The Michigan Chamber of Commerce's keynote speaker lied in an attempt to discredit President Obama's efforts to bring the 2016 Olympics to our country and the White House called him and Fox News on it. As they point out, "hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News' Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings."
Lie #1:
RHETORIC: BECK SAID VANCOUVER LOST $1 BILLION WHEN IT "HAD THE OLYMPICS." Glenn Beck said, "Vancouver lost, how much was it? they lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]
REALITY: VANCOUVER'S OLYMPICS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2010. Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games from February 12 - 28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010, respectively. [Vancouver2010.com, accessed 9/29/09]
Lie #2:
RHETORIC: CHICAGO IS CLOSING THE GOVERNMENT SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO BE OPEN. Beck's guest Caddell said, "Chicago is closing the government several days a week because they cannot afford to be open. They are going to go and reward -- this is the biggest scandal." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]
REALITY: CHICAGO HAS HAD ONE REDUCED-SERVICE DAY IN 2009, AND WILL HAVE TWO MORE ON THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING AND ON CHRISTMAS EVE. [...]
Lie #3:
RHETORIC: VALERIE JARRETT [who is accompanying Obama to Copenhagen] WILL BENEFIT FINANCIALLY. Beck asked, "Is it possible that she is going to benefit if the Olympics come to Chicago?" Caddell responded, "Well, that's the word. She has certainly had a lot of dealings going on in real estate." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]
REALITY: UPON ENTERING GOVERNMENT, VALERIE JARRETT DIVESTED ALL HER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS EXCEPT FOR A SINGLE INVESTMENT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OLYMPIC BID. Valerie Jarrett divested all her investment real estate holdings upon entering government except for a single real estate holding that she was unable to sell. This single real estate investment has been determined by White House Counsel and the independent Office of Government Ethics to present no conflict of interest in performing her duties as a White House advisor. It has nothing to do with the Olympic bid.
Our country is the throes of the Great Recession and the Olympics could generate $22.5 billion in economic activity and create 315,000 new full-time jobs. It makes me wonder why Glenn Beck hates America, and why business chambers embrace a liar like him.
I wonder if the MI Chamber of Commerce knows this. According to TPM, a right-wing extremist heavily influences Glenn Beck. They point to a fascinating article in Salon which "reveals that a book by a Mormon "historian" deemed too extreme even by the modern conservative movement -- which argues that the U.S. constitution is based primarily on natural law -- has played a major role in Beck's "thinking.""
For several years, Beck has actively promoted "The 5000 Year Leap," by the late Cleon Skousen, on his radio and TV shows, and he recently wrote the foreword for a newly-released edition of the book, which was first published in 1981.
The Salon article describes Skousen as the man who changed Glenn Beck's life. They also described him as too extreme even for the conservative activists of the Goldwater era.
W. Cleon Skousen was not a historian so much as a player in the history of the American far right; less a scholar of the republic than a threat to it. At least, that was the judgment of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, which maintained a file on Skousen for years that eventually totaled some 2,000 pages. Before he died in 2006 at the age of 92, Skousen's own Mormon church publicly distanced itself from the foundation that Skousen founded and that has published previous editions of "The 5,000 Year Leap."
Skousen was admired by leaders of the John Birch Society and spoke at their events. He also authored "more than a dozen books and pamphlets on the Red Menace, New World Order conspiracy, Christian child rearing, and Mormon end-times prophecy."
It is a body of work that does much to explain Glenn Beck's bizarre conspiratorial mash-up of recent months, which decries a new darkness at noon and finds strange symbols carefully coded in the retired lobby art of Rockefeller Center. It also suggests that the modern base of the Republican Party is headed to a very strange place.
TPM added one other interesting note about Cleon Skousen: "As reader J.S. notes, Beck isn't the only conservative leader with a taste for Skousen. In 2007, then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney expressed his affinity for his fellow Mormon."
Republicans and organizations like the MICOC may want to reconsider their courting of these extremists and the people who promote them. They just may come to the same decision conservatives did in 1963, when they decided Skousen's extremism was too much. "No conservative organization with any mainstream credibility wanted anything to do with him."
According to official estimates, over 20 million (revised number) people protested Glenn Beck's appearance at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce's Annual Dinner in E. Lansing. The University of I Don't Know used scientific body count technology to come up with their estimate, according to attendees at the event.
