The Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) released its annual report on executive compensation today - "CEO Pay and the Great Recession." "I'm afraid that this year's report will raise just about everybody's blood pressure," lead author Sarah Anderson said. Indeed, the report found that "CEOs of the 50 firms that have laid off the most workers since the onset of the economic crisis took home nearly $12 million on average in 2009." Those CEOs' combined compensation totaled $598 million, while at the same time, their companies eliminated 531,363 jobs despite reporting a 44 percent average profit increase for 2009.
Corporate America has been busy outsourcing jobs, busting unions, shedding benefits and cutting wages. In fact, according to IPS:
American workers, by contrast, are taking home less in real weekly wages than they took home in the 1970s.
The 1970s! Meanwhile...
American CEOs make 263 times the average compensation for American workers, up from the 30 to 1 ratio in the 1970s.
Think about that: For every dollar American workers make, American CEOs take home $263.
Putting Rick Snyder in office will not improve this situation. He's part of the problem, part of Corporate America. Snyder is also a Republican, and when did Republicans ever look out for average citizens? Never.
While the MI GOP is issuing a series of incredibly lame and juvenile attack videos on YouTube, pieces so bad that even Republicans are complaining about them, the MDP has whipped up some very informative and classy spots that introduce their candidates to the public. Check out the video on Jocelyn Benson:
Described as being "born to be Secretary of State", Benson wants to bring reform to the voting process and make it easier for citizens to participate. As the video states, Michigan has fallen behind the nation in bringing innovative changes to the office - and it's time we catch up to the rest of the nation and take our position as leader once again. If there is one person out there who knows how to get that done, it's Jocelyn Benson. You couldn't ask for better creds on the subject.
Today, as a law professor at Wayne State University Law School, she not only teaches Election law, Jocelyn has also published the first major book on the role of the Secretary of State in enforcing election and campaign finance laws. Benson's book, "State Secretaries of State: Guardians of the Democratic Process," highlights best practices of Secretaries on electoral reform from throughout the country.
From 2002-2004, she served as the Voting Rights Policy Coordinator of the Harvard Civil Rights Project, where she worked on the passage of the Help America Vote Act, the federal law that improved election law standards in the wake of the 2000 Presidential recount. And in 2004 she helped with the Democratic Party's national voter protection effort, recruiting, selecting and training Voter Protection coordinators in 21 states with the goal of ensuring that the 2004 election was conducted with integrity in accordance with the law.
In 2007 Jocelyn successfully led an effort to block the closing of a Secretary of State branch office in Buena Vista Township, convincing the United State Justice Department that the closure violated the Voting Rights Act. During the 2008 election, she was called to testify before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, where she called on Secretary Land to ban the use of foreclosure lists to challenge voters' eligibility on Election Day. Benson also developed and supervised two statewide nonpartisan election protection efforts in Michigan, in 2007 and 2008.
Visit Benson's web site to learn more - and go see her when she comes to your town. She's very friendly, very approachable, and she knows her stuff.
And thanks to the MDP for doing this series - it's a breath of fresh air amid the hyper-nonsense of the campaign season. I fully expect them to engage in that nonsense eventually though, but for now, the positive approach is a nice change of pace. :-)
Rob Steele, a wealthy cardiologist, is running against the "Dean of the House", Congressman John Dingell. His campaign is your typical ultra-right conservative blah-blah: cutspendingcuttaxesdemocratsareresponsibleforthedeficit...etc., etc.
But, I have to say, Rob Steele takes the whole "vote for me, not the 'career' politician" thing to a new level. Last night on Sean Hannity's Great American Panel, he accused John Dingell of having been in Congress since he was 12 and asked people to vote for him because he "went to [his] first county convention two weeks ago."
God forbid Michigan put its leadership in the hands of wealthy disgruntled citizens with no experience in public policy, running a huge government or of ... well ... leading.
Rob Steele: Congressman Dingell, he's served honorably. He's been there since, he's been in Washington, D.C. since he was seven years old when his dad was elected in 1932 and then he took over for his dad in 1955. So he's been there since seven, graduated from the Page High School, so he's actually been in the House of Representatives since he was twelve.
Sean Hannity: And Michigan lost about half its population, has double-digit unemployment and has been, if you want a poster child for the bad liberal redistributive policies and high taxes, go to Michigan, Detroit in particular.
Steele: What they're lookin' for is someone like me, someone who has not been a career politician. I mean I went to my first county convention ever two weeks ago. I mean I've not been involved in politics and that's what I hear out on the trail.
