Rant in 5, 4, 3, 2 and GO!

I saw this silly meme on Facebook and it set me off. I have a number of reasons for being upset by it. It is a poor rendition of the quote by JFK about being a proud liberal, set to the idiocy of the right. Let me just line by line and break it down for them.

 “I’m a racist for criticizing Obama.” Yes, because you aren’t satisfied by just criticizing him when he does something bad. You criticize him when he breathes – just because he is black. We all know that, but yet you deny it. When you had no problem that George Bush did something, but you are incensed that Obama does the same thing – you are displaying your underlying racist tendencies. Be real with yourself because we can all see what lies behind your eyes and it is hate.

 “I’m a terrorist because I want to protect my 2^nd amendment rights.” No, because you have no individual rights under the second amendment. What makes you a terrorist is your need to parade around in grocery stores with your penis strapped to your back in the form of a rifle. Look, we can’t help it that you were born without much of a package, but if that were me – I surely wouldn’t be advertising it. Grab a sock and stuff it in your drawers, leave your rifle at home and you’ll get a lot more respect. When you run around scaring women and children, you are only proving what a pussy you are. You aren’t standing up for anything.

 “I’m a TeaBagger for supporting the constitution.” You are not, in any way, supporting the constitution as I learned it. You are interpreting the constitution and imagining that it says what you want it to say in order to justify your being an asshole. I am a citizen too. I get to have all the same rights as you do. But you would try to use your version of the constitution to keep me from being equal to you. So, you are not upholding the constitution of this United States – you are defending the fake bullshit fed to you by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. We’re sick of their faulty interpretation. You want to uphold the constitution, fine – but make sure you’re upholding the REAL one.

 “I’m a National Security threat because I speak my mind.” First off, you have to have a mind in order to speak it. You are parroting the words you learn on Fox News. Many of those words are treasonous in nature and threatening to the president of the United States.

 “I’m a troublemaker for asking unanswered questions.” No, you’re a troublemaker because you pitch a fit when you don’t LIKE the answers you are given. Part of being a responsible adult is getting along with others. That means you don’t always get your way. You have to compromise sometimes. Your inability to accept NO for an answer has got to stop. You just need to stop acting like spoiled middle-school cheerleaders.

 “I’m a birther because I question the documentation of the president.” No, you’re a birther because you insist on pursuing this line of questioning even after you have seen the actual document. Since you’re so hot on following laws, one of the qualifications for president is to be “a natural born citizen” and that means that Obama would not have even been considered by the Democratic party had he not been proven to be a natural born citizen prior to his 2008 campaign. To continue pursuing this is pure idiocy. Meanwhile, you are favoring Ted Cruz to run on the Republican ticket in 2016 – but guess what? He WAS born in Canada (and Canada is not part of the United States). He cannot fill either of the two top positions in this country because the VP slot carries the exact same qualifications as the presidency. Get over yourselves, birthers and get real. We’re done defending this. You’re just wrong.

 “I’m a traitor for exposing the corruption in my government.” Again, no. You’re a traitor because while you are quick to call out the Democrats for blowing their nose wrong, you allow your own people to accept blatant bribes, sell their souls to the Koch brothers, and pass laws that ultimately screw you – and you do nothing except cheer them on as they go at your ass with no lube. You’re a traitor because you are allowing your own party to completely corrupt our democratic process. By the time they are done, you will have nothing, and Fox News will have you blaming the black guy. You are allowing our country to be bought by corporate interests and you are cheering them on. You are calling for the complete, armed if necessary, overthrowing of our government. That makes you a traitor. Wake up and smell the coffee – they are using you and you keep going back begging for more.

 “I’m a conspiracy theorist for presenting documented facts.” Where? When I confront one of you online and ask for facts, you send me links from Fox News, Alex Jones, Wikipedia, or some other totally non-reputable source. I, on the other hand, usually provide you with multiple references to back up my arguments. You have no documented facts. You have the ranting of lunatics.

