And now ... a word from our sponsor

by: Eric B.

Sun Mar 14, 2010 at 10:55:23 AM EDT

Did you know that two of Carl Marlinga's interests are quantum physics and cosmology? You may find those tibits of information, and information about movies he likes and other interests that help shape the mental picture of the man at his Facebook group promoting his candidacy for the state Senate. His campaign is once again sponsoring this site for a few days (until Wednesday), and you can find the official campaign Web site here (it's also their "oh-fish-uhl" link).

I'd also like to take this opportunity to announce a deal for the slot of Wednesday through Sunday.  Normally, I'd run this day by day, but I will let those five days go in one lump sum of $50, a savings of $25. What a deal! What a steal!

Sign up today, and you can join the Marlinga campaign on our growing and distinguished list of past sponsors. If you'd like to find out how, please go below the fold.

New Two Joes: Gaffney discusses Bernero endorsement

by: Eric B.

Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 13:48:04 PM EST

Campaign news and rumors: Tee Vee weatherman joins 105th race

by: Eric B.

Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 12:19:50 PM EST

Every Monday, while I'm driving around for work, I hear the voice of the newest addition to the Republican field for the 105th District. It's Greg MacMaster, who not only does the weather for one of the northern Michigan Tee Vee stations (7 & 4), but also for WUPS (98.5).  (Personal disclaimer: MacMaster's radio forecasts regularly fill me with a murderous rage, but that's only because Monday is my Friday and his information is usually that it's going to be cold, overcast, and probably snowy on my days off.)

The official announcement is expected to come on Monday. MacMaster's announcement is not unexpected. Last year, a complaint was filed against MacMaster for campaigning without filing paperwork, and he has been criticized over residency issues. In fact, as has happened with a couple of other candidates in this race, an anonymous hit blog popped up. Those hit blogs are rumored to be connected to the candidacy of Dennis Lennox.

MacMaster will enter an already crowded field including Lennox, embattled Cheboygen County Drain Commissioner and general purpose publicity hound; Ken Glasser, Otsego County Commissioner; Tim Boyko, Norwood Township supervisor; and dairy farmer Triston Cole.

Magic Frank plumbs new depths of factual inaccuracy

by: Eric B.

Sat Mar 13, 2010 at 00:41:56 AM EST

Here is the thing about arrogance. Arrogance as a flaw is a good deal easier to deal with if the person who suffers from it has in some way demonstrated that they are worthy. That is, a person who regularly and routinely delivers high-quality work may affect some small amount of arrogance and get away with it, because ... well, it's a perk of routinely delivering excellence.

Then, we have Magic Frank.

It was once easy to dismiss the so-called tree huggers as amusing annoyances, but their long-term goals have grown more threatening -- and damaging -- to the progress of mankind.  

Magic Frank goes on to list some of the great crimes committed against humanity by "so-called tree huggers" in a way that is not only nearly Joe Falls-like in its stream of conscience essence, but almost nearly entirely built on factual errors. Here is the one fact that Magic Frank managed to get correct in his Friday column:

Bernero picks up big labor endorsement

by: Eric B.

Fri Mar 12, 2010 at 16:35:59 PM EST

From the AP:

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The Michigan AFL-CIO on Friday endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero, igniting a battle for union endorsements in the race.

The state AFL-CIO represents over 600,000 active and retired members in 59 unions throughout Michigan, including the United Auto Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

...

Wal-Mart to employee: Wanna live pain-free? You're fired!

by: ScottyUrb

Fri Mar 12, 2010 at 04:27:47 AM EST

In 2008, Casias was the Associate Of The Year at the WalMart store in Battle Creek, despite suffering from sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor.

At his doctor's recommendation, Casias says he legally uses medical marijuana to ease his pain.

In an e-mail from headquarters, WalMart spokesman Greg Rossiter explained the company policy. It states: "In states, such as Michigan, where prescriptions for marijuana can be obtained, an employer can still enforce a policy that requires termination of employment following a positive drug screen. We believe our policy complies with the law and we support decisions based on the policy."

Just to be clear: Here's someone who never came to work high, who workled harder than almost any of his co-workers - and was even recognized for his hard work. But he can't continue to work just because he dares to follow a doctor's order?

Blitz to support Stupak challenger starts

by: Eric B.

Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 11:19:42 AM EST

Connie Saltonstall's burgeoning campaign to challenge Bart Stupak in the 1st District has already raised $8,500 through Act Blue.  She's now also listed to the Act Blue page called Send the Democrats a Message They can Understand. I found out about this by way of rumblings that the national progressive movement is getting behind her candidacy, not just with rhetoric but with cash. About half an hour ago, when I found the page, she had eight donors and $285. Now, she's got 12 donors and $335 (through this one page, mind you).  Here's the description:

Bart Stupak has turned into an anti-choice cultist after spending way too much time with absolutists from The Family. He's lost it completely and, in Connie's words, "was willing to sacrifice health care reform because of abortion funding." The former Charlevoix County commissioner will need all the help she can get to retire this disgrace to the Democratic Party.

As of the last filing, Stupak's campaign committee had $275,000.

Wherein someone finally stands up for the American middle class

by: Eric B.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 17:37:11 PM EST

James P. Hoffa in today's News.

Tea Party protesters are average Americans who are paying the price for the unrestrained power of corporations. They pay three-quarters of their income for fixed expenses. Those higher costs include taxes -- the cause of much Tea Party anger -- but they include mortgage, health insurance and transportation.

...snip...

Protesters blame "big government" for their woes, but their anger is misdirected. It's the big conglomerates that are fleecing them. The fact is that institutional power has moved away from government to Wall Street and large corporations.

...snip...

Some of the Tea Party protests are quietly funded by right-wing groups that in turn are financed by large energy and banking conglomerates. These corporate giants have no loyalty to America and no sense of public purpose. The Tea Party protesters are being manipulated by the very same conglomerates that are causing their problems.

Mike Cox could melt your face with his amazing mental powers

by: Eric B.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 16:39:37 PM EST

Spoon bending*, Mike Cox style:

LIVONIA, MI—Mike Cox today said Democrats’ plan to get into the banking business, grow an already bloated state government with a massive new spending program and leave families on the hook for the bank’s losses is irresponsible.

"It sounds like there's nothing to it, but that's like saying the Sistine Chapel is just paint on plaster."

The proposed bank could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and leave taxpayers on the hook for bad investments and financial losses at a time when state government should shrink not grow. ...

"Execution is everything to a magician, and Geller is a master of the art."

Cox renewed his call to dramatically cut government spending, slash the jobs tax called the Michigan Business tax and cut the income tax on families to turn around Michigan’s economy.

"Witnesses would claim they'd never taken their eyes off him, but videotapes would later show he'd distracted them just long enough to make whatever preparations he needed."

“Government spending is out of control at the state and federal level,” said Cox. “The last thing taxpayers need right now is to pay more taxes to create more government spending on their behalf. Michigan taxpayers shouldn’t have been forced to bail out big Wall Street banks for mistakes they made and Lansing shouldn’t build a state-owned bank at taxpayers’ expense. At some point gubernatorial candidates, members of the state legislature and Congress, even members of my own Party, have to start being fiscally responsible.”

Does anybody remember laughter?

*--Links separated by asterisk and comma. One goes to spoon bending explanation, other goes to Mike Cox bending spoons.

Levin backs bill limiting taxpayer exposure to high-risk speculating

by: Eric B.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 15:25:47 PM EST

From Ye Olde inbox:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senators Jeff Merkley (OR), Carl Levin (MI), Ted Kaufman (DE), Sherrod Brown (OH), and Jeanne Shaheen (NH) put forward a new proposal today to help prevent taxpayer bailouts of financial firms by limiting high-risk speculation, also known as proprietary trading.

...snip...

“With this bill, we attempt to rein in risky proprietary trading by firms whose failures wreak havoc on our financial markets and our taxpayers,” Levin said.  “Risky trading by a handful of major firms contributed to the collapse of the some of the largest financial firms
in the world, hundreds of billions of dollars in losses to taxpayers, and the devastation of the entire world economy. This legislation is aimed at preventing high-risk trading strategies adopted by a few firms from leading to another crisis.”

more below the fold...

Latest Two Joes: Someone should challenge Stupak

by: Eric B.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 13:27:22 PM EST

The Diary of Stuff: Wednesday gab barg

by: Eric B.