Hannity: You're a cardiologist?
Steele: A cardiologist -- heart doctor.
I don't know about you but I had NO idea that John Dingell had been in Congress since he was twelve. I knew that nobody currently serving has been there as long as him but isn't it some kind of record or something that he became a Congressman at the age of 12? You know, I used to hang out with my grandfather, a carpenter, when I was a kid. Do I get to call myself a carpenter now? Is that part of my "career"?
Let's face it, Rob Steele (WHO?) is a physician that has made a ton of money off the status quo with regard to our health system. It should come as no surprise that a conservative like him would like to keep things just the way they are. His only leadership experience, according to his website, is that he is on the board of a group that he himself founded. Well, that and he used to be on the board of his kids' swim club. Until he recently resigned, according to his website.
He starts out by saying that John Dingell has served 'honorably' then goes on to deride him and blame him for Michigan's economic woes. He accuses him of "not reading the bill" when, as John Dingell famously said in his health insurance reform townhall meeting last year, he WROTE most of it! And, despite his appearance of honoring Congressman Dingell, Steele also has an amateur-looking website called Ditch Dingell. Way to honor the Dean of House, there, doctor.
He also claims to be ahead in the polls 46 to 41%!
He doesn't, of course, give any reference to which pollsters have him with a 5% edge over a legendary incumbent like Congressman Dingell. That's probably because the poll was run by Public Opinion Strategies (POS), a self-described "Republican polling firm" and paid for by him. Furthermore, the poll actually shows him trailing the Congressman. The ironically-named POS was responsible for the "Harry and Louise" ad in the early 90's.
Also, too, note that the Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) for MI-15 is D +11.
Steele's issues page is full of the same kinds of fluff you'd expect from a far-right conservative with absolutely no political leadership experience of any kind.
SPENDING
Spending is out of control. We cannot afford it today, and our children and grandchildren certainly cannot afford it tomorrow..
How will he rein in this tragic spending? No clue.
TAXES
The tax system must be flatter and fairer for the taxpayer, and not allow the special interests and lobbyists to each have their own line in the tax code...
We don't have too few taxes; we have too much spending.
Lobbyists each have their own line in the tax code? Who knew? How will he tackle the tax code to make it flatter and fairer? No clue.
HEALTHCARE
Consumer choice and responsibility, price transparency, equal tax treatment of the employed and self employed, in combination with Health Savings Accounts, are more cost effective for the patient and providers. Many of these principles have kept the health care costs in my own business flat for the last 5 years.
Medicare is already broken, with high levels of fraud, claim denial, and decreasing provider base. The taxpayers cannot afford another massive, inefficient, government-run program.
Yeah, Medicare is full of fraud, alright. But, of course, when the Democrats try to cut out fraud, Republicans like Steele scream "HE'S SLASHING MEDICARE!!! How will Steele fix healthcare? No clue (it can't just be Health Savings Accounts, right?)
ACCOUNTABILITY
Members of Congress must live under the laws they pass. They have exempted themselves from Social Security, Medicare, and the proposed government run health care program. The government does not abide by the laws any normal business must, including accounting practices and employment rules of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Medicare and Social Security are run identically to the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme - the one that put him in jail for the rest of his life. Federal employees should not have salary or benefits any better than the average private employee.
Here Steele appears to be condemning ALL of Congress, including his fellow GOPosaurs. Will he immediately introduce legislation to remove them from Social Security, Medicare, and "government run health care"? I wonder if he realizes that Congress is the main customer of "government run health care"? And calling Social Security a "Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme"? Is this the same Social Security system that Republicans are so famous for screaming "Hands off Social Security!!!" about?
What's Dr. Steele's plan to fix these Ponzi schemes? No clue.
And that's it. Those are the four things on his Issues webpage. Pure fluff and no substance.
Dr. Rob Steele benefits handsomely from the health care status quo. He wants to eliminate Social Security, he's anti-choice, and has zero-zip-nada experience in political leadership of any kind whatsoever. And he's running for Congress in southeastern Michigan against one of the true legends in governmental leadership.
Jason Lummis was riding along Dexter-Pinckney road on Wednesday of last week when he was struck by a truck and left lying there with "internal bleeding, broken vertebrae, a shattered pelvis and a 'massive' puncture wound so bad he 'almost bled out' at the scene." Police have pieces of the mirror from the truck that struck Lummis and have narrowed it down to a 1999 to 2000 F-250 to F-550 super-duty truck or a 2000 Ford Excursion.
