Gregory Creswell

Gregory “Greg” Creswell (born February 1, 1957) [Edited by WOOD-TV Staff. [http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5515221&nav=menu44_2 "Information On Gubernatorial Candidates"] . "http://woodtv.com" (website).] is a Libertarian politician from Michigan. He made the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative the centerpiece of his 2006 campaign for governor. The measure passed, by a 16% margin [Land, Terri (Secretary of State). [http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/06GEN/90000002.html "State Proposal - 06-2: Constitutional Amendment: Ban Affirmative Action Programs"] . "mi.gov" (website).] , even though it was opposed by Creswell's gubernatorial rivals and a conglomerate of groups called “One United Michigan”. [One United Michigan. [http://www.oneunitedmichigan.org/About/endorse.html "Endorsing Organizations and Individuals"] . "oneunitedmichigan.org" (website).] Creswell placed third, with less than 1% of the vote, behind incumbent Governor Jennifer Granholm, Democratic, and Dick Devos, the Republican candidate, but ahead of Douglas Campbell, the Green Party Candidate. [Libertarian Party of West Michigan [http://www.lpwm.org/campaigns November 2006 Election Results] , retrieved August 4, 2007] [Land, Terri (Secretary of State). [http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/results/06GEN/02000000.html "Election Results GENERAL ELECTION November 07, 2006 (Governor 4 Year Term (1) Position)"] . "mi.gov" (website).]

Early life

Creswell was born in Detroit in 1957. He was a graduate of Chadsey High School in 1975 and "Wayne County Community College District" student. He has been married for over 20 years and is the father of two.League of Women Voters of Michigan, [http://www.lwvmi.org/documents/LWVGuide06.pdf Nonpartisan Michigan Voter Guide 2006] ] http://www.vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?Id=MICreswellGregory "Vote-USA.org"]

Political activities prior to 2006

Creswell claims to have donated his time, skills and earnings to charities and social causes such as his church and the pro-gun organization, Brass Roots. Creswell continued doing volunteer work for the Libertarian Party of Michigan, including work at its headquarters. ["Michigan Libertarian" [http://michiganlp.org/Past%20Newsletters/Michigan%20Libertarian%20Newsletter%20Jul-Aug%202002.pdf July/August 2002] ] Creswell was a vocal representative of the petition drive to put the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative on the ballot. ["Lansing State Journal", [http://www.lsj.com/news/local/040111_affirm_1b-2b.html "Petition on race policy to begin:Group seeks to end affirmative action in state"] By O. Brand-Williams, Published January 11, 2004]

2006 gubernatorial campaign

Creswell was nominated on May 13 at the 2006 Libertarian Party of Michigan convention in Chelsea, Michigan. [Land, Terri (Secretary of State). [http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/election/candlist/06GEN/06GEN_CL.HTM "2006 Official Michigan General Candidate Listing"] . "http://mi.gov/sos" (website).] [Larson, Eric (Chair). [http://www.lpwm.org/news-1/elections-of-officers "Libertarian Party of West Michigan: Elections of Officers"] . "lpwm.org" (website).] [cite news | first=Andrew | last=Wrenbeck | coauthors= | title=2006 Michigan Libertarian Candidates for Office | date=July/August, 2006 | publisher = "Michigan Libertarian" | url=http://michiganlp.org/Past%20Newsletters/Michigan%20Libertarian%20Newsletter%20July-Aug%202006.pdf | accessdate = | language =English ] His campaign raised over $16,000 in donations. [Land, Terri (Secretary of State). [http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/show_img.cgi?com_id%3D513165%26doc_seq_no%3D278412%26total_images%3D36%26image_id%3D2%26old_image_id%3D1%26doc_scanned%3D10/27/2006%26doc_date_proc%3D10/27/2006%26doc_stmnt_year%3D2006%26doc_type_code%3DG1%26 Pre-General CS] , page 2, dated October 27, 2006] which was dwarfed by the Granholm and Devos campaigns, [Terri Lynn Land, Secretary of State. [http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/sum_pg.cgi?doc_seq_no%3D288501%26doc_stmnt_year%3D2006%26com_id%3D510278%26doc_date_proc%3D06/18/2007%26doc_type_code%3DG2A "AMENDED POST-GENERAL CS"] . "Michigan.gov" (website).] [Terri Lynn Land, Secretary of State. [http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/cgi-bin/cfr/sum_pg.cgi?doc_seq_no%3D281550%26doc_stmnt_year%3D2006%26com_id%3D512426%26doc_date_proc%3D12/07/2006%26doc_type_code%3DG2 "POST-GENERAL CS"] . "Michigan.gov" (website).] but in excess of that raised by Douglas Campbell [Terri Lynn Land, Secretary of State. [http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/cfr/dumpimages/2743511.pdf "Statement of organization (Campbell)"] . "Michigan.gov" (website).] , or that raised by Bhagwan Dashairya [Terri Lynn Land, Secretary of State. [http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/cfr/dumpimages/2802601.pdf "DISSOLUTION CAMPAIGN STATEMENT (To dissolve a committee that has a reporting waiver) DASHAIRYA"] . "Michigan.gov" (website).] both of whom qualified for a reporting waivers (only available to campaigns with budgets under $1,000). The Creswell campaign spent over $10,000 on radio advertising. The largest investment was made in advertisements on Detroit AM Radio stations WJR and WXYT. [Land, Terri (Secretary of State). [http://miboecfr.nicusa.com/cfr/dumpimages/2805101.pdf "Itemized Expenditures Schedule 1B Candidate Committee"] . "http://mi.gov/sos" (website).] These commercials specifically targeted Devos and Granholm by referring to them as candidates of “the two old parties,” and berating them for supporting state-supported preferences based on race and sex. [ [http://gregcreswell.lpwm.org/copy_of_Audio/copy_of_radio_ad.mp3/view "Radio Commercial In Use"] . "lpwm.org" (website).]

