Rogers: You people should stop complaining about secret government surveillance because ... stuff

by: Eric B.

Mon Jun 17, 2013 at 11:44:37 AM EDT

Mike Rogers wants you to know that he understands that you don't trust government because ... Benghazi, Benghazi, BENGHAZI! ... but you should, because the idea that the same outfit that turned out the keys to the national security state to a guy who didn't flee to a non-extradition treaty wouldn't ever abuse or misuse your personal information. Also, if you don't trust them, the terrorists win.

At a time when the Obama administration’s IRS, Benghazi and Justice Department scandals have understandably damaged Americans’ trust in their government, it is important to understand why these programs are different. Neither program allows the NSA to read e-mails or listen to phone calls of American citizens. Both programs are constitutional and do not violate any American’s Fourth Amendment rights. Both are strictly overseen by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, a federal court created in 1978 to protect the rights of American citizens in the course of foreign intelligence gathering.

More on Mike Rogers' Foreign Intelligent Surveillance Court here.

It used to be a uniquely American trait to not just simply trust your social betters. This is especially the case when it involved a social better who spent hundreds of words to say something he could have said in less than five. I appreciate that hundreds and thousands of terrorist plots have been prevented by invasive government surveillance. What I'd appreciate even more are details about them. Because, you know, when we get those details it turns out more than often not that invasive government surveillance had very little to do with anything.

Early summer 2013 FUNd-raiser: It's a wrap!

by: Eric B.

Mon Jun 17, 2013 at 11:26:45 AM EDT

If there's anything you can judge about a man's ability to get people to give him donations of between 10 dollars and 20, it's about his ability to get people to give him donations of between 10 dollars and 20. I'm happy to report a small amount of acumen in that regard, based on how generous you all were over the last week. I almost doubled expectations, and based on the amount of headache vs. reward, it was twice as successful as the last time. A success!

I'm still working out vague details of a trip to Lansing for some kind of live event so people can come and make fun of how I dress. In some circles, it's been described as almost caveman-like. Once that takes shape, I'll post details, because if there's anything people love more about reading blogs, it's reading blog posts wherein the blogger talks about where he's going to be and when he'll be there. The suits call it meta, I think.

Meanwhile, if you missed out last week because you were sleeping and want one last chance to get in on the fun, please click here.

FUNd-raising drive enters last two days ... if you want to help, why wait?

by: Eric B.

Sat Jun 15, 2013 at 12:04:41 PM EDT

We're focusing on the small these days, small contributions to big problems and people-focused solutions rather than waiting for Big to show up and fix things. The power of small.

Same thing has been the theme this last week in a donation drive. I've asked people to give a little, and you've responded better than I expected. I greatly appreciated.

At the outset, I said this would be a one-week affair. That means tomorrow, Sunday, is the final day of the official fund raising drive. Depending on what other things make demands on my time tomorrow, I might not get to a wrap-up and final pitch for donations.

If you've considered donating a little -- and I'm only expecting $10 or $20 donations (a couple of generous souls have given more) -- please do so. Here's the link. Of, you can mail a check (made out to me) to: 319 S. Oak St. Apt. A, Mount Pleasant, MI, 4885 (or, if you drive past and want to shower the front porch with pennies ... feel free to do that, too).

Lawmaker behind RTW carve out benefiting husband calls teachers hogs to be slaughtered

by: Eric B.

Sat Jun 15, 2013 at 11:32:04 AM EDT

This is remarkable.

School employees in the dissolved districts would not have rights to jobs in the receiving district — even though their district dissolved through no fault of their own. The legislation initially protected school employees in the dissolved districts by providing them with the right of first refusal for jobs in the receiving district, but an amendment by state Rep. Ray Franz, R-Onekama, stripped away all employee protections.

Franz’s amendment was fully supported by House Education Committee Chairwoman Lisa Lyons, R-Alto. In response to school employees’ concerns, Lyons said from the House floor: “Pigs get fat — hogs get slaughtered.”

Another example of legislation written to apply to singular situations, which is terrible policy making in the first place. In the second, how does it help things that one of the lawmakers responsible referred to teachers and other school employees as hogs to be slaughtered. The financial distress at Buena Vista wasn't caused by the teachers.

A long time ago, we arrived at the point where they -- the Legislature -- just did things to do things, and didn't care how spitefully they came across. At the end of the day, you have to ask is what about this kind of comment will ever make it easier for people to work together.

Benevolent overlord takes credit for doing his job

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 17:00:00 PM EDT

You know, for most things it's not how quickly you get a job done but how well you do it, like creating a budget.

It was a little late (they were shooting for June 1), but they got it done.