 “I’m anti-American for not towing the party line.” Really? You don’t see yourself following along in lockstep behind these yahoos? Are you really that blind? They send you emails and tell you what articles to comment on and what to say in your comments. You get lists of words and phrases to use in defending your position and “wrangling” with us low-life libtards. We don’t have emails – instead we have our own brains and we know how to use them. You would be totally lost without the crib sheet they provide you. Talk radio, The Hannity Show, Glenn Beck. They all give you the words to say. They tell you exactly how to react to everything. Take a step back and look at yourself. When was the last time you really READ something that wasn’t put in front of you by the nutcases on the right?

 “I’m a war monger because I support the troops.” Do you really support the troops? Are you supporting all the veterans that just had their benefits slashed in half? Have you lobbied on behalf of the guys and gals that came back broken from a war that we never should have been fighting? You don’t support the troops – you support war. That makes you a war monger.

 “I’m a greedy capitalist because I believe I am entitled to what I earned.” Are you really entitled to it? When did you earn it? Retirees all over this country are under attack and losing their benefits because of the capitalistic austerity measures being enacted by the people you think are governing this country well. They are slicing Social Security. They are slicing up our social safety net programs. These are programs that you are entitled to if you worked during your adult life. You cheer them on as they cut them down to nothing. On this battle – it isn’t us libs you should be fighting. We’re the ones that want you to keep these benefits that you earned. We earned them too.

You need to consider what you are fighting for. Figure out who your real enemy is. Stop listening to Fox News, Rush, Sean, Alex and Glenn and you will be amazed at how much clearer you will be able to think. They have brainwashed you for so many years that you are totally oblivious to the real life issues that are facing us in this country.

 

If by a “Liberal” they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties ... if that is what they mean by a “Liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “Liberal.”

 – Senator John F. Kennedy 9/14/1960 New York Liberal Party Nomination Acceptance Speech

Changing Daddy’s Diapers

In 2005 I moved from Virginia back to Michigan, where I had been born and raised, to care for my aging father as he progressed through the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Things weren’t too bad when I first moved back home, but the next two years saw a steady decline both physically and mentally for my father.

When it became apparent that he was no longer able to determine when he needed to release urine and or feces, we began using the adult, disposable diapers. I guess it stands to reason that dying is perhaps just a returning to our beginnings…

As the illness and physical struggles of a loved one begin to overwhelm the caregiver, we often lose sight of our own beings. We become totally immersed in the daily care, the appointments, the feeding schedule and everything involved in taking care of a person who has lost that ability, including changing daddy’s diapers. But changing diapers can sometimes lead to other realizations, at least with an Alzheimer’s patient.

As I was preparing my father to attend our annual family Christmas gathering, he was attempting to use the toilet while I removed his soiled diaper. He was rather mushy that morning – not really helping any, but not fighting me either – just a pliable, doll-like figure, following instructions. Once I got the clean diaper in position around his shins, I sat on the edge of the tub to wait for his efforts to conclude so I could clean him up and pull the diaper up completely.

As I looked at my father’s eyes, I saw what appeared to be a curtain behind his eyes slowly open (really, that was the sensation I had as this happened – it was like watching a curtain open). My dad looked at me, and with seriousness and clarity of vision I hadn’t seen lately he said, “You know that I’m dying?”

“Yes, dad. We know. We aren’t looking forward to it, but we are OK with it if you’re ready to go. Are you ready?”

With a twinkle in his eye I hadn’t seen since I was a kid, a huge grin spread across his face and he replied, “Nope, not quite yet…”

And as quick as that - the curtain closed and he retreated to wherever he spent his mind-time during that period. He was back to being a slightly pose able life-sized robot. He would move his limbs, walk haltingly, sometimes feed himself – but he was basically a shell. But I changed after that day.

That moment of clarity, which lasted only seconds, taught me that no matter how much of a pain in the ass it was – I would never again regret changing daddy’s diapers. That moment taught me that my dad was still in there, somewhere.

