Membership challenge fails

Even the memberships

With no name listed or an imcomplete address? From out of state?

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by: DocHopper @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 01:22:30 AM UTC

Coup

This amounts to a coup, and I'm sure Brewer realizes it.  The writing may not be on the wall, just yet, but the pen is uncapped.  Seems he didn't keep enough people in his good graces or vice versa.

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by: MiddleGrandGuy @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 01:43:48 AM UTC

Coup d'etat

No. I know this may be upsetting for you but its not a coup. Its the will of the majority of the MDP EC, following the rules. Its not the imposition of the will of a minority block on a majority by force.

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by: LH @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 13:05:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Is there wi-fi in Cobo?

I don't bother with them new-fangled smart-phone thingies, plain old Mesolithic laptop for me.

So if no wi-fi, will have to wait to discuss on Sunday.

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by: memiller @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 01:54:54 AM UTC

Not sure about wi-fi, but we know Cobo is air-conditioned

"This Saturday night at the beautiful air-conditioned Cobo Arena....be there for the excellent card of Big Time Wrestling....Don't be left out!"

A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.

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by: Hy Dudgeon @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 02:09:34 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

COBO WIFI

Yes, Cobo Center has free, ultra high speed (802.11g 54M) Wi-Fi available throughout the Center for limited use. WiFi saturation is a problem for all big events and can make WiFi connectivity unreliable.  If portions of your event are relying upon Internet, we highly recommend you order a hard wire connection for uninterrupted connectivity.

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by: LH @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 02:35:47 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

From the Detroit News (Chad Livengood)

(Ed)Bruley submitted a written appeal with copies of the UAW employees and officials that the union submitted for membership in the state party. The applications included four individuals from Ontario; 15 individuals from Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin; 30 with no address; 17 duplicates; and six applications without a name included, Bruley said.

Bruley questioned whether the UAW submitted the applications without the knowledge of some of the individuals.

"I don't know how you can include folks in a convention when we're not even sure if they were asked to begin with," Bruley said.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/art...

http://bit.ly/XRuP5y

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by: pwreid @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 02:35:03 AM UTC

The writing is on the wall....

Quite frankly Phil it's been on the wall for years now.

Brewer should skip the convention tomorrow and spend time looking at the classified section of the Free Press. It's just a waste of time for him to show up.

Honestly I don't think he had the votes even without the UAW members.

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by: A-Hillz4ever @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 02:50:24 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The challenge wasn't about rules.

I don't find the slightest genuine persuasiveness in your comment.

In the first place, I can't find any requirement that limits convention voting to residents of Michigan.  The online membership form offers choices that include not only the fifty states, but Guam and American Samoa.  If a person from an adjacent state wants to sign up, and appear personally at the convention, I can't see how they'd be stopped from voting.  If that seems unwise, maybe somebody should change the rules, but not retroactively.

Second, by asking a person to check either YES or NO in response to "I am registered to vote in Michigan", the mail-in form appears to invite non-citizens, non-residents, and non-adults to join.  The online form doesn't even present a choice; it simply accepts the application.

Third, the vast majority of the forms are NOT defective, according to the list provided.  That is, over 90% are completely filled out, with Michigan addresses.  Why would they be rejected because they happen to be delivered with a handful of bad ones?  Are you actually suggesting such a method?  Would you apply it to batches of voter registrations received by a Clerk?

Fourth, there is simply no requirement that the applicant personally approve the application.  The only signature required is on the mail-in form, and applies only if you pay using a credit card. It's hard to see why one spouse can't send in an application for their partner.  Or a business for an employee.  Or a union for its members.

Fifth, the supposed reason for rejecting the UAW forms was the lack of accompanying check - that's the only thing all the forms have in common.  What happened to that objection?  How can 1400 forms be discarded on the basis that 30 of them don't have an address?  Are you defending the original claim that membership applications received by the deadline are invalid if the accompanying check is received three days later?  Does anybody still take that position?

You might complain that the MDP hasn't adopted clear rules to deal with these questions, but you can hardly blame the challenger for that failure.

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by: Grebner @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 03:30:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

How would out-of-state votes be factored into the proportional-voting equation?

Since a person's vote is counted as part of their county/CD, what happens with the votes of out-of-state residents? I can't think of any way their vote can count.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

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by: ScottyUrb @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 03:39:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Good question.

