When word finally got out that a grassroots group had a petition drive in motion that would reform Michigan government the media was caught by surprise. The group was quietly gathering the 370,000+ signatures it would need to get the effort to amend the state constitution on the November ballot, but no one told the power brokers in Lansing. Alarm bells went off and soon political reporters and bloggers were hunting for every shred of information they could get about Reform Michigan Government Now. Sadly, they got a lot of it wrong.
In their effort to fill space in their newspapers the reporters often turned to uninformed idiots who were willing to pretend they knew what they were talking about. In that reporting was also an elitist element that sounded angry that the grassroots effort hadn't consulted the power brokers and influence peddlers in Lansing. Surely, this group was a secret front for some known lobbying group, the Lansing insider class decided. And all the rest of their reporting has been spent trying to prove their initial belief. Instead of trying to find the truth, the media decided it knew the truth and would fit the story around that supposition.
In the days and weeks that followed the initial news leak, many established Michigan pundits and politicos weighed in. Early on, State Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer commented positively on many of the reforms in the package and thus the media decided he must be behind the effort. When it came out that many of the members of the unsuccessful Unicameral Michigan campaign to "Fire the Senate" were behind Reform Michigan Government Now and that paid petition circulators were being used (sadly, you almost can't get a petition drive on the ballot if you don't have money to pay professionals to do the collecting- only one such effort was ever successful in Michigan), the media demanded to know who was funding the drive. In the absence of correct information, it was floated that John Stryker was bankrolling the effort. When Stryker issued a firm denial we get yet more speculation and no real information. The media's obsession with the money seems to have blinded it from doing it's job and asking the only important question- is it any good for Michigan? Should it pass?
It's the media obsession with Brewer and Stryker which is so "striking" to me and gets to the heart of why these reforms are so necessary. In their attempts to find a way to attack the reform movement, they wish to 'kill the messenger' and they can't really do that with a group of ordinary citizens other than to incorrectly label group treasurer Harland Nye as a chicken farmer (he's a retired band director). The group of political outsiders has played their cards close to the vest which seems to be an affront to the sort of insider-class culture in Lansing. Despite employing the public relations firm of former state House speaker Dianne Byrum, the group is attacked for not being more establishment such as when Jack Lessenberry writes that:
They just might have been able to pull this off if they had gotten together with a few reasonable Republicans, like Joe Schwarz and Kalamazoo County Administrator Don Gilmer, and come up with something truly bipartisan. Instead, to give themselves cover, they put up as their official treasurer an 80-year-old retired high school band director who says he is a Republican. Give me a break.So, is Lessenberry saying Mr. Nye is NOT a Republican or that he's not reasonable? Is he saying it's bad that the group lies but only because they didn't tell a different lie, one that him and his reporter buddies are used to hearing? Give US a break, Jack. If you don't think the effort is bipartisan, please tell me what's in the plan that makes it partisan. Instead we get more garbage like this:
But the proposal reveals its naked partisanship in its intention to eliminate two state supreme court justices.
So, it's nakedly partisan to preserve a majority of Governor Engler-appointed judges on the bench? It's partisan to take a non-partisan method for eliminating the two most inexperienced members of the bench? Lessenberry's arguments show exactly how much the media is contorting itself to find reasons to oppose these common sense proposals which make up a rather cohesive set of reforms that could never be enacted in our poisoned partisan atmosphere in Lansing. Yet some of the people who make a living speaking out against are now mad that the proposals aren't more blatantly partisan. In fact, Lessenberry decries that the proposal doesn't target the most independent member of the state Supreme Court (the court which was recently ranked worst in the nation in judicial partisanship by the way). Huh?
In a town where partisan politics is everything, Lansing can't help but turn an anti-partisan/non-partisan effort into something which can only be seen through the filter of which party it helps or hurts. What's funny is that in none of these efforts do we hear any good reasons why one side might be advantaged. We do suddenly hear how partisan our non-partisan justices are though which should come as a surprise to anyone who thought they were voting for judges and not political parties.
Which brings me back to the effort by some to paint this as a secret scheme by Mark Brewer to control state government. First, the state Democratic Party is poised to have its best November in a long time. With a toxic Republican brand and a charismatic figure on the top of the ticket who threatens to boost turnout in the state, Democrats in Michigan have to be swooning at their prospects this fall. Yet we are to believe that instead of trying to turn out the vote in November, Brewer has been busy crafting and organizing an effort that would take redistricting away from his own party? We are also supposed to believe that Brewer is secretly behind a plan that includes proposals floated or supported by people such as Terry Lynn Land (no-reason absentee voting), Glenn Steil Jr. (reducing number of state legislators), and Chief Justice Clifford Taylor (reducing number of judges), among others?