There were other small moments of clarity during my care giving period, but none as clear and meaningful as that one, for those brief few seconds. When my father passed the following February, I knew he was ready. As Father’s Day approaches, I sit here in tears typing this, remembering my dad, my hero, as he was while I was growing up. He’s been gone seven years now, but that moment still seems like yesterday.

Enjoy your dad. If he’s still alive, go visit him and spend time with him. Take him a new tie for Father’s Day.

So What If Bergdahl Was A Deserter?

I hate the incessant need I feel to rant on occasion, but rant I must. Today’s topic is Bowe Bergdahl.

My first problem is with the current GOP gripe of exchanging prisoners for prisoners and “dealing with terrorists.” Some people apparently have VERY SHORT memories. Let’s take a short trip back to the period of 1968 to 1973, shall we?

John McCain, currently a Senator from Arizona, was at that time a Prisoner of War. McCain made an anti-American propaganda "confession." He claims now to be ashamed of having reached his breaking point, but the fact remains – he did exactly what he and others are accusing Bergdahl of. His father was a high-ranking Navy official at the time, so McCain received some preferential treatment, but to his honor, he refused an early release based on his family ties.

McCain endured five years of pain from injuries received during the crash of his airplane prior to his capture and a lack of medical treatment. He was tortured and spent at least two of those five years in solitary confinement. He was commended highly for his service. I used to respect this man immensely. Not so much anymore.

Photo found on Facebook

He came home due to a PRISONER exchange orchestrated by President Nixon in March 1973. At that time, the prisoners exchanged were North Vietnamese soldiers. This time they were Taliban. You cannot call the kettle black if you are a pot of the same color.

Next I would like to address all the idiots coming out of the woodwork and declaring that Bergdahl is a deserter. I find it awfully convenient that idiots like Donald Trump make a declaration DEMANDING an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bergdahl’s disappearance/capture/desertion. I don’t care what label you choose to put on it – if you have NEVER served in the military you need to keep your big fat mouth shut.

Since the chumpster made his declaration, former soldiers are coming out on CNN and every GOP mouthpiece media outlet on the airwaves. Has anyone even bothered to check these guys out? Did they serve in Bergdahl’s unit? And if they did, what were the circumstances of their release from the military? Did they leave in disgrace, or were they honorably discharged? What was their function in Afghanistan? What was their relationship to Bergdahl? Did they even know him? Are they being paid for their interviews? Nobody seems to be asking or answering these questions.

Another big mouth on the scene is Allan West. I just perused his blog. Really? Just in case you didn’t know it - West was a former Army guy. Career soldier. He supposedly knows what our guys went through – or did he? If my memory serves me correctly, he left the Army in disgrace. Not a fallen hero. He was a career scammer that got caught and was forced to retire.

Now he’s into politics – why does that not surprise me? It seems there are a lot of people in the GOP, particularly those aligned with the Tea Party that have less than exemplary pasts. A quick check of West reveals his forced retirement. Another GOP loudmouth – Darrell Issa – was arrested for auto theft before he was elected. I could go on – but too many of them have less than admirable pasts and I don’t feel like spending that much time ranting.

I don’t really care what the circumstances were surrounding Bergdahl’s disappearance and capture. What I care about is letting that young man get home and get settled and hearing his side of things. He is currently in Germany. He has not seen his family yet. But he is being smeared in the media like the worst war criminal on the face of the planet. He hasn’t had a chance to tell us his side of the story, but yet the GOP thinks it is just fine to crucify him.

They’re not interested in hearing his side of the story. They are only interested in discrediting President Obama. That is all. You see, Obama made a deal and he didn’t include them in the plan. Now they’re having a temper tantrum about it and taking it out on that young man. It upsets them immensely that Obama managed to do something despite their constant obstructionism.

They have done everything in their power to keep President Obama from being a successful president. They are failing miserably – and they know it. That pisses them off. So, like the 2-year-olds that they are, they have a temper tantrum.

