Legislature extends summer vacation to July 17

Michigan Legislators will be even harder to find until July 17 after the House officially canceled session that was to begin Tuesday of next week.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm said late last month that lawmakers should not go on their two-week vacation that was to last until July 17 without resolving big pieces of state government's budget that starts Oct. 1. There was speculation that the governor could try to call a special session of the Legislature if legislators left without addressing a potential $1.6 billion shortfall. Although the budget year does not start until Oct. 1, there are only some 11 session days left this year, and Michigan public schools have already started their fiscal years.

As a compromise, the Legislature agreed to only a one-week break, but this latest news breaks that promise. There was no reason given for canceling next weeks sessions, but apparently Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop’s promise to meet over the break to discuss the budget situation was just more lip service and there was no budget or tax deal to vote on. Bishop’s only motivation seems to make the Governor look bad in his quest for the seat that will be open in three years.

I have not heard any word from the Senate on if they plan to cancel next week’s sessions, and they had next week marked as tentative session days. However, there did not appear to be any serious chance the Republican-controlled Senate would actually meet. Just before the break the Senate passed Senate Resolution 81 that made sure they would not have to come back before the two weeks were over.

According to the Associated Press, SR 81 changed a mechanism known as a call of the Senate, in which legislative leaders can lock lawmakers in the chamber and dispatch state troopers to arrest absent legislators.

Majority Republicans worried that Democratic senators might show up for session during the break and try to order them into session. So they enacted a change Wednesday — along a 20-17 party-line vote — requiring that a majority of all elected senators vote to issue a call of the Senate. Previously, only a majority of senators voting had to support such a move, regardless of whether a quorum of senators was present. The change effectively ensures Democrats will not have enough votes to force their GOP colleagues into session. Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer, a Democrat from Battle Creek, criticized the rule change as penalizing Democrats that are "here to do the business of this body, such as balancing the state budget." Schauer says lawmakers should finish work on the budget — including raising taxes — by Saturday.

Perhaps Michigan Liberal will now extend the deadline for its “Michigan Legislature Summer Break Photo Contest.” The contest offers a $50 prize to the best photo of your local obstructionist legislator enjoying his or her vacation instead of working in Lansing to solve our state’s budget crisis. The original deadline was 5 p.m. July 10, but finding them has been harder than trying to find a Republican that cares about working people. Perhaps the deadline will be extended now.

Salaries of House Legislative staff members will soon be published in the LSJ

The salaries of legislative staff members in the Michigan House of Representatives will soon be added to the searchable list of public employee salaries maintained by the Lansing State Journal.

A memo from the House Business Office informing the member offices, as well as partisan central staff, went to the member offices Friday informing them that it had received a Freedom of Information Request from the LSJ requesting the public record information. The Secretary of the Senate maintains the salary of those staffers in the Senate, but I do not have a source there. However, I am assuming the same thing happened there.

The 110 Members in the House are allowed two full-time employees, and their salaries are paid out of their annul office allotment, which is set by the Speaker of the House. The Business Office sets the salaries at a minimum of $20,000 annually and a maximum of $60,000.

Last month the LSJ posted the public information on 53,000 non-exempt public employees that includes name, title, department, county of the workplace and salary.

There was an immediate backlash, and according to the Lansing City Pulse there is a misguided boycott afoot against the LSJ.

The Coalition of State Employee Unions told state employees the unions were coordinating efforts to address the problem, pledging to pursue legal action and urging members to reconsider their Journal subscriptions.

This is perhaps the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. The newspaper is fulfilling one of its most important and cherished public functions: serving as a public watchdog. I have nothing but respect for public employees, and I was once one and plan to be one again. However, when your salary is paid by pubic taxpayer dollars you give up a bit of privacy.

I really don’t know a whole lot of people who enter public service with the top goal of making a lot of money. Certainly, decent pay is one important consideration, but all most people really want is a decent, living wage. Public employees are not overpaid, and they are hard-working, dedicate professionals.

