The Occupy Wall Street Activists & Grassroots Tea Party: ‘Activists Have a Lot in Common’ Finds Support from Grand Rapids’ Crack Business Reporter

Across Michigan there is real movement in an angry population: 'We are damn mad and want to do something to improve the unemployment, lost of manufacturing, the 'senseless behavior of big banks and investors sitting on nearly $3 TRILLION in cash assets outside the market and the economy.'

The behavior of both parties during the 'let's play chicken' with the federal government's credit status and ability to pay its obligation over and against the peppered up focus on the deficits looks more like a political game than a sensible way to run a government.

Hot words reverberate in the dining rooms of local eateries, farm homes, and townhouses: The hot talk centers on the critical issue: "THE FULL FAITH AND CONFIDENCE" of the consumer, the citizen with a need for a sense of direction and security handling their valuable assets and savings. They want to know, 'Is it safe to return to the marketplace, to make commitments, to go to the mall or Sam's Club and do a little discretionary shopping. After all, the entire economy rests squarely on the 'spending' of the average citizen. (Actually millions of pre-teens and teens who spend at the mall during good times, times of prosperity.)

Say What? Spend what?

There are presently, in Michigan, ONE HALF A MILLION UNEMPLOYED OR MORE, SOME ON UNEMPLOYMENT STIPENDS, OTHERS NOW OFF THE ROLLS ENTIRELY. What can these folks spend to jump-start the economy?

How does the fly paper legislative move by Snyder work? The $800 million or so removed by new taxes on pensions and annuity income of pensioners was stolen from those who saved and planned for retirement based on this resource. According to recent information from MIPSERS those pension dollars have a normal turnaround of $6.49 in economic activity when spent by those who earned it.

Now take $6.49 and multiply that by the number of discretionary pension dollars REMOVED FROM THEM BY SNYDER'S GRAND THEFT GIFT TO HIS BUSINESS BUDDIES - say $800 million, and there is ONE ENORMOUS NUMBER OF DOLLARS TAKEN OUT OF MICHIGAN COMMERCE AND ECONOMY. How many factories with how many workers does it take to make up for this GIGANTIC GAFF REDUCING CUSTOMER DEMAND AND SALES?

Nerd-o-nomics has greatly worsened the dirth of demand. Where are the customers? The summarily removal of disposable, discretionary money; to spend that was taken by TeaPublicans from the poor, the retired pensioners, and the elderly has been blown on 'gifting' the Chamber of Commerce business types (without any directives).

The 'Nerd's near $2 BILLION tax shift and other excessive pro-business tactics such as putting stringent limits on health benefits and removing pricing from items at WalMart and other retailers has assured that many businesses will get a 'Tea Party' bonus, but a bonus in tax reduction is predicated on the idea that there is commerce/demand/buying and selling activities upon which taxes are assessed.

Nerd-o-nomics has delivered: No business, anemic demand, lower taxes, but no progress toward recovery. No Jobs. No New Jobs!

The Citizens & Consumers Are Fed Up
What entity, government or individual can be trusted? What media is being honest and forthright about the true state of economic affairs in America?

West Michigan's premiere business editor and reporter has laid out the logic found in the unifing elements between the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

Writes Rick Haglund:

"Occupy Wall Street, a growing protest against corporate greed, income inequality and a few other things, is spreading across the country."

"Conservative pundits with secure jobs and comprehensive health care benefits scoff at these protests as the unfocused rants of fuzzy thinking left-wingers who want to destroy capitalism. On their website, occupywallst.org, the protesters describe themselves as a "leaderless resistance movement employing the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to restore democracy in America.

They say they are the 99 percent of Americans who 'will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1 percent.'  Whether the Occupy movement will jell into a potent force for reform is far from clear. It could disappear as fast as it started."

Haglund concludes with this strong assessment:

"But don't count it out just yet. The Occupiers represent a widespread belief that Michigan and the rest of the country have gone off the rails. The tea party was born out of the same frustration; that America was losing its greatness. But while the Occupy movement blames corporate greed, the tea partiers point their angry fingers at government. The Occupiers are raging against more complex forces, which they probably don't fully understand..."

Another snip:

"I'd bet that many Americans who wouldn't go near an Occupy demonstration share the Occupiers' belief that the economy is rigged against them. Corporate profits are at record highs, yet jobs are scarce. Interest rates are at record lows, but it's tough to get a loan. Many people are working harder than ever, but can't get ahead. Although economists declared the Great Recession over more than two years ago, most Americans still are losing ground.

A new study by two former Census Bureau officials, reported last week in the New York Times, found that household income has declined at more than twice the rate since the recession ended than it did during the downturn. While household income declined 3.2 percent between December 2007 and June 2009 - the start and end points of the recession - it fell 6.7 percent from June 2009 to June 2011, the study found.

A new survey by Lansing-based EPIC/MRA, taken earlier this month, found 52 percent of likely Michigan voters believe the state is on the wrong track, while 72 percent think the nation is on the wrong track.

THE STATE LOST NEARLY 6,000 JOBS IN AUGUST. THE STATE'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS RISEN FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS AND STANDS AT 11.2 PERCENT.

Which leads me to this question about the Occupy movement: WHAT TOOK IT SO LONG?"
(emphasis added) 

SEE: "Occupy Wall Street protest a long time coming" October 16, 2011.