But unlike your 2-year-old – they have their tantrums on national TV. They foam at the mouth and spew vile and hateful mouthfuls of vitriol. I find it difficult to believe that anyone in their right mind thought they were electable. But there they are – holding political offices in our national government. They are an embarrassment to this country. They make me want to move away from here.

Getting back to Bergdahl. The main person that I have heard telling tales about him comes across as a capable young family man. He says he was Bergdahl’s Team Leader. He describes Bergdahl as disillusioned and unhappy with America’s position in the war. Guess what? He just described 50 percent of the guys that were over there. We shouldn’t have been there – and our soldiers knew it.

We should never have been involved in Iraq or Afghanistan. What about the rest of the young men that went over there? Some of them are severely mentally ill sociopaths that enjoy killing for the rush it gives them. The remaining group was just poor children that needed a job and joined up hoping to better themselves. They served their time and did what was asked of them. Some came back broken physically. Some came back broken mentally.

In closing – all I want to see is to let Bergdahl come home and tell us his side of the story. If it is determined that he deserted? So what? He paid a high price for that desertion with five years of his life. What of the lives that they claim were lost as a direct result of the supposed desertion? Let’s let the investigation bear that out. If the Army felt that Bergdahl was responsible for those deaths, why was he promoted TWICE during his imprisonment? They did conduct an investigation in 2010. Why isn’t anyone mentioning that?

I served my time. I am a 21-year Navy vet that served in Desert Storm. For those of you with short memories – that was the FIRST Gulf War that occurred under George HW Bush. I have three rows of ribbons and medals that I earned in service to my country. That is more service than 90 percent of the Republican Party combined. They can go sit on it and spin for all I care!

Minimum Wage Rage

Happy Announcement (photo from press announcement)

You should be pissed if you are a minimum wage earner

I haven’t gone off on a good rant in quite some time, so this has been building for a while. Today, I reached my boiling point over the passage of the new minimum wage law by the Michigan legislature. This end-run around the desires of Michigan citizens just goes too far.

The Raise Michigan Coalition has been coordinating a petition drive for the past 180 days to raise the wage in Michigan to a paltry $10.10 by 2017. That isn’t much when you consider that if the minimum wage had kept up with inflation for all these past many years we would be paying McDonald’s and Wal-Mart employees at least $21.00 an hour. But that isn’t the case and the minimum wage is currently $7.25 nationally and $7.40 here in Michigan. I won’t even discuss the tipped wage because that is just CRIMINAL!
 
A few weeks ago the folks at Raise Michigan announced that they had gathered enough signatures to put the minimum wage proposal before the legislature for approval as specified on the petition. If the legislators had taken no action or voted against the proposal, the matter would automatically be placed on the November ballot for voters to decide.

I wish Raise Michigan would have turned the petitions in right then, but they opted to finish out the allotted 180 day span and continue collecting “insurance” signatures. They put in more hours, sent out more volunteers, got tons more signatures. May 28 was their scheduled turn in date. They worked their butts off to get minimum wage employees a fair shake – especially those tipped wage earners that have been getting screwed for years.

During the last few weeks of the petition drive, the no-load legislators in the Michigan House and Senate got busy, led by Republican Randy Richardville, the Senate Majority Leader. They crafted legislation raising the minimum wage in Michigan to an even paltrier $8.50 by 2018. It was crap legislation that would repeal the minimum wage law on the books and nullify the citizen-led petition drive. The ONLY purpose of the introduction of this legislation repealing the existing law was to thwart the citizens of this state and interrupt democracy.

”His strategy — which he readily copped to in a phone conversation Friday afternoon — is to make sure that, even if Raise Michigan succeeds in its bid to amend the current minimum-wage statute, it won’t count, because the statute they want to amend will have ceased to exist.”

 

Richardville, the Senate Majority Leader, admitted that the intended purpose of repealing the current law was to put a stop to the petition drive. How petty can you get? This is a man that was elected to serve you and I. He is supposed to be looking out for you and I in Lansing and ensuring that our voice is heard. Instead, he is drafting legislation that is intentionally designed to STOP US from having a democratic voice in the laws enacted in this state. And he has the NERVE to call that democracy?