Today, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce is hosting keynote speaker Glenn Beck at their 2009 "Future Forum" even though 62 companies have withdrawn their ads from his show, and he's now lost over 50 percent of his ad dollars. Major corporations dropped Beck because his extremist views don't align with their values or corporate culture. Beck called our president a racist with a "deep-seated hatred of white people." (The president is working hard to provide health care to all Americans, regardless of color. What's so racist about that?)
I've been writing about Beck and the Chamber for several weeks now and it wasn't until today that the media reported on it. Kathy Barks Hoffman reported that the MSU College Democrats and other groups would be protesting at the East Lansing event tonight, and she quoted Progress Michigan as saying the visit "brings shame" to the state. Chamber President Rich Studley sees it differently.
Chamber President Rich Studley says his group has a tradition of inviting speakers from across the political and ideological spectrum.
State Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer spoke last year, and Democratic strategist James Carville has spoken in the past.
Studley says the dinner is all about "ideas and healthy debate."
I'm pretty sure Brewer and Carville have never called a president or Supreme Court Justice a racist, or prayed for a politician to burst into flames. Beck said all of those "healthy" things and then some.
The Chamber chose a keynote speaker known for his inflammatory, over-the-top, racist rhetoric to speak at a forum sponsored by businesses. Racism is unhealthy and businesses should be sending that message loud and clear, not promoting it by choosing a keynote speaker known for those sentiments.
Healthy is standing up to racism. Healthy is being strongly committed to diversity. This is what AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka said earlier this week at the AFL-CIO National Summit on Diversity in Pittsburgh:
The union movement is becoming more diverse and the new leadership of the AFL-CIO is committed to working harder to reach out to young workers, people of color, women and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers...
And this is what voices across the union movement said:
...we as a union movement need to look out for justice and fairness for every worker-on the job, in the community and in the union structure itself.
That includes not just race and gender, but also national origin, ability, sexual orientation, age and gender identity. And it doesn't just mean talking with workers from various backgrounds-it means making sure that the leadership and the decision makers in unions reflect the members they represent.
By inviting Glenn Beck to speak to Michigan's business community, the Chamber leadership sends the message that they don't have a problem with racism. That's wrong, and it's not healthy for our state.
The MSU Dems are asking people to join them in protesting Beck's appearance night. You can RSVP on their Facebook page or contact Mitchell Rivard, President of the MSU College Democrats, at (989) 450-2534 or president@msudems.org. Please consider joining them.
It's time to stand up and renounce the politics of hatred, lies, and paranoia. It is not a time to honor them. Glenn Beck is bad for our state. He is bad for our country. And we don't believe any public entity should be honoring him with a check for a hate speech. Click on the link to add your name to the petition and view footage of Glenn Beck at his worst.
Tomorrow, Glenn Beck will be the keynote speaker at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce's 2009 "Future Forum" at the Kellogg Center on campus at Michigan State University. According to the MSU Democrats, Beck will fly in on a private jet and is being paid $25,000 for his appearance.
Beck called our president a racist with a deep-seated hatred of white people, and he is well-known for his lunatic statements. His rhetoric is so twisted that 62 advertisers have pledged not to run advertisements during his show.
The MSU Dems are asking people to join them in protesting Beck's appearance tomorrow night. You can RSVP on their Facebook page or contact Mitchell Rivard, President of the MSU College Democrats, at (989) 450-2534 or president@msudems.org.
Sixty-two companies have withdrawn their support for Glenn Beck. These companies are sponsoring the "Future Forum" and his appearance:
Comcast
AT&T
Consumers Energy
Altria Client Services, Inc.
Amway Global
Bouma Corporation
DTE Energy
ITC, Inc.
Ice Mountain/Nestle Waters
MGM Grand Detroit
Conference Supporters:
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
CN
Delta Dental Plan of Michigan
Dow Corning Corporation
Dykema Gossett PLLC
Frankenmuth Insurance Company
Hastings Mutual Insurance Company
Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn
Huizenga Group
Meijer, Inc.
Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, PLLC
Spectrum Health and Priority Health
Two Men And A Truck International
Racism and bigotry isn't the "future" Michigan needs. To steal something I read on Mark Maynard's blog...
Maybe one of you out there who belongs to the Michigan Chamber could enlighten us... What is it that makes you want to embrace a man like Glenn Beck, when even Clorox and Wal-Mart won't go near him? Is business in Michigan that good that we can afford to buddy up to individuals that the rest of the civilized world find toxic?
