trusty getto

Changes on the horizon . . . .

2010-03-07T21:04:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are blog-savvy, you may have heard that Blogger, a/k/a Blogspot, is cutting off their ftp publishing support later this month. Because this is how I publish my blog, this presents some unique challenges. Although there are a lot of options, there is no option that involves keeping my current web address and keeping the template/appearance/interface that I’ve been using for several years.

Please visit the new temporary site, www.trustygetto.com/blog. There is no need to change your links, as the regular www.trustygetto.com address will point to the new blog as soon as I"m done fixing the site. From here on out, all new posts will be at the new blog.

When you check it out, don't be shocked. It's not done yet. I will be updating the blogroll, so if there are links you want to see that you don’t currently see, please leave a comment, and I’ll be happy to add them on. I will be eliminating links to sites that haven’t updated in some time or that appear to be inactive. If you want those links back, leave a comment, and I’ll put ‘em back.

Comments, questions, whatever are welcome. Have at it!

Ypsilanti Burning: Thompson Block Blues

2010-03-04T21:11:00.001-05:00

Because I live less than a half block from the hollow, burned out shell that was once the Thompson Block, I went to the Ypsilanti City Council meeting on Tuesday. I wanted to tell Council that the inaction on the Thompson Block has affected me, my family, and my neighborhood. I wanted Council to know that there are no simple solutions to the problems this fire has caused, and that there are many competing interests that must be considered now that the building has been devastated by the fire.

I am happy to report that Council was well prepared to respond to my concerns, as well as the concerns of many of my neighbors who also came to the meeting. Our elected officials are definitely aware of the myriad interests at issue in this unfortunate situation, and their comments indicated a deep understanding of the complexities at play.

Unfortunately, I was surprised and disappointed with Mr. Beal, owner and developer of the Thompson Block. Although Mr. Beal comes across as a friendly enough guy, he appeared to believe that his interests were superior to the interests of those who live in the surrounding neighborhood. He seemed to think that he is entitled to do whatever he wants for however long he wants, regardless of the impact on his neighbors. Rather than exhibiting a can-do, cooperative attitude, he seemed more focused on blaming others and avoiding responsibility for the unfortunate situation he finds himself in.

Mr. Beal openly admitted at the meeting that he was underinsured, and that his underinsurance has caused a massive problem for him (and by extension for the rest of us). Although I feel awful for his bad luck (and he is certainly entitled to our sympathy), he and he alone is responsible for the risk he took. By failing to purchase an appropriate amount of insurance, he has shouldered our community with the terrible consequences of this fire. He does not seem to realize that at night, he gets to leave the Thompson Block to go home. The rest of us leave our jobs and come home to the eyesore and safety hazard that was once the Thompson Block.

The City's attorney, John Barr, gave an outstanding presentation that demonstrated why it is in the City's interests to hold Mr. Beal's feet to the fire. I think Mr. Barr said it best when he stated that the City of Ypsilanti will never be in a better position to bargain with Mr. Beal than it is now. Now is the time to act. If progress is to be made on the Thompson Block, then Council will have to set the timetable, enforce it, and keep the pressure up to make progress. If Mr. Beal doesn't have the money to continue with the project because he didn't secure a proper amount of insurance, then he may have to give up the building.

During the meeting, I began to wonder if Mr. Beal is in over his head. As I watched the presentation, it became clear that Mr. Beal's plan for the Thompson Block is economically dependent on a liquor license he doesn't have, a zoning variance that he hasn't yet applied for, and a bar/music venue that has inadequate parking and that, if opened, is likely to ignite the ire of those who reside in the neighborhood in which it located. Under these circumstances, he may as well have no plan at all.

I thank Council for holding Mr. Beal's feet to the fire. I urge Council to continue to do so.

Dick Durbin reports that tort reform kills people

2010-02-28T10:16:00.004-05:00

Dick Durbin challenges Republican myths of tort reform with *gasp* facts. Just the facts, plain and simple. This clip is definitely worth watching.

And you know what? He's spot-on correct.

Goodbye Richard, we will miss you

2010-02-27T09:16:00.004-05:00

Last week, Richard Weigel, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Quality for Ypsilanti Public Schools, was offered the Superintendent job at Niles Public Schools in Niles, MI.

Although I'm happy for Richard, his departure marks a sad day for Ypsilanti. Richard was one of the most dedicated, motivated and talented school administrators I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Although he was given the monumental task of fixing a troubled curriculum department when he was first hired, he successfully accomplished that goal and much, much more during his tenure here. I believe that over the last several years, he has been the administrator who made the single largest contribution to the Ypsi Public Schools, though Richard would be far too modest to ever let anyone say such a thing in his presence.

A short time ago, when Superintendent Dr. James Hawkins retired, Richard applied to be Superintendent of YPS. Unfortunately, our district failed to offer him the promotion he rightly deserved. I advocated for his advancement, in no small part because I knew that if we failed to offer him our top job, another district would be more than pleased to hire him away.

Last week, that day came. Richard was praised high and low for his accomplishments here in Ypsilanti. According to the Niles Star, the Vice President of the Niles teacher association said:

I’m sad to report I looked high and low, talked to teachers, para-pros, secretaries, and could not find one ounce of dirt on Mr. Weigel. The board would be very foolish not to offer Mr. Weigel a contract. He’s transparent, communicative and collaborative.

A principal from the Niles district added:

He’s a real go-getter and not afraid to cut programs that aren’t effective. I see his vision fitting with our district’s vision very nicely. I see him continuing what we’re doing and polishing up a few things.

Our loss will be Niles' gain. I wish Richard all the best in the next step of his career, and I thank him for his service to our district.

Guest blogger: Kendra Walters on the Clinton Global Initiative

2010-02-19T19:38:00.003-05:00

Kendra Walters is a self-proclaimed left wing blogger and supporter of former President Clinton. She asked me to post this for her, and I obliged:

An education is something that is beyond value. Having an education is not only needed for an individual to be a productive part of this society, but it’s of grave importance for the longevity and progress of this society. The right education can open doors for a child who otherwise would not have hope of advancing further in society. Global Warming, the economy, and defense of American often take much of the spotlight when it comes to talking about America’s greatest issues, and education can sometimes be pushed to the back burner. This is unacceptable not only from the aspect of the country’s present, but also for the country’s future.

Many government organizations have worked to find a solution to the dropout epidemic (over 7,000 students drop out every school day), but many have found dead ends to a problem that needs a solution. However, some organizations like the Clinton Global Initiative (an international aid and philanthropy organization started back in 2005 by former President Clinton and former Clinton personal aide Doug Band) are working with schools and have taken the steps to ensure that children not only stay in school, but that they are getting the education they both need and deserve.

Working with community schools, the CIG has developed a program that will work with students who have a high risk of dropping out. The program also involves graduation coaches who work with students to help mentor them to a degree. This not only shows that graduation coaches play a role in helping the student graduate and stay in school, but also helps to boost attendance, academic achievement, the student’s self-esteem while cutting down on dropout rates. The program will not only aid the student in achieving a degree, but will help them earn an education.

The experts speak on health care reform

2010-02-12T15:57:00.001-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The Apparent Trap

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

Getting an iPad?

2010-02-02T21:27:00.002-05:00

I might. Seems nifty.

So much for judges as umpires . . .

2010-01-23T13:31:00.009-05:00

Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them.

The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules.

But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ball game to see the umpire.

- Judge John Roberts, September 12, 2005

It seemed like a good analogy. The press sung his praises upon his unveiling of this apropos and wise analogy. It was smiles all around.

But there were also the naysayers. There were those that think many members of the Federalist Society say what they think others want to hear, yet when afforded an opportunity, do something else more in line with their agenda. At the time, these warnings were downplayed as the same old partisan bickering we hear over and over again when nominations are made to the United States Supreme Court.

He said a number of other very attractive things as he testified over the next several days. As reported by CNN:

[Roberts] acknowledged that upholding past cases ensured "predictability, stability and legitimacy."

Later in the hearing, Roberts told Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, he would judge any challenge to Roe according to the principle of stare decisis, latin for "stand by a decision," meaning courts are bound by previous decisions, or precedent.

Once issues are "settled," the idea is to prevent ongoing confusion and litigation over the meaning and impact of past cases -- except in extraordinary cases.

When Roberts was questioned by Senator Arlen Spector, the following exchange occured:

Spector: And I begin collaterally with the issue of stare decisis and the issue of precedence.

Black's Law Dictionary defines stare decisis as, Let the decision stand, to adhere to precedence and not unsettle things which are established.

Justice Scalia articulated, quote, The principal purpose of stare decisis is to protect reliance interest and further stability in the law. Justice Frankfurter articulated the principle, quote,

We recognize that stare decisis embodies an important social policy that represents an element of continuity in law and is rooted in the psychological need to satisfy reasonable expectations.

Justice Cardozo, in a similar vein, quote, No judicial system could do society's work if each issue had to be decided afresh in every case which raised it.

In our initial conversation, you talked about the stability and humility in the law.

Would you agree with those articulations of the principles of stare decisis, as you had contemplated them, as you said you looked for stability in the law?

Roberts: Yes, Mr. Chairman, I would. I would point out that the principle goes back even farther than Cardozo and Frankfurter. Hamilton, in Federalist No. 78, said that, To avoid an arbitrary discretion in the judges, they need to be bound down by rules and precedents.

So, even that far back, the founders appreciated the role of precedent in promoting evenhandedness, predictability, stability, adherence of integrity in the judicial process.

Clearly, on the basis of Roberts' testimony under oath before Congress, one could only conclude that he was firmly committed to upholding legal precedent for a great number of reasons, all of which are historically and substantively rooted in the longstanding jurisprudence of the United States of America, of which he is well aware and conversant.

This week, however, we learned the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court is no umpire. We learned that he is, in fact, a liar. Turns out he really was the wolf in sheep's clothing that many claimed he would be. We now know that when he charmed everyone with his baseball analogy, he neither believed in it, nor did he intend to conduct himself in accordance with the principle he used it to illustrate.

In Citizens United vs. FEC, a Supreme Court opinion released just last week, Roberts sided with a majority of conservative justices that tossed aside a century of legal precedent to allow for-profit corporations to donate directly to political candidates. This is a sea change in American jurisprudence, and it is entirely motivated by Justice Roberts' loyalty to his conservative agenda. To do this, the Supreme Court recognized for-profit corporations as having the same constitutional rights as American individuals. Bizarrely, the other "originalists" Scalia, Alito and Thomas joined in the opinion despite no evidence whatsoever that this result comported with the original intent of the Bill or Rights.

Justice Stevens calls out the conservative majority of the Court, specifically pointing out the disingenuity of the majority's opinion. According to Justice Stevens's dissent, which spans some 90 pages, "The conceit that corporations must be treated identically to natural persons in the political sphere is not only inaccurate but also inadequate to justify the Court’s disposition of this case." Justice Stevens continues:

The majority’s approach to corporate electioneering marks a dramatic break from our past.

. . . .

The Court today rejects a century of history when it treats the distinction between corporate and individual campaign spending as an invidious novelty born of Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 494 U. S. 652 (1990). Relying largely on individual dissenting opinions, the majority blazes through our precedents, overruling or disavowing a body of case law . . . .

. . . .

In his landmark concurrence in Ashwander v. TVA, 297 U. S. 288, 346 (1936), Justice Brandeis stressed the importance of adhering to rules the Court has “developed . . . for its own governance” when deciding constitutional questions. Because departures from those rules always enhance the risk of error, I shall review the background of this case in some detail before explaining why the Court’s analysis rests on a faulty understanding of Austin and McConnell and of our campaign finance jurisprudence more generally. I regret the length of what follows, but the importance and novelty of the Court’s opinion require a full response.

. . . .

The Court’s ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. The path it has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution.

Justice Stevens throws the issue of stare decisis squarely into the argument at hand, and arguably into the face of Chief Justice Roberts, who actually discussed the Planned Parenthood vs. Casey case during his confirmation hearings as an example of his support and respect for stare decisis.

The final principle of judicial process that the majority violates is the most transparent: stare decisis. I am not an absolutist when it comes to stare decisis, in the campaign finance area or in any other. No one is. But if this principle is to do any meaningful work in supporting the rule of law, it must at least demand a significant justification, beyond the preferences of five Justices, for overturning settled doctrine. “[A] decision to overrule should rest on some special reason over and above the belief that a prior case was wrongly decided.” Planned Parenthood of South-Eastern Pa. v. Casey, 505 U. S. 833, 864 (1992). No such justification exists in this case, and to the contrary there are powerful prudential reasons to keep faith with our precedents.

The Court’s central argument for why stare decisis ought to be trumped is that it does not like Austin. . . .

. . . .

Although the majority opinion spends several pages making these surprising arguments, it says almost nothing about the standard considerations we have used to determine stare decisis value, such as the antiquity of the precedent, the workability of its legal rule, and the reliance interests at stake.

