John Anthony La Pietra

John Anthony La Pietra was born in Evanston, Illinois. La Pietra earned a high school diploma from Glenbard West High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Macalester College in 1978 and a law degree from Western Michigan University, Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2008. His career experience includes working as an attorney.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m 68, married and the father of two daughters. I’ve lived in Marshall the past 27 years in a row, and 10 more off and on before that. I was born and mostly raised in the Chicago area, but have also lived in Ohio, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, and Japan.

I’ve been interested in politics since I wrote the White House to ask Lyndon Johnson to support a movement to make the redwood the national tree. In 2000, I joined the petition drive to get the Green Party on the ballot in Michigan, and I’ve been an active Green ever since. (If my uncommon name seems familiar, you might have seen me on the ballot before – for Secretary of State in 2010, Attorney General in 2014, and MSU Trustee in 2024, among others.)

Other interests include reading, writing, music, and theatre. I’ve played John Adams in “1776”, and Koko and Pooh-Bah in separate productions of “The Mikado”, among other roles in community theatre. And I produced and directed a performance of Norman Corwin’s radio play “The Plot to Overthrow Christmas”, which raised a little money for the American Red Cross.

Another of my interests, manga/anime, led to my family life today. I met my wife on an online bulletin board discussing our mutual favorite artist/author, Rumiko Takahashi. (We started writing an alternative history of one of Takahashi’s series, “Maison Ikkoku”, but that project’s on hold now that we have our own adventure.)

I hope my answers here help you decide to vote in this race – and vote for me.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

An expert called MSU the US’s worst-governed major public university in 2023, and the scandals and misgovernment haven’t stopped. With fat cats and inside connections still determining who gets into seats of power, it’s past time the Board has at least one Trustee the people can trust.

I will serve the MSU community – students, workers and families, and all Michiganders. I’ve been a lawyer for 17 years now, with some focus on public and administrative law. Before that, I worked a decade each in government, civic-justice NGOs, and private business, with some accounting experience too. I’ll be a guardian of the people’s money and the people’s interests – not a protector of money, influence, or secrets.I believe a public university should be a beacon of transparency. But I know how dim a lighthouse Michigan is: the Center for Public Integrity has flunked us twice, and in 2015 ranked us the least transparent of all 50 states. I’ve worked on FOIA and Open Meetings issues as a concerned citizen since before I got my law degree. I will push to open up MSU’s meetings, reports, and discussions; to make more information more public and more available; and to end NDAs and other secret-keeping about public business from the public. And I oppose MSU’s mishandling and punishment of protests against apartheid in Palestine and genocide in Gaza, just as I support free-speech protests against historical oppression of other groups.I value MSU’s history as Michigan’s first land-grant college, the model for the first Federal law creating such colleges nationwide: the Morrill Act of 1862. Yes, even during the Civil War, this country moved forward on establishing universities to serve the people. I aim to re-dedicate MSU to that movement – in its academic programs and presence, and in its outreach to people outside of formal schooling with the MSU Extension Service. I want that service to extend farther and become a truly public data center helping people prepare better for the changing realities of environment, energy, and personal economy. And I want to do all this while honoring the peoples who were here first, and weren’t asked about granting the land.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My core political beliefs align closely with the Four Pillars of the Green Party – Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Non-Violence, and Social Justice – and the six other principles in our Ten Key Values: Community-Based Economics, Decentralization, Feminism, Future Focus/Sustainability, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Respect for Diversity. I am passionate about all these Green values, and feel confident that they all will be relevant to my serving the people on the Board of Trustees. But I expect that Grassroots Democracy and Social Justice would likely be the ones most often involved in being an MSU Trustee.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I admire John Adams, whose dedication to public service did not get detoured by his reputation as “obnoxious and disliked” – and Ralph Nader, who has arguably earned a very similar reputation. Another major example I would like to follow comes from the story told that a reporter once asked Mahatma Gandhi what he thought of Western civilization – and Gandhi answered: “I think it would be a good idea.” The equivalent need for Michigan government in general, and MSU in particular, is a lot more of both transparency and accountability. An end to cronyism and Non-Disclosure Agreements would also be good ideas.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristic for an elected official is dedication to true and principled service to the people who elect us.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility of this office is that of serving the people in the several constituencies of the MSU community – and the people of Michigan.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to help build MSU and its Extension Service into a statewide network of educational and informational opportunity – to the point where it re-defines the term “data center” from a commercializing of private personal data (for very private profit only) into a genuine public good for all.

