Contempt

|kənˈtem(p)t|
noun
the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn : he showed his contempt for his job by doing it very badly.
• disregard for something that should be taken into account : this action displays an arrogant contempt for the wishes of the majority.

John McCain holds that Barrack Obama is deserving scorn. His attack ads this week are full of anger. Pushing the idea that Senator Obama is arrogant is the new "weapons of mass destruction" argument of the Republican party, as they muddle their way through a lackluster campaign.

Lather, rinse, and repeat as needed.

Much like during the build up to the Iraqi war, bad intelligence is dissembled along with fear rhetoric, in order to build an illegitimate argument. All the while, so called legitimate news outlets (in chorus) repeat these assertions, showing once again that news agencies are less interested in presenting facts, than joining in with the kind of "group think" that led us into war with a nation that was a less than adequate threat.

All of this is should be considered politics, as normal. Not merely reserved for those on the top of a political ticket, this strategy of hand slights has oozed itself downward into seemingly mundane ballot races. Even those that many would consider immune from gotcha politics.
Setup's, and name calling are used in such a way as to bait undecided voters into their unsavory arguments. If straight forward issues are easy enough to wade through for the voters, mirror flashes, and puffs of smoke are employed with seeming ease in order to remedy already formed decisions on clear cut choices.
Suddenly the subject of law enforcement is quickly changed from questions of previous performance, and crime rates, to highly contentious subjects involving gun rights. Forced to the forefront, in a confrontational manner, for political gain, not because there was an overwhelming need for people to strap on a deadly weapon for self defense, but because the non-issue issue could be employed as a means of showing contempt for the opposing candidate.

Blowback

The missing part in all of this is the reaction by the citizens that are being prodded, and harassed, through the claims, and actions of the attacking candidates. While it has been proven these tactics work in the short term, without a continuous stream of valid attacks they tend to fizzle out.
Tomorrow we may well know if the short quick actions taken by Sheriff Dar's camp were effective. So late in the game it may have had it's intended effect.
Though, I doubt it.
There has been enough time for the citizens in this county to see how their quiet, if not murder free, environment has been made fun of for political gain. Seemingly parallel in action, the attacks on Senator Obama using a suddenly vibrant electorate in order to paint him as a "rock star" may miss the mark, and rile the anger of said electorate.

As well it should

For some time now, here on this blog, and others, the mocking of an apathetic electorate has been great sport. On the streets of the nation, excuses for not taking up ones civil duty are myriad.

"Why should I care?, They are all crooks!"
"I am voting for the "lesser of two evils"

are but a couple of phrases used, in the call to non-action. I hear them more, and more as this election grows tired.

Tired, not because people have a choice that has a modicum of difference in platforms. To the contrary platforms have never been so different in intent. Tired because voters are being used as pawns in games of gotcha politics, and Voters themselves are being held in contempt by politicians.

Pol Watcher's Primary Picks

Here are my picks for the contested races in Barry County in the Tuesday, August 5, 2008 primary...

Barry County Board of Commissioners
Note: District 1 (the city of Hastings) and District 5 (Maple Grove, Castleton and Assyria Townships) have no challengers so the board will retain incumbents Don Nevins and Mike Callton. With two retirements and one commissioner seeking the Drain Commissioner post we know the board will see some turnover even without any incumbents going down. Surprisingly, given that in the last few years we've had some hot button issues on the county level including the Charlton Park millages, the County 9-1-1 charges and counter-suits and the TOST ordinance, most of these races have been low key, almost dull. Compared to the county-wide races, I don't see a similar level of spending or discussion of key issues. Outside of the open seats, it's looks like a good year to be an incumbent.

District 2 (Thornapple and part of Irving Township)- The retirement of James French has paved the way for a field of four challengers. This is a tough choice but I'd have to go with Mike Bremer. His long history of service and involvement with youth recreation make him a good choice. There's no doubt in my mind he's ready to do the job and will represent his constituents well.

District 3 (Hope and Rutland Twp.)- Joe Lyons is challenging incumbent Keith Ferris. I like Ferris' willingness to speak his mind and take tough stands. He's not afraid to lead. In fact, if Ferris wanted the job he could probably be chair- I have no doubt he'd be a solid one. Lyons hasn't given me much of a reason to dump Ferris who's been a very able commissioner and should get another term on the board. I give Lyons credit for running an honorable campaign, and maybe he thinks that enough people know him and will support him but I'd have liked to seen a little more as far as want he wants to do if elected, or even a reason why he's running.