. . . .

We have recognized that “[s]tare decisis has special force when legislators or citizens ‘have acted in reliance on a previous decision, for in this instance overruling the decision would dislodge settled rights and expectations or require an extensive legislative response.’” Hubbard v. United States, 514 U. S. 695, 714 (1995) (quoting Hilton v. South Carolina Public Railways Comm’n, 502 U. S. 197, 202 (1991)). Stare decisis protects not only personal rights involving property or contract but also the ability of the elected branches to shape their laws in an effective and coherent fashion. Today’s decision takes away a power that we have long permitted these branches to exercise. State legislatures have relied on their authority to regulate corporate electioneering, confirmed in Austin, for more than a century. The Federal Congress has relied on this authority for a comparable stretch of time, and it specifically relied on Austin throughout the years it spent developing and debating BCRA. The total record it compiled was 100,000 pages long. Pulling out the rug beneath Congress after affirming the constitutionality of §203 six years ago shows great disrespect for a coequal branch. [Emphasis added].

. . . .

In the end, the Court’s rejection of Austin and McConnell comes down to nothing more than its disagreement with their results. Virtually every one of its arguments was made and rejected in those cases, and the majority opinion is essentially an amalgamation of resuscitated dissents. The only relevant thing that has changed since Austin and McConnell is the composition of this Court. [Emphasis added].

Justice Stevens concludes:

Today’s decision is backwards in many senses. It elevates the majority’s agenda over the litigants’ submissions, facial attacks over as-applied claims, broad constitutional theories over narrow statutory grounds, individual dissenting opinions over precedential holdings, assertion over tradition, absolutism over empiricism, rhetoric over reality. Our colleagues have arrived at the conclusion that Austin must be overruled and that §203 is facially unconstitutional only after mischaracterizing both the reach and rationale of those authorities, and after bypassing or ignoring rules of judicial restraint used to cabin the Court’s lawmaking power. Their conclusion that the societal interest in avoiding corruption and the appearance of corruption does not provide an adequate justification for regulating corporate expenditures on candidate elections relies on an incorrect description of that interest, along with a failure to acknowledge the relevance of established facts and the considered judgments of state and federal legislatures over many decades.

In a democratic society, the longstanding consensus on the need to limit corporate campaign spending should outweigh the wooden application of judge-made rules. The majority’s rejection of this principle “elevate[s] corporations to a level of deference which has not been seen at least since the days when substantive due process was regularly used to invalidate regulatory legislation thought to unfairly impinge upon established economic interests.” Bellotti, 435 U. S., at 817, n. 13 (White, J., dissenting). At bottom, the Court’s opinion is thus a rejection of the common sense of the American people, who have recognized a need to prevent corporations from undermining self government since the founding, and who have fought against the distinctive corrupting potential of corporate electioneering since the days of Theodore Roosevelt. It is a strange time to repudiate that common sense. While American democracy is imperfect, few outside the majority of this Court would have thought its flaws included a dearth of corporate money in politics.

This opinion and outcome is judicial activism at its worst. Stevens is spot-on in his criticism of his fellow Justices. The only credible justification for overturning a century of precedent is that the makeup of the Supreme Court has changed with the additions of Roberts and Alito, and that these conservatives pretend to respect precedent while champing at the bit waiting for a chance to overturn precedent with which they disagree.

Roberts is no umpire. He's more like a scam artist hiding in a smoke-filled back room trying to push a counterfeit of the rulebook to help out his team. No doubt the Roberts Court will be remembered better for its majority's intellectual dishonesty and agenda-promoting judicial activism than for its adherence to the rue of law.

Class Acts: Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh

2010-01-14T20:20:00.031-05:00

Pat Robertson showed today what a true class act he can be. As Rachel Maddow points out, he's apparently not content blaming 9-11 on the ACLU, hurricane Katrina on gays and Ariel Sharon's stroke on the Israeli peace process. He's now outdone even his own preposterous self by blaming the Haitian earthquake on a 200-year-old pact with the devil.

Not to stand by idly whilst Robertson pushes what I like to call "The Hate Agenda," Rush Limbaugh chimed in with his own unique perspective. Limbaugh's tone always seems to be on the edge of old white male racial hysteria, and his arguments (though delivered with fervor) reminisce of fingernails scratching a chalkboard. This one is typically bizarre, but then again, my IQ is north of 65, so I'm obviously not a member of his target audience. You can listen to his screed here, but as you probably have guessed by now, there's no real reason to. He accuses President Obama of exploiting the Haitian humanitarian crisis by holding a press conference and offering aid. He further explains that there is no reason to donate to Haiti, as that's what our income taxes are for.

What I love most is when Maddow calls Robertson the "unintended consequences of the First Amendment." I say ditto for Limbaugh.

If you have little interest in listening to these two jackasses, just go to DoctorsWithoutBorders.org or RedCross.org and donate to the relief effort.

With Cherry out, Smith shoots to the front of the pack

2010-01-05T19:37:00.002-05:00

Now that frontrunner John Cherry has dropped out of the race for Michigan governor, Alma Wheeler Smith, our local state representative, has shot to the front of the Democratic pack of candidates.

You can read Smith's reaction to Cherry's withdrawal here.

Changing from a big bank to a local bank

2009-12-30T10:43:00.007-05:00

A long time ago, in what seems like a galaxy far, far away, I commenced a banking relationship with a local bank called Standard Federal. At the time my then employer worked out a pretty good for employees if they switched over. I liked the bank, liked the service, and liked that fact that it had a long history in Southeastern Michigan.

Sometime thereafter, Standard Federal was re-branded to become LaSalle Bank, and in 2007, Bank of America bought LaSalle Corporation and took over its banks. I didn't think about it in terms of anything other than a name change until the financial crash, reports of financial shenanigans and wrongdoing at Bank of America, and my own experience with an obnoxious and annoying BofA employee.

Meredith and I no longer have the level of comfort patronizing BofA than we did before these things happened. I love the online bill paying system, but that is not enough of a reason to continue to patronize a large national bank that exhibits little appreciation for ethical and moral business practices, and at times shows contempt for its customers. We are now thinking of switching over to a local bank.

The question is, which one? What local/regional bank do you use? Why? Let us know who you think we should switch to in the comment section of this post.

Puttin' up the Christmas Tree

2009-12-18T23:06:00.006-05:00

Michigan Workplace Smoking Ban Passes

2009-12-11T07:59:00.002-05:00

Both the Michigan House and Senate passed a workplace smoking ban. Governor Granholm has pledged to sign the bill.

The exemptions are reasonable, the floors of the casinos, cigar bars, and specialty tobacco shops. People can still smoke in their cars and home offices.

Lansing City Council to work on Freedom of Information Policy behind closed doors

2009-11-24T12:33:00.004-05:00

You can read all about it here.

I'm not sure what's funnier, the argument that the group working on transparency issues should not meet in public or be subject to the open Meetings Act, that the group is creating a "legal opinion" just because the lawyer is there, or that a public official will have trouble candidly expressing his or her views in an open meeting. If you can't candidly express your views on transparency in an open meeting, perhaps you should reconsider serving as a public official.

So we are left to wonder whose idea it was to eliminate transparency in the process of reworking the policy on transparancy. I think I see where this may be going. Irony so thick, you slice through it with a knife.

I mean this in the nicest possible way

2009-11-03T21:50:00.003-05:00

I found the cutest note on my daughter's dresser this evening:

Vote FOR the millage TODAY

2009-11-03T06:55:00.003-05:00

It's November 3, 2009. This means today is the day to vote on millage. See below for the many reasons explaining why you should vote YES on this millage.

Tally of contributors to anti-millage campaigns: 1

2009-10-26T21:57:00.006-04:00

Yep, you read that right. The campaign finance statements were due last Friday, and it looks like the anti-millage campaigns have come up with no more than a single source of funding: McKinley Associates, Inc.

Part of what makes this so significant is that McKinley Associates has a substantial financial interest in defeating any millage (not just a school millage), as it holds substantial amounts of rental properties and real estate. There were two contributions from McKinley, one for $50,000 and a second for $25,000. You can view the financial statements here and here.

McKinley has much to gain by stopping a millage. By stopping the millage, McKinley's taxes will be less than if the millage passes. Moreover, $75,000 is pocket change to McKinley, representing less than .003 of its annual revenue of $237.2 Million, on a real estate portfolio worth $2.4 Billion. If your household were to generate a grand total of $50,000 this year, donating a comparable amount would be $150, less than an average car payment. Not exactly a bank-breaker.

Clearly, McKinley considers its interest in its own bottom line to be more important and worthy than the interests of families with schoolchildren. In trying to save on its property taxes, it harms the very communities in which it owns property. Worse yet, these campaign contributions come from revenue generated at least in part by the rent charged by McKinley. I hardly think that is what its renters had in mind when they handed over their rent payments. This, in my view, is greed at its worst.

A second group opposing the millage received no contributions and spent no money. The third group didn't bother to file any statements.

Conversely, the two pro-millage groups generated just over $43,000 from well over 350 contributions, the vast majority of them from individuals living in this area. Most of the contributions were in the $20 - $300 range. You can view their statements here and here. You will find my contribution among the pro-millage supporters.

It is truly wonderful to see so many grass roots, individual contributions from people who know what this millage means to our communities and to our schools. With a state legislature in gridlock and greed controlling the agenda at the state level, this may be the last chance in a long time to give a much needed boost to our schools.

Get out and vote in favor of the millage on November 3, 2009!

Fall leaves

2009-10-25T17:54:00.002-04:00

The view from our yard today was stunning. Here are a few pictures, although they don't do justice to how beautiful things really looked.

Vote YES on Proposal I on November 3

2009-10-18T12:18:00.005-04:00

What is the Regional Enhancement Millage?

This millage is designed to help fund current operations for Ypsilanti Public Schools and the other nine public school districts in Washtenaw County. The funding generated from this millage will only be used for existing programs, not to add new ones. Without this support, the schools face serious staff and service reductions.

Why a millage?

We need good schools, and our schools are in trouble. State funding of schools has not kept pace with inflation for years and YPS has reduced expenditures annually. The current economic downturn threatens to decimate our public school districts.

With the state’s unstable funding, Ypsilanti faces a six million dollar shortfall for the current school year and the 2010-11 school year looks even more bleak. Our neighboring districts face similar shortfalls.

Why is this important?

Investment in our children. Our children need the best preparation possible for the jobs of the future, no matter what they do after high school. The economy is changing, and our schools need the resources to get our kids ready.

The money stays here. Every penny raised by this millage would stay in the county and go directly to teaching the children in the ten districts of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District: Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run and Ypsilanti. The state government has not been able to fund our schools adequately; it’s time to take the fate of our schools back into our own hands. That’s why our school leaders have carefully and thoughtfully chosen to address this problem locally by seeking this millage—100% of which will be distributed to our local school districts.

Why do we need to act now?

“School funding is heading toward a crisis point…” – The Ann Arbor News editorial May 31, 2009. Most districts are facing severe shortfalls in next year’s budget—some in the millions of dollars. The Ann Arbor News editorial goes on to say that staff cuts and one-time stimulus money are part of the solution. But, more state cuts in the district's per-pupil funding—which makes up the bulk of the schools’ revenue—are projected for next school year.

Boost for our community. This millage is a long term investment in our community. Industry and businesses are attracted to areas with strong schools and a ready, educated work force. People want to live in communities with good schools, not schools that are always in a funding crisis. Strong schools make our neighborhoods and communities nice places to live.

What has Ypsilanti Public Schools done to reduce costs?

Ypsilanti Public Schools has over 150 years of experience educating children and this tradition has been challenged with the recent cuts in state funding. Schools aren’t in trouble because they are overspending. YPS has cut 17 million from its budget over the past five years. The per-pupil funding from the state has decreased 9% since 1994, after inflation. We’ve lost many of the programs that have made our schools unique. Here are some of the ways we’ve already altered educational programs and facilities:

Eliminated drama and Spanish classes in elementary schools
Closed two schools
Sold Fletcher School to EMU
Reduced staffing in Music, Art and Physical Education
Increased class sizes
Restructured the middle school program, taking away coordinated teaching and teaming and an elective period
Eliminated one liaison officer
Reduced secretarial staffing at YHS
Reduced maintenance staffing
Reduced noon supervisors by 50%
Line item budgets were reduced significantly

How much funding would each district receive?

According to the School Code, the ISD shall distribute 100% of the revenue to its constituent school districts based on the number of students in each district according to the most recent audited pupil count. Using the audited September 2008 pupil count, the annual distribution of enhancement millage revenue is listed to the right.

How much will the millage cost?

Two mills represent a tax of varying size depending on the taxable value of a primary home. On a primary home with a taxable value of $50,000, for example, a two mill increase in property taxes is $100/year. The following chart shows the cost of the additional millage for this and other taxable values for two mills.