I, and many other people, question the timing of this, and my only question is why it took so long to do it. In a story in the LSJ talking about the anger of public employees, Executive Editor Mickey Hirten said, “he acknowledged that this is upsetting to workers, especially since this sort of public service journalism hasn't been done in mid-Michigan.” He then went on to cite examples of other newspapers that publish public salaries like The Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and The Boston Herald. The former statement is simply not true.

For the past 20 years the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus in Howell in mid-Michigan has annually published a special section called the “Public Payroll” listing the name, title and salary of every person in the county, that they are aware of, that receives compensation from tax dollars: from U.S. Rep Mike Rogers to the constable in little Conway Township.

The P& A is owned by the same company as the LSJ, Gannett, so it seems a little odd that Hirten would overlook that example. The section is popular, at least with readers. That example kind of blunts some of the outrage and anger over the LSJ publication.

“Roberto Mosqueda, president of the Michigan State Employees Association, said the newspaper went too far when it published the county in which the state employee worked. None of the other eight newspapers publish this information and only Iowa includes it on its official salary database. That basic form of identification could put a conservation officer or any other regulatory agent in jeopardy of retaliatory attack from an angered member of the public, he argued. Corrections officers, for example, could be harassed.”

Obviously, in the example of the P & A the county where they are employed is identified, and no one has ever suffered an attack from an angry citizen or a has a public employee in hiding has ever been tracked down by an angry spouse. There have been, however, some angry citizens upset over the amount of money some public school administrators are making, and that’s the entire point of this.

I want to see the information for all people paid with tax dollars, and there should be no exception to FOIA.

Michigan taxpayers lost a good friend

Conservative Republicans, as well as all Michigan taxpayers, lost a truly class guy with the passing of former Livingston County Commissioner David Hamilton, 66, who passed away on July 1.

Dave was a Commissioner for 16 years, but the conservative Republican was perhaps more well known for his role as the chair of the Livingston County Taxpayers Association. Now, I have to point out that I never met any other members of this organization, but Dave took his role as the watchdog of the public funds very, very seriously.

I know my blog is dedicated to pointing out the faults, misinformation and hypocrisy of the Republic Party, and it can get pretty insulting and rough. But often when you personally get to know someone from the other side, it gives you a better perspective. I rarely agreed with Dave on his pet issues – which was any tax increase, and I still do not understand how anyone can say they love their country but do not want to pay their fair share to support it. But, I respected Dave’s role as a watchdog, and I never, ever doubted his sincerity or his love of country and community.

I first met David Hamilton in May of 2000 when I was a reporter for the daily newspaper in the county, and I had the county beat. All nine members of the board were Republicans, and often the votes were 8-1 with Dave casting the lone no vote.

It was nice to have some there just to say, “hey, wait a minute; let’s take another look at this.” It has been said that David Hamilton never met a tax increase he supported. I don’t know if that’s true, but I can’t recall him ever supporting one. That position at times brought him into conflict with a lot of people, but I never met anybody who did not respect him, although it may have been grudging respect.

I appreciated him because, as any reporter will tell you, it’s hard to get a meeting story written when there’s no discussion on an issue and no one to quote. He would also approach me after the meeting to explain why he voted against the majority, and more often than not he provided documentation to support his position.

Even after he left the board I could always call him at home, and he would patiently explain a complex tax issue to me. Numbers tend to make my head swim, so I appreciated the patience.

The last time I saw him was around this time last year when he showed up at a Hamburg Township Board meeting to voice his disapproval of a request by Livingston County to increase the surcharge on telephones to fund 911 Central Dispatch. His former colleague on the Board of Commissioners was there to take the opposite position, but it was a very civil debate.

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus did a wonderful editorial memorializing him, but I do have to disagree with at least one point in the editorial.