Jason Lummis, 39, was riding his bicycle when he was struck from behind by a vehicle, left on the side of the road and discovered by two passing motorcyclists at around 9 p.m.
Derrick Jackson, Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department director of community engagement, said no arrests have been made in the case.
Police believe Lummis was struck by the passenger's-side mirror.
Deputy Doug McMullen said the Washtenaw County agency is looking for a 1999 to 2000 F-250 to F-550 super-duty truck or a 2000 Ford Excursion. He said police recovered the smaller of two mirrors that are held in the mirror housing of those vehicles. The suspect vehicle may still be missing this mirror piece, McMullen said.
Oscar Bustos, owner of Great Lakes Cycling and Fitness in Ann Arbor, where Lummis worked and was commuting home from the day of the accident, said doctors stabilized Lummis on Thursday after he was in serious condition.
He's a member of the Bell's Brewery-Quiring Cycles Professional Mountain Bike Team. The poor guy is now in a full upper-body cast and is hobbling around on a walker thanks to the faceless truck driver that nearly killed him then drove off into the night leaving him lying there, bleeding on the side of the road.
The crash occurred between Fleming Road and Horseshoe Bend and was reported at 9:07 p.m.
Lummis suffered a broken back but appears to have no paralysis. He has internal injuries and lost a lot of blood but appears not to have suffered a head injury.
Lummis competes with the Bell's team throughout Michigan and the Midwest and has won a number of races, Jones said. "He's one of the top pro mountain bikers in the state. He's got quite a bit of hardware."
A cycling safety advocate has now ponied up a $500 reward:
Joe Mizereck is the founder of the "Three Feet Please" campaign that seeks to educate drivers about the amount of space cyclists need for safety. Mizereck said he was sickened by the news of Lummis's injuries and is urging judges to enforce maximum penalties for vehicle drivers who leave the scene of injury accidents. Anyone who has information can contact the Washtenaw County Sheriff tip line at (734) 973-7711.
It just amazes me that the positions of Republicans are so flimsily that they can't stand up to the least bit of scrutiny, and that is why I have been banned from two rightwing blogs and now from the Facebook page of a Congressional candidate named Rob Steele.
My crime; making sense and putting up arguments they can't defend. To me, debating with people I agree with is not much of a debate, so I tend to comment on the disinformation on rightwing blogs when I see such an outrageous lies that I am compelled to comment on. I have been banned from "Right" Michigan and the so-called "blogprof" for daring to disagree with them.
My latest run in was with a teabagger named Steele who is running against U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, one of the most beloved leaders in southeast Michigan. I met Steele by accident, and it was an amazing event; one that I have not seen in more than a decade around politics as a reporter and as a campaign volunteer.
Weeks after his attempt to provoke a confrontation with me, I noticed Steele was falsely attacking Dingell on his Facebook page with the lie that Dingell only talks to supporters. I knew that to be an absolute lie and I called him on out it. I had to click the "like" button to comment, but it was worth it to call him out. It wasn't long before my comments were deleted.
Shortly after I began commenting, he posted this nonsense:
"Our campaign is gaining notice by Team Dingell and various professional liberal bloggers. To clarify the protocol for our Facebook page, non-supporters may post a comment to voice an opinion. Any further comments will likely be deleted."
First, I'm not a professional blogger, and I haven't been for more than two years when I stopped working for the Michigan Messenger. Second, I am a non-supporter who posted a "comment to voice my opinion," yet every single one has been deleted. The attacks on me stand, but my response is gone. The only other person calling him out on his lies was a Jefferson High School student.
I just discovered today that I was barred from commenting, and every single comment deleted.
Steele is now touting a poll by Public Opinion Strategies (PSO) that has him down by only nine points, by a count of 51-42. The problem is PSO is a Republican polling and lobbying firm notorious for conducting push polls. This push poll was bought and paid for by Steele, and it still has him nine points down. The real number is probably closer to 18 percent.
POS was responsible for the "Harry and Louise" ad that killed health insurance reform in the early 1990s. In 2001 it was charged with violating Virginia's polling disclosure laws, and it has also been accused of using push polls to influence elections.
The simple fact is his campaign can't stand up to even the slightest bit of scrutiny, and that's why he allows no dissent.
Well, you and your supporters are welcome to come here and know that you will not be banned or your comments deleted, at least without repeated warnings about refraining from specific personal smears.
One month of encouraging jobs data is hardly enough to declare a rip-roaring recovery of Michigan's feeble economy -- but it's nothing to sneeze at, either.