In their rush to judgment and then to be jury and executioner, the media has conveniently forgotten many of the proposals were originally proposed by members of the Republican Party and seem to exclusively focus on the ones that do not benefit the Republican Party machine while skimming over the rest (some of which, like losing the power of redistricting which has helped deliver State Senate control to the GOP despite getting less votes state-wide, actually hurt Democrats but the reporting never seems to mention that aspect). State Republican Party chair Saul Anuzis has attacked Reform Michigan Government Now's ballot drive with his standard line of attributing anything he doesn't like as coming from trial lawyers and liberals but Mr. Anuzis and the media have been pretty scant on what in the proposal would advantage Democrats. Other than the coincidental fact that the two most inexperienced Supreme Court justices are "Republicans" despite their constant past efforts to pretend they were non-partisan. Apparently it's bad that the effort is so partisan except when it should have been even more partisan. Yes, they think you're that stupid that you can't see through their shifting reasons for attacking the grassroots effort.
What's sad is that most average citizens in Michigan realize state government is badly broken and want it to get fixed but feel powerless to do anything about it. After too many years of divisive wrangling over budget issues and taxes, Lansing has proven it can't take on the toughest of issues. What is needed is for someone, anyone to step up the plate and deliver a set of much-needed reforms that would help reduce the partisan atmosphere and help voice the disgust of the people at what is happening in Lansing. Instead, we get the media trying to kill the messengers. We get the partisan spin of Saul Anuzis reported as truth. We get lies about the honest people in Barry County who've given years of their lives in trying to make Michigan state government actually work for the people. We get a defense of the status quo. We get more of the same.
Today, the group is expected to drop well more than the required number of signatures, with plenty of cushion to ensure that the effort gets on the ballot in November, into the hands of the Secretary of State. The special interests have already lined up against this, the influence peddlers have been honing their attacks. All I ask is that the people quit listening to the media trying to tell them they're too stupid to understand the proposal and look into it themselves. The media shouldn't waste it's time telling you WHAT to think about it but instead telling you what it actually would do. If they can't do that simple task then they are part of the problem too.
In fact, not only are they trying to tell you what to think about the proposals instead of giving you the information to think for yourself, the media has gotten many of their facts wrong. If you can't trust them to give you the basic facts about Reform Michigan Government Now, then how can you trust them when they try to tell you it's a bad idea? That's something even a chicken farmer could understand.
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64 comments:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: DIANNE BYRUM
Monday, July 7, 2008 (517) 333-1606
www.reformmichigangovernmentnow.com
Grassroots Effort to Reform Government Turns in 500,000 Signatures
LANSING – Reform Michigan Government Now!, a bipartisan ballot initiative to reform state government, turned in more than 500,000 signatures to the Secretary of State today and is now one step closer to going on the November ballot.
“Today, the citizens of Michigan are one step closer to changing the status quo and fixing our broken government so Lansing can do the work of the people, not the special interests,” said Dianne Byrum, RMGN spokeswoman. “Reform Michigan Government Now! will make Lansing more accountable to the people. The people are ready to fix government, end the status quo and make a positive change that can move Michigan forward.”
RMGN is a bipartisan grassroots effort that collected more than 500,000 signatures during a months-long petition campaign and turned them in to the Bureau of Elections at the Secretary of State’s office today. The proposals in RMGN include:
Requiring all legislators, the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state to disclose their incomes and assets, as well as the incomes and assets of their spouses.
Banning all legislators and top government officials from lobbying for two years after they leave office.
Reducing the salaries of all legislators, the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and secretary of state by 25 percent, as well as reducing the salaries of judges by 15 percent.
“Reform Michigan Government Now! will help end the partisan bickering and unfair special-interest influence in government,” RGMN Executive Director Joe Lukasiewicz said. “The special interests will try to block the will of the people. And because every judge has a conflict of interest, the courts should stand aside and let the people decide in November on reforming Michigan’s broken government.”
Dr. Charles Ballard, a Michigan State University economics professor, said: “For citizens interested in real reform and good government, Reform Michigan Government Now! provides a path toward positive change. We need to lift Michigan’s government out of the toxic sewer of excessive partisanship. Reform Michigan Government Now! is a good step in that direction.”
###
Paid for with regulated funds by: Reform Michigan Government Now, 2011 Bowler Rd., Hastings, MI 49058
ordinary middle class citizens no matter their party affiliation are sick of the direction our country has taken. Most people here in the boonies are "fightin' mad". I think they are sick to death of the stalemate in Lansing and will vote for these reforms. For many, many years the citizens of Michigan have been short changed by our elected politial representatives..... some of the highest compensated politicians in the United States of America.
Many of us have been aware of the RMGN petition and actually read it before we signed it.
The tragedy, as highlighted on the posting, is that the "media" no longer understands its own importance. In a "democracy"(or at least what we pretend we use for government structure) the public absolutely must be WELL-INFORMED in order to perform its responsibility. Failing to provide the full truth to the best of its ability is not mere sloppy reporting. In a democracy, it is more akin to fraud, collusion and deception.