“He was particularly confounded as to why Livingston County taxing units — such as cities, townships and the county — needed to increase tax rates at a time when their tax base was increasing at a record rate.”

That ignores the effects of proposal A, the Headlee amendment of 1978 and constant cuts to local revenue sharing. The Headlee amendment included a provision that a community's total tax base should not increase faster than the inflation rate. In other words, Headlee kept the amount of money a local municipality collected from property taxes about the same every despite population growth by rolling back or reducing the millage rate each year, so local governments are serving more people with less money.

But that does not dampen or lessen the public service of a man like David Hamilton. I agree with the P & A: Livingston County taxpayers – and reporters – lost a good friend.

A gathering in David Hamilton’s honor will take place from 1-5 p.m. Sunday at Borek Jennings Funeral Home, Hamburg Chapel, 7425 E. M-36 in Hamburg Township. The Memorial Service will be held on Monday, July 9 at 3:00 P.M. at the Shalom Lutheran Church with Pastor Kurt Hutchens officiating, with a reception at the church to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the family and envelopes will be available at Borek Jennings Funeral Home, Hamburg Chapel.

Coulter Quote of the Week: ‘Bill of Rights, we don’t need no stinking Bill of Rights’

This week’s Ann Coulter Quote of the Week falls, unfortunately, on the Independence Day holiday. But we know you can’t get along without our weekly dose of Coulter hate and wisdom as her appearance at Cleary University’s Economic Club Speakers Luncheon Series fast approaches.

As we celebrate our unique from of government that gives U.S. Citizens the greatest freedoms ever known to mankind we get a few examples of Coulter’s warped views of freedom. This is a Bill of Rights that gives people the right to be free in their persons houses, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizure; due process of law; the presumption of innocence; and protection against cruel and unusual punishment. These are, apparently, values Coulter does not share.

If not for the 1st Amendment she would not be pulling down $30,000 for speaking for Cleary University and spreading her hateful and racist views.

Here are the weekly pearls of wisdom from the queen of hate:

"I have to say I'm all for public flogging. One type of criminal that a public humiliation might work particularly well with are the juvenile delinquents, a lot of whom consider it a badge of honor to be sent to juvenile detention. And it might not be such a cool thing in the 'hood to be flogged publicly."---MSNBC 3/22/97

"The presumption of innocence only means you don't go right to jail."---Hannity & Colmes 8/24/01

Show your patriotism today by supporting the Bill of Rights and the ACLU

In addition to celebrating the 231st birthday of the United States of America with cook-outs, fireworks, parades and other things today, I suggest something that really celebrates what this country stands for and do something to actually strengthen those freedoms we take for granted: join the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan.

I could not agree more with the ACLU’s Independence Day message, and they ring much more true that empty rhetoric and waving a piece of cloth made in the largest Communist country in the world with slave wages: “True American patriotism is more than the love of one's country; it is the abiding respect for our country's values of freedom, fairness and equality. It is the willingness to stand up to a government that abuses its power and treats the Constitution as if it were a meaningless scrap of paper. Freedom is only as strong as the people who are willing to stand up for it. Will you stand up?”

Those values of freedom, fairness and equality are not just liberal or conservative values, they are American values that made men and women risk everything for 231 years ago. The mission of the ACLU of Michigan – and in general - is to enforce the Bill of Rights and advance its principles.

I am a member of the ACLU of Michigan, and although I don’t always agree with everything they do – who agrees with everything all of the time – I believe in and respect what they do and stand for. If the government tried to stop a racist hatemonger like Ann Coulter from speaking the ACLU would be the first to defend her. They even defended Rush Blowhard in his doctor shopping case for prescription drugs.

The ACLU stands up for freedom 365 days a year, not just on July 4. From fighting to restore due process, stopping warrant less wiretapping, ending profiling based on race or ethnicity and much more, the ACLU has been a force for democracy since 1920.