In fact, I haven’t heard of any other candidates paying attention to the huge potential of MSU’s Extension Service to work with public schools and libraries across the state for broader and deeper educational opportunities for all children (and adults) in Michigan. That, to me, is this institution’s greatest opportunity for real growth.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

One summer during my high-school years, I was a dishwasher/busboy for a local restaurant . . . well, about half the summer, actually. One day, I fell off my bicycle riding home from work. As I tried to swing my back leg over the frame, I got my foot caught in the basket in the back – and wrenched my knee.

I was very lucky not to have lost some joint function permanently – my arthroscopic surgeon turned out to be an early sports-medicine expert. He found out my cartilage wasn’t torn, just popped out of place and pinched between two bones; once it was back in place (and I went through some rehab), it was as good as new.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Public speaking. Not so much because I’m shy – though I am, somewhat – it’s more because my mouth can’t always keep up with how fast my mind wants to go.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

The core responsibility of this office is that of serving the people in the several constituencies of the MSU community – and the people of Michigan.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

A responsibility that may not be unknown – but is perhaps less often considered than it should be – is the responsibility of MSU to operate its Extension Service and respond to the needs of the people across the state. The scope of its operations must be broad, and constantly broadening as we move on into the future.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m 66, married and the father of two daughters. I’ve lived in Marshall the past 25 years in a row, and 10 more off and on before that. I was born and mostly raised in the Chicago area, but have also lived in Ohio, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, and Japan.

I’ve been interested in politics since I wrote the White House to ask Lyndon Johnson to support a movement to make the redwood the national tree. In 2000, I joined the petitioning campaign to get the Green Party on the ballot in Michigan, and I’ve been an active Green ever since. (If my uncommon name seems familiar, you might have seen me on the ballot before. I ran for Secretary of State in 2010 and Attorney General in 2014, among other campaigns.)

My other interests include reading, writing, music, and theatre. I’ve played John Adams in “1776”, and Koko and Pooh-Bah in separate productions of “The Mikado”, among other roles in community theatre. And I produced and directed a performance of Norman Corwin’s radio play “The Plot to Overthrow Christmas”, which raised a little money for the American Red Cross.

Another of my interests, manga/anime, led to my family life today. I met my wife on an online bulletin board discussing our mutual favorite artist/author, Rumiko Takahashi. (We started writing an alternative history of one of Takahashi’s series, “Maison Ikkoku”, but that project’s on hold now that we have our own adventure.)

I hope my answers here help you decide to vote in this race. (Maybe even for me.)

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

An expert called MSU the US’s worst-governed major public university last fall. With all the fat cats and inside connections determining who gets into seats of power, maybe it’s time the MSU Board had at least one member who’s there for the people of Michigan – a trustee the people can trust.

Within the MSU community, I will serve students first, with MSU workers and MSU families close behind. I’ve been a lawyer (my fourth career) for 15 years now, with some focus on public and administrative law. Before that, I worked a decade each in government, civic-justice NGOs, and private business, with some accounting experience too. I’ll be a guardian of the people’s money and the people’s interests, not a protector of big-money influence.I believe a public university should be a beacon of transparency. But I know how dim a lighthouse Michigan is: the Center for Public Integrity has flunked us twice, and in 2015 ranked us the least transparent of all 50 states. I’ve worked on FOIA and Open Meetings issues as a concerned citizen since before I got my law degree. I will push to open up MSU’s meetings, reports, discussion – to make more information more public and more available. And I oppose MSU’s mishandling and punishment of protests against apartheid in Palestine and genocide in Gaza, just as I support free-speech protests against historical oppression of other groups.I value MSU’s history as this state’s first land-grant college – the model for the first national law creating such colleges across the country, the Morrill Act of 1862. Yes, even during the Civil War, this country moved forward on establishing universities to serve the people. I aim to re-dedicate MSU to that movement – in its academic programs and presence, and in its outreach to people outside of formal schooling with the MSU Extension Service. I want that service to extend farther, and help people prepare better for our world’s changing realities of environment, energy, and personal economy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My core political beliefs align closely with the Four Pillars of the Green Party – Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Non-Violence, and Social Justice – and the six other principles in our Ten Key Values: Community-Based Economics, Decentralization, Feminism, Future Focus/Sustainability, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Respect for Diversity.

I am passionate about all these Green values, and feel confident that they all will be relevant to my serving the people on the Board of Trustees. But I expect that Grassroots Democracy and Social Justice will likely be the ones most often involved.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristic for an elected official is dedication to true and principled service of the people who elect us.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility of this office is that of serving the people of Michigan and the people in the several constituencies of the MSU community.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

One summer during my high-school years, I was a dishwasher/busboy for a local restaurant . . . well, about half the summer, actually. One day, I fell off my bicycle riding home from work. As I tried to swing my back leg over the frame, I got my foot caught in the basket in the back – and wrenched my knee.