Depending on your individual income tax circumstances, the additional property tax paid may be eligible as a federal income tax deduction and/or for the MI Property Tax Credit. Renters do not pay this tax at all.

______________________

Voter information: All registered voters who live in the school districts of Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run and Ypsilanti can vote on the proposal. Register to vote by October 5, 2009 – http://michigan.gov/sos.

All the above information came from a flier that was paid for by the Friends of Education Committee P.O. Box 157, Dexter, MI 48130 Larry Cobler, Treasurer. To donate to the campaign, write your check to: Friends of Education, and mail to above address. To donate online, or to learn more visit www.washtenawfriends.org. For a yard sign, email amydoyle@ypsi.com.

To download the flyer, click here.

Political songs and videos

2009-10-14T18:50:00.002-04:00

Obama Girl doing a duet with the Prez:

T-Pain addresses health care by singing a duet with Obama:

Music video for nerds like me

2009-10-03T20:45:00.000-04:00

This is kind of clever:

I hope Carl Sagan isn't rolling over in his grave . . . .

KISS Alive 35 at Cobo Hall

2009-09-26T11:40:00.003-04:00

Last evening, after being stuck all day in Flint in a very long and uneventful deposition, I picked up Sam and George and headed toward Northville to pick up Crazy Dave. We all had plans to attend the KISS concert at Cobo Hall.

When we got to Crazy Dave's house, Dave was still getting ready. We hung out with his dad, who is in town for a couple of weeks, until Dave came downstairs to depart. Much to our surprise, when ready, Crazy Dave entered the room with his face painted to look like Gene Simmons!

OK, that's not really true, but it sure would have been hilarious!

We drove down to Cobo Hall. As we were parking, legions of KISS fans were exiting their cars or tailgating, and a significant percentage of the crowd had KISS face paint on. This had the feel of a true phenomenon. There were more painted faces than you'd expect to see at a Green Bay Packers playoff game!

As we approached Cobo, the concentration of painted and dressed up fans increased. There were Gene Simmons look-alikes with winged jackets, spiked boots and teased hair. The crowd was a riot.

We arrived just after Buckcherry took the stage. They performed all the favorites, from "Lit Up" to "Next 2 You" to "Everything" and "Sorry." They finished their set with "Crazy Bitch" which brought the house down.

KISS was up next. There were several kids right in front of us who loved the concert. And I don't mean that they were "kids" to a 42-year-old. They were actually kids, probably in either elementary school or middle school. They and their parents were having a blast! Although there were less kids than at a Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana concert, there were far more than I've ever seen at any rock concert before. I guess if I loved it when I was 9, so must many other 9-year-olds.

KISS did pretty much all of their notable songs. The only one I think they missed was Beth. There was spitting fire during "Hotter Than Hell." There was splitting blood during the bass solo. There were guitar solos with sparks coming out of the guitar. There was a drum solo on a circular riser. There was flying over the stage and over the crowd. There were pyrotechnics. There were numerous video screens. It was exceptionally loud. It was everything a KISS fan could possibly expect, and then some.

I'll leave you with the KISS party all night anthem, in moving picture form:

Our Elected Representatives in Lansing Should Hang Their Heads in Shame

2009-09-23T21:39:00.005-04:00

Today, a Michigan State House and Senate Conference Committee voted to reduce per student funding to our public school districts by $218 per child. Intermediate School Districts will have their funding reduced by 44%.

Taxpaying citizens of Michigan should not put up with this bullshit. First thing in the morning, I will be calling my elected officials. If we can't provide the public schools with the tools they need to educate our children, then we are doomed as a state. These cuts are completely unacceptable, and elected officials who support this nonsense ought to resign. These officials have been elected to solve these problems, not balance the budget on the backs of our children. If they don't have the dignity to recognize that they are out of their league by voting in favor of these cuts, then they ought to be recalled.

I will also be calling Governor Granholm in the morning to tell her she must veto this budget. I hope you will join me in putting a stop to the nonsense that masquerades as our state government.

UPDATE: Ypsilanti Schools will lose over $800,000 if this budget is approved. We are talking about a retroactive decrease in funding after the start of the school year that will very likely mean reductions to existing programs and layoffs of teachers. Our school district's budget was due prior the start of the fiscal year (July 1, 2009). These cuts are now being made two months after our schools had to put together a budget (with a deficit reduction plan) based on another $800,000 the state thought we would get. This whole state-imposed process is nonsense, and it needs to be changed. Our children deserve better than this.

Public Service Announcement on Public Option

2009-09-22T10:25:00.001-04:00

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Uncle Cracker bests U2

2009-09-19T11:12:00.006-04:00

Maybe hell froze over. Perhaps pigs began to fly. I am entirely unable to explain it. Then again, I never thought Palin would retire before McCain.

I downloaded Uncle Kracker's new record, Happy Hour, and it is fantastic. Lot's of energy, an abundance of soul, and superior production. Mind you, it's probably won't qualify as high art, but it is a great package of pop tunes.

Among my faves on the record are Smile, a good love song, kind of sweet. Livin' the Dream is a cover of a Whitesnake song from the 80s, with some excellent auto-tune vocals. It is much funkier than I ever thought any Whitesnake song could be.

Corner Bar is a lament on the sorry state of Detroit and the economy. Part of the chorus rings true:

Sell me up, sell me down, I'll be sold out sitting here hanging around
Take my house, take my car, but you can't take my seat at the corner bar

Hot Mess and Hey, Hey, Hey exhibit great guitar work and catchy hooks. My only complaint is that it would have been a great summer record if it had been release back in May or June.

When compared to the record I last reviewed, of U2's No Line on the Horizon, Uncle Kracker definitely put together a better record, in my opinion. Sorry Bob, I know you thought that was an instant classic. I beg to differ. Meredith is checking the pre-nup right now to see if she is obligated to listen to Uncle Kracker, and if I can even play it in the house when she is present.

Rep. Joe Wilson: I expect better behavior from my children

2009-09-10T08:21:00.020-04:00

Republican Representative Joe Wilson let his "emotions get the best of" him during President Obama's most recent speech, calling him a liar. I feel his pain. I vividly recall the same thing happening to me. I spent the remainder of the day in detention, in an ugly, faded yellow room. It was next to my homeroom from which I could hear my classmates interacting with and learning from our teacher, Mr. Bozarth. They were clearly having a better time than I was. I was imprisoned for the day with a mean, pinched-faced old lady who wouldn't let me read a book.

Obviously Rep. Wilson did not get the quality public education and upbringing I got. If he had, he would have learned as a child the difference between appropriate and inappropriate public behavior. He would have learned that when people disagree with you, calling them liars tends to be viewed as childish and immature. He would have learned that there are places where proper decorum is to be observed, such as in a courtroom, in the United States House of Representatives, and, for that matter, in a movie theater, where hollering "Fire!" in the absence of one is frowned upon.

The push for better health care has touched a nerve among those satisfied with the status quo, the selfish and the greedy. Clearly, they aren't content debating proposals on the merits. Instead we hear ridiculous accusations of socialism, preposterous stories about death panels, and aggressive labeling of anyone who disagrees as a liar. The government will be able to access your bank account, they say. Illegal immigrants will be entitled to health insurance, they screech.

I wish I could say that I'm outraged, but what I really feel is depressed. This "debate" (if you can call it that), is sad and pathetic. Our country is facing a lot of challenges, and huge swaths of U.S. citizens seem to be embarrassingly ignorant, many of them intentionally so. To them, poverty, disease and climate change are not enemies. Fellow Americans who work toward making America better are. Instead of trying to learn, contribute to and influence the debate, they promulgate falsehoods and work themselves into a frenzy over their own bullshit.

Nowhere has this been exemplified more than by a sitting U.S. Congressman falsely calling our President a liar before millions of people across the entire world. And we wonder why our standing as leader of the free world has eroded.

UPDATE: More from Keith Olbermann at MSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Best Wedding Reception Ever

2009-09-07T15:09:00.006-04:00

The wedding reception was wonderful. We had friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, babies, barbecue, beer and more. It was a memorable night, and we are so grateful that so many friends and family, some of whom traveled very far, chose to spend this special time with us. Meredith's birth mom and dad, and a bunch of siblings came. We had college friends. Attendance exceeded our expectations as people from as far as New York, D.C., Chicago, Indiana and Nebraska came. We truly had a wonderful celebration together.

Here are some pictures. As more roll in, I will post them.

This is my neighbor John, sucking on a rib:

This is Jennifer's baby, Meadow Rose, with my mom:

This is a picture of Meredith's birth father, who came in from Cleveland:

I think you all know Crazy Dave from his previous appearances on this blog:

This is (from left to right) my cousin Tom (who comments on my blog as Favorite Cuz), Jeff and my cousin Terri, and Rachel.

My father brought some wonderful picture boards made of wedding pictures and scattered them around for our guests to see. Here's the wonderful cake that Amy Doyle made:

Here is Beth and Brian:

Even the cops came! When the band started up, one of my creepy neighbors called the police. Despite the fact that it was 6:30 in the evening on the Saturday night over Labor Day weekend, and a live music festival was planned for the park later in the night less than a quarter mile away, some people just can't endure the inconvenience of others have a good time. So, after about an hour of the band, and much to the disappointment of the rest of my neighbors (who aren't creepy and many of whom were enjoying the music), a couple of Ypsi's finest shut it down. Even though they thought the complaining neighbor was being unreasonable (particularly given how early it was, they said), they didn't permit us to try turning down and insisted that the music go, or we would be cited.

That's my father, Marty and I speaking with the police officers (who we did offer ribs to):

One partygoer told me, "I haven't been to a party with cops in so long. Thanks for making me feel young again." After the band departed and darkness fell, we had a fire in the pit while the kids played. We ended up trading stories about creepy neighbors, both near and far.

Meredith and I are so very grateful for all the family and friends that came to share this day with us. It turned out to be a spectacular final summer weekend. Thank you all for coming!

Wedding Cake

2009-09-06T08:55:00.002-04:00

Our good friend, Amy Doyle, made us the best wedding cake ever. I must admit that I have always admired Amy's baking (and other cooking as well), but I never fully realized that she should actually quit her day gig in favor of starting a baking business. Evidence in support of this proposition follows:

Just look at that detail! Three layers, three different flavors of cake. It was perfect! Simply perfect!

Thank you Amy!!!

More wedding pics!

2009-08-23T18:57:00.002-04:00

As most of you already know, the wedding took place on the beach. My father was the official wedding photographer, and he has sent in a few pics as teasers. Here's me reading my vows:

Here is the entire wedding part with our officiant, Rev. Pat:

The entire blended family:

The happy couple:

And a wedding smooch!

For those of you that don't know, here's a link to the hint that began it all . . .

Just married!

2009-08-17T11:58:00.002-04:00

Meredith and I got married over the weekend at the Little Au Sable Point Lighthouse on Lake Michigan near the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. The above picture is of some of the teenage attendees jumping for joy shortly following the ceremony!

More to come as I get my pictures uploaded and the pictures of others trickle in. The above pic came from Amy and Bob. Thanks, Amy and Bob!

Below are a few from the lighthouse at sunset.

Less than half of Republicans think Obama was born in the US of A

2009-07-31T11:36:00.002-04:00

I guess one way to look at the regional breakdown of the poll results is that at least those of us in the Midwest have our feet firmly planted on the ground. The South, however, isn't coming off so well.

For a breakdown of the numbers, follow the link here.

BofA, WTF?

2009-07-25T11:29:00.012-04:00

So I'm in my local BofA branch office Saturday morning, because I have to deposit a personal check that the newfangled ATM won't accept because the signatory to the check accidentally signed over the numbers at the bottom, making the numbers apparently unreadable to BofA's ATM computers.

I walk in, fill out my deposit slip, and get in line. There are three people in front of me.

A BofA employee is standing next to the line in a conspicuous red BofA polo shirt, individually speaking (rather loudly) with each patron, one at a time.

"Hi, how are you?" he says.

"Uh, I'm fine," says the patron.

"What can I help you with," says the BofA guy.

"Uh, nothing really, I'm just here to make a deposit," says the patron.

"Well, do you use our online bill pay service?" says the BofA guy.

"Um, well, actually, yes," says the patron.

"Would you like to know how to get access to $100 of your deposit immediately," says BofA guy.

"Um, not really," says patron.

"Well, here's how you do it," he begins to explain and then waxes eloquent about how if you use the ATM, the $100 becomes available immediately, but if you make a deposit inside at the branch location, one apparently does not get the same immediate access to the funds. I'm paraphrasing, of course. What he said took much longer. The content of his answer made it sound to me like he simply didn't want any of us coming into the branch. Which of course raises the question as to why there is a branch in the first place.