One advantage I have upon returning from Costa Rica next April is that none of my TV sets will work. I will no longer have an excuse for being stupid. I will have become as dumbed down as I can get.
Save a tree. Share your newspaper.
TS,
For more examples of the collusion between govt and the "mainstream" media, you should add "The Secret History of the American Empire" to your extensive library. It is the sequel to "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" which I'm sure you must already have.
Nearly everybody I know in Costa Rica has read the EHM book. There are no Reagan Republican Hispanics.
I can almost see where the USA slaughtered 2000 Panamanians from my house.
Another glaring example, that got me started this morning, was the AP/YAHOO "poll" that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that "pet owners" prefer McCain over Obama, because he bought a dozen canines (from the shelter?). That is the sort of pure crap that the media prefers over actually doing homework. You have to wonder how much of the cost of that information was written off as political donations.
I have to wonder if the poll included urban owners of pit bulls, as well as the pedigreed future TV stars. More importantly, how many pet owners will be out walkin' the dawg when they should be voting?
btw,
on May 12 I asked what the Sarver position is on building a new county lockup, with all the bells and whistles. Did I miss that reported interview in the local source of the whole truth?
What may very well be the point here, is that the stealth of this movement has raised suspicion among those who are generally suspicious to begin with. With this proposal there will be no cries of disenfranchisement due to lack of attention by the mainstream media, as there were with UNI Michigan.
Now that this proposal has come out from the bushes, and is beginning to see the light of day, I am sure it will be adequately dissected by non-partisan government watchdogs, that will give a much clearer picture of it's viability than the mainstream media, or right-wing blogs ever would, or could.
Unless there is hidden language that such a third party review would ascertain...
The revolution has begun.
There is no hidden language. See our website www.reformmichigangovernmentnow.com and read the entire petition if you choose. Otherwise, there are bullet points which pretty much summarizes the proposal. At this point, the courts should step aside and let the voters decide in November.
One comment regarding the Supreme Court since its become a major issue with the people's proposal:
Chicago Law School critical of Michigan Supreme Court
ANN ARBOR, MI (2008-06-16) Michigan's Supreme Court received harsh criticism in a new report from the University of Chicago Law School. The report ranks all fifty State Supremem Courts and Michigan's came in last. The rankings are based on judicial independence from political or outside influences, the number of published opinions, and how often the court is referenced by others. Tim Smith is an attorney in Traverse City. He says the report is a poor reflection on Michigan.
"As an attorney, I can't disagree with it," Smith said, "I can't say that I'm suprised. And as a member of the State Bar of Michigan it's embarrassing."
Smith says the most embarrassing part of the report deals with the court's judicial independence. He says the Michigan Supreme Court seems to be especially supportive of businesses. Recent national Chamber of Commerce reports have ranked the Michigan Supreme Court highly. The court has not responded to the study.
© Copyright 2008, Michigan Radio
RG,
I have downloaded the pdf, I am not a lawyer, so much of it goes over my head.
I have never trusted bullet points, as they can be somewhat vague.
Not that this is a problem however, if you are (as your name, and previous comment implies) someone with intricate knowledge of the proposal, and are willing to answer some questions in this forum.
As far the Republican talking point goes, the knowledge that the judiciary is meant to be non-partisan should be sufficient enough to stifle it.
The rest may provoke more argument than is necessary. I don't disagree with the study, but why pick a fight that could be twisted to bolster the argument your movement is partisan?
PW:
If you are so upset by the media getting it wrong, why doesn't RMGN release its campaign finance info? Diane Byrum...that's a Democrat....don't tell me this is not a partisan attempt to stack the courts.
The way I read the State constitution, referendums like this can only work to change one law. RMGN proposal is so complex and multi-faceted, it will be thrown out and off the ballot on those grounds alone.
This is nothing more than an attempt to stack the courts in the Liberals favor. RMGN is trying to distract voters with a few good reforms, and then stick it to them before they realise what's happened.
See Lansing State Journal editorial today, "Capitol sloth bogs down ballot reform: Legislature should adopt no-reason absentee ballots"
http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080710/OPINION01/807100319/1086/OPINION01
Look at the RMGN website and review the details in the proposal. www.reformmichigangovernmentnow.com
Read the constitution. The people are given the right to referendum and initiative petition. There is no limit or condition as to what may be presented in an initiative.
RMGN's initiative fully complies with the Board of Canvassers "form" requirements and the petition initiative allowance as stated in the state constitution. First, there is no reason for the state courts to even look at the petition since the people have not even voted on it yet. Secondly, with a personal and financial interest in the outcome of the vote, state judges should not even have a say in any potential challenge.
You are on to something Dishpan!
For decades now in order to secure the courts, the liberals have slowly played out an elaborate scheme that made conservatives act partisan, nearly drive the state into bankruptcy, and ignore the wishes of the voters!