"There's no guarantee, but evidence is building that Michigan has finally turned the corner. The private sector is starting to grow again," James Hohman, a fiscal policy analyst with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, told me Tuesday after he blogged about Michigan leading the nation in job growth, with a gain of 27,800 jobs in July.
The state has added jobs in three of the past four months, Hohman said, and "that hasn't happened for a long time."
If these guys are going to show up two blocks from my house, the least I can do is go grab a couple shots, right? Right. Here is your Democratic ticket, hard at work listening to the concerns of business owners and community members in Grand Rapids...
That's Cory DeMint above, owner of the Electric Cheetah restaurant on Wealthy St. in the Eastown area. He's been having trouble with obtaining a liquor license, and was telling our candidates about the frustrations he has with the process. Now, liquor licenses and laws are a tricky and expensive business, and I'm not going to pretend that I know what all goes into obtaining one, but I bet that both of these mayors can tell you about it - and that is what I keep coming back to when it comes to this election.
Experience. Experience working in government. Experience with the rules and regulations and ins and outs of the machine. The "trendy" campaign these days wants to run as an outsider - but do you really want a rookie to walk into the Capitol and try to run the place, not knowing how all this works? Not me.
The mayors listened to the folks gathered around this table, took names, took notes, and understood exactly where these people are coming from. Best of all, they know how they could help - having worked with the system themselves, they can identify the buttons you have to push and the calls you have to make. A certain someone cannot claim the same thing.
I hope they don't follow the "trend" and run away from their experience with government. It's an asset that will serve the public very well.
This might seem like yet another example of teabagger fail but it's not. Not really. In this case it's more of a Dem fail, unfortunately.
An effort to put "The Tea Party" on the November ballot in Michigan has failed. Not because it's a fake group trying to help Democrats at the polls by splitting far-right wing votes (which it is.)
The Michigan Court of Appeals said Monday that a group calling itself "The Tea Party" doesn't qualify for the Nov. 2 ballot because it didn't correctly show its name on petitions.
Republicans and tea party activists say "The Tea Party," which has nominated nearly two dozen candidates, is a fake party controlled by Democrats aimed at drawing away votes from Republican candidates. "The Tea Party" is being investigated following allegations that some of its potential candidates may have been nominated through fraud.
In its decision released Monday, the three-member court said the word "the" was not in 24-point bold face type on the petitions as required by law. Michael Hodge, the lawyer representing "The Tea Party," could not immediately be reached Monday evening to say whether he would appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.
He has argued that the petitions submitted substantially met the requirements of state law.
I'll admit to being ambivalent about this. On the one hand, I gleefully signed one of the petitions to put "The Tea Party" on the ballot. Standing on a street corner in Ann Arbor I stepped up onto my soapbox and declared to all listeners that tea party types need to own their politics, form their own wingnut party, and stop trying to take over the Republican party, driving away all the moderate and, dare I say it, 'reasonable' Republicans. Not many people listened including the dude getting paid to collect the signatures. But it felt good anyway ; )
On the other hand, this is clearly a ruse intended to disrupt the Republicans' chances to win in some very contested races. It's the same type of dirty trick that Republicans have been doing for ages in this country and, though it cracks me up to see their hypocritical condemnation of this particular effort, I hate it when they do it so it's hard to defend our side doing it.
It was appropriate for Oakland County staffer Jason Bauer, who was responsible for the promotion of ineligible candidates, to be fired (actually he resigned.) It was a clumsy move on his part, a very likely illegal, to notarize candidacy forms of people who were not even aware he was doing it and he did his party no favors at a time when they could least afford to be seen in a negative light.
At any rate, it's not going to happen in 2010 barring a successful appeal.
And all because of the font.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
UPDATE: Over at Daily Kos, ZedMont suggests a new approach for Democrats:
Here's a flyer that you could hand out (beyond the prescribed distance for "electioneering", if it exists) that retains the nefarious intent of the failed attempt to put the teabag party on the ballot.
NOTICE TO ALL TRUE PATRIOTS WHO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
THE TEA PARTY HAS BEEN DENIED A PLACE ON THIS BALLOT.
The hypocrisy. It burns. Republicans enjoying the fruits of job creation they have criticized, tried to obstruct, and would eliminate if they were elected.
Riddle me this: If Rick Snyder is this big "jobs creator" - why in the world would he have to introduce the Republican ticket at a site for a battery plant that Granholm and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation brought to Michigan? No jobs of his own that he can point at? Hmmm? DeVos is probably kicking himself right about now for not trying to pull something like this off...