If you have been paying attention to Michigan politics, Governor Snyder is constantly using “democracy” to justify his positions on issues. For instance, in 2004, the citizens in Michigan voted to ban gay marriage. There was no argument at the time about that ban being unconstitutional, so it was passed and enacted and allowed to stand for 10 years. Now, in 2014, the mood in Michigan has changed and an estimated 70% of the citizens now support gay marriage.

A recent court challenge was made against the ban on gay marriage and it was determined that the ban was unconstitutional. An immediate appeal of the ruling was made by Attorney General Bill Schuette, claiming that the voters democratically decided they were against gay marriage. Despite all current polling on the subject showing that the opinion has changed in this state, AG Schuette and Governor Snyder are using “democracy” and the "upholding of the Constitution" as the reason they are wasting tax payer monies fighting a battle that cannot be won. They are using “democracy” to force citizens to treat gay citizens unfairly.

"You know constitutions aren't meant to be convenient and casually dismissed," Schuette said during a visit in Grand Rapids Tuesday. He was in town to announce plans to run for re-election. He says no matter the issue, it's his job to defend the constitution. "Right now I am defending Michigan's constitution that protects the pensions of cops and firefighters," Schuette said. "The constitution is worth fighting for and Michigan is worth fighting for."

What about defending the right to petition the government that is clearly spelled out in the Michigan Constitution? Oh, wait - that part isn’t “convenient” for the GOP, so they’ll just ignore that part and get on with screwing the citizens.

In the minimum wage battle, the democratic thing to have done would have been to allow the petition drive to turn in their signatures, let the legislature ignore the request for 40 days or vote against it, and then put the matter on the ballot for the voters to decide. But it is “inconvenient” for them to allow democracy to work that way so they have passed legislation repealing the law that is affected by the petition drive. They did that specifically to stop the voters from having a voice.

They gave their creation Immediate Effect which means that is it law as soon as the governor signs it, which happened before the ink was dry from the Senate and House votes.

So now, when people see what has happened, will they rejoice because the minimum wage is being raised? Or will they be upset because they got shafted once again by a legislature that doesn’t represent the citizens of this state? Personally, I hope that every minimum wage employee in this state is pissed the heck off. Instead of raising the wage to $10.10 by 2017 and tying it into the rate of inflation, we are now stuck with raises to $9.25 by 2018 (yes that is an extra year). Those tipped wages? They get a raise too, but not to the $10.10 they would have received with the ballot proposal. Now they get all the way up to $3.51 an hour. Yep – you can raise a family on that – NOT! 

The only redeeming thing is that they did leave in the part that ties the wage to inflation – but it still isn’t enough since, had it kept pace with past inflation the wage would be more than $21.00 an hour. They’re starting out $14.00 below what the minimum should be, based on inflation that has already occurred, and will never reach that level – EVER.

Remember in November – these legislators that claim to be supporting the Constitution of this state are screwing every minimum wage earner to support their big dollar donors. How many commercials did they earn from Wal-Mart, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Rick DeVos, and the Koch brothers? Prepare to be inundated during the next Tigers game with wonderful tales of how they worked out this fantastic bipartisan deal screw job that will improve the lives prolong the misery of Michigan’s minimum wage earners.

   

 

 

 

 

 

The Only Campaign Promise Snyder Has Kept - Part 2

This is Part 2 of a multi-part series of articles discussing the prediction made by Snyder a mere two days before the election that won him the governor’s office and how he has done everything possible to see that his prediction comes true. This series is just the beginning. I will be publishing a book in August (co-written with Randa Morris) about the first three years under the Snyder administration.

 

It was mentioned in Part 1 that on October 31, 2010, Rick Snyder made the following statement to the Ann Arbor News in answer to why services need to be consolidated by municipalities.

“Literally there’s a fairly significant likelihood that you could have hundreds of jurisdictions going insolvent in the 2013, 14 time frame, if not sooner. It’s not just a Michigan issue. This is the next hidden national issue.”