Next thing you know they will fluoridate our water, and destroy our precious bodily fluids!
http://www.examiner.com/a-1479831~Mich__judges_face_ethical_issues_over_pay_cut.html
What's wrong with being partisan? Why if we have control should we care what the opposing party wants? We weren't put into office to advance the other parties agenda. Why should we compromise? How do you compromise between more or less government? Where's the middle ground between more or less taxes? Politics were meant to be partisan. Whenever the Dems don't get their way they cry "partisan politics".
TS. What is to say by the courts? The issue has not even been put to a vote! To use a legal term, the issue is not "ripe" for action. Are the courts to act on something that might not even pass in November? Even so, the petition was to "form" in compliance with the State Board of Canvassers and the process of collecting the signatures complies with the few lines in Michigan's constitution. So where is the argument?
Another question (see posted link in previous post) is how can any state judge be impartial in deciding an issue around this proposal when they have a personal and financial interest in its failure. Are they willing to tell 500,000 signers that they do not matter? Will they deny perhaps the largest number of voters in recent history, their right to voice their opinion on fixing Michigan's broken government?
Just got back from the Drain Commisioner debate. Got to watch Mark "The Rino" Doster fall on his sword get up and fall on it again. Doster should walk a mile in Englerth's shoes and than make a judgement. But apparently all Doster has going for him is to try to build himself up by trying to tear Englerth down. And who was the first to shake his hand when he slithered off the stage; two leading Dems, Fred Jacobs followed closely by Barb Cichy. So it appears there are two Democrats running for Drain Commissioner. This little weasle needs to crawl back into whatever hole he crawled out of. He wouldn't know integrity if it walked up and bit him.
agnosticrat,
"an elaborate scheme that made conservatives act partisan" ?
You need to follow a remark like that with a Ho-Ho-Ho or something in case this audience believes that you are serious.
rmgn!
Keep on keepin' on! In spite of the inane personal abuse you will get on this blog, there are a few of us who can use some help understanding the details of this complexity. Especially appreciated is correcting the misinformation provided by folks who hate liberals enough to carry sidearms.
Cricket,
I considered a "lol" but threw the notion out when I realized that thought processes like that of dishpanchuck's would not be changed with or without it.
We win, you lose arguments are effective only to the point where you realize what you have won.
Those that would point out a lackluster reading level, as part of the less than stellar education of those in Barry County, in order to fight for the status quo are the ones that need "guffaw's", "Drummers rimshots", and "LOL's" on the end of their sentences.
I would say the tempurature flared 20 degrees in the localized spot between those two if the damn room wasn't frigid with so much A/C hell was freezing over. That little exchange was not fun...got me a wee bit uncomfortable.
I liked Calley's questions, he did a really good job keeping them relatively generic and understandable.
In an earlier post I compared Mark Doster to a weasle. That was wrong and I'd like to opologize. So here goes; I'm sorry for comparing Mark Doster to weasles, weasles have much higher standards and more class.
I think Mark Doster has been getting high off the fumes of the sewer system in Prarieville he oversees. I was expecting some levity and comedy from Mark, like the kind he provided in the 2006 State Rep forum. What he did the other day was just bizarre and uncalled for. His performance gave Englerth integrity by comparison.
It is hard to catch a weasel, but I think I caught the weasles as a kid. Back then we were quarantined for a long time to keep the problem from spreading. A craving for commissioning drains has reached epidemic proportions.
Normally, I would agree with Fred that "annointing" to fill positions is not a wonderful idea, but Tom Doyle explained that he was in a field of qualified candidates with actual qualifications and resumes. He was selected to finish a term, based on engineering credentials and experience. Perhaps he could be encouraged to quit before the end of his term, and that would force his successor to present a resume detailing some proof of competency. Do we have anybody running that would qualify, or would the spot have to be filled by somebody else.
El Grillo...good question!
Actually McKelvey, Yarger and Rodney Crothers where passed over in favor of Doyle all those years back. Obviously the other current candidates have shown a more recent interest.
Overwhelmed/Rhinohunter....fact check me here cause I working on memory...
Kelly/Allerding have no education or pertinant job experience. Yarger has some DNR/DEQ training and years of Freeport DPW experience. McKelvey has a degree in engineering, holds a level II assessor certificate and used to work in the drain office. Englerth has a long political resume, but no particular education (please fact check me here, because I've only heard his presentation once!). Anger has a Master's degree in Geography (coursework in GIS and surface water hydrology) and professional certification in GIS. Doster has a degree from K college in Poli Sci?, and a Juris Doctorate and another long political resume.
Wow!
molli,
Does this mean we might actually begin to have an intelligent conversation with factual information on this blog?
I told Mark that I was disappointed that he would not be continuing on as a County Commissioner because of his passion for rehabilitating non-violent offenders. He told me that I would be so happy with Craig Stolsonburg that I would get tears in my eyes. I hope the folks out by the big lake will support Craig if that is true. We need quality thinking in that area.
el grillo: I don't know Craig, so I am not judging. But, do you really believe what Mark tells you. I always thought you were smarter than that. Most commissioners would be passionate about rehab for non-violent offenders if someone took the time to educate them without offending them. It would be a BIG savings for tax payers. And yes - even some violent offenders' behavior can be altered.