Count Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Snyder as a supporter of Michigan's move to dominate the domestic vehicle battery industry.
Snyder - the self-proclaimed "tough nerd" and winner of the bruising August GOP primary for governor - selected Bayer CropScience as the backdrop Monday to introduce the Republican general election candidates to Muskegon.
Bayer's 400-acre chemical park development is the future home of fortu PowerCell, a $623 million, 734-job advanced battery plant planned by a Swiss-German startup company. Groundbreaking for the initial 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is expected in April 2011.
"Batteries are important to our future," said the Republican candidate, who faces the Democratic nominee, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, in the Nov. 2 general election. "Our automotive industry is critical to the state."
For a guy who wants to criticize "happy talk", he sure knows how to sling the vapid statements. But I digress.
Governor Granholm brought fortu PowerCell to Michigan, the result of a overseas jobs trip made in July 2009. As you probably remember, Republicans have frequently criticized these missions as "little more than public relations opportunities after the groundwork for business expansion has already been laid by state economic development officials" (DNews 2008), amongst other various partisan attacks over the years. Even if they want to claim these jobs are the result of MEDC's legwork, keep in mind that Snyder is very critical of our economic development efforts, and is threatening to eliminate the very same tax incentives that gave him this photo-op today. From Snyder's site:
The MEDC has been mismanaged by the current administration. When Rick Snyder was appointed by Gov. Engler to be the first chair of the MEDC, Michigan was ranked No. 1 in the nation for five years for new business expansions by Site Selection Magazine. Now the state has dropped to the bottom in business-friendly rankings and is just ahead of Mississippi for new business expansions according to Site Selection.
Actually, John Engler wanted to eliminate incentives as well, and quickly put them back when Michigan gained the reputation of "having unilaterally disarmed" in the war for economic development. As far as the claim abut Site Selection, in March of 2010, the magazine ranked Michigan No. 3 in the nation for major new corporate facilities and expansions in 2009. We placed No. 3 in 2008 as well. Not sure where he is getting the "Mississippi" idea - they weren't in the top rankings like we were. Snyder goes on to say...
Lansing's career politicians have wasted tax dollars on expensive ad campaigns and false incentives while promising job creation - without fixing Michigan's tax and regulatory system. With a million jobs disappearing this decade, Michigan's economic troubles can't be solved through television ads or taxpayer-funded credits. Lansing politicians need to get out of the business of picking winners and losers through incentives.
Geez Rick, without these incentives, where would the Republicans hold their campaign events? Chances are fortu PowerCell would have gone somewhere else had it not been for the tax incentives, efforts of the Granholm administration, MEDC, the wonderful people in Muskegon, and, according to this story, the "political climate" in North America that would bring the electric car to market, wants to end a dependency on fossil fuels, and also address climate change. Interesting. Wonder which "political" entity has been touting those measures - because last I heard it was "drill, baby, drill", and Rush claiming no one wants a Volt coming from the Republican side of the aisle. Good thing no one mentioned that to fortu CEO Alan Greenshields.
Michigan became the prime location for the company's planned manufacturing plant based on the understanding and assistance of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., a personal visit by Gov. Jennifer Granholm with company officials in Germany last summer and the reception received by Muskegon Township and local economic developers, Greenshields said.
"The Michigan MEDC has been first class," Greenshields said. "I find the people here in Muskegon down to earth and refreshingly friendly. We have found an attractive location with a great quality of life for our future staff."
And on top on the state battery tax incentives, let's not forget that the Recovery Act - which no Republican voted for - brought Michigan $1.35 billion for advanced battery research and production. We now have 16 battery companies setting up shop here - and that's expected to create upwards of 62,000 jobs.
So, yes, Rick, "batteries are important to our future" - a future that was made possible by Granholm, MEDC, President Obama, and the votes of Democratic lawmakers in Congress. Might want to mention that the next time you use one of these sites for campaign purposes.
The selection of Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson as the Republican nominee for Michigan Secretary if State at their disorganized and chaotic convention on Saturday busts another teabagger myth.
Their near take over of the convention and their uproar over placing a teabagger party on the November ballot dispelled the myth that this was a nonpartisan, grassroots effort that was neither Republican nor Democratic, and that proved that the fake, Astroturf teabagger farce is just the militant arm of the GOP.
One claim the teabaggers have made on many occasions is that they are not fans of "career politicians," yet the majority of teabggers supported Johnson. If you look up the phrase "career politician" you may find her photo.
The question that needs to be asked is what hasn't Johnson ran for.