These questions and answers went on for a good five minutes as he badgered each person in line. There were conversations about private banking matters ranging from getting mortgage relief help to getting a new mortgage to other types of financing and saving options. I thought to myself, I sure hope he doesn't try and talk with me about my private banking matters in the lobby of a branch office with a bunch of people I don't know standing around. That's kind of crass.

Then he gets to me.

"Hi, how's it going?" says BofA guy.

"I'm all set, thank you," I politely say, smiling and naively thinking that this will bring his potential sales attempt to a premature end.

"Oh, okay. Can I help you in any way?," says BofA guy.

"No, I'm all set, thank you," I reply, naively thinking that this guy is pretty dense, because my words and non-verbal communication are hollering "you're wasting your time here." It quickly becomes clear, however, that he is not dense. He is not dense in the least. He simply doesn't care that he is badgering people who don't want to be badgered.

"Do you use our online bill pay?" he asks.

"Thanks, really, but I didn't come in here to get sold something, I'm all set," I say.

"Oh, okay," he says. BofA guy continues, "When you come into the branch, there will always be someone here to see if they can help you and be of service."

"Okay," I say, thinking to myself that I didn't really sign up to be subjected to lame attempts at social interaction when my prior bank was bought by BofA. Certainly not when the interaction seems genuinely designed to deter me from coming back and/or sell me something I do not want and/or haven't expressed any interest in or need for.

A moment passes. Instead of moving on, BofA guy says to me, "Hey, those are really nice glasses, where did you get those?"

At this point, I just can't help myself. I know the question is bullshit, because I've had these glasses for almost two years, and I can count the number of comments I've gotten about them on one hand. Moreover, all the comments came from people who would have favorably commented on my glasses even if they were the ugliest glasses in the universe.

I wish I could help myself, but I just can't. So I turn to him and say, "Are you actually trying to be annoying?" (At which point, the guy in front of me obviously does everything within his power to not bust out laughing while the BofA guy is still there.) It immediately becomes apparent that none of the other patrons think this guy is anything other than maximally annoying, and that they all wish he would just go sit down in the back somewhere and shut the heck up.

"Uh, no, I'm just . . . well . . . there is always someone in here to be of service," he says.

"Thank you, I'm all set," I say. Later, after I've deposited my checks, as I'm leaving the bank, BofA guy hollers over in my direction, "Have a nice day," which, at that point, was pretty dang funny.

Disorderly conduct

2009-07-24T18:05:00.004-04:00

Disorderly conduct is what you get charged with when the responding officer figures out that you haven't actually broken any law, but in the process of figuring that out, he has also concluded that you are a colossal asshole who needs to be taught a lesson.

This is doubly true if the charge of "disorderly conduct" is dropped within 24 hours of your arrest.

Conducting one's self in a disorderly manner is not actually against the law in a constitutional democracy. Being an asshole isn't against the law, either

UPDATE: Criticism of police from across the street apparently constitutes disorderly conduct in D.C.

UPDATE: Begging constitutes disorderly conduct in Van Buren County, MI.

Only in America . . . .

2009-07-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The Born Identity

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Joke of the Day

Ypsilanti's rich history with Little League Baseball

2009-07-19T11:57:00.003-04:00

Ypsilanti's Little League is proud to acknowledge that, back in 1973, when faced with a challenge to its policy of permitting girls to play alongside the boys, fought and won the right to include girls in little league baseball. A historic and very interesting video news story from CBS News' archives is below. Much of the video looks as if it were shot at Candy Cane Park, which must have been called College Heights Park back in the 70s.

Special thanks to Ypsilanti's Little League for posting the video in its website.

More on Republican hypocrisy as Sotamayor hearings begin

2009-07-13T20:00:00.007-04:00

Never wanting to miss out on an all-new chance to display hypocrisy and apply a double-standard, the Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee put their hip-waders on today, criticizing Sonia Sotomayor for displaying empathy. In the words of Hypocrite-in-Chief, Jeff Sessions, "empathy for one party is always prejudice for the other."

In an interesting juxtaposition on this issue, DailsKos has some revealing video of the comments of conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who during his confirmation hearings stated:

And that's why I went into that in my opening statement. Because when a case comes before me involving, let's say, someone who is an immigrant -- and we get an awful lot of immigration cases and naturalization cases -- I can't help but think of my own ancestors, because it wasn't that long ago when they were in that position...

When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account.

He also said, "When I have a case involving children, I can't help but think of my own children."

Empathy from Sam Alito, a white male, is desired by Republicans. But empathy from Sonia Sotomayor, a Hispanic woman, is not. What the hell is wrong with these people?

Samuel Alito's words, from none other than Samuel Alito himself, for your viewing pleasure:

4th of July 2009

2009-07-07T20:00:00.003-04:00

Ah, what a weekend it was. Parties, cookouts, fireworks, and a trip to the hospital. Nothing quite compares. The day started out nicely with a big breakfast. Unfortunately, we missed the parade, but we did catch it on the Internet afterward.

Next, we were off to Dee and Bill's where I met a fellow cigar aficionado who was willing to share his stash with me. Then, off to the Doyle's for a fun-filled afternoon cookout.

The evening was spent in the Irish Hills visiting some of Meredith's friends who have a lake home there. Here are some pics of the sunset cruise, first leaving the dock:

And there is George, enjoying the ride:

Of course, the clouds were quite beautiful at sunset, so I had to get a pic:

Afterward, we went to the fireworks in Brooklyn, MI. Here's part of our group sitting on a blanket on the local high school football field:

The fireworks were quite spectacular. I had to try out my new camera, which had a "fireworks" feature:

Unfortunately, as we were leaving, Meredith accidentally stepped into a hidden but sizable hole in the field, severely twisting her ankle. The EMTs came and fixed her up, and we traveled to St. Joseph Hospital for some x-rays. She suffered a bad sprain, but her ankle wasn't broken. Here's a shot of her being helped into the car, followed by the EMT's emergency vehicle.

Meredith is still in a lot of pain and has been slowed down a bit, but we've been assured she will be fine.

Finally, here's the video I shot of the fireworks finale. It's a long one, but well worth it:

Camping over Father's Day Weekend

2009-07-04T13:19:00.003-04:00

We had another wonderful camping and canoeing excursion this year. A number of dads (even a couple of moms this time) and a virtual boatload of kids went to the Rifle River Recreation Area for a weekend of fun in the sun, canoeing and campfires. Our flotilla is below:

There are nowhere near as many pictures as I wish there were, because my camera went swimming, rendering it inoperable. I have since gotten a waterproof camera, so that particular snafu isn't likely to occur again.

A few photos did survive the plunge, so here is one of Esme standing in front of our tent:

Here is Hannah hanging out at our campsite:

And Bob and Amy were kind enough to send me a copy of the group pic (that was Bob's at the top of the post, too):

The weekend turned out to be another wonderful camping experience! We're already looking forward to next year!

Open letter to Senator Tom Coburn

2009-06-18T21:45:00.009-04:00

Dear Senator Coburn:

I read your report on stimulus waste with great interest. One of the projects that you have wrongfully deemed wasteful sits less than a block from my house, down at the end of my street here in Ypsilanti, MI. The Ypsilanti Freighthouse is a historic building that until just a few years ago operated as a community meeting place and center. For many years, our annual local festival, the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, held its opening ceremony and dinner at the Freighthouse.

Year around, members of my community would hold their wedding ceremonies, receptions and other community events at the Freighthouse. Civic organizations would hold successful fundraisers there. Most Saturday mornings during the summer, a country and rock band made up of local old-timers would perform while members of my community and their children would come and drink coffee or juice and listen to the live music. Our Farmer's Market used to be held there. Every once in a while, the community would come together for a free or inexpensive group Salsa dance lesson or other community, family-friendly event at this locale.

Sadly, a few short years ago, some structural defects came to light at our beloved Freighthouse. When these problems were discovered, the building had to be closed to the public for safety reasons. Although the community banded together, formed a non-profit charity and raised thousands of dollars in hopes of bringing the building up to code and opening it, we quickly realized that a quick fix was not to be. The repairs that would be required were far too expensive for a local community non-profit to raise.

I write this open letter with the hope that the people who read your report and engage in the kind of fact-checking that you and your staff failed to engage in find this letter on the Internet. In particular, I hope that when they do find this letter, they begin to realize how irresponsible and baseless your report is. Although I cannot speak definitively to the other 99 projects listed in your report, I can testify that your woefully uninformed treatment of Ypsilanti's beloved Freighthouse strongly suggests that the rest of your report isn't worth the paper it is printed on. It's not worth the cost of the bandwidth needed to download it.

Instead of taking an opportunity to engage in a meaningful public debate about how stimulus funds are being used and have been used, you instead chose to pull a short quote out of context. Instead of expressing an honest opinion about your differing priorities, you instead chose to neglect your civic duty, and ignore facts that would have been simple to elucidate, had you made nary a modicum of effort to do so. Instead of focusing on uncovering true waste in our government, you chose to openly ridicule a historic community asset that we value, that we have donated our hard earned income to improve, and that so many in my community have generously worked hard toward saving and preserving.

You do not seek to inform. You seek to hoodwink and bamboozle. You should be ashamed.

Those that elected you, Mr. Coburn, deserve better. Those of us here in Ypsilanti who pay our taxes and love our Freighthouse deserve better. You owe everyone in my community an apology, sir. If you are the "watchdog" you claim to be, and if you take your elected position seriously, you will re-check the basis for every single criticism in your report and issue a correction for every error you find. Moreover, you will remove the Ypsilanti Freighthouse from your list, and you will admit that the project is not the least bit wasteful, but a worthy civic project that stands to benefit my community in ways that you clearly will never understand.

Cameron Getto
Ypsilanti, MI

Image from the Friends of the Freighthouse website. Please visit them and donate.

Gymnastics meet in Ann Arbor

2009-06-07T18:50:00.004-04:00

Teilo, Hannah and Esme all got to participate in their end-of-the-year gymnastics meet at the University of Michigan. They all did very well. Here are the respective videos of each of them doing a portion of their floor routines:

Graduation week: Sam and George graduate, Taran moves on to high school

2009-06-06T15:08:00.002-04:00

This week has been full of graduations. Sam and George graduated high school and are off to college next year.

Taran graduated middle school and is off to Ypsi High next year. Hannah is leaving Chapelle for West Middle School, and Esme and Teilo will remain at Chapelle next year.

These kids are all getting so big and grown up! Time really does fly.

Hannah graduated from grade school today

2009-06-05T19:01:00.002-04:00

And we are just so proud of her!

Esme catches the biggest fish of the weekend

2009-06-02T08:15:00.003-04:00

And she did it on a kid's rod and reel without a steel leader. I think we may have a future champion fisherwoman on our hands!

Why aren't Republicans bothered by their own hypocrisy and double standards?

2009-05-27T20:00:00.011-04:00

The debate over the Supreme Court has brought a puzzling attribute of the slowly ebbing Republican party to the forefront. No matter what they're doing, no matter what the issue, Republicans just don't seem to be bothered by their own hypocrisy and double standards.

Now, don't get me wrong. I realize that to some extent, we are all hypocrites. We all employ double standards from time to time. Those of us with children know all too well that the things we once thought might be very good ideas we would never let our kids do in a million years. So, I understand. Time goes by. We age, we get more experience, we get wiser, and sometimes we change our minds. And sometimes we eat crow over it.

But not Republicans. How long ago was it un-American to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee? Wasn't that just a short 3 to 4 years ago? Don't you remember the rhetoric of the then-majority Republican party? I sure do.

"This Senate must do what’s right. We must do what’s fair. We must do the job we were elected to do and took an oath to do. We must give judicial nominees the up-or-down votes they deserve." - Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader (2005).

"The Democrats' judicial filibusters are extreme and an arrogation of power. Under the Constitution, the right to nominate judges belongs to the executive, not to the Senate minority leader. Yet the minority leadership has claimed a right to 'veto' by filibuster any nominee who deviates from the minority's extreme, ideological litmus tests. The president can submit any nomination he likes, but he knows that even if a clear majority supports his nomination, the Democrats will 'filibuster-veto' it. Further, the "advise and consent" function is in serious jeopardy if this new tactic of filibustering judges continues. The Democrats have made it all too clear that they are willing to let the Constitution's separation of powers fall by the wayside if that is what it takes to push through their agenda." - Rick Santorum, Republican Senator (April 17, 2005).

"Fundamentally, what we have is a partisan minority blocking a bipartisan majority from being able to act on the Senate floor. And this is something that we think needs to come to an end." - John Cornyn, Republican Senator (May 13, 2005).

"The President believes that the fix is for the Senate to exercise its constitutional responsibility and ensure that every judicial nominee receives an up-or-down Senate vote within a reasonable time after nomination, no matter who is President or which party controls the Senate." - Roberto Gonzales, Counsel to President George W. Bush (May 6, 2003) (prior to his appointment as Attorney General of the United States of America).