District 4 (Carlton, part of Hastings Charter and Irving Townships)- Incumbent "Hoot" Gibson looked like a promising newcomer four years ago. Sadly, for four years Gibson has gone with the flow, told people what they wanted to hear and generally just soaked up taxpayer money to pay his salary and many per diems while ignoring his many promises from the previous campaign. Denise Straley hasn't run a great campaign but she represents a chance to ditch dead weight and make a politician pay for not fulfilling the promises of their campign rhetoric. Straley also earns high marks for being vocal in supporting the Drug Court.

District 6- (Yankee Springs and part of Orangeville Township)- Commissioner Mark Englerth is stepping aside to run for County Drain Commissioner. Four years ago Englerth ran a tireless campaign to take out incumbent Claire Tripp. Tripp is trying to get her odd job back and needs to be Craig Stolsenberg to do so. Stolsenberg is supported by Englerth who hopefully showed him what it took to defeat Tripp. Englerth doesn't always play well with others and had his trouble being one of 8 commissioners. Meanwhile, Tripp was always a reliable member of the "insiders" who represents the same old politics voters have rejected in the past. The voters of Yankee Springs and Orangeville need to keep Tripp off the board and pick Stolsenberg.

District 7 (Assyria, Baltimore, and Johnstown Townships)- Voters chose wisely four years when they picked Jeff VanNortwick over incumbent Tom Wing. Voters chose wisely again when Wing's supporters tried to single out VanNortwick and attempted to have him recalled for his support of the TOST ordinance. Mike Boles is simply yet another attempt by the same small group to enact political revenge. Voters should once again make the right choice and re-elect VanNortwick.

District 8 (Prairieville, Barry and part of Orangeville Township)- Wayne Adams is retiring and three seek his spot on the board. One, Mark Robinson, already dropped out for "personal" reasons. Issues have surfaced with candidate Robert Houtman who once got into hot water while working in Kalamazoo. The issue resurfaced too close to election time for a full airing of what happened, but it has left many wanting to avoid it coming up after the election is already over and distracting the board from dealing with new issues. Many people I've talked to are reluctantly supporting Jim Alden due to what they see at Houtman's "baggage."

This race is a good example of why I think the debate formula is flawed as it lumped all 8 county board races into one debate and didn't allow for any great back and forth between candidates in individual races or debate of issues specific to any particular race. Next time I hope we can see debates actually take place in the districts for those seats which should spur greater attendance and a more in-depth discussion of the local issues affecting each race.

Barry County Clerk - Incumbent Clerk Debbie Smith is under fire for the recent embezzlement of funds that took place within her office. Two of her employees were stealing money and her office procedures didn't catch the crime. I've never been a fan of Smith and as far as I'm concerned this is the last straw. However, with two challengers in the race we should see the vote split amongst those who agree that Smith's time as clerk should be over. Mark Whitney has ran a good campaign, spent lots of money and seems like a nice man. Whitney, however, is just simply not qualified to do the job and his campaign literature almost admits as much. Whitney might be an acceptable choice when compared to Smith, but voters have a much better choice in Pam Jarvis. Jarvis is experience, professional and fully capable of taking over the job on her first day in the office. Voters should choose Pam Jarvis to be our next County Clerk.

Barry County Drain Commissioner - For some reason the field is crowded with 7 candidates. Perhaps it's the economy. Perhaps it's that for the first time in a long time a Barry County official stepped aside with first appointing a successor. First, let's admit that Kevin Allerding has spent lots of money and campaigned hard but shows absolutely zero qualifications for the job. Jan Kelly seems to be popular in the Nashville area but given that his campaign has mostly consisted of people trumpeting his support from Right to Life (which might have something to due with his church affiliation I'm told), but unless the Drain Commissioners' job is to protect fetuses I'm not sure that means anything. Mark Doster might be qualified but pretty much admitted he's simply a kamikaze candidate aimed at taking down Mark Englerth. Englerth has spent tons of money in his campaign, maybe that money would have been put to better use paying his overdue tax bills. Englerth seems to feel inconvenienced that people, okay Doster, have brought up his delinquent taxes but this was also an issue four years ago and the problem seem to be getting worse. Even more, he's not even the most qualified person in the race. Dennis McKelvey seems very qualified but I haven't noticed any real campaign from him. In the Republican field, Russ Yarger seems to be the best choice if you are looking for experience and knowledge of the position and also looking for someone who can win. Yarger has ran a campaign to win and also has the backing of the current Drain Commissioner, Tom Doyle. In a crowded field there's a real chance someone unqualified could slip through, let's hope voters make solid choice. I think the best shot for voters looking for competence is Russ Yarger in the Republican primary.