No one caught the dire prediction and he was elected by a wide margin. Since gaining office, he has implemented austerity measures much like those attempted by former Governor Engler in the 90s. Many of the policies were directly out the play book of the uber-conservative Mackinac Center for Public Policy, primarily funded by folks like Dick DeVos, and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a bill mill primarily funded by the Koch brothers.

In order to ensure that his “prediction” would come true, Snyder began eviscerating the state budget as soon as he got into office. His first budget for 2012 (submitted in 2011) claimed huge cuts for education and even larger tax breaks for large corporations. By cutting funding to education, Snyder deprived school districts of the needed funding to provide an adequate education. This forced many districts to the brink of financial despair, and forced several over the cliff into deficit-land.

As soon as the original PA4 law was passed March 16, 2011, Snyder also began training Emergency Managers. Although he assured citizens that he only intended to use the law “sparingly,” there were more than 400 Emergency Managers trained to take over school systems and municipalities. When applying common sense and thinking about the “sparing use” promised by Snyder, one would likely determine that a maximum of maybe two dozen EMs would be needed to have a fully trained contingent of personnel to select from in the event an EM was assigned. But yet there were more than 400 people trained within the first year of the passage of the law.

Some people began to see the direction the governor and the legislature were headed and they began to take action. A recall campaign was started in March 2011, with ordinary citizens organizing and calling for action. Sadly, the unions still put their trust in Snyder, the legislature, and smoky, back room deals made in secrecy.

 

 

 

Shortly after the recall effort began, a different group of organizers began a repeal effort to bring the Emergency Manager Law before voters. That effort was supported by AFSCME 25 and Michigan Forward. They managed to collect enough signatures to put the matter on the ballot, but faced a legal battle over a trumped up charge about incorrect font sizes on the petitions. The fontgate battle against the repeal effort was headed by the same lawyer that argued against the language in the recall ballot against Governor Snyder.

Eventually the fontgate issue was settled favorably and the matter of the Emergency Manager Law, PA4, was put on the November 2012 ballot for voters to decide.

During the same timeframe, the recall effort failed to gather enough signatures, but did manage to collect almost 500,000 signatures. Since the effort was an all-volunteer force and the organizers spent less than $75,000, the volunteers did a phenomenal job.

The entire recall effort was made without the support of any unions (because they were double-dealing behind closed doors at this stage in a futile attempt to avoid the threatened Right to Work legislation) or the Michigan Democratic Party, which is largely controlled by the power of the unions. In fact, many unions and the MDP were actively working against the recall effort in 2011 by sending communications to their members recommending that they not participate, even as volunteers in any recall efforts.

In spite of that, there were numerous union members actively gathering signatures, and especially many MEA teachers, who saw the writing on the wall before union leadership admitted it. Those teachers should be commended for their participation, determination, and drive to make things right for the state against the desires of their union leaders.

At the same time as the recall against the governor and the repeal effort for PA4, there were petitions filed against every sitting Republican Senator and many Republican Representatives. In total, there were more than 30 recall petitions running simultaneously in an effort by the citizens to stop the bloodbath that was unleashed in early 2011. A few haphazard petitions were filed against Democratic Representatives by the Tea Party, in an attempt to threaten them into voting for the cracked policies of the GOP/Tea Party in the House and to use their influence to make the citizen-led recall efforts stop.

This is the end of Part 2. As this continues, please bear in mind that many more details will be revealed in the book coming out in August. Stay turned for Part 3 coming out soon.

 

 

It’s Official – Cows Like Jazz

Photo originally appeared at amy-amy.com

Cows Really Like Jazz

The video at the end of this article, which has had more than 9 million views, was shot in Autrans, France and showcases the effectiveness of jazz music to “tame the wild beast.” Well, the cows weren’t exactly wild, but they sure did seem to enjoy this impromptu concert.