I was very lucky not to have lost some joint function permanently – my arthroscopic surgeon turned out to be an early sports-medicine expert. He found out my cartilage wasn’t torn, just popped out of place and pinched between two bones; once it was back in place (and I went through some rehab), it was as good as new.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Maybe the Discworld holiday novel “Hogfather”, for writing like this enlightening passage where the Death of Discworld speaks (IN ALL CAPITALS) with his adoptive grand-daughter Susan.

“. . . You're saying humans need . . . *fantasies* to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little –"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE *LITTLE* LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN *SHOW* ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET – Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME . . . SOME *RIGHTNESS* IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the *point* –"

MY POINT EXACTLY.

She tried to assemble her thoughts.

THERE IS A PLACE WHERE TWO GALAXIES HAVE BEEN COLLIDING FOR A MILLION YEARS, said Death, apropos of nothing. DON'T TRY TO TELL *ME* THAT'S RIGHT.

"Yes, but people don't think about that," said Susan. Somewhere there was a bed . . .

CORRECT. STARS EXPLODE, WORLDS COLLIDE, THERE'S HARDLY ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE WHERE HUMANS CAN LIVE WITHOUT BEING FROZEN OR FRIED, AND YET YOU BELIEVE THAT A . . . A BED IS A NORMAL THING. IT IS THE MOST AMAZING TALENT.

"Talent?”

OH, YES. A VERY SPECIAL KIND OF STUPIDITY. YOU THINK THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS INSIDE YOUR HEADS.

"You make us sound mad," said Susan. A nice warm bed . . .

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Public speaking. Not so much because I’m shy – though I am, somewhat – it’s more because my mouth can’t always keep up with how fast my mind wants to go.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

A responsibility that may not be unknown – but is perhaps less often considered than it should be – is the responsibility of MSU to operate its Extension Service and respond to the needs of the people across the state. The scope of its operations must be broad, and constantly broadening as we move on into the future.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Beneficial, but not necessarily required. Rather, I would say what’s needed most are the skills required for government or politics – the ability to work with others, and the ability to express and defend opinions even if it puts you in conflict with others – AND some experience of knowing how you can use them successfully.

Tell us your favorite joke.

There are many types of jokes, and good ones in most categories. For example, my favorite lightbulb joke is from a "Prairie Home Companion" joke show:

“How many dull people does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” “One. . . .”

My favorite joke in song lyrics is the peak pun from the middle of “The Ballad of Harry Lewis” by Allan Sherman. To let you know the song being parodied, I’ll give you the words into the second verse.

I'm singing you the ballad

Of a great man of the cloth –

His name was Harry Lewis,

And he worked for Irving Roth.

He died while cutting velvet

On a hot July the 4th –

But his cloth goes shining on!

Glory, glory, Harry Lewis –

Glory, glory, Harry Lewis –

Glory, glory, Harry Lewis –

His cloth goes shining on! (Goes shining on! . . .)

Oh, Harry Lewis perished

In the service of his Lord –

He was trampling through the warehouse

Where the drapes of Roth are stored. . . .

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

The story is told that a reporter asked Mahatma Gandhi what he thought of Western civilization. Gandhi’s answer: “I think it would be a good idea.”

Michigan government in general, and MSU in particular, need a lot more of both transparency and accountability.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

The Michigan Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down “adopt and amend” tactics is a good step forward for protecting the people’s right to initiate laws when the Legislature won’t. After all, the first section of the state’s Constitution says plainly: “All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal benefit, security and protection.”

I would also conform state statute with the venerable opinion from “Eternal General” Frank Kelley that keeping signatures on initiative and referendum petitions valid for years is in better keeping with the principle that these measures reflect the power that is reserved to the people. I would also look again (as I did back in 2010 when I was running for Secretary of State) into how we might devise a fair system or process for allowing the reconsideration of signatures that voters did make but later decide they want to cancel – or signatures voters say they didn’t put on a petition but circulators claim they did.

John Anthony La Pietra did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

In a biographical submission to [the profile publisher], La Pietra detailed the following campaign themes:

The Four Pillars of GPMI:

Grassroots Democracy

Social Justice

Ecological Wisdom

Non-Violence

Ten Key Values:

Community-Based Economics

Decentralization

Feminism

Future Focus/Sustainability

Personal and Global Responsibility

Respect for Diversity[7]

—John Anthony La Pietra[8]