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Good Jobs Now posted this on May 14th, 2012. As you know, the 2012 elections are less than six months from now and the stakes are higher than ever. Whoever wins this election will determine whether our nation will continue to move to a new tune or rewind the same old song. We want leaders who can relate to and implement measures that will benefit the 99%.
We need good-paying jobs, corporations to pay their fair share in taxes, access to affordable health care and other services and a pathway for working immigrants to be granted citizenship.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Republican Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra have both made it clear that they are not for Michigan’s or the rest of the country’s working and middle-class. Take action and sign our petition against Hoekstra and Romney:
http://action.goodjobsnow.org/page/s/say-no-to-hoekstra-romney
Mitt Romney supports everything that has crippled America economically and socially including huge tax breaks for corporations, privatization of unemployment benefits and Social Security, cutting federally-funded programs and promise to repeal Healthcare Reform. While governor of Massachusetts, the state ranked 47th in job growth, he vetoed $11 million in job training funds and insurance costs rose more than 20 percent.
He claims to be “a son of Detroit,” but suggested to “let Detroit go bankrupt” and was did not support the auto bailout, which ultimately saved thousands of jobs and revitalized Michigan’s economy. Like many of the big-time corporations who make mega profits at the expense of tax payer dollars, Romney doesn’t pay his fair share in taxes. If he had to pay his fair share, Romney would owe the 99% $3.95 million.
Pete Hoekstra is running against current Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow. The former US Representative for Michigan’s 2nd district, recently referred to the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as “a nuisance.” Voting against a measure that provides channels for women to receive equal pay for equal work not only continues the culture of gender discrimination, but hurts our economy.
It’s a nuisance when Hoekstra voted against a bill that closed $14 billion in tax loopholes for companies that shipped job overseas. It’s a nuisance when Hoekstra allowed CEOs of bailed-out [...]
Hector Solon posted this on March 30th, 2012. A new report shows that Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law in the middle of the Trayvon Martin tragedy was written by the NRA and pushed in multiple State Legislatures by ALEC finds that a Michigan 2005-2006 Bill most closely matches the controversial Florida law. Even as all that is happening, the Michigan ALEC member sponsor of that bill is pushing for guns in churches.
ALEC/NRA Animation by Pulitzer Prize winning Mark Fiore, March 28, 2012:
This MUST VIEW animation on Mark Fiore’s website and Dailykos.
Over a Dozen US States are using the Florida ALEC/NRA Model Which State has the most identical ‘Stand Your Ground’ Bill? The envelope please…
Details on the Sunlight Foundation report from the Orlando Sentinel:
The Sunlight Foundation, a D.C.-based non-profit watchdog group, says that 10 other states have passed “stand your ground” legislation that’s virtually identical to the statute passed in Florida in 2005. The law — originated by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and, after it passed in Florida, pressed in other states by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — has won notoriety because of the Trayvon Martin case, in which a 17-year-old unarmed black victim was shot by a white Neighborhood Watch captain who said he felt threatened and was acting in self-defense.
The foundation identified the 10 states with near-identical laws as Michigan, South Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Kansas and Mississippi.
From the Sunlight Foundation press release “10 States Copied Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law” on March 28, 2012:
The analysis was able to detect striking similarities and identical phrases across multiple bills [in multiple states], including the phrase, “[a] person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm …,” which is just one of the provisions of the law that is intended to protect people who may have killed another person from being arrested or prosecuted.
Michigan’s House Bill 5153 that passed the state legislature in 2006 was the [...]
Hector Solon posted this on February 8th, 2012. 
On the eve of Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder’s second year 2012 Michigan State Budget announcements, this ANALYSIS, in simple pictures, looks back at what historical data says. Facts found in this fountain of tables, graphs and charts reveals much, and in many cases, might surprise many Michiganders. It gives a unique view not only into where we are, and where Snyder Policy is trying to take us, but also where we have been and how we got there.
Facing Wisconsin style protests across the state through most of his first year 2011, some of the largest marches in Michigan’s history continuing into early 2012, Snyder’s consultants published several reports and benchmarking metrics early in 2011 that include over 200 measurements of Michigan Government performance metrics and trends.