Running-mate

Creswell's campaign was shared with his Lieutenant Governor candidate Scotty Boman. Boman was Chair of the Libertarian Party of Michigan at the time. Boman, a college professor, had run for a variety of offices as a Libertarian. He had also been a member of the Wayne State University Student Council [Yonushewski, Katie (Contributing writer) [http://thesouthend.typepad.com/tsenews/2006/11/former_student_.html "Former Student Council member vying for the governor’s office"] , "The South End", November 02, 2006, retrieved August 4, 2007] , had run for the Detroit City Council, [cite news | last =Editorial | first = | url = http://www.lpmich.org/news/DetNews_clipping_0831_1997.pdf | title = Detroit City Elections | work = Detroit News (archived by The Libertarian Party of Michigan) | date =August 31, 1997 | accessdate = 2007-08-05 ] and had run for State Board of Education. [League of Women Voters Kalamazoo Area [http://www.lwvka.org/guide04/brdofed.html "2005 General Election Guide"] "lwvka.org" (website)]

pokesperson of Liberty

On November 19, 2006, Creswell received The Libertarian Party of Michigan’s Spokesperson on Liberty Award at their annual Liberty Fest in Ann Arbor, Michigan. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Liberty Fest Honors Defenders of Liberty | date=November 21, 2006 | publisher = "LPM Online" | url=http://michiganlp.org/ENewsletters/N20061121.htm#NEWS163 | accessdate =2007-08-04 | language =English ]

Position on issues

Racial preferences

Creswell’s position statements focussed on what he called, “racial preferences.” On his campaign’s site he claimed to be the only gubernatorial candidate supporting the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, and he defended the validity of the associated petition effort. [Creswell, Gregory [http://gregcreswell.lpwm.org/racial-preferences "Equal Means Equal"] . "lpwm.org" (website).] His position statements referred to Affirmative Action as “state-sponsored discrimination,” when it set different standards based on a person’s race or gender. He claimed this was the position of the Libertarian Party of Michigan which addresses this topic in it’s platform. [Libertarian Party of Michigan. [http://michiganlp.org/Shared%20Documents/Platform.aspx "The Libertarian Party of Michigan Platform"] . "michiganlp.org" (website).] [Libertarian Party of Michigan. [http://michiganlp.org/Shared%20Documents/Platform.aspx "The Libertarian Party of Michigan Platform"] "michiganlp.org" (website).]

