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Printer-Friendly ModeSVSU student tries hand at Buena Vista Township politics
March 17, 2008 —
If there were ever persons who made the claim that college students are politically apathetic, Greg Dietrich would certainly act as an exception to such statements.
Dietrich, a 27-year-old political science junior, has decided to join the race for a spot in the Buena Vista Township Board of Trustees. Dietrich said he was inspired by Senator Barack Obama from Illinois, one of the nominees for the Democratic ticket.
"I'm running on the platform that a newer generation has a new vision of progressive growth here in Michigan," Dietrich said. "Electing someone younger is a good thing because if you elect someone younger these are the people that get all the experience that they need at these lower levels of government."
Dietrich said that, above all things, he wants to help put Buena Vista Township on the map as a formidable economic center, adding that the township is currently lumped in as an unimportant part of Saginaw County. He said he would help bring recognition to Buena Vista by keeping the fire department well funded, helping to tear down the Fort Saginaw Mall on M-81 and then replacing it with something new. He says he is also interested in pushing for a younger, more progressive generation to be a part of Buena Vista's politics.
Dietrich is certainly no newcomer to the Buena Vista political arena, as he was involved in Buena Vista Township's Downtown District Authority's purchase of the Fort Saginaw Mall. He said this purchase was important because, by law, eminent domain must be established before the property on which the mall sits can be improved. For this endeavor, Dietrich served as vice president.
Currently, Dietrich is sitting on the Buena Vista Township Board of Review, which serves Buena Vista residents who suffer from tax problems. He will resign from this position before beginning his campaign for the Board of Trustees.
So far, Dietrich has only a few Buena Vista residents serving as campaign volunteers, but he said he hopes this will change so that he can get his campaign message out to the voting populace. Despite the fact that Dietrich is a self-described Democrat, his ticket for the Board of Trustees will be non-partisan.
"My campaign is about getting out there and talking to voters, getting their concerns, listening to them, going door to door and working as hard as I can," Dietrich said.
All of the positions in the Buena Vista Township Board of Trustees are up for grabs in the November election.
Dietrich, although optimistic about his chances of being elected to the Board of Trustees, says he is concerned about the challenge he will face if he holds office.
"Buena Vista is a challenging township," Dietrich said. "The automotive industry has once dominated and it's one of those areas that has been deteriorated because of jobs being shipped overseas. For me, this is a challenge."
Those interested in volunteering for Dietrich's campaign can contact him directly at gldietri@svsu.edu.