I too wish Mark would stay in representative government. Despite what some may think, although controversial, he is more "active" than most of the other commissioners. I've met Craig once, seems like a nice guy, but nice guys don't win primaries against more experienced non-guys.
Maude,
Peoples words are usually what they want you to hear (or read). I have worked with Mark and seen first-hand some of the things he has done. Like most of us, he manages to do some dumb stuff once in a while. Contrary to your belief, the intention to build a new Taj Majal for warehousing citizens in about five years indicates to me that most Commissioners do not grasp the concept of rehabilitation any more than the other people who would benefit from the project.
While my confrontational style probably hasn't made any difference in their thinking, Jim and Jeff Westra are true statesmen and have an office way down the stairs and in the next building. Many of the Commissioners have to walk by their door to get to where they parked their cars.
The Courtroom is hard to avoid in the Courthouse, and when the Drug Court is in session there is always an empty chair.
Any Commissioner who has not taken the time to visit these sites is failing to do his homework and is representing only his buddies who teach him their ignorance over coffee.
If anybody reading this has not watched the "Drug Court" in action, I respectfully invite you to put it on your calendar, pretty please with sugar all over it.
btw,
On the subject of homework, and in keeping with this thread about the RMGN, won't it be refreshing when the lawyers who didn't do their homework reimburse the RMGN for drafting a document that has "fatal flaws" in the writing?
Even the laziest lawyer should proof-read what he paid minimum wage to an intern to write for him.
Excellent example of non-violent criminal behavior being rewarded instead of rehabilitated.
Molli, While I do not think Mark E has formal education with hydrology and engineering classes, he does have 'street education' on the concepts and practices thru his construction and real estate businesses.
AND BTW: Doster is running a campaign on his "intergrity" but I have rats with more integrity then Doster will ever have...and he proved thursday just how much integrity he actually has.
Street education is great, but I will have to say Yarger's "street" education is a little more applicable if you are looking for someone on the Rep side of the ticket. Though if you want the street education and the text book education, then McKelvey's your man as a Rep. People tend to vote for personality though.
Doster's got an issue and it didn't strike me until this weekend what it might be. There is a suggestion that Englerth wants to centralize the sanitary sewers into a "water resources" office controlled by the drain commissioner. That would, in effect, eliminate Doster's job. There may be an element of self-preservation at work there.
El, the flaw is not fatal. It cites the wrong section in the "transitional" summary of the proposal. The issue is not a deal breaker. As long as there are no issues to form or less than the required valid signatures, the proposal will appear on the November ballot. If it passes, the governor would have to issue an executive order on the transition to affect change.
Thanks, rmgn!,but hang on to the final payment for services, just in case.
TS...the dem a shooe in...I would see what percentage Englerth wins by (if he does) before I make that prediction.
Molli: You underestimate the deep dislike and disapproval of Englerth.
What's wrong everyone? No comments about the Commissioner Debate?
everyone must be sleeping...
Now the truth comes out! If you want the real story behind the Reform Michigan Government Now proposal go to http://www.mackinac.org/articlewef.aspx?ID=9668
And they wanted us to believe that this was the brainchild of Barry County men. This isn't about reforming MI government. This is about the Democrats taking control of our government through the back door. Can't anyone just tell the truth?
Shame on the sneaky Dems! Just remember that Mr. Nye is one of the so called leaders of this proposal and is from Barry County. He claims to be a lifelong Republican. Yet his involvement in this effort shows his true colors as a Democrat. He is just another example of the minority group in Barry County lying to the people. By the way Nye supports DARling Barney. Coincidence, I think not. Neither knows how to tell the truth.
yeah Maude Mr Nye was in the DAR booth at the fair and his wife was chatting up people about the RMGN proposal. Mr Nye and his wife have only been to one or possibly two meetings of BCGOP in the last 5 years so I gues their RINO's too.
I know Harland and he is mid-range conservative which is about as conservative as they come for being a former teacher. And give the guy a break for not being an "active" republican. Not everyone is gonna drop everything to attend a once a month meeting. What's next...party loyalty oaths? We each have our interests and availability and if you got everyone who fancied themselves true repulicans at that monthly meeting you'd pack Central Auditorium. ...hey that's an idea. Maybe you should have a county-wide annual meeting....then cut those who show to the annual meeting some slack when they have monthly conflicts.