During the six months or so prior to and encompassing the nomination and confirmation of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States, one phrase was on every Republican senatorial lip. 'All of the President’s nominees, both now and in the future, deserve a fair up-or-down vote,' said Sam Brownback, of Kansas. 'Every nominee, no matter if the President is Democrat or Republican, deserves an up-or-down vote,' said Jim DeMint, of South Carolina. 'We must take action to insure President Bush’s nominees are getting the up-or-down vote they deserve,' said Kay Bailey Hutchison, of Texas. 'Since the day I came to the U.S. Senate,' said Pete Domenici, of New Mexico, 'I have believed strongly that every nominee deserves an up-or-down vote.' The conservative commentariat was equally of one mind about the sanctity of verticality. 'The American people,' wrote John Podhoretz, in the Post, 'won’t understand why a candidate should be denied an up-or-down vote.' The White House, naturally, agreed. 'We believe that every judicial nominee deserves an up-or-down vote,' said Karl Rove. Boing, boing. It was like watching a trampoline exhibition. - Excerpted from The New Yorker, November 14, 2005.

Media Matters has set up a page with all the relevant quotes from all the now irrelevant Republicans. It's worth a look-see, if for nothing else but a laugh.

With no apparent understanding whatsoever of the party's long standing official position on this issue, Republican Senators John Kyl and Ben Nelson, just the day before Sonia Sotamayor's nomination, on May 25, 2009, both publicly stated that they will pursue filibusters to hold up confirmation of any nominee they don't like.

It will be quite interesting, and possibly kind of fun, to watch these hypocrites weasel themselves an excuse, however lame it may be, for this particular double standard.

Graphic taken from the Huffington Post.

Free ice cream for the kids at the end of Ypsi's Memorial Day Parade

2009-05-24T12:22:00.003-04:00

Word on the street is that there will be free ice cream for the kiddies at the end of tomorrow's Memorial Day Parade.

After yesterday's highly successful Memorial Holiday Concert, the parade will be a perfect way to finish out this holiday weekend!

YSO Memorial Holiday Weekend Concert this Saturday

2009-05-22T10:14:00.002-04:00

The Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra will hold its 2nd Annual Memorial Holiday Concert in Riverside Park on Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 2:00 P.M. The concert will feature patriotic favorites and was a real crowd pleaser last year.

Please join us for what is sure to be a great deal of fun! Bring a lawn chair and your family and friends.

In case of rain, the concert will take place the following day, Sunday, same place, same time.

Perspective

2009-05-19T18:33:00.002-04:00

The scene is last evening, on Monday, May 18, at about 7:45 P.M., just a few minutes after the Human Relations Commission opened its first hearing into the use of the name "Ypsitucky Bluegrass Festival." Only I'm not at the meeting. In fact, I'm not even in Ypsilanti. I'm in Northville at a social function that has been planned for some time. Crazy Dave is there, and he narrates the following story:

I had just spent my first summer in Michigan working for a large law firm. I was working with my uncle Don, who is a great guy. The firm I was with was fantastic. I had met a wonderful woman who I was dating (who we all know now he married).

I got back to New York and was hanging out with some of my buddies. I told them all about how I was living in Berkley and hanging out in Royal Oak, which was trendy at the time. I told them about this great firm I was working for, and how I wanted to join the firm after graduation.

One of the firm's clients was a city called Taylor, which some people curiously referred to at Taylor-tucky. My buddies started laughing uncontrollably, practically falling on the floor laughing.

My buddy turns to me and says, "You mean, like, there's a difference between Michigan and Kentucky?"

If Texas were to actually secede . . .

2009-05-16T08:46:00.000-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Water Street to get federal cleanup funds

2009-05-09T09:14:00.003-04:00

This is good news. Hopefully the disappointment and unrealized dreams that Water Street has come to represent is on its way to moving in a new direction.

YPS School Board Election Tuesday, May 5, 2009

2009-05-04T09:29:00.002-04:00

Kira Berman, a very dedicated and capable Trustee, is running unopposed. Please show our public schools and Kira your support by taking a few minutes out of your busy day to vote.

No cuts to public safety in Ypsi?

2009-05-01T07:05:00.009-04:00

It is looking more and more like our new Council majority has come through for the citizens of Ypsi yet again. I have it on reasonably good authority that when the budget is presented to Council, it will not contain new cuts to public safety.

We will see who the winners (and the losers) are when the envelope is finally opened and the new proposed budget is finally unsealed . . . I'll keep you posted, so to speak.

UPDATE: The City is no longer proposing cuts to public safety in its budget, per the Ann Arbor News.

Proposed layoffs for Ypsi firefighters bring us full circle

2009-04-28T18:20:00.003-04:00

One year ago, almost to the day, I posted "AATA Subsidy: A lesson in how not to negotiate." I lamented a certain city leader failing to even try to get us the best deal he could on our AATA subsidy, knowing full well that nothing good was to come of that particular losing strategy. Last week, the failure came full circle.

The Ann Arbor News reported that city administration thinks the only viable way to cut the budget is to further cut public safety. The problem arises due to an 8% reduction in property tax revenue that leaves a hole in our city budget to the tune of a half million dollars. Yep, that's the very same budget that the very same city administration put together not all that long ago. It is now short by half a million just a few months into 2009.

In related news, AATA wants to increase the subsidy we pay by 10% next year. That, of course, could have been the start of a negotiation in which AATA would ask us to pay 10% more on an already reasonable subsidy due to our successful prior negotiation, and then we would further bargain ourselves to an even more modest increase from that already reasonably low subsidy. Had we positioned ourselves to do this, we would have obviated a sizable chunk of the current budget problem. However, I'm now guessing that with a track record like ours, the AATA can count that as money in the bank, even if it means layoffs in our public safety departments and selling parcels of property over on Water Street by the square inch.

When I read articles such as this in the paper, I note that AATA says things like "basis for discussion" while our leaders say things like "I'm glad they put a stake in the ground saying this is where they want to go." AATA seems to want to negotiate, and we seem to want to cave without actually having a negotiation. It's time that we actually play some hardball with other governmental entities, rather than bowing to demands as if there are no other options.

Now to the math. Had we successfully negotiated a significant reduction in the AATA subsidy last year, we would have been well-positioned to adopt the proposed "B Plan" and be close to balancing the budget, certainly without substantial impact to the excess revenue currently earmarked for the city's major street fund. But it's too late to do that now. Yet one more option in a sea of dwindling options has drifted away -- right at a time when we need as many options as we can get.

The pressures that are bearing down on Ypsi are the same pressures affecting everyone. It is the job of a city leader to not only negotiate the best deal possible for us, but also to push back when organizations such as the AATA continue to make us pay more than we can afford to cover a subsidy that ought to be covered by other entitites more able to pay. Others seem to play hardball with us, but we seem unable to play hardball back at them. Public transportation is a priority and it should continue to be. However, it should never, ever be pitted against public safety or the preservation of necessary jobs and services that we depend on, which is exactly what is occurring now, and is precisely what our city administation permitted to occur last year at this time. It was a mistake to frame the issue in these terms a year ago, and it is a mistake to frame the issue in these terms today.

I hope our relatively new Council majority refuses to further cut public safety and instead continues to try its best to make do with the dwindling resources we still have.

UPDATE: I have it on good authority that when the budget is proposed to Council, there won't be cuts to public safety.

Ypsi Youth Orchestra this weekend!

2009-04-24T22:12:00.002-04:00

Our own Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra will be playing this Sunday, April 26, 2009, at West Middle School. The concert begins at 3:00 P.M., and word on the street is that it's FREE!

Ypsilanti Symphony This Sunday!

2009-04-15T19:44:00.002-04:00

Please join us this Sunday, April 19th, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. at Towsley Auditorium on the campus of Washtenaw Community College. The concert will feature Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, Junior Laureate of the 2007 Sphinx Competition, and music of Afro French composer Chevalier Meude Monpas.

This will be a great show! Tickets available online or at the door. We hope to see you there.

Wireless Ypsi Invading the East Side

2009-04-11T22:55:00.002-04:00

It's here.

Wireless Ypsi is invading the East Side.

Click here for a map showing the current radios out by me. As you can see, my antenna can reach Depot Town through a radio a couple of doors down on Maple Street. My antenna can also reach Dave Strenski's house, which also reaches Depot Town.

This is really branching out nicely. I'll bet in a month or two the signal will pass Prospect Park!

Like it or not, we are now a country who tortures our prisoners

2009-04-07T21:35:00.004-04:00

Used to be a time when the U.S. was known as a beacon of freedom to the entire world, a time when observance of civil rights was considered a sacred guarantee of that freedom.

We are, however, now better known for the words and actions of people like former Vice President, Dick Cheney:

When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaeda terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, then I worry . . . . These are evil people. And we're not going to win this fight by turning the other cheek.

If it hadn't been for what we did—with respect to the . . . enhanced interrogation techniques for high-value detainees . . . —then we would have been attacked again. Those policies we put in place, in my opinion, were absolutely crucial to getting us through the last seven-plus years without a major-casualty attack on the US . . . .

- February 4, 2009 (from The Red Cross Torture Report: What It Means).

The Red Cross authored a report detailing the torture used by the CIA on detainees. The report was supposed to remain secret and was not intended for public dissemination. However, it has been leaked. You can read it here. One of the things little known about the torture is how little usable information it actually extracted. Dick Cheney certainly doesn't want you to know. He's a true believer. In Dick Cheney's world, you have to become evil to fight evil.

NPR did a story you can listen to here. I think it is high time that the violations of international law, civil rights, military law and professional responsibility ranging from medical personnel to officers of the highest rank be investigated. Those that broke the law ought to be held accountable and punished. Doctors should lose their licenses, military officials should be dishonorably discharged, lawyers who authored self-serving memoranda should be disbarred, and those that performed the torture should be jailed.

It's high time that we re-identify America with freedom, the rule of law, and the honor that our rich heritage demands.

Ypsilanti Youth Theatre perform all this weekend - don't miss it!

2009-04-02T19:06:00.002-04:00

The Ypsilanti Youth Theatre is performing a Midsummer Night's Dream Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week. Friday's performance will be at 7:00 P.M. Saturday will bring two performances, at 2:00 P.M. and at 7:00 P.M. Sunday's performance will be at 2:00 P.M.

All performances will be at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 120 North Huron, one block north of Michigan.

We hope to see you there!

Play Ball: Ypsi's Meet and Greet with the Midwst Sliders of Ypsilanti Baseball Team Event

2009-03-31T21:08:00.001-04:00

YPSILANTI, MI (March 31, 2009) – The Midwest Sliders of Ypsilanti will be hosting a Meet & Greet at Frenchie's on Wednesday, April 8th from 5PM to 7PM. Frenchie's is located in the heart of Depot Town in Ypsilanti, MI at 54 East Cross Street.

The Meet & Greet will take place beginning at 5PM, free of charge, and will be the kick-off event for a great season of baseball at Eastern Michigan University's Oestrike Stadium. Fans will get a chance to talk baseball with players and get autographs. In addition, Tim Birtsas will be there to sign autographs and meet fans. Birtsas pitched for Michigan State University, was the New York Yankees #1 draft choice in 1982, and won a World Series with the 1990 Cincinnati Reds as a member of the "Nasty Boys" bullpen.

Team President Rob Hilliard will be available to answer questions about season tickets, group pricing, sponsorship opportunities, and becoming a host family for the 2009 season. In addition, come and discuss how to keep minor league baseball in Ypsilanti permanently!

# # #

ABOUT THE MIDWEST SLIDERS OF YPSILANTI

The Midwest Sliders of Ypsilanti (www.midwestsliders.com) are a professional baseball team based in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They are a member of the East Division of the Frontier League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The Sliders' 2009 season will begin in May, at Eastern Michigan University's Oestrike Stadium.

CONTACT:

Rob Hilliard
President & Director Team Personnel
robhilliard@msn.com
248.320.1846

Brian Robb
brobb@yahoo.com
313.805.6316

Sad day for BtVS fans

2009-03-31T21:05:00.002-04:00

Lorne, of the Angel series, whose real name was Andy Hallett, died today at the age of 33 of heart failure.

Former Willow Run Sup't on his way to prison

2009-03-27T08:09:00.003-04:00

Last December, Doug Benit, former Superintendent for Willow Run, pled guilty to fraud charges arising out of conduct during his tenure as Ecorse Schools Superintendent. To sum up, he steered millions of dollars in contracts to his own company without telling anyone the company was his.

He was sentenced this week to 46 months in prison. Which is where he belongs.

Ann Arbor News to close in July

2009-03-23T11:29:00.002-04:00

With the Ann Arbor News now closing this July, this is more bad news both locally, and for the news establishment. Though I have been guilty of criticizing the Ann Arbor News for its spotty coverage of Ypsi in the past, its continuing viability is preferable to its demise.

You can read a letter from its publisher here.