You might be thinking I forgot Rosemary Anger. Anger chose to run as a Democrat, perhaps a wise choice given how crowded the GOP primary is and how much the candidates were wiling to spend. Anger is supremely qualified, smart and it would be nice to see a Democrat in a county-wide office for the first time in decades it seems. If one of the lesser candidates gets past voters on the Republican ticket, Anger could be the last chance in November. I'd like to the see the losing GOP candidates back Anger and help her raise money if it means stopping someone who can't do or doesn't deserve the job.

Barry County Prosecutor - Current prosecutor Tom Evans is a very nice guy. He's dedicated to the community and is involved in local causes. His wife is a very personable and friendly woman who has likely helped Evans get where he is. However, I just don't think Evans is a good prosecutor. I said as much four years ago when I decided Julie Nakfoor-Pratt was the choice for voters. However, some saw Pratt as protecting the insider's club and voters gave her the boot. I felt Evans wasn't able to make his case in the campaign and probably wouldn't do much better in court. I think I was proven right, though I'm not gloating about it. Evans went public with sensational charges against 9-1-1 Director Nystrom but seemingly couldn't back them up. Nystrom got a nice retirement gift from taxpayers and even gave back... a suit charging the prosecutor, the sheriff and the local newspaper publisher with a conspiracy to destroy his career. Frankly, Evans seems to me the one that blew it most, going in front of the media with accusations he didn't even seem to know the definition, much less that he could prove. A prosecutor shouldn't go with charges he can't make stick and he sure as hell shouldn't try cases in the media (something which got a former prosecutor in hot water, part of the reason he stepped down and Pratt took over). I don't feel like I'm entirely sold on challenger Kerri Selleck, but given Evans' rather weak record I think voters should give Selleck a chance to prove what she can do.

Barry County Sheriff - It took me a while to decide on this one. On the one hand I feel like Jerry Sarver is often too opposed to making information public, a problem that lead to some of the issues surrounding Barry County 9-1-1. On the other hand, incumbent Sheriff Dar Leaf is simply too cozy with the radical elements that use his support to further their fringe causes. Leaf has also not been a strong enough manager at the local animal shelter and we've seen a recent tragedy involving the deaths of many animals because of a refusal to allow volunteers to work in the shelter due to the presence of jail inmates and an absence of any leadership that would be able to continue the inmate work program and also allow volunteer workers. After the recent political stunt where advocates of limitless gun rights brandished their arms in downtown Hastings, making a circus in order to try to humiliate the Chief of Police in the waning days of a political campaign, I've come to the conclusion that Jerry Sarver should be the next Sheriff of Barry County. Sarver's three degrees (including a Master's in Public Administration) place him head and shoulders above Leaf as far as qualifications, and the fact that he didn't take the bait during the recent Pistol Parade through the downtown streets of Hastings (which, obviously was done with the blessing of Leaf since people heavily involved in his campaign were leading the charge) means he has the temperament to keep his cool when the heat is on.

UofM Wins Solar Race Again

The beginning of an article on the website UM Solar reads:

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team has crossed the finish line for the 2008 North American Solar Challenge after traveling nearly 2400 miles from Plano, Texas to Calgary, Alberta. The team finished ten hours ahead of its nearest competitors to bring back Michigan's fifth National Championship in nine races.

While some would have us waste time drilling, and spilling in hopes of being independent from foreign energy source, and destroying our environment, they should be working to see that we keep these wonderful minds in the state to help us in the transition to alternative fuel sources.

The only unanswered question on the minds of many in the state of Michigan is how much faster the car could have been had it been painted a more traditional racing color.