Ignore Rick Haglund's analysis at your own peril. Change is coming. Change that is pro-active and productive? THAT POSITIVE TURN IS UP THE GREAT AMERICAN MIDDLE-THE SO-CALLED SILENT MAJORITY - OR NOT.

Original.

The Occupy Wall Street Activists & Grassroots Tea Party Activists Have a Lot in Common

What has become clearly obvious is that much unites the concerns of the Tea Party leaning Americans and Americans of the Occupy Wall Street protest- many of their individual concerns are in many ways shared.

Both Groups are vastly unhappy and uncomfortable with corporations and ineffective and hidebound congressional members in this our time of our ongoing economic and jobs crisis. Change is demanded.

The one and only Independent Member of Congress, the Honorable Bernie Sanders has succinctly listed Six Demands to be made of Wall Street and they are worthy of our attention:

1. If a financial institution is too big to fail, it is too big to exist,
2. Put a cap on credit card interest rates to end usury,
3. The Federal Reserve needs to provide small businesses in America with the same low-interest loans it gave to foreign banks,
4. Stop Wall Street oil speculators from artificially increasing gasoline and heating oil prices,
5. Demand that Wall Street invest in the job-creating productive economy, instead of gambling on worthless derivatives,
6. Establish a Wall Street speculation fee on credit default swaps, derivatives, stock options and futures.

More from Sanders statement:

"Making these reforms will not be easy. After all, Wall Street is clearly the most powerful lobbying force on Capitol Hill. From 1998 through 2008, the financial sector spent over $5 billion in lobbying and campaign contributions to deregulate Wall Street. More recently, they spent hundreds of millions more to make the Dodd-Frank bill as weak as possible, and after its passage, hundreds of millions more to roll back or diluter the stronger provisions in that legislation."

Sanders Summary of the Wall Street Debacle:

"Let us never forget that as a result of the greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street, this country was plunged into the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Millions of Americans lost their jobs, homes, and life savings as the middle class underwent an unprecedented collapse. Sadly, despite all the suffering caused by Wall Street, there is no reason to believe that the major financial institutions have changed their ways, or that future financial disasters and bailouts will not happen again.

"More than three years ago, Congress rewarded Wall Street with the biggest taxpayer bailout in the history of the world. Simultaneously but unknown to the American people at the time, the Federal Reserve provided an even larger bailout. The details of what the Fed did were kept secret until a provision in the Dodd-Frank Act that I sponsored required the Government Accountability Office to audit the Fed's lending programs during the financial crisis."

There is more in these 6 REFORM PROPOSALS that unite both genuine grassroots, independent Tea Partiers - and those now thousands of The Silent Majority who are intent on seeing real changes, and very soon.

Did you get that? THERE IS MORE THAT UNITES THAN DIVIDES PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE BACK AMERICA TO A CORE SET OF VALUES AND AN HONEST GOVERNMENT - overseeing and enforcing honest and business/finance practices which once again will carry us forward.


Original.

If we lose these, we are conquered, fallen indeed...

"..Virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone that renders us (America) invincible. These are the tactics we should study. If we lose these, we are conquered, fallen indeed... so long as our manners and principles remain sound, there is no danger."

-- Patrick Henry (1736-1799) US Founding Father in a letter on "American character" to Archibald Blair January 8, 1799 (Tyler, pg 365).

Original in response to comments.

The Lansing Capitol Aviary: Peacocks Claiming to be Carrier Pigeons

Ignore the citizens & claim you know best how to govern without their participation: Snyder's Socialist "Central Planning" comes home to roost.

At least twice the Michigan Public said via polling by a 2 to 1 margin that they would accept and favor an increase in taxes to sustain the state and its many vital functions until this present economic distress passes. Never once did the Rick Snyder led TeaPublican majority respond or accept the will of the people -constituents they boast they represent and know best how to act on their behalf.

If a small increase of .3 to .5 percent increase in Michigan's income tax would have carried the state through the crisis that TeaPublicans egregiously and fraudulently used to put through a horrendous tax increase on the elderly, the poor, and pensioners.

The TeaPublicans are tone deaf to the cries of the unemployed-over a half a million Michigan workers without jobs and without prospects of jobs. These stone cold newbies and go-along remnants of former elections (being deathly afraid of being TP'ed in the next primary) have rolled-over to become lap dogs to extremism and paroxysms of anger and reprisal legislation.

A SIGNIFICANT "DEMOCRATIC" DEFICIT
In fact, the two profs uncovered a significant "democratic deficit":

"In Michigan, where the Governor's approval ratings hover at just over 32 percent as of August 2011, IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS THAT VOTERS ARE NOT AT ALL HAPPY WITH THE IDEOLOGY-BASED "FIXES" BEING IMPLEMENTED BY POLS. Lax and Phillips write, "[S]tates effectively translate majority opinion into policy only about half the time, a clear 'failing' grade on the congruence test. This is true even when majorities are large and when salience is high, which raises significant questions about the democratic performance of state government." This is certainly the case in Lansing, where POLICIES BEING IMPLEMENTED DO NOT represent THE RELATIVELY LIBERAL OPINIONS OF THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS."
(emphasis added)

SEE: "New Study Shows Michigan Ranks in Top 10 Among States in Which State and Local Politicos Ignore Public Opinion" by P.D. Lesko (As covered by A2Politico October 10, 2011 or READ the original REPORT).