Missing in this pile of PowerPoints is any trace of the Republican Holy Grail, proof that massive business tax break ($1.6 billion) and education budget cuts (nearly $1 billion from public education) and policies focused on plans prefabricated in 2009 and released in 2010 and updated in January of 2012 by business leaders in Michigan that will, as their stacks of slides state, create “500,000” new Michigan jobs.
The Nerd and his small army of outside consultants did us all a great favor in the early months of his tenure by publishing Michigan’s data, learn to embrace it.
But, before going into what Snyder’s Data tells us about 2011, his turbulent first year as “CEO”, let’s take a look back and see what historical truths are included in those facts and figures going back to 1998-2008.
This first installment will focus on data from the terms of former Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) and Republican Governor John Engler (R).
Much more after the jump.
[...]
Hector Solon posted this on January 26th, 2012. In one of the boldest, brashest moves seen in Michigan in quite some time, Ken Braun the recently ‘former’ Managing Director of CapCon at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, has threaten Republican Governor Rick Snyder to either join the “Right to Work” (for a lot less) forces, or be circumvented by ‘citizen’ introduced legislation that will completely bypass the Nerd using the Tea Party Republican majorities in the Michigan State House and Senate and a loop-hole in the Michigan Constitution.
Just out from Ken Braun of the Mackinac Center:
Michigan’s tea party activists are suffering right to work envy while watching the Indiana governor march his Legislature relentlessly to the finish line on that issue. Our Republican governor recently said right to work is too divisive and he doesn’t want the Legislature to send a bill to his desk.
(Break)
Article 2, section 9 (of the Michigan Constitution), provides citizens (like the Tea Party) with the power to initiate laws and send them to the Legislature for approval. If both chambers vote by simple majority to approve the bill within 40 days, then it becomes law.
The governor has no role in the process and can neither sign nor veto the measure.
What? Read Braun’s FULL POSTING HERE.
Within the posting(s) are links to articles on Rick Snyder’s statements on his reluctance address any “Right to Work” (for Less) legislation, saying he doesn’t want it ‘on his desk’ and that the issue is ‘too divisive‘.
Also mentioned in the piece are references to the efforts of the Michigan “Tea Party” to recall Michigan Republican Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville for his statements on the controversial legislation also being pushed through in Indiana by Republican Governor Mitch Daniels.
Richardville is characterized by Braun as being too ‘skeptical’ and ‘outright hostile’ on the issue, which if brought up this year would certainly put just about everything on anyone’s agenda but the already troublesome, dictatorial “Emergency Manager” Law out of sight and mind completely.
The ties between the Mackinac Center, American for Prosperity (AFP), both with shared funders, supporters and participants, and their ties to [...]
Patrick Diehl posted this on December 28th, 2011.
My friend Chris Savage at Eclectablog has been making a compelling case against Governor Rick Snyder’s Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) law, Public Act 4 of 2011, which allows Snyder to install dictators in Michigan cities to nullify contracts, fire elected officials, reverse agreements with unions, sell off or privatize community assets and otherwise kill representative democracy.
In his latest post, Chris makes the case that “emergency managers do not solve the systemic problems that bring cities and school districts to the crisis point. They are simply a band-aid on a gaping wound, temporarily staunching the flow while private businesses reap profits and anti-union forces play out a long-awaited plan to rid the state of public employee unions.”
The Detroit Public Schools and the cities of Flint, Pontiac and Benton Harbor already have state-appointed EFMs. Snyder administration officials have threatened to appoint one to run Detroit – which faces an accumulated deficit of more than $200 million and a $45 million cash shortfall by April – and the city’s mayor, multimillionaire Dave Bing, has stated publicly that he wouldn’t mind if Snyder appointed him to the post.
I’ve opposed Snyder’s power grab from the beginning. Snyder administration officials love to point out that they’ve only strengthened something that was originally signed into law by Governor Jim Blanchard back in 1988. And they claim that contrary to media and Internet claims, Snyder doesn’t have the authority to remove local elected officials at will – an EFM fact sheet put out by the state insists that “local officials can only be removed from office if they refuse to provide information or assistance.”