Paying taxes is patriotic

The need

With troops in foreign lands, and an economy in shambles, it seems to me the least patriotic thing someone could do is not pay their taxes. Complaining about tax rates, is as much a national past time as watching baseball, or eating hot dogs. But this nations need for capitol as we defend ourselves from both physical, and commercial warfare has never been more apparent. Some may complain that a majority of tax dollars may go to an unjust occupation in Iraq, and use this as an excuse to skim from their obligations. Others fight for different levels of taxation in search for what they claim to be fair. These arguments should be fought in the nations capitol, not in foreign tax shelters.

Turning the tide

The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by (our own senator) Carl Levin, held a hearing Thursday on tax haven banks and U.S. tax compliance. The committee has produced a report on its six-month-long investigation.

In reviewing a variety of case histories, the investigation found that from at least 2000 to 2007, LGT and UBS employed banking practices that facilitated tax evasion by their U.S. clients, including assisting clients to open accounts in the names of offshore entities; advising clients on complex offshore structures to hide ownership of assets; using client code names; and disguising asset transfers into and from accounts."Senator Levin estimated offshore banks deprived the US Government of $US100 billion ($102 billion) a year in taxes. The report says US clients hold about 19,000 accounts at UBS in Switzerland with an estimated $US18-$US20 billion in assets not declared to tax authorities.

Using simple math it is clear to see that Senator Levin's target is not Ma, and Pa Sixpack hiding little Timmy's lawn mowing income from the mean ol' IRS man. The use of code names, in complex structures, implies that this is not a simple mess up on the 1040 form that many working people may struggle with every year, but a blatant disregard for the same laws every red blooded American citizen must follow.

Local impact

What is untold, is the amount of money that the state of Michigan, and others in equal need are loosing through these unpatriotic actions.
People with the means to pay are depriving their own states of the ability to pay for much needed services, and obligations. Bridge, and road repair, power lines that are past due for overhaul, better care for returning guard veterans, and workers retraining programs must now be taken care of with borrowed money, or put off to some elusive "time horizon".

We must pay our dues, while arguing their use in the ballot box.


Regardless of ones point of view on unjust wars, and levels of taxation, the money continues to be spent by our federal government. Every dollar withheld from U.S. coffers will be borrowed from outside sources. This will leave a larger debt for future generations, and a weakening U.S. economy.

What may begin as civil disobedience, will end in generational warfare.

That's debatable-County Clerk & Register of Deeds

As I type this, the debate for Barry County Register of Deeds and County Clerk is getting underway at the Barry County Commission on Aging in Hastings. I dropped the ball on providing a place for discussion of the last two debates so here it is.

(Fair warning: Any comments on 9-1-1 or guns will be deleted!)

Introducing agnosticrat

In case you haven't noticed, this is now officially a group blog. I've asked agnosticrat to come on board and provide his unique and caustic commentary to issues that affect West Michigan. I was at a point where it was either ask for help or call it a day. I found myself at a point where I couldn't check in often enough to watch comments to ensure a relatively civil discourse or to post often enough to keep the trolls from dominating the conversation. From my discussions with agnosticrat and his comments here, as well as his too-infrequent posts on his own blog, I thought he could help me out in this regard. You've been warned...

Bullet points (or: Annie, Get Your Gun)

Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

brandish
Pronunciation: bran-dish
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English braundisshen, from Anglo-French brandiss-, stem of brandir, from brant, braund sword, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English brand
Date: 14th century

1 : to shake or wave (as a weapon) menacingly
2 : to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner

Wikipedia:

Open carry is legal in Michigan, although some people think that it is socially unacceptable without good reason (security/police officers, hunting, etc.), and choosing to do so in populated areas may result in being charged with disturbing the peace or even brandishing.

• Supporters of Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf are taking shots at Hastings Police Chief Jerry Sarver, a candidate for sheriff in the August primary. Sarver is seen by gun lovers as being insufficiently "pro gun." Sarver is drawing fire for his alleged opposition to "open carry," the legal right to openly carry your sidearm on your person in a public place. They no doubt feel emboldened by the recent Supreme Court decision striking down a ban on handguns in Washington D.C. but mainly they feel like their support got current Sheriff Dar Leaf elected. Leaf's opponent in that election was the then-current Sheriff, Steve DeBoer, who was being attacked for sometimes denying concealed carry permits). I think Leaf's victory had more to do with former Sheriff DeBoer's drunken meeting with a mailbox while driving home from Grand Rapids and the attempted cover-up of the incident. Regardless, Leaf has long courted the extreme elements among the pro-gun crowd and counts himself among them.