Civil liberties

In his position statements, Creswell said his approach to civil liberties was based on the belief that people should be free to engage in any “peaceful and honest” activity. He claimed he would protect civil liberties by supporting equal rights for gay couples, medical marijuana, and “the right to keep and bear arms.” He also claimed there was a link between civil liberties and fiscal responsibility.cite news | first=Whitney | last=Gronski | coauthors=Murphy and Eum | title= Face off: Devos vs. Granholm; Collegiate staff examines the candidates | date=October 26, 2004 | publisher = "The Collegiate" | url=http://www.delta.edu/collegiate/oct2606/stateelection.html | accessdate = | language =English ] He also opposed restrictions and taxes on internet transactions. [cite news | first=Daric | last=Thorne | coauthors= | title=March of Progress: Conservative Spectrum | date=August, 2006 | publisher = "MCC Chronicle" (Vol. 1 issue 4) | url=http://www.mcc.edu/pdf/clubs/chronicle/Chroniclevol1iss4.pdf | accessdate = | language =English ]

Economy

Creswell rejected “government planning,” and expressed the belief that what he called a “free-market economy” would create jobs, lower costs, and improve the standard of living. He supported changing government policies by letting the single business tax expire (without replacing it), cutting the budget, ending what he called “corporate welfare” and lifting regulations which he claimed were “burdensome,” on small businesses.cite news | first=Whitney | last=Gronski | coauthors=Murphy and Eum | title= Face off: Devos vs. Granholm; Collegiate staff examines the candidates | date=October 26, 2004 | publisher = "The Collegiate" | url= http://www.delta.edu/collegiate/oct2606/stateelection.html | accessdate = | language =English ] He also opposed restrictions and taxes on internet transactions. [cite news | first=Daric | last=Thorne | coauthors= | title=March of Progress: Conservative Spectrum | date=August, 2006 | publisher = "MCC Chronicle" (Vol. 1 issue 4) | url=http://www.mcc.edu/pdf/clubs/chronicle/Chroniclevol1iss4.pdf | accessdate = | language =English ]

He claimed that politicians didn’t created jobs but, “…only shifted jobs from the private sector to government employment.” He accuse them of rewarding “mismanagement and irresponsibility” with “taxpayer funded bailouts.”

While opposing mandatory taxes, Creswell supported what he called a “Tax me more fund,” so those who supported higher taxes could pay them. [cite news | first=Gregory | last=Creswell | coauthors= | title=Taxing his patience | date=July 19, 2006 | publisher = The Metro Times | url=http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=9446 | accessdate = | language =English ]

In his position statements, he advocated the removal of taxes on private property, fuel and the internet. He also supported the privatizing licensing. He claimed that many licensing laws were “designed to entrap people.” He argued that people should not have to “…spend more on permits than materials to improve their homes.” He called for an end to what he called the “abuse of fines and forfeitures.” [ [http://gregcreswell.lpwm.org/why "Why Vote for Me"] "lpwm.org" (website).]

Law enforcement

Creswell said politicians should stop "wasting money" on what he called “non-violent crime.” In his published statements, he accused politicians of keeping people in prison who were no threat to the public. He argued that it was too expensive to use prisons in this manner when people had what he called “real expenses.” He articulated the belief that prisons existed to protect citizens from what he called, “brutal criminals who would not hesitate to prey on others,” and said it was a “waste” of money and “immoral” to imprison people for what he termed, “unhealthy alternative lifestyles, seeking non-traditional medicine for terminal illness, or trying to relieve the suffering of others.

If elected, he vowed to pardon “people imprisoned for medical marijuana, physician assisted suicide, non-payment of taxes, and substance related charges.” He supported what he called, “penalties that result in restitution to the victims and the taxpayers” for what he referred to as “non-violent property offenses.” He also spoke in favor of diverting more money to arresting those he called “violent offenders,” and “enforcing laws against theft and fraud."

References

External links

* [http://www.webcitation.org/5W8Pi6NoK Campaign Website]
* [http://www.scottyboman.org Running-mate, Scotty Boman's page]
* [http://www.brassrootsusa.org/Pledge.htm Brass Roots Web page]
* [http://michiganlp.org Libertarian Party of Michigan Website]
* [http://www.lp.org National Libertarian Party website]
* [http://bentley.umich.edu/bhl/mhchome/parties/libertar.htm University of Michigan Library Reference]
* [http://www.vote-usa.org/BallotCandidates.aspx?Election=20061107GMI000000ALL Vote USA Michigan 2006 Election]
* [http://www.isil.org/network/mi/ International Society for Individual Liberty, Michigan Chapter]