PROMISED CUTS VERSUS FEATHERING THEIR OWN NESTS
The public wants to see the unrealistic ' bennies' of State legislators (serve 6 years in the legislature and get lifetime benefits) cut. So what actually happened ?

Tim Skubick reports:

"Whatever happened to the legislative mantra that all benefits for public workers be tied to those in the private sector where getting vested in six years is only a dream?

When the Michigan House took up this bill, THE MEASURE WOULD HAVE ENDED THIS BENEFIT FOR 109 OF THE 110 MEMBERS. In the state senate 32 of the 38 senators would have been exempted from the law. In other words they would keep their health care from the state until they turned 65.

Well a curious thing happened as the House measure moved around the capitol rotunda and arrived in the Upper Chamber a.k.a. the House of Lords or the state senate.

Instead of one representative keeping his benefits, the bill was changed to include 14. And instead of 32 senators, the number was kicked up to 36.

There must have been a reason for that and it was, MANY HOUSE AND SENATE FOLKS DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE WHAT THEY HAD, SO THEY WROTE THE BILL TO PROTECT THEMSELVES."
(emphasis added)

SEE: Tim Skubick in "Michigan Lawmakers Pull a Fast One on Health Care Benefits" October 11, 2011.

SO DOWN THOSE PEACOCK FEATHERS !

Original.

Find Hank Payne: Provocateur & Blames-layer

Forget Henry Payne's schismatic preoccupation with Occupy Detroit: Let's Find Hank in the Crowd

• Where was Hank Payne when Hudsons left Downtown Detroit?
• Where was Hank Payne when GM tore down Poletown?
  SEE:"Condemn nation", in The Colorado Springs Gazette August 4, 2004.
• Where was Hank Payne when Detroit tore down Tiger Stadium and built Comerica Park?
• Where was Hank Payne when thousands of middle class blacks exited urban Detroit?
• Where was Hank Payne when the Roman Catholic Church summarily abandoned26 parishes and shuttered their sanctuaries?
  SEE: "Occupy Detroit: Why?" by Henry Payne in the Michigan View October 15, 2011.

• Where is Hank Payne in the planning to privatize and profitize Cobo Hall?
• Where is Hank Payne in the on-going attempt of Brooks Patterson and others to "steal" Detroit's billion dollar waterworks?
• Where is Hank Payne in the push to use taxpayer moneys to replace the "Joe"?
• Where is Hank Payne on the vital commerce bridge to and from Canada? (Port Huron/Sarnia has 2)
• Where is Hank Payne on the issue of abandoned structures in urban Detroit?
• Where is Hank Payne thoroughly investigating the galloping simony and corruption via appointed "experts" such as EMFer Robert Bobb?
  SEE: The work of investigative author, Russ Bellant, has issued a special investigation concerning the misdeeds of Robert Bobb and the present office of "Emergency Finance Manager"; details that line out further miscues and irregularities under Bobb's dictatorial powers over DPS.
  
• Where is Hank Payne on critical need to have State Police patrol Detroit's freeways?
• Where is Hank Payne on the issue of Detroit infrastructure? (Municipal electric service's multiple brown-outs and power outages)
• Where is Hank Payne on the issue of the federal government's bailout salvaging the thousands of jobs potentially lost to the bankruptcy of GM & Chrysler ?
• Where does Hank Payne stand on the issue of voter rights and civil rights for minorities?
• Where does Hank Payne stand on homelessness, street-corner mental illness, and extreme jobless poverty?
  SEE the LETTER, in which Catholics Call on LEADERS to Remember the Needy in the Detroit Free Press April 11, 2011.
  
• Where does Hank Payne stand on landlords and slum rental practices?
• Where does Hank Payne land on 'social justice'?

Let's go find Hank Payne. What occupies his head these days? Does Hank plan to play 'superman' for Detroit? We're waiting.


Original.

The Evangelical “Base” - So Indispensible to the GOP Electoral Success - is in Denial and Utter Confusion

What's alarming and mysterious is how faithfully "true believing" folk are taken in by crass political and business practices that are destroying their lives, ruining their communities, robbing them of living wage jobs, foreclosing on their homesteads, and sending their young and brave to die on foreign soil for private/corporate causes... and worst of all this faction (the GOP's diehard religious base) is taking down the entire country with their demands that we all be subservient to their beliefs, while steadfastly ignoring the real issues: loss of saving, no jobs, wealth inequality, privatization of the public square, and rampant corporate greed.

It's clear that the leadership of this religious segment of American society hasn't come to face reality that the harm which they have prophesied for decades as coming from OUTSIDE FORCES is really now most virulent and destructive as forces organized and promoted from sources on the inside as well. THE COUNCIL FOR NATIONAL POLICY HAD IN IT MEMBERS WHOSE INTERESTS EASILY SLIP FROM RELIGIOUS TO ENTREPRENEURIAL, FROM MORAL ISSUES TO DE-REGULATED CORPORATE INTERESTS. These forces have promoted and put in place legislation, programs, and business models that have inflicted considerable harm on themselves: the members of the conservative Catholics, Pentecostal, Mormons, and Evangelical congregations across the country.

"...(J)ust how pervasive the alliance between the rich on the one hand, and the church on the other, has become can be measured by the harsh new attitude towards the poor manifested today by so many evangelicals - an attitude which ascribes poverty to "laziness" and "individual failure;" while such an attitude is not particularly reflective of Christ's attitude towards the poor, it certainly reflects the historic attitude of the rich" 

... writes S. R. Shearer - one brave prophetic voice that has been crying out in the wilderness of these times against the sinfulness and moral injustice these highly skilled and politically connected men of immense wealth have perpetrated on the poor and the very people, who are the base of the Republican Party and the 8 year threadbare "morals" cult of "Texas born-againer" George W. Bush.

