(tense music) We continue with WGVU's decision 2022, the US House of Representatives candidate forum for Michigan's third congressional district.

Today's forum was recorded Friday, October 21st from the studios of the Meyer Public Broadcast Center at Grand Valley State University.

Working class party candidate, Louis Palus from Grand Rapids is joining us now.

Thank you for being here.

- [Louis] Thank you, Patrick.

- I appreciate you taking the time.

We're doing this via Zoom, and I think for starters, let our viewers know a little bit about yourself and why serving in Congress is important to you.

- [Louis] Well, I grew up all my life in Michigan.

I grew up on a dairy farm in Elsie, Michigan.

And we worked hard.

The only thing we did was go to church and work.

We prayed and we worked is what we did.

We didn't go anywhere, although we did go to school, thank God for the public schools.

If it wasn't for the public schools, I would be completely ignorant.

I'm ignorant now, but it wasn't for the public schools.

I would be like really brain dead.

So it's very important to have public education.

And the reason why I ran on the working class party is because I hate to break it to you guys, but we have a representative government, you elect the person and they represent you.

It's how the founding fathers set this up.

It's not perfect, but it's what they gave us.

So as a working class person, I'm representing working class people, whereas the Democrats and the Republicans do not represent us.

I'm not saying that they're not bad people, I'm not saying they're bad people, I'm not saying they're good people is they do not represent the working class party or the working class people.

- You say you've grown up in Michigan your entire life.

You are in Grand Rapids, - [Louis] Yeah.

- What issue is most pressing in Michigan's third congressional district and how would you address it?

- [Louis] That's a difficult one because there's so many problems that we have.

You know, we have global warming, we have inequality for our children, we have all all problems.

Not to mention the climate change.

So it would be a difficult problem for just one person to address.

I would have to consult experts.

I would have to consult the party members.

I would have to consult more intelligent people than I am to confront these issues.

- The US inflation rate is currently 8.2%.

What policies would you encourage to get inflation under control?

- [Louis] See, when you talk about inflation, you're talking about a capitalist system problem.

It's the capitalist system who has created this problem.

So you know, you expect me to solve what the capitalist system has created, which is inflation.

I can't pull something from the sky, and say 'help us with the inflation' when it's all, you know, it has to do with capital.

And those who are running the corporations, they are the ones that are dictating this, this inflation to us.

So we as a working class people, we have to deal with it.

- So we'll move on from, from there.

And for anybody who does wanna find out more about your stance on different issues, Louis, where, where can they find you online?

- [Louis] Oh, Louispalus@gmail.com.

My email.

- Perfect.

- Michigan's proposal two will appear on the November ballot.

It would amend the constitution to recognize fundamental right to vote.

And there are a number of listed policies when it comes to the right to vote.

What does that look like to you?

- [Louis] Well, everyone has the right to vote.

Even people who have been incarcerated, when they have committed a crime, they serve their term.

They should have a right to vote like anybody else.

They serve their time.

Why persecute them?

You know, everyone should have a second chance and everyone should have the right to vote.

Even people who are, I know this is controversial, even the immigrants who are not really citizens, I think they should have the right to vote, because they live here, they work here.

- Dobbs vs Jackson, reversed Roe vs. Wade and the constitutional right to an abortion.

What is your view on reproductive rights or the right to life?

- [Louis] Well, I think, and I'm not a woman, I'm never gonna have a baby, so I can't really speak for women, but I really think this ending of Roe vs Wade, was a direct attack on women completely.

But again, I can't speak for women because I'm not a woman.

They were gonna have to carry this burden.

And most of the ones who are suffering are the working class women who are going to have to suffer for this.

- Violent crime has been rising across the United States.

What solutions would you propose to curb the current trend?

- [Louis] The reason why people steal is because they're desperate or they're just, and I'm not sure who is committing these crimes.

We are told that, you know, x amount of people of a different race is committing these crimes, but why are they committing these crimes?

I think that's the question that we have to answer ourselves.

Why are people committing crimes against their own fellow human beings when maybe they're in desperation?

I don't know.

I don't have all the answers to the questions, Patrick, I wish I did.

I wish I was Moses coming down from the Mount and say this is what you should do.

(both laugh) But I'm not, I'm not Moses.

- Nor nor am I.

There are philosophical differences about how children should be taught in to how they should learn in the K through 12 classroom.

You mentioned education being important to you earlier in the open.

What is your suggested curriculum or best method for teaching our children in today's society?

- [Louis] Well, when I was going to school, the teachers ruled.

And if you got caught doing something in the classroom, you didn't go home and tell your parents, that was the last thing you wanted to do because the parents would also kick your butt and they would be on the side of the teacher.

So when you got in trouble in school, you did not wanna tell your folks.

And I think the teachers understand that probably the students better than the parents do because they're with them all the time.

So I would suggest the education, the teachers themselves would have a better grip on this particular problem than even the parents do.

Even though the parents are held full responsibility for their children and not the teacher, but the, they should always back up the teacher.

- What is government's role during a public health crisis?

- [Louis] Well, they botched up the covid, that's for sure.

It was, they didn't give us any information about anything, you know, and they are held responsible.

