Manchester voices talk about rural/urban divide at WCDP meeting

submitted by Washtenaw County Democratic Party

Washtenaw County Democratic Party (WCDP) members and guests discussed what urban Democrats in Washtenaw County need to learn about their rural neighbors. After decades of working in Washtenaw County, WCDP says they’re still missing the boat on outreach to rural candidates and rural voters.

Guest speaker Barb Fuller, chair of both the Washtenaw County Board of Road Commissioners and the Washtenaw County Broadband Task Force, hails from Sharon Township. Fuller talked about how important it is to listen to rural communities, suggesting Democrats can do this through “some small newspapers, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram which are all widely utilized.”

Additionally, Fuller urged members to keep up the work. “You’re going to have to drive more and it’s going to take longer to go door-to-door or drive down country dirt roads. Respect signs that say no trespassing. Be respectful,” she said. Fuller encouraged everyone to attend township meetings, County Farm Bureau meetings, and other consequential gatherings, to learn firsthand about the concerns of their rural neighbors, and to show actual solidarity. “People like their peace and quiet [in the rural communities] and like to be respected out in Sharon Township. Be mindful of the local issues. Get a plan of how to be involved. They’ll notice if you show up, and they’ll engage you,” added Fuller

Guest speaker Marie Joppich, Vice Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party’s Rural Caucus, talked about the billboards that Rural Caucus is actively working to put up in rural Michigan in 2022. Several will be up this spring, from the Upper Peninsula on down, she said.

Jennifer Fairfield, chair of the Western Washtenaw Democratic Club, discussed issues in rural western Washtenaw. Fairfield said, “Issues are the same [in the rural areas] as issues in the urban parts of the county, such as clean water. We all want the same thing. But in rural areas there’s a different angle. For instance, when we talk about the need for clean water, rural residents are not talking about lead pipes. We’re talking about contaminated ground water, often from farm run-off, that makes its way into our wells."

Policing is also a huge issue in rural parts of Washtenaw County, Fairfield said, because of the decision made by the County Commissioners 20 years ago, after pressure from cities with their own police departments, to stop funding sheriff road patrols for rural areas. Townships now have to pay to contract with the sheriff’s office or hire their own police, and many lack the tax base to do so.

Kyron Smith, Policy Analyst at the Center for Local State and Urban Policy at U of M, brought some hope as the program’s fourth guest speaker. Mr. Smith told the group about recent research showing that a healthy percentage of both residents and elected officials think urban-rural conversations are more productive than they were five years ago. WCDP has begun actively engaging more with rural communities and voters in 2022.

To learn more, visit https://www.washtenawdems.org/ or @WashtenawDems on Twitter. WCDP holds informative programs on the first Saturday morning of each month, and all are welcome. The May 7th program will feature candidates for Michigan House of Representatives for District 32 and 47. For more information, visit washtenawdems.org/calendar or write to info@washtenawdems.org.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.