I don't have a problem with career politicians, but the hypocrisy of teabggers is just stunning.
She started out as an Oakland County Commissioner. She then ran and won in the State House and was term-limited there. She then ran as clerk and won. In 2006 she was the Amway's guy's Lt. Gubernatorial candidate, and she went back to being the clerk after the two got spanked in the election. Now, she's the SOS candidate.
That is in sharp contrast to Democratic SOS nominee Wayne State University law Professor Jocelyn Benson, and a first time candidate. The person officially nominating her at Sunday's Michigan Democratic Parry convention in Detroit said it very well when she said people don't wake up one day as children saying they want to be Secretary of State, but Benson's résumé makes it look that way. Her qualifications are very impressive.
Benson graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College. She subsequently earned her Masters in Sociology as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University, and she received her J.D from Harvard Law School, where she was a general editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Benson also worked as the Voting Rights Policy Coordinator for the Harvard Civil Rights Project, worked as a summer associate for voting rights and election law for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and she was an investigative journalist for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Hello from the floor at Cobo. Just got back from the march - thousands strong turned out to hear Rev. Jesse Jackson and other speakers rally the crowd to get out the vote this November. Fired up bunch of folks!
More shots coming later - and will take some of your favorite Michigan Dems here at the convention as well.
Anything else happening this fine day? I read that the GOP is unraveling in Lansing...
This is the fourth article in a continuing series by the NRDC Action Fund looking at candidates' environmental stances in key races nationwide.
Michigan's 7th Congressional District takes in five counties in southern Michigan plus parts of two others. Though the 7th gave birth to the Republican Party in 1854, today it's represented in the House by Democrat Mark Schauer. This fall, Schauer will face former Representative Tim Walberg, whom Schauer narrowly defeated (48.8%-46.5%) in 2008.
In his first term in Congress, Rep. Schauer proved to be an environmental champion. He received a 100% rating from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) in 2009, and voted in favor of the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), the first global warming bill to ever pass a chamber of Congress. Following the vote, Schauer said he supported ACES because his "top priority as a member of Congress is to fight for Michigan jobs, and this bill will help put our people back to work...This is the jumpstart we need to turn Michigan's economy around and help break our dependence on foreign oil." In a statement, he added that ACES will "allow us to crack down on polluters while reducing deadly emissions that contaminate the water we drink and pollute the air we breathe."
This was a marked change from Walberg, who carried the banner for Big Oil during his time in DC. In his own words, he: "introduced, fought for and demanded votes on legislation to immediately drill in places like the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf off the Atlantic coast and to increase our refinery capacity." In fact, in 2008, the LCV named him to their "Dirty Dozen" list of the worst environmental actors in Congress. According to the LCV, Walberg "distinguished himself as one of the most anti-environment members of the 2006 Congressional class...voted against clean, renewable energy and is an adamant supporter of the failed Bush/Cheney energy policies that serve only to increase profits for ExxonMobil and the other big oil companies." The LCV added that Walberg "voted against repealing subsidies to Big Oil, against increasing the use of renewable electricity and against efforts to help American drivers go further on a gallon of gas."
On the campaign trail Walberg is attacking Rep. Schauer for standing up for the environment, and questioning the science behind global warming. At a town hall meeting in 2008, Schauer responded to a question about climate change by questioning the scientific evidence: "I read scientists, editors...an equal number at the very least that say just the opposite that this is something that's gone on for eons, that we go through these cycles," and by joking that "if this isn't warming, give me more warming!" Judging by his vote in favor of ACES, one hopes he figured out the difference between junk science and expert climate scientists. Let's hope Walberg gets the memo.
The NRDC Action Fund believes that it is important for the public in general, and the voters of specific Congressional districts, be aware of this information as they weigh their choices for November.
Virg Bernero has chosen Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence as his running mate on the Democratic ticket in the governor's race, The Detroit News has learned.
Lawrence's selection as Bernero's lieutenant governor will be officially announced Saturday morning before the Democratic Party's State Convention at Cobo Center. Her selection was confirmed to The News this morning by a source close to the selection process who wishes to remain anonymous.
Saw her give a great speech at the Troy Obama event - other than that, east-siders, fill us in here on our candidate. Would like to learn more.
Republicans are famous for falling in line, following orders, and not making waves. But once in a while, all hell breaks loose at their gatherings. Remember the 1988 presidential circus caucus? There were fistfights, lawsuits, and two different state conventions, each of which chose its own slate of delegates to the Republican National Convention.