Shearer insightfully explains:

"In attributing poverty to "laziness" and "individual failure," evangelicals have unwittingly bought into the arguments of their elite "business allies" - allies which have ostensibly joined them in their struggle to "return America to Christ and the church." But what evangelicals have evidently not fathomed is the fact that much of the poverty which has developed in the country since 1972 is directly attributable to the "free trade" (and, ipso facto, anti-union) policies and practices of their own business backers - phony "supporters" who, on the one hand, financially aid the ministries and churches of their evangelical allies, while on the other hand they mercilessly ship American jobs (many of which are held by rank-and-file evangelicals) overseas to Third World sweat shops. Maybe the next time evangelicals hear of large sums of money pouring into their churches and/or ministries from wealthy benefactors, they might do well to ask themselves what all this money is purchasing? What deals - implied or otherwise - might have been struck? WHAT KIND OF SILENCE ON THE PART OF THEIR LEADERS THIS MONEY MIGHT BE BUYING?"
(emphasis added)

This is a very troubling era, and if it is not corrected, OUR SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT WILL COME INTO GREAT CALAMITY... The "conservative" church, the "use-the-government-to promote" their ideological and theological goals faction, has become a huge economic source of adventure for an evil cabal of far right corporatists and free marketers (given effective cover from the religious groups) as well as the latest group of "free marketeers" among them are 400 OR SO CORPORATE MEMBERS WHO DOMINATE AND CONTROL THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL.

Now that the auspices of FOX/Rupert have given us (via the saturation promotion of so-called Tea Parties) the scourge of angry white men with placards and megaphones in mimic of the original Tea Party hooligans and vandals. Thanks to Karl Rove, Dick Armey, the Brothers Koch, and FOX we have a movement (laced with conservative religionists) completely out of control of GOP regulars and forcing the country deeper into ongoing economic chaos.

The "values voters," Fundamentalists, conservative Catholics, Evangelicals, and Pentecostals have only themselves to blame for the thundering failures now raining down on America. They have made the current mess possible by their blind allegiance to their own narrow beliefs and beguiling operatives while blind to the day-to-day problems of everyday life and gridlocked federal government.

Keen to choke all Americans with their sectarian dogmas and strict behavioral demands and aggressively using "government coercion" in many areas of human life, while ignoring the crumbling economy and the ongoing wars of present day. This command leadership has put a full nelson on the selection of appointees, the Supreme Court, and federal judgeships.

Decrying "big government" THESE FORCES HAVE ACTUALLY BECOME THE CLUELESS PROMOTERS OF BAD GOVERNMENT-BLIND TO THE FOIBLES AND FLAWS OF THOSE IN GOVERNMENT WHO ESPOUSE THE KIND OF BRANDED "CHRISTIANITY" THAT THESE THEOLOTICIANS USE TO PULL-THE-WOOL ON THE HUMBLE BELIEVERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHILE CATERING TO THE NEEDS OF A VAST CORPORATOCRACY.

Blind to greed, fraud, and corruption in the business and financial world, these religious groupings (and their compromised leadership) have abandoned social justice, to become the enablers of catastrophic crimes against the economic well-being of the nation and their own children.

Social Justice Defined
Social Justice means an equal participation of all groups in a society mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure.

None less than the "national pastor" Dr. Billy Graham once weighed in on the scope of Social Justice: "Jesus taught that we are to take regeneration in one hand and a cup of cold water in the other."

And "Christians, above all other, should be concerned with social problems and social injustice."

Original.

Probity and Politics: Justice Markman in the Hot Seat

Michigan State Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Markham's probity is in serious question and he doesn't even get it. In his "Statement Denying Motion to Recuse in Emergency Manager Case."

Steve Markman makes his own case against his recusal. In a biblical sense, if not in a strict-what will Michigan law allow sense - Markman should "avoid the very appearance" of conflict and the evil/corruption that may be associated with going forward on Snyder's requested EMF ruling.

In campaigning in the past with former Chief Justices Mary Coleman and Elizabeth Weaver questions would arise from citizens about the justice's stances on various questions, usually some "moral issue" and both ladies would always decline comment or conjecture. They had no wish to telegraph or indicate before-the-fact how they might rule on an issue however hypothetical. They were ethically intent upon preserving the highest standards for probity.

Justice Markman, however, prior to being elected to the Michigan Supreme Court reveled in stating his opinion on rulings that would involve business interests. His most often quoted, pet topic-at the time, the case of the McDonalds' too hot coffee. Markman ridiculed the substance of this case and belittled its importance. As it turned out, McDonalds was serving extremely hot coffee, particularly unsuited to drive up/drive thru service, in a container and under a condition that caused scalding burns. The corporation was loath to change its method of brewing because , it was said, the replacement of the brewing equipment would be of a too high cost. Thus, they persisted in selling and packaging coffee with a serious burn capacity willfully ignoring the harm such over hot coffee could inflict on customers.

Steve Markman thought this case was a hoot, a frivolous legal action of the type he personally would not condone or approve if elected to the Michigan Supreme Court he clearly projected.

