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Deed to the County: A Forum Between Mike Goschka & Millie Dodak On The Controversial Campaign for Saginaw 's Register of Deeds
By Robert E. Martin
Critics of Goschka's move claim that due to term limits the clock is running out
on his legislative career and this bid to wrestle the Register of Deeds office
away from Dodak serves as a perfect example of a 'career politician' looking to
add a fresh salary to his existing pension plan.
Critics of Dodak claim that an unacceptable backlog exists in the Register of
Deeds office and that she has outsourced union jobs to non-union workers. They
assert that Goschka's reputation for constituent service will bring more
efficiency to the office.
Recently we conducted a forum with each of the two candidates, asking them to
shed light on these allegations and state their case as to who is better
qualified to fill the Register of Deeds position, beginning with the
fundamental issue of motivation. The
current problems and concerns regarding the office of Register of Deeds are
glaring, the most serious of which is the 3-month backlog. The office needs a
leader who will tend to the needs and concerns of those who conduct their
business there. It's about constituent service. As the next Register of Deeds,
I am prepared to take this and other issues on to the full benefit and
satisfaction of the residents of Saginaw County.
In
1990 we were the first County to have a labeling systems for County
Transfer Tax that was approved by the Michigan Department of Treasury
and is used in every county in our state. In
2000 I secured funds to purchase an automated image scanning system
that allows the image of the document you are searching for to appear on the
screen and copies to be made with a simple push of a button. In
2002 the Register of Deeds website went up. This allows anyone that
has web access to search for information at no cost. It was wrong to outsource union work to non-union workers. I
will also be a full-time Register of Deeds, putting in a full day's work for a
full day's pay. The taxpayers deserve no less. Another of my goals is to fully
establish an e-commerce site in which the customer can print the document that
is being searched right from their office or home. (Editor's Note: Democrats filed suit claiming that because he was a sitting Senator the State Constitution prohibited his running for the Register of Deeds office. The Supreme Court ruled that the prohibition applies only to 'appointments' and not elected officials.) You may recall that I was initially ruled off of the ballot by a lower court until the Supreme Court intervened fairly close to the Primary Election. That issue gave me a slow start in virtually everything connected with this race. To date, I have raised $11,510 from Saginaw County residents, while my opponent has reported raising $3,670. The question that has been posed is also inaccurate because it inherently assumes that Mrs. Dodak has not received any out-of-county money. She has actually raised $1,825 from outside the county, $1,000 of which came from the state of Texas. Conversely, I have received no out-of-state money.
Clearly, as of this time, I have received more in contributions from Saginaw
County residents than has Mrs. Dodak. When both problems hit at the same time it caused a delay in the recording process because every document that is received must be, by statute, processed right down to each page.
Technology enhancements over the last few years kept the recording process at a
certain level, but gaining on the backlog became the problem. At this particular
time every large county was experiencing similar problems and some are still
struggling to get current with recordings. The search began last November for a vendor that might have the capability of helping, long before Goschka announced to run for my office. Unfortunately none were found in Saginaw. I discovered several out of state but very few in Michigan. I
went with HTC Company whose headquarters are located in Troy, Michigan,
because of their experience with our software and the recording process. They
confirmed with me in writing that all work would be done by their company in
Troy, not 'India' or 'China' as my opponent has stated. Hiring this company to help offset the demands on my office allowed the time needed to process the backlog. The service they provided was nothing more than a very highly sophisticated temp service that was accomplished over our website. If
the interest rates were to drop and we were to experience the same type of
volume, I would not hesitate to do it all over again.
Elections will now fall on four different days of the year, when other local
elections will already be taking place. If I win this election, it is my sense
that a special primary election would take place on the fourth Tuesday of
February, when several municipalities will already be holding various local
elections; the special general election would most probably take place on the
second Tuesday in May, when school board elections would already be taking place
throughout the state.
By
design, the figures that have been floated by my opposition have been greatly
exaggerated. I truly hope that I win, but other than putting my name on the ballot, it is up to the voters of Saginaw County to make that call. I hope they choose me because I can make an immediate, positive impact at the county level. I have greatly appreciated serving the people of Gratiot County, and win or lose in this race; I will always appreciate the honor of serving as their Senator.
Incidentally, how many years does John Kerry have to go before serving
the rest of his term in the U.S. Senate?
I
just cannot believe that a sitting State Senator would ever lower himself to
having his opponent stalked. If there is a need to monitor someone it should be
Goschka. Just look at his latest attempt with legislation to eliminate our
County Auditors. They are set by statute and their purpose it to keep a handle
on the County's expense & revenue. He managed to pass something, but it
accomplished nothing because we still have auditors! I
think he is one of the most ineffective and non-productive legislators in
Lansing. But on the other hand he should get an award for shaking the most hands
and giving the most promises (unfulfilled, of course.) My
record of working with constituents throughout my career speaks for itself, and
in talking to people in the industry that utilize the Register of Deeds office
most frequently, the biggest complaint I hear concerns backlogs and
inefficiency. If
elected, I will do a full day's work. The person that brought the information to
me regarding Mrs. Dodak's work hours was not a State employee and was not hired
by me - they worked within County government and came to me. As
for County Auditors, Saginaw is the only county in Michigan that has a Board of
Auditors and this recommendation to eliminate them that came out of Lansing was
lobbied for by Lou Dodak.
Finally, while I am not completely familiar with all of the nuances of Saginaw
County's Register of Deeds office, I have become familiar with the operations by
examining the work loads of three other county Register of Deed offices in the
State of Michigan, and my overall experience as an effective State Legislator
over the past 18-years proves that I am most capable of efficiently serving
citizens should I be elected to this office.
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