Glenn Beck will be appearing at the annual Michigan Chamber of Commerce dinner on Tuesday, September 15, 2009 at the Kellogg Center, 55. S. Harrison in E. Lansing, Michigan.
We will be there to greet him with a protest against his despicable statements that President Obama is a racist and numerous other stunts that he has pulled on his Fox News show.
Six new advertisers have pledged not to run ads on Glenn Beck's show, bringing the total to 62.
ColorOfChange.org today confirmed that six new companies whose ads aired recently during Fox News Channel's Glenn Beck program have pledged to not to run ads on the show going forward. The additions -- Aegon, Ashley Furniture, Humana, Luxottica Retail (retail parent of LensCrafters and Pearle Vision), United States Postal Service and Wyeth Consumer Healthcare -- bring the number of companies boycotting Glenn Beck to 62. ColorofChange.org launched its campaign against Beck last month after the Fox News Channel host called President Obama a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred for white people" during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
Advertisers may be withdrawing their support, but Glenn Beck's racist rants and fear-mongering haven't dissuaded the Michigan Chamber of Commerce from hosting him as their keynote speaker at the Chamber's annual "Future Forum," scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 at Michigan State University's Kellogg Center.
We've heard quite a bit from the MCoC in recent days - they've argued against Michigan tax increases and given their ideas on budget reform - but not a single word about Glenn's racist comments. Kraft Foods spoke out, and so did General Mills and Mercedes-Benz. His extremist views don't align with their values or corporate culture.
Beck's racist views shouldn't align with the MCoC's either. African-Americans comprise 14.2 percent of our state's population, and minorities represent nearly 20 percent overall. They deserve a business community that has their best interests in mind too, not just those of white people.
Michigan deserves a Chamber that doesn't alienate minorities either. We're trying to attract new businesses and jobs to the state, not chase them away, but that's essentially the message being sent across the country. Thinking of relocating to Michigan? Minorities not welcome.
ColorOfChange is reporting that eleven more companies have ditched Glenn Beck. Does the Michigan Chamber of Commerce still feel that right wing entertainers are the direction they want to take when it comes to discussing the serious issues that affect the Michigan business community, especially in light of the fact a total of 57 companies have now dropped their support of Beck?
Eleven new companies whose ads were recently seen during Beck's program--Binder & Binder, Capital One, The Dannon Company, Discover, HSBC, ICAN Benefit Group Insurance, Infiniti, Jelmar (manufacturer of CLR All-Purpose Cleaner), Jordan McKenna Debt Counseling Network, Mercedes-Benz and Simplex Healthcare (creator of the Diabetes Care Club) --have pledged to ColorOfChange.org to take steps to ensure that their ads don't run on Beck's show. Fifty-seven companies have now committed not to support Beck's show since ColorOfChange.org launched its campaign four weeks ago after the Fox News Channel host called President Obama a "racist" who "has a deep-seated hatred for white people" during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
Over 173,000 members of ColorOfChange.org have signed a petition asking sponsors to stop advertising during Beck's show. With more than 600,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the largest African-American online political organization in the country.
Race-baiting may be acceptable to the MCoC, but classy Mercedes-Benz sees things differently.
"Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) considers its commitment to Diversity and Inclusion [sic] an integral part of its corporate culture and business strategy," Shi added. "We believe that MBUSA's success is dependent on embracing the various cultures, nationalities and convictions of our associates and market that translate into meeting consumer needs and expectations for relevant products and services."
How many members does the Chamber have? How many of their members represent minority owned companies? And the question I find myself asking the most is this: Does the Chamber not care that African-Americans have lots of money to spend?
According to the Selig Center for Economic Growth, the annual buying power of African Americans will grow from $318 million in 1990 to $1.1 trillion in 2011 - a 237 percent increase in 22 years. And further...
By 2011, the combined buying power of Blacks, Asians and Native Americans nationwide will be $1.8 trillion - nearly quadruple its 1990 level of $454 billion, a gain of $1.3 trillion or 289 percent, the Selig report continued. The combined buying power of these three ethnic groups will account for 14.3 percent of the U.S. total buying power in four years. [emphasis added]
I don't see how ticking off minority consumers with cash to spend is a good idea. Maybe business owners should stop to think about a point Wizardkitten recently made:
"Time to start questioning whether the MCoC really has Michigan businesses best interests in mind here."