At a Republican event, Markman was asked about his association with the Federalist Society. What is the Federalist Society? Is it sort of like the AAA, a service that renders help to its membership if they go into a ditch? "No," replied Markman, "it is like the ACLU." There you have it. Markman, early on, understood and knew that he was constructing a persona as a potential Michigan Justice that would fit the Federalist philosophy, which in Markman's estimation was the equivalent/equal to that of the aggressive ACLU-a group known for its activistism and pursuit of issues from a strong perspective and tight philosophy.

Likewise, Markman knew that he would be in pursuit of a set of "values" which he demonstrated through his ridicule of the "Too Hot" McDonald's legal case. The partisan audiences he addressed in his campaign (to be elected for the first time to the Michigan Supreme Court) fully understood that he had a set opinion framework and was telegraphing his future decisions based on his modeling of the McDonalds' legal case.

Markman lost his probity then, and now his test of probity-as a "too political" justice-comes to the forefront again via a conflict of interest involving Markman's wife and her state/political position.

This time in by remaining ready to rule on this attempt by Rick Snyder to preemptively/via judicial activism-have Markman and the other justices decide in advance the outcome of any lower court rulings " the survival and validity of the TeaPublican's assault on voter franchise and local government authenticity and survival under his dictatorial Emergency Finance Manager legislation/regime.

Original.

Fools All: It’s twilight time in the TeaPublican Michigan State Senate

"Confiscation Schools"! Has Pavlov's Ed Committee Lost It's Mind? Sowing the Seeds of Local Discontent & Destruction: More angry, bullheaded attempts to destroy public education as we know it.

Yesterday, if the senate schedule held, the Senate Education Committee headed up by Sen. Phil Pavlov, entertained and possibly passed to the full senate, a complete package of utter nonsense (So-called Conversion Schools). Damaging and destroying our communities, this radical, unheard of ignorant overreach is again based on raw revenge, demeans and exposes these TeaPublican Senators as fools- dangerous to Michigan children, the foundations of public education, all dangerous to our futures.

Let's look over the rail and examine the non-sense proposal:
Sen. David Robertson: SB620 (Robertson) Education; public school academies; conversion schools...

Convoluted/Simpleton Rules for Confiscation of Neighborhood School Operations by Outsiders & Privateers:

Revise "the School Code to provide for the organization and administration of conversion schools, which would be public schools previously operated by a school district and converted under a contract issued by an authorizing body."

1. -- Require a petition to convert a school to be signed by at least 51% of the teachers at that school or at least 51% of the parents or guardians of pupils at the school.

2. -- Require an application to convert a school to be submitted to the board of the school district that included the school and, if that board did not approve the application, allow it to be submitted to another authorizing body.

In a public small school with, let's say 10 teachers, 6 teachers could revolt and privatize the school, a small group of parents may do likewise.

The local school, previously belonging to and operated by the local public district, would be removed from public jurisdiction, supervision, and control. The neighborhood schools would be made into another faux public school: A private school funded with taxpayer moneys.

Charters are by law, in most cases, private schools -unless operated by directly by a college or a school or ISD district- schools that are funded with public tax dollars, but run willy nilly by private, for-profit operators. They are franchise schools or corporate schools. Faux Public Charters are private schools funded with public money, operating outside the control and purview of the local population.

The acrimony, destruction to student progress and education and accompanying disruption created by this Robertson "nonsense proposal" boarders on fantastical. It's just plain NUTS.

Mr. Robertson's proposal for "conversion schools" fronts for "the Republican-led effort (which) would throw all kinds of new powers to parents and charter schools. It would even let a district fill classrooms with teachers employed by private, for-profit companies."

What are these angry and aggressive TeaPublicans thinking? Rather, what are they doing out of rage?

Note: the local elected board of education can be leap-frogged and excluded from the control or loss of a school to the local public. 

Sen. David Robertson is so intent on doing harm, that he is willing to go wild in his anti-public, anti-community crusade.

Conversion schools are schools of destruction and disillusion of the right of local citizens to own and control their local schools. To simply create a questionable legal legislative mechanism to remove a school from the public to private hands is A THEFT OF THE COMMON PROPERTY OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.

This proposed act allows for the introduction of educational management companies (including out-state corporations) which will be involved in the conversion school's operations.

Addressing the very real problems of the politics of Conversion Schools the proposal inserts these caveats:

1.)" A requirement that the board prohibit specifically identified family relationships between board members, individuals with an ownership interest in an educational management organization involved in the school's operation, officers or employees of such an organization, and employees of the school."

2.)" A requirement that the board prohibit any individual from being employed by the school in more than one full-time position and simultaneously being compensated at a full-time rate for each of those positions."

A sampling of other Roberson concepts in his Proposal:

1.) Require a conversion school authorized by a school district to be located in the school that was converted and prohibit the district from charging rent, but make the school financially responsible for maintaining the facilities

2.) The bill also would include a school operated by a conversion school corporation in the Code's definition of "public school", and would include a conversion school in the definition of "public school academy".

3.) To obtain a contract to convert a public school operated by a school district to a conversion school, one or more people or a legal entity would have to apply to the school district and submit to the board of the district an application and a petition signed by at least 51% of the teachers employed by the school district at the school to be converted and/or at least 51% of the parents or legal guardian of the pupils enrolled in the school. The board would have to consider the petition and approve or deny it within 60 days. If the board denied the petition, it would have to issue a letter of denial to the applicant.