It would be even better if somebody had thought of it and fixed it years ago.

Maybe the answer is that the rules allocate zero votes to out-of-state applicants.  They would be allowed to join, but they can't vote because they aren't associated with any votes for Secretary of State.

That interpretation - which is self-consistent, but not the only one possible - suggests the applications are perfectly valid, just not for voting at the convention.  

Very good point.

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by: Grebner @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 03:52:59 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

''It's hard to see why one spouse can't send in an application for their partner.'

There's even a special couples membership to allow people to do exactly that.

Greetings from Detroit, Ground Zero of the post-industrial future!

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by: Neon Vincent @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 14:07:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A few additional facts about Exec Committee decision

I have no illusions that this will make any difference to some Brewer partisans posting here but:

I attended tonight's meeting & it was packed with observers from both camps but the sound was inadequate so some weren't able to hear everything.

One of the reasons for the lopsided vote tonight  in favor of supporting the appeals committee decision seating the UAW party members was that party rules clearly support the position that money is not a requirement for membership. That's probably why AFT President Hecker voted tonight to credential the UAW members even though his union is backing Brewer. It's also why two members of the 5-2 majority on the appeals committee did the same thing. They were not aligned with either candidate.

The issue of residency of a handful of the 1,400 UAW Democrats whose membership is contested is a separate issue that can be dealt with when credentials are issued tomorrow. If they are non-residents they can be denied credentials tomorrow on that basis when they show ID.

The Executive Committee wisely decided tonight that Brewer shouldn't chair tomorrow's convention. Former Lt Gov John Cherry will now do that, reducing the possibility of shenanigans.

It was also decided to limit debate on the credentials report tomorrow to 10 minutes to prevent Brewer's side from filibustering, a tactic used by people in the minority to prevent the majority from working its will. There was concern that Brewer might try to push the convention into the late hours in hopes that weary delegates might leave before the vote for chair. It was also decided that roll call votes on issues other than the chair vote would only happen if a third of delegates request it.

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by: LiberalBubba @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 03:00:17 AM UTC

Thanks for keeping us informed!

If they are non-residents they can be denied credentials tomorrow on that basis when they show ID,

That's what I've been thinking. If there really were so many forms that were left blank or that had out-of-state addresses, then they could be denied credentials then and there at registration. For those who haven't been there or don't remember, when you register, a name badge will be printed. That name badge will have your name,

I'm glad they did what they could to "invoke cloture," so to speak, so there are as few shenanigans as possible. With the greatest respect to our senior Senator, I wish he would've supported something similar in the US Senate.

Question for you or for anyone else who might have been there: Any word on who might be 1st Vice Chair or 2nd Vice Chair? Is either candidate putting forth their own "slate," so to speak? All I know is that 2nd VC Lupe Ramos-Montigny supports Brewer, while 3rd VC Ismael Ahmed supports Johnson.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

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by: ScottyUrb @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 03:27:52 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Let me repeat that paragraph:

That's what I've been thinking. If there really were so many forms that were left blank or that had out-of-state addresses, then they could be denied credentials then and there at registration. For those who haven't been there or don't remember, when you register, a name badge will be printed. That name badge will have your name, county, and congressional district printed on it.

Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott

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by: ScottyUrb @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 03:29:43 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

MIRS Quote of the Day:

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I think you've seen an example of what a Lon JOHNSON party would look like. No openness. No willingness to debate."

- Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Mark BREWER after another MDP committee overturned his initial decision not to accept 1,349 membership applications from UAW members because the payment was turned in late. Today's committee made it's decision without debate on the basis that the paperwork, itself, was submitted on time. Johnson is Brewer's opponent in Saturday's convention race for chair and is supported by the UAW.

http://mirsnews.com/welcome.php

Great Lakes, Great Times.

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by: Michael McGuinness @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 05:31:26 AM UTC

And from that same MIRS link:

Brewer Admits Turning Down Offer To Leave Race

"(DETROIT) -- Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Chair Mark BREWER said today he turned down "a couple hundred thousand dollar" offer to step away gracefully from the current MDP chair race, but turned it down because "it's never been about the money." "

Great Lakes, Great Times.

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by: Michael McGuinness @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 05:32:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Seriously?

He said that? Did he reveal who wanted him out so badly that they were willing to shove a cool quarter mil into his pocket?

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by: happy camper @ Sat Feb 23, 2013 at 14:37:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]