Spiritual leadership at its worst

2009-03-17T18:42:00.003-04:00

Taking spiritual leadership to an all new low, Pope Benedict, leader of the Catholic Church, traveled this week all the way to Africa to promote Catholicism. Once he got there, he said that AIDS "cannot be overcome by the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, they increase the problem."

Sub-Saharan Africa, as you may be aware, is the most heavily HIV and AIDS affected region in the world. It is estimated that over 25 million Africans have died from AIDS in recent decades. Instead of acknowleding this tragic fact and offering some actual spiritual leadership, however, Pope Benedict showed some chutzpah and offered instead a dose of old-fashioned religious dogma.

Is it any wonder that Catholics are bolting from their churches in numbers never before seen in this country?

One trillion dollars

2009-03-14T11:54:00.002-04:00

This is, apparently, what one trillion dollars in hundred dollar bills would look like if assembled on pallets all in one location. Each pallet contains $100 Million dollars, and these pallets are double-stacked. Yep, in the left-hand corner, that's a person standing next to the stacked pallets.

PageTutor has an excellent explanation of this visualization of the concept of a trillion dollars, a concept admittedly hard for me to grasp. It starts with a $100 bill, and moves from $10,000 through a million and a billion to a trillion. It's definitely worth checking out.

U2: No Line on the Horizon

2009-03-06T22:16:00.007-05:00

Rolling Stone gave it five stars, proclaiming it an instant classic. Other sources offered high praise:

"A bold re-imagining . . ."

"Bold, beautiful, and highly speculative . . ."

"The album U2 always wanted to make . . ."

"A times, magnificent . . ."

So, I pre-ordered the deluxe version of U2's No Line on the Horizon on iTunes and counted down the minutes until the download became available. I transferred it onto my iPod. I hopped in the car. I turned it on. I turned it up. And . . .

I was bewildered.

I've been listening to this record all week, and I'm just not getting it. I'm not feeling the vibe. It's not living up to the hype. It doesn't strike me as anywhere near as experimental as it's touted as being, and a classic it is most certainly not destined to be.

We've got Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Steve Lillywhite recording and producing this thing, all of whom have worked with U2 in the past. Eno, known the world over for his sound sculptures and ambient music, as well as a producer for Dido, Coldplay, Sinead O'Connor, Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Jane Siberry and more. Lanois, known for producing such legends as Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris, not to mention modern hitmakers such as Peter Gabriel, Luscious Jackson and Dashboard Confessional. Lillywhite, whose curriculum vitae includes a who's who of the last 30+ years of the music business: The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, the Talking Heads, Matchbox Twenty, Morrissey, Phish, Siouxsie and the Banshees, XTC and Crowded House.

Despite all this considerable talent, and a documented history of successful collaboration, "No Line on the Horizon" does not meet expectations. I can still remember, from over 20 years ago, playing "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "I Will Follow" in my high school rock band. I still remember the call in radio show on which I first heard "New Year's Day." I remember falling asleep in college to "The Unforgettable Fire." I remember the shivers caused by "The Streets Have No Name." I remember the shock of "Achtung Baby," and the disappointments of "Zooropa" and "Pop." Obviously, U2 is a hard act to follow, even by U2.

"No Line on the Horizon," the title track, is a mediocre song. It's not a logical song to begin with. The mellismas in the chorus sound out of tune, strained, and they go on too long. It's not pleasant to listen to, and it doesn't make me want to sing along.

"Magnificent" takes forever to get off the ground. It's almost a full minute before the song actually starts. Then, once it sounds like it is finally beginning, the main riff goes nowhere. Its theme is in a minor key, slows rhythmically at the end, and then kind of dies a slow death each time it cycles. There just isn't much of a build anywhere. It starts and stops. Not a lot of flow there. The breakdown in the middle goes nowhere. There is a guitar solo. The Edge, probably the most innovative guitarist in popular music today, has started playing solos on this record. It just doesn't work. While the rock-n-roll reinvention of his style on "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" blew so many away, the work on this record is mediocre and evocative of the past rather than a stp toward the future.

"Moment of Surrender" is a bizarre, Motown-like soul-inspired song that is interesting until the chorus comes along. I have no idea who else is singing through the chorus, but it sounds like the entire band, and it just doesn't sound right. Experimental? Yes. Good? I don't think so.

"Unknown Caller" is another one that takes a full minute to actually begin. I'm not frightened of lengthy introductions, but this record pushes the concept far beyond the bounds of plausibility. When it does begin, it unfolds slowly. The chorus is another entire band effort, practically spoken word, delivered in somewhat of a rhythmic monotone, actually limited to just one note. Bizarre.

"Get on Your Boots" is something you've probably already heard on the radio. It's not a very good song, and why it was selected as the first single is a mystery to me.

"Stand Up Comedy" is the stand-out on the record. It's funky, it moves, and the guitar sounds are fantastic. Bono's falsetto could probably have been left on the cutting room floor, but it's bearable, particularly given the strength of the rest of this song. The guitar solo on this one is the least bewildering on the entire album.

"Fez - Being Born" is another song with a minute-long intro. When the vocals start, I hear cacophony. I'm not sure that's what was intended. Just when I was starting to forget how bad all four guys sound singing together, they start back up in this song.

"White as Snow" is a nice, acoustic song, that invokes a rootsy, cowboyish, folksy feel. Until what sounds like a French Horn comes in, which sounds totally out of place and oddly cheesy.

"Breathe" is okay. The verse vocal line is not a melody. It's an attempt to say far more than is reasonable in the amount of time it's being said. It's in 3/4 time, which is kind of cool and waltz-like, only way too fast to actually waltz to.

"Cedars of Lebanon" is practically spoken word over guitar, bass and drums. The song does not go much of anywhere, but instead rambles.

I was really looking forward to this record, particularly with all the hype. I'm sure I'll give it another chance, and maybe I'll like it better in a few weeks or months. For now, though, I'd pick NPR on my drive home over this any day of the week.

The Barackolypse is upon us

2009-03-01T21:33:00.003-05:00

He's been President how long now? Almost six weeks?

Already, Guantanamo is to be closed.

A major stimulus package has been written and passed into law, including tax cuts for the working class.

He's lifted the gag rule on international family planning funding.

He's stopped the raids on legal providers of medicinal marijuana.

He's set a date to bring our troops home and end the war in Iraq.

He's stopped the torture of so-called "enemy combatants" and applied all the protections of the Geneva Conventions to them.

He's stopped health care professionals from restricting access to health care and prescription medication based on their personal beliefs.

He's stopped the federal government from abusing the Freedom of Information Act to prevent disclosure of public documents.

He's reduced the secrecy afforded presidential records.

He's kept his promise to publish PodCasts every week.

He's even decided to keep his BlackBerry.

He's not even halfway through his first 100 days, and we're seeing change on a scale that I never imagined possible.

Journal Register files for bankruptcy - Will the Ypsi Courier survive?

2009-02-22T10:15:00.002-05:00

The Journal Register Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week. It owns our sort-of-local Ypsilanti Courier, which is actually located in Belleville. (Warning: I could not get the Courier's website to work at all this morning--I have no idea whether that's related to the bankruptcy or not.)

Gee, I sure hope it isn't because I canceled my subscription, yet they kept delivering it to my house anyway.

Meredith and I have an announcement to make

2009-02-16T17:58:00.002-05:00

After three wonderful years together, almost two of them living together, Meredith and I have decided to get married.

Woo hoo!

Couldn't agree more!

2009-02-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

Republicans reward bipartisanship with partisan attacks

2009-02-05T15:07:00.007-05:00

The GOP (which now stands for God-awful Ole Partisans), no matter how hard it tries, cannot put its money where its God-awful mouth is.

In the aftermath of one of the worst routs ever, which followed shortly after one of the worst regulatory failures ever, which was followed by what is looking more and more like a massive recession, Obama took the country's reins and invited the Republicans in. From calling upon Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration to visiting the opposition party on Capitol Hill to a bipartisan SuperBowl party, Washington D.C. hasn't seen a cooperative, inclusive approach to the Chief Executive's Office such as this since before I was born.

Instead of welcoming such inclusion, these God-awful Ole Partisans have stuck to tired old political games and attacks designed to ensure that anything accomplished by Obama or the Democratic Party ends in abject failure, no matter what the cost to the country and no matter what the cost to working Americans. These Republican jokers have no clue how to govern or cooperate an iota unless they're running the show. They have no taste and even less grace.

Even good ole boy Andy Card can't find anything better to do than criticize Obama for taking his suit coat off in the oval office. Talk about a generation gap. While the rest of us worry if we will see our next paycheck and wonder whether our kids will be able to go to college, Card is obsessed with the "symbolism" of dressing down at work.

Note to Andy Card an all those of his ilk: Nobody gives a crap what Obama wears in the White House. We are all on the edge of our seats waiting to see if Obama can undo the damage you and your jackass cronies did when you all had your suit jackets on in the White House. If taking the jacket off gets us moving, that's fine by us. For all we care, if he can fix this mess, he can wear a bathing suit and sandals and sip Margaritas in a kiddie pool on the front lawn.

Not all that long ago, when they were in the majority, these GOPers whined and moaned like four-year-olds that they weren't getting "up or down" votes on judges. Now, however, that they are in the minority, Republicans can't release their white-knuckled grasp on the filibuster, abandoning bipartisanship at every turn to prevent any progress on anything. Their current hope is to kill any stimulus plan by holding Dems to one or two votes shy of 60, while complaining that there isn't enough focus on home values and foreclosures. Yes, the same home values and foreclosures that Republicans weren't interested in including in any of the bills they wanted passed just a few short months ago.

From Rush Limbaugh's "I hope he fails" gaffe to the re-working of a bill on children's health benefits while Republicans were on a junket to California, these jackasses just don't get it. The country handed the Republican Party its hat, and asked it not to let the door hit it in the ass on the way out. It's time to put up or shut up. If the Republican Party can't effectively advocate for its ever diminishing power base by cooperating, then Democrats ought to rise up and shut them out of the process just like Republicans did to Democrats not all that long ago.

It's sad and pathetic that these old dogs can't be taught new tricks, but then again, it's sad and pathetic to hear a bunch of grown men whining and complaining that they have to face the consequences of their failed policies, divisive partisan politics, and actually be accountable for their own lack of results, all the while lamenting the fact that Obama isn't wearing a tie.

When it comes to legislating, Democrats and independents make up the majority. It's time for Republicans to either step up and make a positive contribution or step aside and let others govern. In fact, I think it's time that Obama consider taking a step back from the stimulus bill and placing it in Republicans' laps. If they don't want to sign on to what Democratic, Republican and independent economists think we should do, then perhaps we ought to do nothing, see what happens, and then let these Republican obstructionists explain to everyone why it is they filibustered the bill that was passed the House and would had majority support in the Senate.

The question on everyone's minds is not when they will get it. We're now wondering if they ever will.

UPDATE: Pictures of Dubya and other presidents in the Oval Office with *gasp* no jacket on.

UPDATE: Republicans now oppose capping the pay of execs of bailed out companies until they pay back the money the gov't gave them.

UPDATE: Michigan Republican Congressional Rep Peter Hoekstra breaches security with Twitter posts.

I sure am glad we didn't privatize Social Security like Bush wanted

2009-01-31T10:52:00.006-05:00

Remember way back when? First in the late 90s, and then again in 2004-05? Republicans desperately wanted to privatize Social Security, putting a small percentage of everyone's earnings into investment accounts similar to 401K accounts. The idea was that, over the long term, private investment accounts would do better than the federal government would with the same money.

Trouble was, the risks attached to these accounts couldn't be realistically assessed, nor could the risks be quantified. With hindsight, as evidence by the financial meltdown of the last six months, we now know that such a plan would have been a disaster for every person in their late fifties and early sixties who would have counted on those investment accounts to provide a portion of their post-retirement income.

Thankfully, the public reaction to the idea back then was quite chilly. There was always a danger of a short term loss seriously affecting the benefits of those who were scheduled to retire shortly following a market downturn, and the public sensed that the risk was real. Had that approach actually passed, people retiring this year and next would have seen an average loss in their Social Security accounts of well over 35%. This would have been devastating for many, and likely would have pushed many people over the edge and into poverty.

Bush for some reason thinks history will judge him kindly, despite more failures than can be counted, and what we now can see was little more than one bad idea after another.

New personal record

2009-01-28T20:02:00.005-05:00

I set a new personal record this morning.

2 hours, 30 minutes to get to work.

If you still love snowflakes, despite the harsh winter we seem to be suffering this year, visit this site to make your own snowflakes and dow nlo ad them.

Both the flakes you see were made there. It's kind of fun :)

Cady's closes

2009-01-27T08:32:00.002-05:00

My favorite Depot Town restaurant, Cady's, apparently closed last weekend. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

Sure, the Sidetrack is wonderful, but it is frequently crowded and often a bit too loud for family banter. I like to go there with the adults, but it gets hectic when the kids are in tow. Aubrey's has great food and atmosphere, but all the smoking makes it hard to hang out there for too long. I prefer the back porch in the summer.