The Grand Rapids Press just ran an op-ed from Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce President Bill Jackson ("Opinion: Eliminate the MBT, open Michigan for business") that argues for the elimination of the Michigan Business Tax (MBT). Wizardkitten already did an excellent job of breaking down the op-ed, but I'm compelled to weigh in.
Dillon said based on his experience with Senate Republicans in past budget negotiations, they would not compromise until they hit a deadline. He said the House version was Democrats' last best offer. Democrats and Republicans accused one another of walking out of negotiations Wednesday evening.
"Have you ever seen anything like this? I know I haven't," Bishop said after the House vote. "For them to just bolt and go home is cowardice, especially after all the time we spent negotiating today."
Um... let me think... why, yes. Yes I have seen something like this before. Matter of fact, the Senate Democrats were so frustrated that the Republicans walked out one day in September that they actually pulled out a camera and filmed the empty chamber. So spare us the faux outrage and name-calling, OK, Mike? This is actually quite common.
A brief recap of yesterday. Late afternoon, the Senate Republicans put what MIRS said was their "final offer on the table". When the words "final offer" or "last opportunity" are used, usually you think that's it, right? Turns out Republicans weren't really serious when they said that; they considered the negotiations still open.
Republican Sen. Jud Gilbert of Algonac, a key negotiator on the service tax bill, said on the House floor: "I'm stunned. We were negotiating with them and they walked down here and did this."
They tried a bully tactic and it backfired. The House stood up for responsibility...
"We passed a proposal that was supported by the business community, one that protects funding for education, health care and public safety," Bird said. "There hasn't been a genuine willingness to compromise, and we have passed our plan."
... and they left the gape-jawed Republicans in the dust. Republicans immediately rejected being responsible, of course, and started clamoring for them to come back and play some more.
The Senate rejected the House plan along mostly partisan lines, and called for a conference committee to work out differences, possibly today. Senate Republicans sent a request to House Speaker Andy Dillon, R-Redford Township, to call the House back to an emergency session Friday to try again to replace the service tax.
Republicans are still insisting on a sunset and one-time gimmicks, which breaks the budget deal and leaves our future shaky. Why not let a future legislative body decide whether to repeal the amount? Good question, one that no one seems willing to ask.
Instead, we cue the noise machine in the form of the disingenuous Tricia Kinley, who used the word "shocking" and pointed fingers at the House (didn't know the Michigan Chamber of Commerce was a partisan outfit, did you? ha ha), and cue the rumors that the Republicans are doing this just so Brooks Patterson will have something to yell about as he starts yet another budget destructing petition drive next year. The House Democrats stood up, and the Republicans and their puppet-masters don't quite know what to do about it yet.
When you get past all the noise, the fact is that the Senate Republicans are responsible for this service tax going forward. They know what needs to be done, they refuse to do it, and more of your time and tax dollars will be wasted on their game.
But it isn't Friday yet, so we will see how loud the screaming gets in the next 48 hours. Stand tough, Speaker Dillon.
OK. I've been beating on them so much I guess I have to congratulate them when they finally do something good.
Congratulations everyone!
State lawmakers on Thursday completed a replacement plan for Michigan's main business tax.
The Republican-led Senate voted 32-3 for the main bill detailing the new Michigan Business Tax, while the Democrat-led House approved it by a 75-34 vote. The bill now goes to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who was in the House chamber and applauding with other Democrats when the final vote was announced.
Must feel great to finally have this done after a year of frustration and headaches. Good on you Governor. Very happy for you tonight.
Tricia isn't happy though. Uh-oh.
But Tricia Kinley of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce doubted whether the replacement plan would be revenue neutral, adding there could be "backdoor tax increases on job providers."
"We have to tell our members it just doesn't meet the standards they were expecting," Kinley said.
Let the lobbying begin. I'm sure there will be changes as time goes on, just like there was with the SBT. But for now, most businesses will see some tax relief.
House Democrats and Senate Republicans say the plan will reduce tax liability for more than 70 percent of Michigan businesses. Tax credits could be available for several businesses including large sports complexes, such Michigan International Speedway and the Palace of Auburn Hills, and for large Michigan-based retailers such as Meijer.
The agreement includes incentives that reward businesses for investing in Michigan and creating jobs, with out-of-state companies that have sales in Michigan paying more taxes. The bill could help domestic automakers and large manufacturers by lowering personal property taxes on machinery and equipment by about two-thirds.
The new tax is based on a company's income and modified gross receipts. It also includes provisions aimed at helping small firms grow.