OW: If attending only one or two meetings of the BC-GOP in five years makes one a RINO then about 95% of the registered Republicans in Barry County must be RINOs, right?
maude - the self appointed leaders of the barry county republican party or the trio plus as el grillo has dubed them, debbie smith, evans, leafs, engleth, callton and ferris are the people that have taken the taxpayers and county employees down that prim rose path to nowhere. too bad the local newspaper didn't expose the entire trio plus inept leadership and poor management long ago.
ts - about those campaign signs that are plastered all over the place and in the right of way. my neighbor was badgered and nagged by leafs people so hard that she finally gave in and said yes. several others are doing the same thing, letting the trio plus put the signs in, but say they would never vote for any of the trio plus because of their fast talk and dismal leadership. dad said he never saw a campaign sign vote anyway.
saw leafs at our township meeting the other day and he driving our county vehicle. a taxpayer sitting two seats from us asked him if he was on official county business or out campaigning. he said he was on county business. he then got up and said gloomy things about his opponent sarvars and read some stuff from a pad of paper. dad said people who talk fast with their head down, read from a script and talk down about their opponent usually are trying to hide something or aren't telling the whole truth because they can't look you in the eye when they talk.
if leafs talk was county business as he said, we wonder why he didn't address his need for a new jail or his need to spend so much of the taxpayers money on those fancy cop cars or address the reason for all those law suits against him and his jail.
why does callton, engleth and ferris allow leafs to drive around in the county car, burning up expensive county fuel while out campaiging? are callton, engleth, evans, debbie smith or ferris filling up at the gas pump at the taxpayers expense too ? maybe the local newspaper should check out the trio's expense vouchers or have the state auditors do it now before they can bury them behind closed doors
..and even farther away from discussing the RMGN.......You read it here first!.....
"
BY FLIP SIDE GAZETTE CORRESPONDENT CANOLY HOPE
Oil today dropped to just $9 per barrel marking the largest one-day drop in history and is now trading at the lowest level in 30 years. "Once it started falling and the margin calls ballooned, there was nothing to stop it," said fund manager Caut Offguard. The army of speculators couldn’t sell out quick enough as billions of dollars were lost in just a few hours.
Economic analyst Bubbles R. Burstinfast worries we may see it drop further, but claims it should stabilize at some point since the fundamentals suggest oil should be trading around $20 per barrel.
Oil executives claim they are victims and have asked the government to step in and help.
Warning Signs Were Everywhere
"It was insane if you think about it," said energy analyst Shud A. Nown. "Stockpiles of crude would go down while stockpiles of finished products like gasoline would go up. The refiners knew that demand for finished product was gone so why buy more raw material they would be stuck with?”
Many have argued that China and other markets would replace shrinking U.S. demand, but cracks in that argument have now become larger than the Grand Canyon. Contracts for oil had reached 15 times the amount of actual oil supplies. Once panic set in, the only ones buying oil were businesses that actually had a use for the product and without limitless speculation, oil prices plummeted to an organic level.
"It reminds me of the condo housing bubble where thousands of people were buying houses with the intention of flipping even though first-time home buyers were gone," said Jaime Cramero of Dinero Loco. "When your hair dresser has switched from flipping houses to trading oil futures you need to take note." When asked if one word could sum up his sentiment about how this will affect the global economy, Jaime responded, "Boo-yah."
Not everyone lost out. Independant investor Lu Kee began short selling oil over the past two weeks. Kee claims that once oil broke $145, five times what it was trading just a few years ago and more than double in a year, “the jig was up”.
What caused this mess?
Opinions are mixed, but most agree that the "greedy herd" kept pushing up prices beyond fundamentals and continued feeding each other more and more bullish news while downplaying all bearish signals.
Dr. Min D. Stoody, a psychologist who has studied aggressive compulsive behavior, believes the trading fever was catapulted from what she refers to as "news headline intoxication." Along with Economist Kohman Senze, they together have authored a book set to hit shelves next week titled "Long On Oil and Short On Bigger Fools - The 2008 Oil Bust." The book was to be released this week, but the covers are now being reprinted due to a title change. The book was originally to be titled "The Inevitable Oil Collapse Is Coming." Senze claims just the mere hint of something reported related to oil prices, regardless of how material was ignored because traders were in a state of what he calls "fundamentals oblivion."
The Aftermath
Overnight, reports of countless speculators committing suicide spread like wildfire. It will take a few weeks to get a final count, but many say the numbers will be greater than what happened after the stock market crash of 1929. Callers flooded 911 operators with horrid stories of jumpers on the upper east side of Manhattan. Neida Doc, a distraught emergency room surgeon said, "I’ve never worked four different suicides in one shift."
The widow of a former trader who asked to remain anonymous explained, "I told him he should buy gold if he wanted a hedge to the dollar instead of oil, but it was a disease that couldn’t be stopped."
As horrific as the human toll is, it’s hard to find persons who are sympathetic.
A number of bankruptcies of firms involved in oil speculation are expected to happen today and probably stretch into the weekend. A clerk at a federal courthouse reported she was put on alert to work overtime through Sunday. Courts will likely be filled with class action lawsuits from retirees as well, targeting fund managers who ignored fundamentals. Federal investigators will also be hunting down these same traders for alleged violations. Rumors of several already fleeing the country are fairly widespread.