One of the things I loved about Cady's was its great menu. I loved the spicy Cajun inspired pasta, the ribs, the burgers and fries, and the prime rib. I also loved that they frequently had my favorite beer on tap, Great Lakes Brewery's Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. Though Cady's cost a bit more than other local restaurants, I thought the food well worth it, and particularly the family-friendly, smoke-free, quiet atmosphere.

Whenever my children were asked where they'd like to go for dinner, they would exclaim "Cady's!" They loved the little toy chest, and they loved the anticipation of getting to pick out a little trinket after successfully eating their entire meal.

In its place will apparently be a barbecue restaurant called Wild Willy's. I hope it caters to families and not just to the college crowd, though the reality in this economy may be that the college crowd stands to spend more in local bars than local families do in local restaurants.

I will most certainly miss Cady's.

Inauguration fun

2009-01-17T18:50:00.004-05:00

Visit Paste Magazine's Obamicon.Me site to make your own.

Others of note:

* * * * * * * * *

Brrrrrrr . . . . !

2009-01-16T08:23:00.004-05:00

The phone woke me up this morning. The district cancelled school due to a wind chill factor that strayed below -20 F. Little did I know at the time that when I would look at my backyard digital thermometer, it would read -11.5.

This is bitter, miserable cold. It took about a half hour of driving with the heat up all the way to actually heat up the inside of my car. I don't know how people in places like Minnesota and North Dakota handle this for long periods of time.

I can't wait for the balmy 20s next week. Maybe I'll do some sunbathing . . . .

Obama opens a door, and progressives everywhere rush to slam it shut

2009-01-08T18:32:00.004-05:00

When Bush took office, most Democrats (including me) went batshit crazy when he essentially shut everyone who didn't walk in lockstep with him out of meaningful participation in the policymaking process. From Cheney and his secret energy meetings to Gonzales and his hiring of attorneys who were active in the Federalist Society, time and again we saw Americans of every stripe shut out of the process based solely on their political affiliation. "Either you're with us, or you're with the terrorists," we would routinely hear.

Fast forward to today. Exemplifying the tenets of openness and inclusion upon which he campaigned, Obama has extended his hand to Pastor Rick Warren in an extraordinary gesture of reaching out to those with which he disagrees. Yes, I know Rick Warren is an asshole. I know he's a bigot. But he has shown he is willing to revisit those views and re-examine them. He's already removed the hateful rhetoric from his website, which may not be much, but is certainly a good first step in the right direction.

Obama ran the best campaign we've ever seen, and he won by a sizable margin. He beat Hilary Clinton, after she was considered by most to be the 'anointed' candidate. He motivated people to jump onto his bandwagon and contribute in amounts never before seen in a presidential campaign. It seems clear to me that if Obama wanted to, he could successfully shut out those he disagrees with, impose his views on much of the country, and he'd probably be able to do so with a significant degree of success.

But Obama has made a very different choice. Obama knows that he won because Americans were counting on him to unite, not to divide. Obama knows that voters rejected polarization and instead prefer to focus on finding common ground and coming up with solutions to our collective problems. Obama has made a clear choice that as President, he will conform his conduct to the words and rhetoric of his campaign rather than merely spending his political capital on getting his way.

Might Warren return to his bigoted, ignorant ways? Maybe. Some may say probably. But one thing is crystal clear -- he won't likely change anything about what he believes and what he chooses to communicate to his followers if he's shut out of participation.

Changing the views of people who favor discriminating against gays is hard work. It takes time, it takes effort, and it takes staying above the fray. A great deal of progress has been made, but there have been monumental setbacks as well. The solution isn't to shut out those we disagree with, but to convince them they are wrong and offer to work with them to find solutions to the impasse that will move us all forward.

Don't get me wrong. I'm in no way delighted to see Rick Warren provided with a forum in which to express his views to hundreds of millions of people all across the world. I realize there are risks associated with doing that. But I also realize, as I believe Obama does, that this presents a chance -- an opportunity-- to move opposing factions closer on this and on other issues we face collectively. It's the kind of opportunity that Bush never provided. It's the kind of opportunity that exemplifies true leadership. Frankly, I think it takes a great deal of courage to invite Warren to present at the inauguration, and it stands to reason that Obama is doing it because he thinks there's something to be gained.

So, I would argue that now is a good time to see if inclusion, debate and dialogue can move us forward. Instead of bitching and complaining because Obama won't pursue Bush tactics against those he disagrees with, I believe now is a perfect time to walk the walk instead of simply talking the talk.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T00:04:00.006-05:00

Not my house . . .

Neither is this one my place:

Happy Holidays everyone!

Former Mayor Farmer rejected for Ypsi Ethics Board appointment

2008-12-21T10:34:00.010-05:00

Meredith and I attended the Historic South Side Association's Holiday Party yesterday. The buzz in the room was that earlier this week, Mayor Schreiber attempted to appoint former Mayor Farmer to the City of Ypsilanti's Board of Ethics.

Of all the areas in which Ypsi could use some help, I can't believe anyone in their right mind would propose a partisan for a local ethics post. This is the same Mayor Farmer that openly opposed candidates in the primary for City Council (all of whom won). This is the same Mayor Farmer that openly (and baselessly) accused a current City Council member of wrongdoing back when he was a candidate. This is this the same Mayor Farmer that has taken sides in every local election (and vocally so) ever since she decided not to run for mayor two years ago.

Mayor Schreiber's choice of appointment shows extremely poor judgment. Appointing someone to an ethics panel isn't about getting one's friends in important positions. It's about upholding the ethical precepts and guidelines to which we all look to govern the actions of our elected officials and ensure that they remain within the boundaries of applicable rules.

I had hoped with the sweep in November both locally and nationally, we could begin looking to a new focus by all of our local governing officials, not just the newly elected ones. Sadly, Mayor Schreiber still hasn't caught on to what the majority of the people of Ypsilanti are looking for, despite the sweeping losses he and his allies suffered in the August primary, the November election and the income tax vote.

Not surprisingly, the proposed appointment went down in flames by a 5-2 vote against. Objectivity and even-handedness are two prerequisites to serving on the Board of Ethics. Council got this one spot-on correct.

There are plenty of opportunities to serve. I think former Mayor Farmer would do well to seek an open spot on a board or commission that won't be intimately involved in evaluating the conduct of persons and/or officials she has vocally criticized in the past. Because we all know what the Ypsi Ethics Board would look like if ever called up to investigate one of her self-avowed political foes: petty political payback, nothing more.

Ann Arbor City Council to gasp look at a city income tax

2008-12-20T10:23:00.003-05:00

Ann Arbor City Councilman Steven Rapundalo is suggesting that Ann Arbor take a look at a city income tax. "It needs at least a look," he said, per the Ann Arbor News.

Well, if Mr. Rapundalo takes a good, long hard look at how Ypsi's city income tax went over, he may realize that the back end of that look may be as a citizen rather than as a city councilman. Here in Ypsi, shortly after "taking a look" at a proposed city income tax, the anti-income tax candidates and incumbents swept in our elections last November after winning their respective primaries against pro-taxers.

The only thing more stupid than a city income tax is a city income tax now that citizens across this state are wondering whether they will have jobs next year and whether their life savings and 401Ks are ever going to have any value again.

For a preview of how Mr. Rapundalo's look is going to come across, don't miss the comments at the bottom of the article.

GOP aims its bitterness at unions

2008-12-14T09:53:00.014-05:00

I totally get the GOP's hatred for unions. How dare those insignificant, middle class assembly line workers organize to better support their families and communities? Just who do those common laborers think they are, wanting to share in the profits of the corporations they work for? And what the heck was the deal with all those bitter people in Pennsylvania clinging to guns and religion voting for Obama anyway?

On a more personal note, just last week, I broke the nail on my right index finger and had to file it down, making it shorter than all the rest of my fingernails. You know whose fault that was? Yep -- you guessed it -- the unions, damn them. And the nasty rain/sleet mixture we got last night? All the union's fault.

Well, thank goodness, it's payback time.

With last week's failure of the auto rescue bill, Senate Republicans have once again focused the country on the hypocrisy and irrationality of their unique brand of "family values." You may faintly recall when the GOPers in the Senate supported the bailout of Wall Street, we didn't hear much talk from them about limiting pay, micromanaging the work force for say, CitiBank, or even much anything of the like.

Now, however, that we are looking at two of the Big Three potentially going under inside a month's time, the Senate has become a bastion of expertise and experience in not just giving money away to rich people, but also directly supervising assembly line workers. Yes, boys and girls, while giving the CEOs and senior executives of corporate America a free pass to continue rewarding their failures with huge bonuses, stock options, and trips to the spa, the Senate favors setting work rules, mandating union concessions, and requesting a date certain for acceptance of concessions.

Hmmm. I don't recall anyone in the Sentate GOP trying to set a date certain for Fannie Mae, or CitiBank or AIG to mend their wayward ways. Looks suspiciously like a double-standard, doesn't it?

Perhaps our Senate Republicans don't just hate unions. Perhaps they actually hate the God-fearing, middle class, hard working Americans that make up these unions. No doubt it's just a technicality that these working families may lose their homes if these union jobs aren't safeguarded in way similar to how the GOP chose to safeguard the jobs of bankers, Wall Street traders, and insurance company professionals. And no doubt it's just a technicality that the stock market lost billions more following the announcement that the auto rescue bill failed, further diminishing the market capital of the numerous corporations already bailed out and increasing volatility in key markets essential to our economic vitality.

Or, on second thought, maybe the GOP hates itself. How else can one explain the hypocrisy, double standards, and schizophrenic decision making on these issues? How can one explain the utter lack of foresight as to the potential consequences of these irrational positions?

In a few short years, talk of becoming a permanent majority has morphed into talk of the Republican Party becoming a permanent minority. I must admit I'm sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what is left for them to screw up next.

YSO to perform with the Plymouth/Canton High School Choirs this Saturday, December 13

2008-12-09T20:07:00.003-05:00

This year's Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Concert will be a collaboration with the Plymouth/Canton High School Choirs. There will be two concerts, both on Saturday, December 13th, 2008, at 3:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. Both will be held in the Salem High School Auditorium, in Canton, Michigan.

The program will feature "Songs of the Season," including John Rutter’s "Magnificat."

Tickets are available online and at the door, but both concerts usually sell out, so if you want to purchase tickets at the door, go very, very early.

Jackass watch: MI Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop obstructs the legislature yet again

2008-12-05T08:32:00.004-05:00

I listened to the state Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop this morning on the radio. He's up to his divisive, obstructionist political ploys with our budget yet again.

He is committed to standing in the way of any progress on even a single bill that has been passed by the House until his budget demands are met. He says that dealing with the budget is "important." But we all know that what he is really saying is that he won't negotiate on anything important to anyone else until he gets his way.

Bishop always acts like a spoiled, bratty child whenever Democrats begin to make progress on anything important to the citizens of Michigan. And that's what he's doing now, with his political doublespeak. He knows that if all the bills passed in the House aren't voted on in the next few days, they will all have to be re-introduced next session, starting over and squandering the hard work that has been accomplished to date.

I hope Governor Granholm and our House Democratic leadership call him out on his grandstanding and political gamesmanship. Our state is facing some of the toughest economic challenges since the Great Depression, and we need our leaders to rise to the occasion and work together.

Call Mike Bishop at (517) 373-2417 and tell him that you expect a fair, up or down vote in the Senate on every bill that the House has passed and sent over there. Michigan deserves no less than a fair, up or down vote on the legislation that our elected representatives and their constituents have toiled over for months.

Meals on Wheels Holiday Home Tour this weekend

2008-12-03T18:38:00.002-05:00

This weekend, the Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels program will hold its Holiday Home Tour. On Saturday is the the Candlelight Tour, which will feature a first ever Taste of Ypsilanti theme that will include foods from local favorites such as Haab's, Sidetrack, Queen of Hearts and more.

On Sunday the Home Tour will feature some of the most decorated and beautiful homes in the area. As an added treat, the tour will visit the First Presbyterian Church and its newly installed pipe organ. For more information and how to get tickets, click here.

The proceeds of this benefit go to Meals on Wheels, which provides tens of thousands of meals each year to homebound people in our area.

Be there or be square.

Am I the only one wondering how the Citi bailout will go over with . . .

2008-12-01T20:52:00.001-05:00

. . . all the people lost their jobs due to the economic downturn and now won't be able to pay off their Citibank credit cards?

It will be interesting to witness the irony of sending all that valuable, unsecured debt to collections while writing off all that worthless, secured debt all tied up in mortgages.

I can't believe that we are allowing our elected representatives to go ahead with giving all this money to Wall Street banks, credit card companies and other corporations that made bad business decisions while leaving individuals who are affected just a seriously out in the cold.