• Sarver defended himself in a July 17, 2008 letter to the Hastings Banner in which Sarver relates his understanding of Michigan law concerning the open carrying of handguns and an incident in which a man was threatening to walk through a local grocery store openly displaying his firearm. The man in question backed down, perhaps deciding his Second Amendment rights could wait until election season to be exercised.

• And now that we are in the final throws of the primary campaign, Leaf's supporters have arraigned a political stunt, firing off these press releases:

http://www.usacarry.com/

In response to the Police Chief of Hastings, Chief Sarver, law-abiding citizens will be walking down Main Street in Hastings open carrying. Chief Sarver in response to a letter to the editor responded by saying it was brandishing, a misdemeanor. He failed to say that the Michigan Attorney General’s office wrote him telling him that open carry is not against the law. We are asking anyone who is interested in furthering their Second Amendment rights to join us on Thursday, July 24th at 4 PM. We will be meeting at Richie's Coffee Shop (146 W. State Street, Hastings, MI 49058).

An attorney that supports your right to keep and bear arms will be joining us.

It is important to note that this is a peaceful demonstration of our constitutional rights and everyone must be on their best behavior. All well mannered, law-abiding citizens are welcome to join us. Please RSVP if you can. Please do not dress like a paramilitary organization. Wear ordinary clothing that fits in well with the general public.

If you have any questions you can contact me at dstevens@iserv.net

David Stevens
Barry County Citizens for Second Amendment and Firearm Rights (B-SAFR)

http://www.ask4direct.com/news/wbch

CITIZENS WHO SUPPORT THE SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS WILL WALK DOWN STATE STREET IN HASTINGS THURSDAY OPENLY CARRYING A WEAPON TO PEACEFULLY DEMONSTRATE WHAT THEY SAY IS THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO OPEN CARRY. DAVID STEVENS, REPRESENTING BARRY COUNTY CITIZENS FOR SECOND AMENDMENT AND FIREARM RIGHTS, SAID LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS INTERESTED IN FURTHERING SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS CAN JOIN THEM AT RITCHIE'S COFFEE SHOP IN DOWNTOWN HASTINGS ON JULY 24 AT 4 P.M.

• Personally, instead of Richie's Coffee Shop at 4 p.m. I thought they'd have gone for Ponderosa at High Noon. I guess the plan is to draw a crowd, fired up with coffee and shoot on down to the Hastings City Hall so they can ceremonially display their Second Amendment rights and get out of Dodge, believing they've helped support the Sheriff's re-election bid by embarrassing Sarver. They likely think they've cornered Sarver into saying he'd arrest anyone brandishing their weapon. Either Sarver ignores the event and they get to say he backed down or he arrests anyone he believes is brandishing and they make a stink, take it to court and make political hay out of it.

• One has to wonder what a circus event clogging the city streets at the beginning of rush hour will do to win votes for Dar Leaf, who already has the support of 99.99% of gun enthusiasts who feel no restriction should infringe on their obsession with defending themselves from things that go bump in the night and fictional TV burglars. One also has to wonder what will stop people from trying to dilute the purpose of the event, perhaps even bringing along their own props and making a mockery of the event. Will people with squirt guns and toy weapons be barred from walking the streets of Hastings during this period? We've seen with the WTO protests and anti-war rallies that 100,000 people can march peacefully but it only takes one useful idiot to make the event backfire.

• There are all sorts of ways this could backfire, including revealing Leaf to be out of step with public opinion and costing him votes. One could even see this as a sign of panic in the Leaf campaign, a signal that they aren't confident they can win this on the merits and need a last ditch effort to cripple Sarver's campaign. Some might even wonder if the planners of this event are operating with a full clip or are they just shooting from the hip?

• Will Sarver's opponents shoot themselves in the foot and give him the ammunition he needs to win August 5 or will they hit their target? I guess we wait until the smoke clears...