When you become elected official, everything that happens, you are held responsible for, but nobody wants to take the responsibility for anything.

So I don't know, least try to educate the public of what to do.

- US foreign policy is a broad topic, so I'll narrow this down to two areas and that is, what approach should the United States take when it comes to Russia and China?

- Well, what a mess.

I mean, you've got a madman in Russia who thinks he's the czar, (Louis laughs) an ex KGB agent.

You know?

I remember seeing him on YouTube at Easter, during the divine liturgy.

And here he's crossing himself and you know, he's chumming with the patron of Moscow.

And I go, what madness is this?

This was a communist who was a ex KGB agent and now he's all Christian.

It's just crazy.

The whole world's nuts.

And what do you do with a mad man, who is threatening to use nuclear power or nuclear bombs on, on the poor Ukrainian people?

What do you do with this guy?

Who knows what to do with him?

Even the pope can't deal with him.

- And when it comes to China, how would you approach China?

- [Louis] You know, the Chinese people, it's a very old culture.

The Chinese culture is very old and the Chinese people have endured so much, you know, they, it's an amazing culture.

How would you deal with the Chinese?

How would you do it?

Deal with it?

That's something, I'm gonna return the question to you, Patrick.

How would you deal with the Chinese?

- This is not my forum, Louis, it's yours.

I will punt that back to you.

We have about, we have about a minute to go here.

In your mind, what is this race about in Michigan's third congressional district?

- [Louis] It's always about power.

About power and what are you gonna do with that power when you get it?

It's all prestige and power.

It has nothing to do with the working class people or, or people in general.

It's all about, I think I could make a change, but most, and we never know.

We always know it's always gonna be the status quo.

Nothing's gonna change.

It's always gonna be business as usual.

And whoever gets it, whether it's whoever it is, whatever, you know, the governor or whoever, it's always gonna be the status quo.

And that's what we have to live with.

And we're tired of it.

We're tired of the status quo.

We want real change.

Government spending.

Where would you focus taxpayer dollars?

- [Louis] Oh, public health, public welfare.

I don't dislike the military or the police because I grew up with both my grandfathers were policemen, well they were not here in Europe, but they, and we have like a weird connection with the police.

Even though my grandmother was terrified with the police because in Europe the police had more, actually more control than what the police here, do.

More for social and welfare and for the public than for the military or the police.

- You touched on climate change earlier.

Do you believe humans are significantly contributing to climate change?

And if so, can humans reverse the impacts created?

- [Louis] You know, one of my favorite myths is Noah and his arc.

In, in scripture.

It's one of my favorites.

And yes, we are, we human beings do contribute to climate change.

But if you look at that myth, that myth shows us something of how we have to be caretakers of the earth.

You know, you see Noah and all the neighbors are making fun of him when he's building this arc and, and it's not real.

It's a myth.

And that's how beautiful.

Cause myths never change.

And here we have a man, who God tells him to build this boat, and he has all these animals come into the boat to protect them.

And I see climate change is like Noah's Arc.

It's like, well, all the species are dying.

I mean, they are.

I mean, and we, since we know that we have committed this, we have the responsibility to do something about it.

Just like Noah's Arc.

- How can the nation secure energy independence?

- Well, don't drive that, but don't drive cars.

Don't, you know, don't use as much electricity.

Don't, you know, in order to, you want things, you want more and more, but you have to let go of things.

I don't drive a car.

I would love to have a car.

I love to have a sports car.

I love sports cars, but I can't afford a sports car and I'm not gonna buy a trashy car.

If you're gonna kill the environment, at least do it with class and drive a sports car.

- Do you have a classy bike?

Cause I know you've been, you ride around town.

- [Louis] A Schwinn.

- All right, well that's a classic.

It's a, it's a classic.

All right.

Is there a moral or personal issue, you support, that is an opposition to your party's ideology?

What is it and why do you strongly adhere to your belief?

- [Louis] Well, being raised Catholic, I still attend the Latin mass.

I love it.

You know, and I, because that's the only thing I grew up with.

You know, we went, we worked and we went to church and to me it's not really religious, it's entertainment, for me.

I love the Latin Gregorian chants.

I love the vestments that the priest wears.

I love the incense and it really makes me a better person too, even though I'm not sure if I actually, you know, buy into all, you know, hook line and sinker and everything the Catholic Church teaches, but there's something in it that makes me a better person.

And if it makes you a better person, well why not go into it?

- All right.

Last question.

What makes you better qualified than your opponents to serve as the third district's representative?

- [Louis] Well, I'm not qualified at all.

Well, I'm a cook.

I cook for a retirement center.

I'm qualified because I understand what the working class people are going through.

I'm not qualified to represent the Republicans or the Democrats.

I'm qualified to represent the working class people, because I know them.

Most working class people do not vote.

Why should they?

Because neither one of the established parties don't represent them.

I only am qualified because I'm a working class person.

And that's it.

- Louis Palus, working class party candidate.

Thank you so much for taking the time.

We appreciate it.

- [Louis] Oh, and I thank you for letting me share my opinions and my beliefs with you, Patrick.

- All right, Thank you so much.

We appreciate it.

- [Louis] Have a good night.

- You too.

Take care.

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