I’d laugh if this weren’t so serious.
Earlier this month, Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit) asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to review the law’s constitutionality in an attempt to block the governor from installing a manager in the D. And Conyers – who thinks the law is “being applied in a discriminatory fashion” in Michigan municipalities with large African-American populations – appeared at a press conference with celebrity activist Jesse Jackson to promise civil disobedience and protests against Public Act 4.
My friend [...]
Hector Solon posted this on December 25th, 2011. The State of Michigan goes through a long year into a Holiday Season in which Governor Rick Snyder and Michigan Republicans do their very best attempting steal away as much joy for themselves and their cronies, Grinch style. But hope here is still strong, and most (True Michigan) liberal hearts are certainly not “two sizes too small”, not even close, no way, not at all.
—–
Twas the night before Christmas and all through Nerd’s house, Not a snifter was empty, dry champagne they all soused. “What a year it has been” the Nerd smiled and proclaimed, “Seeing how Michigan by the Republicans is reclaimed.”
The Nerd said he was different, no group would he slander, “We have the same name, it’s Michigander”. Standing with his Republican friends, filled with confident glee, “We’ll reinvent your state, just wait, you’ll see.”
With a dash and a dart began the Nerd’s relentless pursuit, Serving favors to a few, those in slick business suits. To dusty piles of pre-written bills they all flew, The libertarians and profiteers, well, they knew just what to do.
Michigan leaders in business got their favors first, “Cut our taxes now” they said, “They can’t get much worse”. From Mackinac and ALEC the legislation cranked out, And the billions now flow into their private account.
Bipartisanship promises were received when spoken, A Democrat appointed here and there, if just a mere token. But the Tea Party had plans of their own they had made, So some sort of reason and civility would soon fade.
But bailing out business (thru tax cuts) was an expensive affair, So they shredded more public services without even a care. Still not enough, they raided for Education Fund bullion, Stabbing and slashing to steal nearly a Billion.
They taxed pensions, cut benefits and twice unemployment, Even closed tiny playgrounds kids used for enjoyment. From the poor they took more taxes, and even added fees to get money, Soon the Catholics agreed “Hey wait, that’s not funny.”
The Nerd’s few promises once made, were forgotten, And as his policies grew, people found they were rotten. “I’m just a Nerd” [...]
Muskegon Critic posted this on November 9th, 2011. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
“WAIT…they’re paying you minimum wage?”
“I’m up for a raise soon.” The young attendant at the Meijer self checkout took my embarrassing, late night grocery store rant in apparent stride.
“But…WAIT…wait…they’re paying you MINIMUM WAGE?”
“A-yup.”
I had just spent the past 15 minutes at the massive supermarket, trying to find a cat flea medicine that was actually priced as labeled on the shelf: “But….but….who on earth is benefiting from this new No Price Tag law thing, then?”
“I hear it saves the store money.”
“Are they at least hiring more people?”
“No, I think they cut back the hours of the stock guys.”
AAAARRGH!
“So….I just spent 15 minutes hunting down cat flea stuff that matched the marked price because of a law that saves the store money and the store isn’t hiring more people, you’re paid minimum wage to hear some guy rant at the checkout at 10 PM, and I’m STILL seeing my grocery bill go up….”
“Sorry.” The young woman shrugged.
“No…no….it’s not your fault. I’m sorry. I’m…I’m just ranting. Just being an ass. You know…I’d be a little better with it if I knew the folks here were at least paid more than minimum wage.”
“I’m up for a raise soon!” The young woman smiled again.
“I hope it’s huge. Okay…well, have a good night. Thanks for helping me get this cat stuff thing figured out.”
—–> Michigan was sort of spoiled for the longest time. We had an excellent law that required stores to price each item individually, so that people could quickly and easily compare prices against the scan price at the checkout. The whole point was to give consumers as much information about their purchase as possible.
I never realized how much I USED those price tags until they were gone. Recently our Governor and conservative congress scrapped the consumer protection law, under the guise of “saving stores money” so those savings would get “passed on to the consumer” or “used to hire new workers.”
But…so far none of that has happened. All it’s done is make people wander around the store trying to find out [...]
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