The Suite Sound of Rock and Roll in Ypsi

2008-11-22T11:29:00.002-05:00

Last evening, a packed EMU Convocation Center partied to the sounds of Buckcherry, Saving Abel, Shinedown and Avenged Sevenfold. The show was amazing, with EMU students, townies like Meredith and myself, and many others, like Crazy Dave and his wife.

The evening started with Saving Abel, a hard-rock band with several hits. The second band up was Shinedown, another hard-rock act who are now on their third record.

Next was the band everybody actually came to see, Buckcherry. Since I first saw Buckcherry in '99 at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, I haven't missed a single visit by either the band or their singer, Josh Todd (from before the band broke up and reformed). I've seen them since at Pine Knob (now stupidly renamed DTE Energy Music Theater), at the I-Rock nightclub, and at the Machine Shop in Flint. Interestingly, we had the pleasure of taking a couple teenage neighbors of Crazy Dave whose names were Josh and Todd.

The evening finished with Avenged Sevenfold, who put on a great show as well. It was clear that the younger in the crowd had come for them, and the older, like us, were there for Buckcherry.

The best part of the night was that we were able to snag a suite through one of Crazy Dave's connections. The suite had a nice sitting area inside, and great seats with a full view of the stage and the main floor. It was a perfect vantage point for watching the concert, the crowd surfing and the mosh pit. It was quite a luxurious and fun way to enjoy a concert this long, from its start at 6:15 until its end around 11.

Fantastic night of rock and roll.

I couldn't agree more

2008-11-17T20:05:00.001-05:00

Shadow Art Fair Coming Soon to a Brewery Near Me

2008-11-16T19:33:00.002-05:00

The Shadow Art Fair is coming. This year, it will be held on December 6, 2008, from noon to midnight at the Corner Brewery. Read all about it on Mark Maynard's blog.

Yes, we did, pt. 2: Election day stories

2008-11-08T17:32:00.007-05:00

One week ago, last Saturday, I attended training at the Ann Arbor Obama campaign office to be a Democratic poll challenger on election day. The training room was full of volunteer attorneys from all over the area, and I saw many I knew.

The message from the training was simple. Although we were credentialed as poll challengers, the Obama campaign did not want us to actually challenge any voters. It was our job to ensure everyone legally entitled to cast a vote was able to do so.

I had heard many stories about rabid Republican poll challengers holding up lines, challenging voters due to minor and obvious typographical errors, and refusing to provide proper precinct information to African-American voters who for whatever reason where in the wrong place but otherwise registered to vote. I personally experienced this four years ago with inappropriate conduct by Republican challengers at Ypsilanti's Perry School when a county elections official had to come down to monitor the precinct for more than half the day, and where at least one belligerent challenger was kicked out for improper behavior.

So, I was somewhat apprehensive about taking the day off work to inject myself into a busy, hectic, and potentially stressful and decisive situation, particulary for 13+ hours without a break, even thought I knew it needed to be done.

When I turned the corner at 6:45 A.M. toward the Superior Township precinct I was assigned to, I was stunned to see cars parked on the shoulder, the church parking lot full, and people parked on the grass. I was even more surprised to see the line of voters stretching out the door, by the side of the church and around the back. Voters had gotten up at 5 in the morning to come and wait in line to cast their historic vote for Obama. The air was electric with energy.

When I went in, there were two other challengers, another from the Obama campaign, and one from a voter protection organization. There was nobody there from the Michigan Republican Party, apparently a side-effect of McCain's early pullout from Michigan.

The poll workers were at first leery of us and our challenger status, apparently having heard the same stories as I did. However, within an hour of arriving, I demonstrated that my LG Dare (with Internet access) could be used to look up voter information on the State of Michigan's voter database, Publius. Before long, when a problem arose with a voter not matching the list, I was looking up their information online and either providing the information necessary to permit them to cast a vote, or sending them to another precinct where they could vote. When there was a question about proper procedure and whether the voter could cast a regular ballot or required a provisional ballot, I had a voter protection manual in which to look up the law and provide advice. Although some voters were unable to cast votes due to unresolvable problems, the vast majority were able to vote, and I gave many others the information they needed to travel to the precinct in which they were properly registered to cast their vote.

In the precinct I worked, almost 1200 votes were cast. At the end of the day, more than 95% of them voted for Barack Obama. Just under 5% voted for John McCain. The precinct was so well run that we had results within 20 minutes of closing the door.

I called in my results to the Obama campaign and went to the Ypsilanti Obama office. The office was alive with energy, and the mood was festive. After checking in with a few friends and shaking a few hands, I went over to the Ypsilanti City Hall to see Pete Murdock, who was collecting the numbers on absentee votes. After learning of his landslide, I went home and sat on the couch with my children who wanted to stay up to watch the returns. I put them to bed when the election was called in favor of Obama, and I stayed up to watch the speeches.

I teared up watching Obama's speech. Never before have I been a part of a national election that felt so historic and that felt so good. This is an election I will never forget.

Leave me a comment. What was your election day like? Do you have a story? Please share.

Yes, we did

2008-11-05T06:55:00.004-05:00

And so did Gary Peters, as did Mark Schauer, Pete Murdock, and quite surprisingly, Diane Hathaway, who beat the incumbent Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Looks like Michigan and Ypsilanti were ready for change, too.

Murdock routs opponents in Ypsilanti's 3rd ward

2008-11-04T21:20:00.004-05:00

Though the official results may not be in for hours, trustygetto.com has seen the preliminary numbers and is calling the 3rd Ward race in favor of Murdock, by a landslide.

You can follow the county clerk's numbers as they come in here.

Follow the national election results at trustygetto.com

2008-11-02T10:33:00.002-05:00

Follow Michigan's election results here

2008-11-02T10:32:00.001-05:00

Why I'm voting Hathaway for Michigan Supreme Court

2008-10-28T19:11:00.002-04:00

I'll be voting for Diane Hathaway for Michigan Supreme Court. She is an experienced former prosecutor and Circuit Judge who has presided over thousands of cases in the busiest courthouse in Michigan for 15 years. She understands that the role of a judge in our democracy is to impartially evaluate the legal issues placed before her and make well-reasoned, principled decisions. Given her experience, she is well-qualified to serve the citizens and taxpayers of Michigan.

Judge Hathaway's list of endorsements is a who's who of important constituencies in Michigan. Ranging from police and deputy unions to teachers and prosecutors, her supporters are diverse in their politics and interests.

Her opponent, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Clifford Taylor, is one of the most activist judges of our time. I've written about him many times on this blog, and elsewhere. An Engler appointee who has consistently ruled against consumer protection and environmental protection legislation while ruling in favor of insurance companies, Taylor has been known for childishly calling Justices he disagrees with names, not to mention falling asleep during oral arguments.

Judge Hathaway is using a creative slogan ("Vote all the way, vote for Hathaway!") to remind people to vote the entire ballot, to ensure that they get to her name. Voting a straight party ticket will not result in casting a vote for Supreme Court. Please, don't forget to find the Supreme Court race on the ballot, and don't forget to vote for Diane Hathaway!

I'll leave you with a video made by Hathaway's campaign that blows the whistle on Taylor's poor record as a judge:

Halloween week!

2008-10-26T12:40:00.003-04:00

Pumpkin carving has become quite the art. Above, a holiday celebration of the DeathStar from Star Wars (from studenthacks.org).

Our family pumpkins didn't work out all that well this year. Though we had great fun carving them, within 48 hours of putting them on the porch, squirrels had munched their faces pretty much to bits. Only one intact pumpkin is left, as it was left on a pedestal on the porch. The squirrels haven't gotten to it yet.

I'll leave you with a few more pics and links to pumpkin carving web sites. From sage_82's set on Flickr:

From the LaughingPlace.com:

From YesWeCarve.com:

Democrat Pete Murdock endorsed by Ann Arbor News

2008-10-25T12:06:00.000-04:00

The Ann Arbor News endorsed Pete Murdock for Ypsilanti's 3rd Ward. Recognizing a good candidate, the News had many positive things to say about Pete.

Murdock, a retired Recycle Ann Arbor employee, has been an activist on a wide range of issues over the years. His resurgence in Ypsilanti politics was driven largely by his dissatisfaction with the way dwindling city financial resources were being used. He worked actively to defeat the income-tax proposal.

But it's clear Murdock understands that his role as community watchdog is different from that of an elected City Council member.

The News also took a swipe at Mike Eller's candidacy. They were keen to point out that Eller is far right of the Republican Party.

[Eller's] position as state chairman of an ultraconservative political organization which believes that occupational safety and clean water regulations are unconstitutional; that welfare should be abolished; that mandatory seat-belt law are "tyrannical;" that the civil rights movement was phony - makes him ill-suited to help shape the Ypsilanti of the future.

Kudos to Pete! I'm looking forward to voting for him in a couple of weeks.

Eller freaks

2008-10-21T06:59:00.003-04:00

Candidate for the Third Ward, Mike Eller, freaked out this week. Go ahead, read the rant he sent to voters in the third ward. You know you want to.

What I find most striking about Eller's letter is that he doesn't use the opportunity to refute a single thing from my prior post about his and his fringe party's bizarre views. He doesn't even try to reassure third warders. If he disagrees with his own party's platform, he certainly doesn't say so in his letter.

In his letter, there's no expression of support for women's equality. No expression of support for diversity. No expression of support for non-discrimination laws for gays. No expression of support for a woman's right to exercise control over her own body.

Eller's continuing silence on these issues is deafening.

One thing Eller did say in his letter: "If what you read in our Platform is enough to make you vote against me, then vote against me." Um, okay, I will.

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama

2008-10-19T10:16:00.005-04:00

Colin Powell gave a moving, articulate and enthusiastic endorsement of Barack Obama on Meet the Press this morning. Powell, a Republican, is also a retired Army General, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War ('89-'93), and a former Secretary of State ('01-'05).

Not only does he think Barack Obama is the better candidate for President, but he hits the nail right on the head as he chastises his own Republican Party for its tactics and it's failure to focus on the issues important to Americans.

The American Promise

2008-10-16T21:34:00.000-04:00

Yes, we can

2008-10-15T20:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, I can

2008-10-14T21:07:00.001-04:00

Just click here.

HDC to review City Hall solar power project this Tuesday, 10-14-08 at 7:00 P.M.

2008-10-12T12:41:00.006-04:00

From Dave Strenski to the Ypsilanti community:

Dear Solar Supporter:

We have the final design. We have the money. We have the community support. All we need is the HDC to approve the project. Please spread the word to help convince Ypsilanti's Historic District Commission to approve this project.

The Ypsilanti Solar Project is on the Historic District Commission agenda for this Tuesday evening October 14, 2008 at 7:00pm.

Dave Strenski will be addressing the Commission to ask for approval to install 12 solar panels on the back of the City Hall building. We need as many people as possible to attend as a show of support. The Commission is divided about whether to approve the project.

This document is a compilation of all past HDC minutes and City Council minutes pertaining to this project, plus an 1887 picture of City Hall from James Mann's 2002 book, Ypsilanti, a History in Pictures (Arcadia publishing, Chicago).

Over the past 18 months the HDC has generally expressed support for this project, while also asking many questions about aesthetics, precedence, and impact on the building structure. Most recently the HDC requested a review of the design by a licensed structural engineer. On October 8th Fitzpatrick Structural Engineering completed this review, and we now have a final design which will not damage the old brickwork, and which may actually strengthen the building's wall.

You can see the design here.

You can also read about the project here.

There will be an opportunity at the beginning of Tuesday's meeting for public input on agenda items. Below are a few points people could mention:

1) A role of government is to be leader in introducing and demonstrating new technologies. The Ypsilanti City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting this project.

2) There is no better location in terms of solar exposure and public exposure.

3) This project will put Ypsilanti on the map as a leader in implementing alternative energy. The installation will draw visitors and business interests. Rejecting the project is inconsistent with Ypsilanti's role as a sustainable community that supports alternative energy. This project has already served the community and built excitement among citizens, and invigorated our downtown business community, and is consisten twith the State of Michigan. energy goals.

4) The back of the building has no historic architectural features which would be obstructed by the installation. The profile of the building will not be significantly altered.

5) Assuming a four percent inflation rate on electricity and natural gas costs, the solar panels would pay for themselves and generate revenue for the City within 20 years of installation. Now that grant money will pay for the panels, we will generate revenue as soon as they are installed.

6) When no longer viable or necessary, the panels can be easily removed.

Your attendance at Tuesday night's meeting will help ensure that Ypsilanti will remain an exciting and vibrant, historic and future-oriented community to live in. Please do bring your own positive message about why this project should be approved.

You can also send comments no later than 3pm Monday to the HDC at this email address:

Questions? Call Paula or Dave Strenski at 734-480-1587

UPDATE: The HDC approved the application on 10/14/08 with one commissioner dissenting.