What’s next?
Experts agree: consumer behavior is forever changed. Aboutoo Plumet says, "Oil barons may be right about energy demand growing by 50% in the next thirty years, but their worst fears are coming true. The demand will be supplied by energy sources other than crude oil."
Atlantic City commuter, P.D. Oft says, "I still have another year left on my SUV lease, but you can bet I will never be trapped again driving a car that doesn’t get over 30 miles per gallon. Gas pushing $5 has burned deep in everyone’s mind and that scar will never heal." However, with the introduction of the Brilliant Car, the new solar electric powered vehicle that does 80 miles per hour, and has a range of 300 miles, will probably be in P.D.’s driveway before another fossil fuel vehicle is. Sunny Day of the Solar Observer Gazette refers to gasoline powered cars as Dinocars which will become extinct soon.
Several former speculators now broke have founded Adopt-A-Trader. Their basis is that downsizing from a 8,000 square foot home to less than 5,000 will cause almost as much harm as having to sell their Italian sports car and be left with only a German luxury sedan.
Clearly this whole story is for entertainment purposes because oil has not fallen this far yet, but if we all band together and continue to conserve energy, we will bust this oil bubble.
But THE FLIP SIDE GAZETTE does in fact have great real news to report. In response to the falling oil prices, Spirit Airlines is celebrating with the world and passing on the fuel savings by offering fares as low as $9*. Click here for details.
For the time being, only the fares are real, but you need to book quickly as deals like this won’t be around long. "
Ad for cheap air fares, including Costa Rica
Molli: You totally missed the point of my comments. 1) Nye says he is a lifelong Republican. Just check out http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080711/OPINION04/807110326/1072/OPINION
or go to www.reformmichigangovernmentnow.com, then click on Harland Nye's name on the right hand column, then click on read the full story. The "truth" is in his own words. 2) He has taken credit/blame for and supports the RMGN proposal. The RGMN proposal is an attempt by the Democrats to control MI government. Check out http://www.mackinac.org/articlewef.aspx?ID=9668
Unlike many of the people in Barry County pushing proposals or candidates, I have done research and openingly provide it to you here. Unfortunately, we have two types of voters in Barry County that have caused the "dumbing down" of our great county. One group votes strictly on one issue (guns, right to life, etc.) Please note: I am not anti-gun or anti-right to life. Just look at the Banner this week for a letter to the editor that proves my point. It doesn't matter if the candidate can do the job or who is best qualified. The other group believes anything that they are told by the "dumbing down" candidates. They don't verify the information they are believing and using to make their decisions.
We also have candidates that will lie or twist information to their benefit to get elected. They want to win at any cost. For example: Englerth has some signs that just say his name and drain commissioner. No indication that he is running for the position. He leads people to believe that he is currently in the position. Don't get me started on the election law violations that are occurring. Just go to www.michigan.gov like I did and get the rules.
...and then vote absentee on Monday and end the pain, along with me.
Passing the issue will allow everybody to enjoy the privilege of voting that I have (without having to use my buggy whip to get into town).
are any of the trio plus of debbie smith, evans, callton, engleth, leaf, or ferris in charge of receiving, opening, accurately counting and securing the "absentee ballots" ? we the taxpayers better hope not. it was unmistakably pointed out in the local paper last thursday that their accountability and responsibility is questionable at best.
dad said it would be kinda like sending the fox out to check on the welfare of chickens or leafs and engleth expensive jail junkets don't you think?
tutu,
Should we notify the Carter oversight team?
el grillo - we don't believe we need the Carter oversight team, we just need accountability and integrity from the trio plus. dad said that's accountability is something barry county has NOT had since any of the trio plus have been in office. the trio's "doer's as i please attitude" must change on
august 5th or the dumbing down of our good county will continue on a backwards spin and the taxpayers will continue to pay dearly for it. dad said real leaders lead by positive example and the trio plus have only lead by selfish self serving example. it is no wonder why they can't look you in the eye. it is probably because they have something to hide or maybe they just don't comprehend what they are talking about or actually doing TO the public!! the taxpayers of our county have really taken a financial hit because of the poor decisions of the trio plus. this has to stop or we'll continue to go deeper in debt. spending for the sake of spending is pure poopycock and just plan wrong. we need people in high places who care for what the public needs our. getting rid of the likes of evans, leafs, callton, nasty, debie smith, engleth and ferris would be just a start. lets work on it together. hopefully we elect people in office who have accounibility and represent all citizens in a positive and productive way.
ON RMGN, it seems to be another case of shoot the messenger. Too bad no one is asking why the Michigan Chamber of Commerce is using their member's money to shoot it down. Remember the Chamber tried to secretly get other groups to push a change in term limits via a petition drive and school vouchers both of which were overwhelmingly shot down by voters. Lets not forget their successful push to repeal the SBT thus throwing the state into financial chaos. And now, they are using OPM (other people's money) to squelch a petition drive that legally gathered nearly 500,000 signatures. Lets debate the reform proposal for what it is and why its needed, not who is paying for it and who might be behind it. I personally do not care as long as its passage begins to fix some of the state's many neglected problems. This partisan bickering is exactly why Michigan is so screwed up.