Things might not get that lively this weekend in East Lansing, but the GOP state convention definitely won't be a Sominex Special. That's because about one-fifth of the 2,100 delegates are affiliated with the Tea Party; and, figuratively speaking (at least I hope so), these people will be loaded for bear.
The governor cited him as the most-experienced judge she has ever appointed and noted that he will be the second-most experienced justice on the Court.
At the press conference with Governor Granholm, Justice Weaver strongly repeated her call for reform of the Michigan Supreme court and the process by which justices are chosen and pledged to work toward that reform. She noted that for one vacanct spot, for example, over $7.5 million were spent at the last election. She also pointed to the millions of dollars spent by political interests, special interests and corporations to influence the election of justices. She pointed to six specific recommendations for reform that she has posted on her personally-funded website (pdf).
Former Republican Michigan Supreme Court Justice (and former Chief Justice) Elizabeth Weaver is announcing that she is resigning. Weaver cited the discord on and politicization of the Court as a factor in her decision. She has, in the past, said that she felt that 8-year terms were too long for judges.
Weaver called the present system of party nomination of justice candidates who then stand for election "deeply flawed." She pledged to continue her battle to reform the court and make it and campaign funding of judicial races more transparent.
"The open discord on this court over the last 10 years is not really so much about clashes of strong personalities, but rather is the result of the formation of power blocks of justices usually joining together with a majority of four votes to promote agendas of political parties and special interests; personal interests, philosophies, and ideologies, and biases and prejudices," Weaver said. "It's important to civilization where the public has a place they can go to get a fair shake, where judges are not in the pocket of anybody.
A press conference with Governor Granholm is scheduled for noon.
The governor will appoint her replacement which will give Democrats a brief majority on the Court for the first time in over ten years:
Governor's spokeswoman Liz Boyd says Weaver is to formally tender her resignation this morning and appear with Gov. Jennifer Granholm at a news event at noon.
Boyd says the governor will appoint a replacement, and that action doesn't require the approval of the state Legislature.
"I have done all that I can do as a justice and now believe that I can be of most use as a citizen in helping further the critically needed reforms of the judicial system," Weaver said in an exclusive interview with the Record-Eagle. "Now I will be able to work and speak freely."
Weaver said she would not have resigned without Granholm's agreement to select a northern Michigan replacement. A justice from northern Michigan brings independence and a different perspective to a court currently dominated by justices from the Detroit to Lansing beltway, she said.
"I think I'm proof of the pudding; I'm independent," she said. "That independent-thinking judge is not agenda-driven and does not hold to political party lines."
Weaver has won two eight-year terms as a Republican, but she has been at odds with Young and the other two GOP justices, Corrigan and Stephen Markman, ever since they joined to depose her as chief justice in 2001. Young has vowed not to be part of any Republican ticket that includes her, and Republicans are poised to nominate either Wayne County Circuit Judge Mary Beth Kelly or Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Jane Markey for Weaver's seat.
Stay tuned...
UPDATE 2: Interlochen Public Radio is reporting that Weaver's choice to replace her on the Court would be Appellate Judge Alton Thomas Davis, of Grayling, a Democrat appointed by Governor Granholm.
UPDATE: As greg steimel points out in the Comments, the person Granholm appoints will have "incumbent" next to their name on the ballot in November. This is a BFD and will likely ensure that this seat is held by a Democrat going forward.
Robert Labrant, vice president of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce who has directed the chamber's efforts to secure a pro-business majority on the court, said Weaver's decision could deliver a crushing blow to the GOP's hope of retaining a majority on the court in 2011.
If her replacement receives the incumbency designation on the ballot, which Labrant said he believes is likely, it will be "very difficult" to regain the seat, he said.
"Crushing blow to the GOP's hope..." I kinda like the sounds of that. And it makes it seem pretty likely that this was intentional on Justice Weaver's part, a parting shot, if you will, to her former Republican colleagues.
The bigger story here, however is this: Next year is a redistricting year and the Michigan Supreme Court may very well be tilted Democratic. AS anyone who knows anything about redistricting knows, no matter how that shakes out, it is very likely to go before the Michigan Supreme Court before it's all over with.
Meanwhile, Justice Weaver said her next step is to "take a full day to float down the Crystal River". As someone who did that twice last weekend, I can only say she shows very good judgment.
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing today endorsed Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero for governor.
"Although there are many complex issues and problems facing most urban communities throughout this country, Detroit's challenges are even greater," Bing said in statement "It will require a unique sensitivity, an unwavering commitment and experienced leadership to help move our city and state forward. Given his success as mayor of Lansing, I believe Virg Bernero possesses these qualities."