Michigan Gov. Snyder signed the budget into law this afternoon. After doing so they took to social media to fluff their feathers about their accomplishment:

What follows is a little pic taking credit for a balanced budget the third year in a row, which -- ummm -- is mandated in the state constitution. It's also something that used to get done by this time of year routinely. The difference is that during the Granholm years, the senate majority leader let his personal hatred for the governor interfere with his willingness to get the job done in timely fashion.

Jase Bolger struggles with making it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 16:00:00 PM EDT

What should be a simple decision apparently flummoxes the House Speaker.

LANSING - Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger says he hasn’t decided how to proceed on the question of possibly protecting gays in the state’s anti-discrimination law.

Bolger, R-Marshall, says it’s a “struggle” to reach a decision on how gays might be addressed in the state’s Elliott-Larsen anti-discrimination law.

Update Michigan law in a way that huge majorities of most demographics thinks is important and that is also morally good and that promotes the best known business-friendly social policy today, or continue to yield to a small and dying minority of bigots whose ideas are today considered primitive. Yes, I could see how a man could genuinely struggle with that.

Rashida Tlaib gives us another reason to think she is awesome

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 15:30:00 PM EDT

She segues from going after pet coke polluters to pointing out the obvious: Maura Corrigan's "bootstraps" approach to helping the poor costs us money she intended to save by cutting benefits.

As the longest standing member on the House Appropriations Human Services subcommittee, I have never seen so many mistakes made by the Michigan Department of Human Services. Mistakes are made, but it’s unconscionable when they cost Michigan more than $70 million.

In 2011, MDHS Director Maura Corrigan interfered with the Legislature’s intent when she implemented a federal 60-month lifetime limit on cash assistance. The implementation of state and federal lifetime limits were in conflict,and she should have stayed with the 48-month limit the Legislature approved. According to the House Fiscal Agency, the lawsuit over this matter has so far cost the state $43.9 million.

Go read the entire thing. If you can't, to sum up: Maura Corrigan cut benefits to a bunch of people to save the state money. Instead, through the incompetent way the department did it, it's wound up costing us more than we were ever going to pay out.

By the way, this is the same Maura Corrigan who booted the state's college students off food aid on the grounds that when Maura Corrigan was in school and the state paid for about three-quarters of her schooling costs, she had a job.

And now, a word from our sponsor

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 14:30:00 PM EDT

I have to apologize for yesterday's lack of posts. I spent the afternoon building a watering station at our local community garden and it took most of my day. The rest of it was spent resting and falling asleep early and rising to muscle soreness related to using muscles that are rarely used.

It's in that spirit that we welcome our current sponsor, the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council and their ongoing campaign to get people to find alternative means to getting around than "one person, one car." One person can make a little difference, and if added up to a lot of people equals a big difference.

Please take this opportunity to show your appreciation for their support by reading a little about Mid-MEAC and their Smart Commute campaign. And, if you live in Lansing (or anywhere else ... I'm sure they'd love to know that they had broader impact), consider taking part. If you already do this, consider participating in spirit by doing something else but related. Help plant a garden, catch rain water, turn off a light, eat a smaller portion of meat, something.

Of, if you'd like to join Mid-MEAC and other people and organizations that have sponsored Michigan Liberal in the past, you can do that.  It's open all summer starting soon, and I'm always happy to have a little help. Rates are $25 a day, $100 a week, and $360 a month. Contact me at ebaerren@michiganliberal.com, via text message (517-881-8008 ... I don't pick up calls from unknown numbers), or social media.

Michigan House votes against political nihilism

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 14:00:00 PM EDT

From yesterday.

After a late and historic night in the Capitol Thursday, the House found the votes necessary to expand Medicaid in the state to an estimated 400,000 individuals in Michigan.

Nine hours after session began, the House approved HB 4714 on a bipartisan vote of 76-31. After the vote total was announced, cheers erupted on the House floor.

Rep. Matt Lori, R-Constantine, the sponsor of the bill, said the expanded Medicaid will make state residents healthier and it will save the state money.

"After you spend time on this issue… and really look at the issues, you will come to the same conclusion, that Medicaid reform is right forMichigan," Lori said.

On to the Senate!

FUNd raising campaign heads into final stretch ... if you haven't given, please do!

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 13:00:00 PM EDT

It was always my understanding that the third day of a bleg is usually pretty slow. People tend to pony up in the first couple of days and then a kind of fatigue kicks in. That wasn't the case Wednesday, the biggest day so far.