Agreed, the bigger question you should be asking is why is the Michigan Chamber of Commerce funding the lawsuit against the RMGN proposal? Why not the GOP? Why not the MDP or the Libertarian Party of Michigan?
Why not ask the Chamber if they are working "behind the scenes" and doing the bidding for another group? Otherwise, what is their motivation? Once the Chamber found out about the petition drive, they immediately issued a press release saying they were against it before they even read it!
How can the Chamber justify using the funds of their members to shoot down a proposal which could finally fix Michigan's broken government and help the business climate? How can the Chamber deny Michigan voters their right to decide on the proposal issue for themselves? After all, nearly 500,000 registered voters signed a petition.
Please, before you go bashing those that are trying to affect serious reform to our broken government, read the non-partisan RMGN proposal and consider the words of Prof. Ballard when he rightfully called Michigan's government a "partisan cesspool". Its time to reduce that partisanship and rancor, and get Michigan back to its former greatness.
Joe Lukasiewicz, Executive Director
Reform Michigan Government Now!
www.reformmichigangovernmentnow.com
Tutu,
Perhaps this would be a good time for you to also list the names of the people you feel are going to lie, cheat and steal during the vote counting. Undoubtedly, the rant will shift from 911zzz911zzz to "We was robbed!"
Since I am going to vote tomorrow, not on Aug. 5, you can shift immediately from one group of conspirators to the next.
I should have mentioned that the very accommodating and pleasant public service employees at my Hastings City Hall should be added to your list of co-conspirators in the rigged election.
When I voted this morning (straight-ticket Republican Loyalist) I also was offered and accepted the option to apply for both the August primary and the November non-violent revolution.
I took an extra application home to my spouse. She will fill it out and drop it off before voting, later this week. I will try to influence her vote. She finds blogging disgusting.
el grillo - we don't question that the trio plus are trying to do their best or believe anyone of them are dishonest. completely understanding their oath of office and job description would be a good start.
the trio plus should be more accountable and responsible to the taxpayers and county employees. maybe the trio plus should stop focusing on themselves and their expensive pet projects.
Maude used a partisan source to point out the RMGN efforts' supposed partisanship!
So what does partisanship have to do with anything? Party membership pretends that parties are still relevant in today's society. Who do you think controls the parties?
When the proposal gets passed, both parties will try to take credit for the idea.
My dad can whup yer dad.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, August 1, 2008
CONTACT: DIANNE BYRUM
(517) 333-1606
www.ReformMichiganGovernmentNow.com
Chamber Pushed Ballot Plan to Amend Multiple Sections, Articles of MI Constitution
In 2007, Chamber spearheaded multi-part amendments through Senate
EAST LANSING — The Michigan Chamber of Commerce promoted a ballot proposal in 2007 that would have amended multiple sections and nearly half of all articles in the state Constitution – a move whose scope parallels Reform Michigan Government Now!
MIRS News reported today that Chamber Vice President Bob LaBrant helped push the multi-part 2007 ballot proposal after reading a report on the need for constitutional changes. Gongwer News Service today indicated that LaBrant had suggested the Chamber’s ballot proposal could go before the voters.
“We agree with Bob LaBrant that multiple articles and sections of the Michigan Constitution can be changed through a single amendment and that voters should get the chance to vote on those changes,” RMGN attorney Andrew Nickelhoff said.
LaBrant and the Chamber are now suing to block RMGN, arguing that it is too broad to qualify for the November ballot because it amends several sections and articles of the state Constitution. The Chamber’s changes in its 2007 ballot proposal affected six articles; RMGN seeks reforms to only four articles.
“If multiple changes through a single amendment were good enough for Bob LaBrant and the Chamber then, they should be good enough for the rest of Michigan now,” Nickelhoff said. “The Chamber clearly knows that Michigan law doesn’t block amendments making multiple changes to the Constitution. Reform Michigan Government Now! is on solid legal ground, the proposal should go forward and the people of Michigan should be allowed to decide on these important reforms this November.”
In a brief to be filed today, RMGN will submit the Chamber’s ballot proposal as evidence that RMGN should be allowed to go before voters.
In 2007, the Chamber itself wanted to make broad changes to the Constitution, seeking to amend 12 sections affecting six of the Constitution’s 13 articles, according to a resolution written by the Chamber and which it transmitted to interested parties on Aug. 1, 2007. The Chamber pushed the plan through the Senate; it died in the House. The Chamber’s multi-section ballot proposal was slated to go on the ballot in January 2008.
To view the Chamber’s document, go to www.reformmichigangovernmentnow.com.
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