4.) Collective Bargaining: If a conversion school were authorized by the board of the school district that operated the school that was converted, the school district would be the employer of the employees regularly working at the conversion school, but the school and its employees would not be subject to collective bargaining agreements that applied to employees of the school district employed in similar classifications in schools that were not conversion schools.

If a "conversion"school were authorized by an authorizing body other than the board of the school district that had operated the school, the school district would not be the employer of employees regularly working at the conversion school and the school and those employees would not be subject to a collective bargaining agreement with the school district.

SOURCE: Senate Document "CONVERSION SCHOOLS S.B. 620: COMMITTEE SUMMARY"

Footnote: David Robertson is the self-same individual who has taken up Snyder style Socialism Central Control: usurpation of local and community voice in the locals own affairs. Its one horrednous step too far:

Mr. Robertson sez, ""We need to empower the top executive to appoint more people ;who will go deeper into the bureaucracy," Robertson said. "THE HEART OF THE ISSUE IS POLITICAL POWER."

Blogger Eclectoblog states:

"If his (Robertson's) proposal to let the governor appoint 1% of the state government employees moves forward it would increase the current number by a factor of 4.5. Again, this is all about political power and ROBERTSON HAS BECOME SO INTOXICATED WITH HIS PARTY'S UNBRIDLED OVERREACH IN MICHIGAN THAT HE DOESN'T FEEL ANY NEED TO HIDE IT."
(emphasis added)

SOURCE: "Republican state senator Robertson wants Governor to have MORE power"

Just what are Mr. Robertson and the 'rogue' TeaPublicans up to? Let Susan Demas explain:

"It's hard for Republicans to make the case that they haven't singled out schools and teachers' unions in a host of policies this year. Legislation mandating public employees to pay more for health insurance had an opt-out clause for municipalities -- but schools are forced to participate. Teacher tenure reform once again dictates to school districts how it deals with employees, whereas local governments don't get any such edicts."

"And even this week, the Senate passed legislation limiting school board elections to November of even-numbered years. That saves money. But the Senate wasn't interested in saving more money by applying it to municipalities. They can still hold elections four times a year, every year.

"Because the hope is that it will be easier for conservative school board members to get elected when there's more than just school issues on the ballot. Another goal is to make it harder for schools to pass millages -- even though schools have few options as the Legislature swiped $1 billion from the School Aid Fund this year and passed new business taxes specifically designed to give schools less money.

"REPUBLICANS MAY HAVE THE VOTES TO KEEP BEATING THE MEA AND TEACHERS' UNIONS LIKE A DRUM. BUT THEY SHOULDN'T INSULT OUR INTELLIGENCE BY CLAIMING THAT THEY'RE JUST THINKING OF THE CHILDREN."
(emphasis added) 

SOURCE: "With Right to Teach, Republicans' war with unions gets personal"

Why would Mr. Robertson do this?
"I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work in all these policy areas during the new year," Robertson said. "I'm confident we can make Michigan a place that businesses long to call home. I can't wait." 

Add in his comment: "The heart of the issue is POLITICAL POWER." There you have it.

Mr. Robertson-Legislating Recklessly
One source states:

"Antisocial behavior may not always be related to some form of physical ailment or illness. Some people are just comfortable with living recklessly and form a bad habit of living carelessly and irresponsibly. This involves their own freedom of choice." 

Being interpolated, Sen. Dave Roberson is more than comfortable with viewing himself as super important, and going to the limit and beyond in his anti-public crusade, he is anti-community and should be shunned and discredited-he is far too irresponsible to represent his own district, much less inflict such nonsense on the state via his exalted view of the power of his office as a extreme ideologically oriented state senator.


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Socialist (Gov Rick) Snyder: Forcing Michissippi (Michigan) into “Central Planning”

Governor Rick Snyder and TeaPublicans have coerced Michigan into "Central Planning" creating out-of-control "Snyder Socialism"- the very antithesis of everything sacred to moral conservatism.

Liberal Generosity and Goodwill: Too Soft for Harsh Punishment Fanatics and Greedy Corporatists

The triumph of liberalism is represented by generosity and goodwill over and against the TP'er's crude demoralization, the devastation of rampant corporate GREED and rise of social evil.

Michissippi as Snyder's reinvention substitution of Socialist Central Control and Lansing planning for local control and citizen led democracy.

Making the business god supreme, and God's people the lessers is a dangerous tact. Takers v. the men and women of family and community: monied men are enriched, the "real" people of ordinary life (99%'ers) are defrauded and robbed-their American Dream is mortally assaulted!

Snyder's cynical "Central Planning" impacts the state in many viral ways; (e.g. meaning those who demand a teacher go it alone, without support of his or her fellow professionals in a mutual association) thus TP'ers are intent on inflicting great harm.

Snyder and the TeaPublicans have risen in radical success because THEY HAVE CROSSED THE LINE HAVING ASSUMED THE POWER TO TAKE FROM THE CITIZENS OF THIS STATE STATUS, INCOME, RIGHTS, AND SAVINGS. TP'er anger generated power is corrupting and evil.

Teachers have been the Rad Right Target for over 30 years, only now (when the Repubican Party has run out of genuine moral compass and ethical standards) has this shameful "take-down" possible.

This America-wide attack on public school teachers and their hard-earned rights and previous status as professionals is a egregious coup d'état, mounted in large part by mega-wealthy who dwell in the upper tiers of that now infamous 1% who have managed to manipulate and control the legislative processes and lawmaking over decades (as per the American Legislative Exchange Council - A.L.E.C.) into a rarefied universe/galaxy of great greed and societal evil.