The band, The New Hot 5, is a New Orleans-style jazz band that performs throughout the United States, with occasional stints in venues around the world just for fun. The group is lead by Dr. Steve Call, a professor of music at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Call plays Tuba for the band and has an arm’s length list of accomplishments to his musical credit.

The rest of the members have the distinction of having all been students of Call’s at some point in time.

Clark Burnside plays clarinet for the group, is an Electrical Engineer who works at Intel designing computer chips. He plays worldwide in various venues in addition to his work with the New Hot 5.

Dr. Daniel Henderson, who plays trumpet, currently lectures on Music at Harvard University, where he also teaches Jazz Harmony and Jazz Improvisation.

Dr. Will Kimball is an Associate Professor of Trombone at BYU, and of course, plays trombone for the group. He has had an illustrious career thus far, appearing in many venues, including on the soundtrack for the sound track of several movies, including “Sandlot.” He maintains a website if you would like to learn more about him.

Last, but not least, Joshua Payne plays banjo for the group. He originally got his start as a busker (street musician) on the busy streets of New York City. Payne has an affinity for his vintage instrument, a 1928 Epiphone Concert Special Recording tenor banjo.

Photo originally appeared at amy-amy.com

Enjoy the video (the cows sure did), and check out some of the band’s other work on their web site.

I love good jazz and these guys have really got a good sound.

The Only Campaign Promise Snyder Has Kept

This is Part 1 of a multi-part series of articles discussing the prediction made by Snyder a mere two days before the election that won him the governor’s office and how he has done everything possible to see that his prediction comes true.

We should have known... 

On October 31, 2010, then Michigan gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder made the following statement to the Ann ArborNews in answer to why services need to be consolidated by municipalities.

“Literally there’s a fairly significant likelihood that you could have hundreds of jurisdictions going insolvent in the 2013, 14 time frame, if not sooner. It’s not just a Michigan issue. This is the next hidden national issue.”

This prediction was made a mere 2 days before the election that put Snyder in the governor’s office. It was the first time he had elaborated much on his campaign platform during the entire months-long campaign. Nobody caught it. He was elected by a large margin.

What else did we miss?

Were there other hints of pending problems in Michigan that were missed? Within a few weeks of the successful election of Snyder, former governor John Engler returned to Michigan, buying a home in Lansing a few miles from the governor’s mansion. One might ask what prompted his return to a state that counts his governorship as one of the worst times in the entire history of the state. Did his return have anything to do with the overwhelming number of Republicans elected to both houses of the legislature and the election of Snyder in the governor’s seat?

Snyder and Engler have a long history together but that doesn’t get much press time. Engler gave Snyder his first-ever job in the public sector when he selected him to head up the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, created by Engler under Executive Order1999-1. 

Why does it matter?

Why bother mentioning Engler at this stage in the game? Because the things that Snyder and his GOP heavy legislature are pushing are the exact same policies that Engler tried to get passed during his tenure as Michigan’s governor. The problem for Engler was that he didn’t have a cooperative legislature and common sense and cooler heads prevailed in the then Democratic leaning legislature. Snyder and the Republican Party control all three branches of the Michigan government right now and there are absolutely no checks and balances in place to stop them from steamrolling over the citizens in a haphazard fashion that is creating havoc along the way.

The dire prediction of municipal financial distress has been exacerbated since Snyder took office in January 2011. One of the first laws pushed through was the “local government and school district fiscal accountability act.” This law, better known as Public Act 4 of 2011 or the EM Law, is a thinly veiled paraphrased version of the Enabling Act of 1933. It allows the governor to legally remove democratically elected officials in municipalities that are determined to be in financial distress.
The citizens did not approve of the sweeping nature of this law. A petition drive was organized and successfully managed to put the law on the ballot in November 2012. A vote was taken and the citizens of Michigan voted overwhelmingly against this law. But that isn’t the end of the story…

This has been Part 1 of this series. Please stay tuned for Part 2 where I will discuss the timeline of events since Snyder took office that has put Michigan in the dire position she is currently in.