Key word here is "experienced". Snyder would walk into the shark pool and not know what in the world is going on - and that is something that will be a big problem if he were to be elected. At his campaign appearance in Grand Rapids today, he claimed that Lansing was in "crisis" and needed immediate action - but when it came to answering specifics on what he would do, his answers were along the lines that he needed to study the issues and see what would "get results".
So, which is it, immediate action, or more talking and studying? There was a serious disconnect in message there. Not sure if the press picked up on that, but watch for it in the future.
Bernero somehow has to play the outsider card, but also tout his experience too; emphasizing his knowledge on how the machine works, and that he will be able to get things done a lot sooner than someone who is going to need on-the-job training.
Oakland County Executive, Brooks Patterson, Oakland County Prosecutor, Jessica Cooper, Oakland County Sheriff, Michael Bouchard and Oakland County Clerk, Ruth Johnson participated in a joint press conference in the Oakland County Executive Offices to announce that Patterson has directed his staff to prepare a petition asking the Circuit Court to impanel a one-man grand jury to investigate whether the former Political Director of the Oakland County Democratic Party, Jason Bauer, committed any crimes, including election fraud, misconduct in office, uttering and/or publishing and obstruction of justice.
Patterson expected the petition to be filed in Oakland County Circuit Court this week.
Patterson focused his statement on the allegedly forged signature on the Affidavit of Identity of Aaron Tyler. According to Ruth Johnson, the signature on the affidavit did not match the signature on Tyler’s voter registration record.
Patterson stated, “There are people who are attempting to subvert the political process for their own ends by engaging in apparent criminal activity to undermine the upcoming general election. What has occurred is nothing but a brutish attempt to confuse the voters and drain away potential Republican votes in races where Democrats are in danger of losing in the upcoming November election.” Click here for the rest of the story
Saturday will be a great day for those who love freedom and equality, and there will be at least two ways to demonstrate it.
The Michigan Democratic Party is holding its nominating convention on Saturday and Sunday in Detroit's Cobo Hall, but many delegates, myself included, are going to take a break from the informative caucus meetings to join Rev. Jessie Jackson and a coalition of organizations and union, community, religious and political leaders to march to demand real change for working families and all of America and to commemorate the historic Walk to Freedom led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Detroit in 1963.
The march will step off at 10:30 a.m. at the UAW-Ford National Programs Center, next to Hart Plaza, 151 W. Jefferson Ave., and it ends at Grand Circus Park.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) archivist Bob Garrett, the Detroit march took place when Dr. King was then in the midst of a tour that began that spring of 1963 from California to New York. His Detroit stop proved the tour's biggest success. Police estimated the Freedom Walk crowd at 125,000. The day after the event, The Detroit Free Press labeled it "the largest civil rights demonstration in the nation's history." The walk began at Woodward and Adelaide and continued down Woodward to Cobo Hall. It lasted about an hour and a half, as marchers carried signs and sang songs, such "We Shall Overcome" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."
The Detroit Council for Human Rights organized the Walk. The Council's director, Benjamin McFall, and its Chairman, Rev. Clarence L. Franklin, marched in a line with King and former Gov. John B. Swainson. That line also included Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh, United Auto Workers President Walter P. Reuther and State Auditor General Billie S. Farnum.
At the walk's conclusion, King gave a speech at Cobo Hall. According to the Free Press, approximately 25,000 people attended the speech. They listened as King spoke of non-violence and an end to racial segregation. The June 24, 1963 Free Press report notes that King "ended his speech by telling of a dream." According to the Free Press, King described his dream of whites and blacks "walking together hand in hand, free at last."
In his book King: A Biography, David Levering Lewis states that King repeated the phrase "I have a dream" several times during that Cobo Hall speech. Lewis notes that when King addressed a crowd in Washington, D.C. two months later, he "kept the refrain from the Detroit speech: I have a dream."
Saturday will also mark the day of King's historic Washington speech of August 28, 1963 that became famous as his "I have a dream speech." It was a defining moment in the American civil rights movement. In one sense, however, the seeds of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream were planted in Michigan - in Detroit's Cobo Hall.
I don't know about you but I had NO idea that John Dingell had been in Congress since he was twelve. I knew that nobody currently serving has been there as long as him but isn't it some kind of record or something that he became a Congressman at the age of 12? You know, I used to hang out with my grandfather, a carpenter, when I was a kid. Do I get to call myself a carpenter now? Is that part of my "career"?