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Michigan's Nerd (Rick Snyder) came to office as a chancery candidate; a true chicane, a man unwilling to be straight forward and honest- reveal what he had in store for the state. Rick was willing to accept the cloak: "moderate" even embrace the endorsement of former Governor William Milliken - thus bringing moderates and independent voters in tow. However, those most "in-the-know" knew that the "Nerd" was intent upon inflicting great harm and devastation specifically on the teaching profession... and privately said so.

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It was the backing of the Business Leaders for Michigan that a key junctures moved Snyder to the forefront and won him the GOP nomination; ushered him through the mine field that was the TeaPartisan uprising that occurred at the 2010 GOP statewide nominating convention, where Snyder was jeered/booed and his nominee for lieutenant governor booed and insulted and very nearly removed from the ticket at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

Taking down unions is a very negative and foreboding event. When this happens greater evils ensue. For Michigan and America the outcome will be as dire and as threatening as it has been for other times and places.

Economist Friedrich von Hayek, During the Depression Years, WARNED ABOUT "CENTERAL PLANNING" AS THE ROAD TO SERFDOM:

"Hayek did indeed tell us...at a time when that message was deeply unfashionable. In 1937, in the wake of the Great Depression and with capitalism and democracy under siege from communism and fascism, he published an academic article entitled "ECONOMICS AND KNOWLEDGE," which pointed out that free markets were not just a political construct, as many critics claimed, but remained the best way of coordinating scattered information.

"Seven years later, when most of the world's major economies were under unprecedented central control, Hayek published THE ROAD TO SERFDOM, a damning indictment of socialism and state planning that once more, this time in plain English, laid out the fundamental advantage of the free market: by allowing millions of decision makers to respond individually to freely determined prices, it allocates resources-LABOR, CAPITAL, AND HUMAN INGENUITY-IN A MANNER THAT CAN'T BE MIMICKED BY A CENTRAL PLAN, HOWEVER BRILLIANT THE CENTRAL PLANNER."

How very odd that Professor Gary Wolfram, from his lair at bucolic Hillsdale College, should miss the fact that our "Nerd" governor and the corporate inspired and FOX (a Rupert Murdock faux front for THE ONE PERCENTER S of big wealth) organized and sponsored the TeaPartisan uprising that has done great harm to our state via A.L.E.C. plug and play legislation and by means of the threat of being TP'ed in primaries has missed the reality that we in Michigan have been ushered into "Central planning."

The newbie legislative TP'ers are hate and fear-filled fanatics. They've imposed "central planning" on Michigan, preempted local "market forces" as per collective bargaining at the local school district level and with local municipalities -as in negotiations for first responders, firefighters and police held with neighbors and local community members.

Former uber-conservative state Senator Jack Welborn made it clear in 1993 that the state take-over of the local school operating funding mechanism (school operations funding) was tantamount to an important "tool" to force changes in the public school system which were henceforth to come "top-down" from bureaucraticLansing-as central control.

The TeaPartisan GOP legislature has taken Michigan in a radically socialist direction by the very means of punitive state legislation concentrating decision making within the TP/A.L.E.C. dominated legislative-a virtual stranglehold over all three branches of Michigan government: the legislature, the supreme court, and the executive branch.


Local control is kaput! Gone!

Even more shocking and more deeply threatening is THE TEAPUBLICAN USE OF THE STATE'S POLICE POWERS TO TAKE OVER LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT AND ACT IN A SUPER-DICTATORIAL WAY TO ACHIEVE SUBJECTIVE GOALS OF THOSE CENTRAL PLANNING EXECUTIVES FROM LANSING. This is a complete and total denial of the very principles the GOP and the public have held so dear so long.

Michigan's "greatest generation" fought to protect democracy as we once knew it. Now the 1%er Corporatocracy and its poltical lackeys have arisen to dominate and control their grandchildren. The economic elites have stolen the future.

Their grandchildren are not going to take it anymore, they are organizing to Occupy Wall Street until there is real change in how wealth is permitted by pro-business legislation to dominate and suppress the workers and middle class.

The Lansing TeaPartisans are anathema to democracy and local control.

Rick Snyder's "central control" is comprised of usurpation and domination of wages, benefits, and working conditions. SNYDER SOCIALISM IS REVISIONIST & REGRESSIVE, thus he's a danger to Michigan's well being. SNYDER'S "ROAD TO SERFDOM" HAS DESTROYED FREEDOM & THE LOCAL FREE MARKET FORCES IN MICHIGAN.

Michissippi is Snyder's reinvention and it is totally unacceptable, un-democratic.

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No Rights for Teacher Union Organization: Randy Richardville’s TeaPartisan Teacher Rights Libel Legislation

Randy Richardville's crude lawmaking revenge on Teacher's Professional Organizations is based on a specific TeaPartisan Teacher Rights Libel. Don't expect Richardville to accurately represent the role of teacher organizations in the school workplace. He's not well-informed as to the actual conditions in today's education.

Much of the rationale foisted on the public by Richardville libels the real facts and demeans a great profession. If you are a devoted teacher there is NOTHING BETTER YOU WILL EVER DO.

