with colleagues in Lansing.