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 09:51:16 AM EST

A bunch of stuff has happened. It's all probably worthy of mention, but not anything I can really muster the energy necessary for individual posts. So, we'll go with this:

*--Ask and ye shall receive: Bart Stupak has a primary challenger over his role in the health care debate. I like Stupak for a lot of other things he does, but this isn't terribly surprising.  On the other hand, it's one thing to challenge someone in a primary, it's another thing to mount a serious challenge.  Anyway, some of you have been agitating for someone to run against him, and here is your chance.

*--Some dude rips apart Sen. Roger Kaaaaahn!'s speech (was this the one where he described the color of partially digested blood?), defending Michigan's unique drug maker immunity law. He called it,"inaccurate, irrelevant, or both."  On the other hand, dude teaches in Ann Arbor, which is practically San Francisco.  Will these revelations help move this legislation? Not in a hundred, billion years.

*--Lessenberry's weekly Metro Times column sets his readers up by letting them down.  He goes through everyone running and mentions why they aren't terribly good candidates. Oh wait, there's one guy he didn't mention ... Joe Schwarz. Lessenberry wraps up promising to provide an alternative, by the way.

*--Monica Conyers gets sentenced today.

A couple of housekeeping things here:

*--For Android users, have I mentioned that the MichLib Android app is available for free?  I know at the start that there was talk of charging a buck for it, but that's not the case. You can get it for free.

*--A new addition to the blogroll is the Michigan League of Conservation Voters' new blog, MI Eye on Bishop. It's part of their accountability project. If you follow MichLib by regularly visiting this page, you've probably already seen the interview Bruce Fealk did with them. Otherwise, here's a link to his diary.

Mike Cox reminds us of why the stink of murder cover-up won't go away

by: Eric B.

Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 15:36:08 PM EST

I've been forwarded this article probably half a dozen times today already, so I'm not really telling anyone anything new.  Still, ought to be here just for the record, I suppose. 

Detroit -- Attorney General Mike Cox can't turn over his home phone records in connection with a lawsuit brought by the family of a slain exotic dancer because he doesn't remember and can't find out what phone company he used in 2003, a federal judge was told today.

Norman Yatooma, the attorney for the family of dancer Tamara "Strawberry" Greene, has requested records of phone calls between Cox and four others from around the time in 2003 when Cox investigated a rumored stripper party at the mayor's Manoogian Mansion that allegedly occurred in the fall of 2002.

Frank Monticello, an attorney for Cox, told U.S. Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen that Cox has provided records from his office phone and his personal cell phone.

But officials in Cox's office haven't been able to determine what company provided Cox's home phone service in Livonia in 2003, despite seeking assistance from both the criminal division and the public service commission division, Monticello said.

...

Update! ... I'm glad someone reminded me via e-mail of something that popped to mind earlier today. If Cox doesn't have phone service records from seven years ago, what about financial records? Wouldn't his bank be able to tell him which Livonia-area phone company he was writing checks to at the time?

And now ... a word from our sponsor (again)

by: Eric B.

Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 11:36:11 AM EST

Big thanks to the Marlinga for State Senate folks for coming through with another week's sponsorship. Many thanks to them for their continued support. He's got a fairly prominent name, but please feel encouraged to visit their site to learn a little more about his politics and what he'd like to do as a state senator (or follow this link to his candidacy's Facebook page).

It's also appropriate here to once again thank all our sponsors. That list can be found here, and if looking it over you see someone who's been missed, please go pay a quick visit. And, if you'd like information about how you, your campaign, your organization, or whatever would like to join that list, please go below the fold.

I think the headline says it all

by: Eric B.

Mon Mar 08, 2010 at 13:57:37 PM EST

Repeat after me ... the House always wins. The House always wins. The House always wins.

Gambling on casinos to boost economy

Jobs are hard to come by in Benton Harbor, a recession-ravaged town of 10,800 on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The city has lost more than 15 percent of its population in the last two decades. The local government's budget situation is so bad the state might appoint an emergency financial manager.

That's why Mayor Wilce Cooke backs a proposed ballot measure that would allow casinos to open in Benton Harbor and six other Michigan locations, potentially creating jobs and dedicating a slice of the tax revenue to local governments.

Can we agree that there is a difference between opposing the expansion of gaming for moral reasons and opposing it because it is not a real strategy for economic revitalization?  Casino gaming is based on the unreal premise that you can get something for nothing, and that the path to prosperity has less to do with real effort and thought than in assuming that your big payday is right around the corner.