Richardville's vilification of Michigan Teachers en mass, in his high-handed, brutal fashion (faux-right to work regs,) is a complete verification of the untrustworthiness of this TeaPublican dominated Michigan Government-its small mindedness. It's actions fly in the face of the honorable actions of former Governors (e.g. Gov. George Romney - who signed into law the collective bargaining that ushered in a golden age of teaching and professionalism 1965-1990) and legislators; statespeople-who understood and accepted the right of teachers to act as professionals and have a defined voice in their day-to-day classroom efforts, entering the learning place day-after-day to nurture and mentor pupils in their educational journeys and meet their individual/special needs.

Those who demean this sacred vocation are unworthy of credulity or voracity.

Richardville's ongoing Rad Right assault on teachers; discriminates against them with his "Teacher-Right-to-Work" prevented-the-right-and-privileges-of-collective-bargaining-via-organizing-professionally." Richardville's targeted legislation is a frontal assault; summarily, arbitrarily, discriminating against a targeted set of professionals held to be political enemies of the TeaPublican coup. The coup attacks teachers in a spasm of meanspiritedness and unvarnished partisanship.

This anti-union action is the bottom of the loathsome profit-takers' chum bucket: just one of many attacks the TeaParty rabble has brought into the restored peoples' house, Michigan's historic Capitol. This is a dark and foreboding hour in those chambers.

Richard Studley and the tassel loafered lobbyists over at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce are in a state of heightened euphoria. This Richardville action fulfills one of their most coveted goals (SEE "Strategic Union Avoidance - How to Remain Union Free").
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These malingering TeaPublicans, led by Richardville, are anathema to democracy, fair play, and local control. They are fringe dwellers who are in-fact out of control. They're totally out of step with the majority of the public-running wild in spasms of vituperative spiels and led about by the American Legislative Exchange Council (plug and play) control of the direction lawmaking in Michigan. Specific language is spooned fed to them by corporations, most based outside Michigan. A.L.E.C. members slip it into bill submission and press for its passage into law.

"Nerd" Snyder has, with the aid of over 90 past or present Michigan A.L.E.C. members, moved in a direction dictated by the top 1% of the nation's wealth holders, the mega-rich elites: Koch Bros, Walton Family, DeVos Family, Bradley Family, and a plethora of others - just as rich and influential-determined to profit/privatize at the expense of the middle class; of which TEACHERS are in integral and important part.

Richardville dutifully represents these vast monied interests with vigor. What about his local community? Those local teachers he has demeaned and attacked? How can Richardville claim to represent those who are his constituents?


Richardville Lays Out His Plan of Attack on OFF THE RECORD

HOST TIM SKUBICK TO RICHARDVILLE: Right to work?

RICHARDVILLE: Uh, not Right to Work. No, uh, I'm not a believer that that's going to transition the economy at this point. However, I will look at some other things, maybe a subset of that. If you pay dollars into a public school system, you send your kids there, you want to participate, I don't know that you necessarily need to be a part of a union in order to work or teach in the school district.

SKUBICK: So "Right to Work for Teachers".

RICHARDVILLE: I would call it the "Right to Teach" or "The Right to Participate" in the education system.

SKUBICK : Put that in a practical way. So that means that the MEA wouldn't get members or how would that work?

RICHARDVILLE: Well, they could still offer their membership but it, uh, it wouldn't be a forced membership. They would have to recruit and do their work off-campus.

DETROIT FREE PRESS REPORTER CHRIS CHRISTOFF: Why would single out schools for that? Public schools?

RICHARDVILLE: Well, because right now, the public schools are the one that are in dire straits and I believe that those unions and those workers that are out in the day-to-day, you know the teamsters, the engineers, the carpenters, the building trades, they've already had a significant effect from this economy. They're paying more for their health care, they have less hours, they're getting less pay.

They've had that effect directly.

What's happened in the public schools and, in some cases, the public government in general, is that that economic impact hasn't hit. And so we're making those adjustments for that reason.

SKUBICK: Is this an anti-MEA move?

RICHARDVILLE: No, no, not at all.

SKUBICK: An attempt to get even?

RICHARDVILLE: No, but we do have to "

SKUBICK: You're not trying to take on the MEA, right?

RICHARDVILLE: I don't think taking on any union has anything to do with what our agenda is.

SEE: 1. "Senate Majority Leader Richardville Takes Aim At MEA"

SEE 2. Off the Record, September 9, 2011.

The Off the Record transcript shows the shallow and uninformed mind-set of Richardville. His denial of the TeaPublican's obvious vindictive intent and obfuscation are affirmations of his own true motivation. He's a "tool" of forces so overwhelming, he cannot defend against their influence and survive.

Senator Richardville is a sell-out to the elites who are pulling down Michigan and also America. Cocksure of his devotion to corporate directed radical ideology, Sen. Richardville is profoundly wrong. Richardville will be well-remembered as an anti-education cutout lacking depth and dimension.

This dust-up; a spade of threatening, boorish, and angry anti-teacher legislation polluting the halls of lawmaking; and demeaning our premiere helping profession-those who are mentoring the young-rests with Richardville and his off-the-rails TeaPublican legislature.

Even though Rick Snyder may veto this Teacher/MEA/R2W legislation, if it's put on his desk, the damage done to these politicians will be long-lasting and with direct impact on the ability of these pols to retain or seek further office.

A Republican cannot go against the historic conservative tenets and time-honored standards of the GOP, local community, and the community's finest citizens and not suffer many serious repercussions of its own making.


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