All of you who've donated via our working Paypal link and sent in checks ... your support is genuinely appreciated. It's meaningful and important, and more than anything tells me that people find the time and effort I put into this website valuable. I asked for small donations, hoping for volume, and that's what I've gotten. The time I put into maintaining this website isn't just me telling jokes to myself.

Things will wrap up this weekend, and if you are still thinking about dropping a little cash into Paypal, it's always appreciated. Again, that link is here. 

Store it away, the DIA art is toast

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 11:32:58 AM EDT

From Gongwer, yesterday.

Attorney General Bill Schuette issued an opinion today declaring that artwork at the Detroit Institute of Arts cannot be sold as a way to pay back the city’s Detroit’s creditors if the city goes into bankruptcy.

Mr. Schuette said current law and the museum’s operating agreement with the city clearly mean the DIA’s collections are held in the public trust and could not be sold unless the sale was to acquire new art for the museum’s collection.

Based on his track record of winning important cases, if Michigan's finest legal mind says the DIA art can't be sold for legal reasons, you can rest assured that it can be.

Pennies on the dollar

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 11:55:00 AM EDT

This is happening.

The Motor City’s day of reckoning is here.

The insolvent city’s emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, has called together dozens of major city creditors for a historic meeting this morning at the Westin Hotel at Metro Airport, officially kicking off negotiations with stakes that could hardly be higher.

Riding on the outcome of these talks — which could extend into August once creditors go back to mull over Orr’s offer to settle debts for fewer than 10 cents on the dollar — are Orr’s hopes to keep the city out of bankruptcy court and, ultimately, his challenge to vastly reduce the city’s staggering debts so he can restructure city government. The goal, his team says: Put Detroit in a position to grow and provide better public services in a sustainable way for years to come.

My prediction is that Detroit's creditors will respond: All your base are belong to us.

Update! ... A little closer look at what he wants to do.

Mike Rogers out of Senate race

by: Eric B.

Fri Jun 14, 2013 at 11:30:36 AM EDT

Who didn't see this coming, oh, 10 billion light years away.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, who many considered state Republicans’ best chance of winning a U.S. Senate seat currently held by a Democrat, announced today would not run for the Senate next year.

Rogers, R-Howell, is instead expected to run to remain in the House, where he is currently the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

His announcement leaves one prominent Republican — former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land — in the field, though U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, has not made an announcement about whether he will run for the Senate.

Now, after they get Lil' Fella to announce his run, Terri Lynn Land can drop out, run for his seat in Congress and the process of removing Lil' Fella from the House without a GOP primary bloodbath will be complete. And, after Gary Peters beats Lil' Fella by 20 points next year, the process of removing him from elected federal office will be complete.

The awfully disturbing reality of a fossil fuel economy

by: Eric B.

Thu Jun 13, 2013 at 12:00:02 PM EDT

So, we refine petroleum and synthesize petroleum out of tar sands, and get the giant mountain of pollution on the Detroit River, which is what ... then burned in coal plants to generate electricity.

Pet coke, a residual of the oil refinery process, has become a hot-button issue this year in Michigan. Residents in Detroit and Windsor have complained about the potential health effects of having a massive pile of the black, rock-like material along the bank of the Detroit River on the city’s southwest side. The state Department of Environmental Quality has said the material is not a health threat.

The pet coke at the Detroit site was created at the nearby Marathon Oil refinery and sold to Koch Minerals LLC, a company owned by conservative industrialists Charles and David Koch.

DTE officials confirmed Wednesday their Monroe plant had burned pet coke as a fuel source, but said it does not pose a health threat.

“Our tests show that with (pet coke’s) carbon dioxide emissions, the difference is negligible when compared to coal,” said Randi Berris, a DTE spokeswoman.

Progress Michigan put out something yesterday on this.

What this amounts to is a one-two shot from the same grubby awfulness, a maximization of carbon emissions.

Day 3 of our ongoing FUNd-raising campaign ... SYLPB*

by: Eric B.

Wed Jun 12, 2013 at 11:33:40 AM EDT

Yesterday's efforts in our ongoing fund raising campaign, in one respect, went better than the first day: More people contributed. It didn't match the first day's dollar total, which means that we still haven't reached the vague goals for this donation drive that I have in mind. If you've considered giving and haven't, please take the opportunity to put action behind that thought. Here's a direct link to give little.

My sincerest thanks to everyone who's given. I'm focusing on small-sized donations, which means success comes by way of getting lots of participation. It's working in grand fashion, and some of the things I've needed to get done have gotten done.

By all means, if you enjoy this site or find it somehow useful and have a little extra cash, please consider giving a little. I'm very good at making even ten bucks go a long way.

*--Support Your Local Political Blogger