The ACLU was founded by Roger Baldwin, Crystal Eastman, Albert DeSilver and others in 1920. It’s nonprofit and nonpartisan and it has grown from a roomful of civil liberties activists to an organization of more than 500,000 members and supporters. The ACLU handles nearly 6,000 court cases annually from offices in almost every state.

Show your patriotism and join today.

Gonzales and Coulter honored with ‘Sitting Duck Award’

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may be under siege for the improper firing of eight U.S. attorneys for not trumping up charges and harassing Democrats, but he is still raking in awards and accolades.

Gonzales won the uncoveted annual "Sitting Duck Award" for being an easy target, from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists last month. Gonzales was the clear winner for either being a liar or having no idea what’s going in the AG’s office, and when he was asked to explain his role in the firings to a Senate Committee, Gonzales said, "I don't recall" or "I have no recollection" 64 times, drawing the disbelief from even Republican Senators.

The thing that really caught my attention was last year’s winner. Previous winners have included political commentator Ann Coulter, who was recognized in 2006 for "cheapening political discourse in America" and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in 2004.

“Cheapening political discourse in America?” Surely they jest. Cleary University is set to pay racist hatemonger Ann Coulter $30,000 to speak for 90 minutes to spread her unique brand of hate speech at the school’s Economic Club Speakers Luncheon Series in the fall. In the face of outrage and protest over her appearance, Cleary President Tom Sullivan says the series is to “enrich the community by hosting speakers who can share a broad spectrum of business, social, political, intellectual, and cultural experiences." He has defended her appearance by blaming bloggers for the fuss, but Mr. Sullivan now needs to add every newspaper columnist to his list.

That take by Mr. Sullivan appears to be in direct conflict with every newspaper columnist in America who said Coulter “cheapens political discourse.” Coulter’s appearance kicks off Cleary University Founders Week Celebration. I wonder what award they will give her.

Senator wages daily battle against discriminatory practice of ‘Redlining’

Can you imagine how outraged you would be if you had to pay 365 percent more for something as essential as, say water, than your neighbor just because you lived where you live. If you can imagine it then you can begin to feel some of the same frustration as Sen. Martha Scott, D-Highland Park.

For the past three years Scott has fought against the practice known as insurance “redlining.” Redlining means an insurance company refuses to insure an auto or home based solely on the geographic area where the person lives, provides an inferior product based on geography or at a higher price. Scott said studies have shown drivers in Detroit pay a much as 17 percent more in insurance rates than people in similar-sized cities, and insurance premiums for Detroit drivers have increased four times the rate of inflation. A recent report in the Detroit News reported on a study that showed a typical driver would be charged $1,624 in Kalamazoo, but the same driver would be charged $5,933 for the same insurance if they lived in Detroit, a 365 percent difference.

“But you folks don’t need a study to tell you how outrageous these premiums have become,” Scott said.

There is one thing you can count on occurring every single day in the Michigan Senate, and that is Scott getting up and speaking on the Senate floor about the long-standing problem of redlining. Scott said some three years ago a House bill was introduced to call for reimbursement of the fine for drivers ticketed for not having proper proof-of-insurance if they could provide a copy within a reasonable amount of time. When it got to the Senate Scot introduced an amendment to the bill that would require auto insurance rates be based solely on distance drove, the type of vehicle and driving record. It was soundly defeated in the Republican-controlled Senate.

“That day, I will tell you, was my worst day in the Legislature,” Scott said. “I will tell you I stood on the Senate floor that day and I made a promise that I would speak every session day on fair insurance rates.”

Redlining is a discriminatory practice that has been around for more than 50 years when certain people buying a home were directed to certain geographic areas based on the color of their skin. That’s illegal, but the powerful insurance industry is apparently allowed to do so legally.

It seems a little unfair that under Michigan’s no-fault insurance law that a state law makes everyone buy their product under heavy monetary penalty if they don’t. In my former profession, I wondered why we didn’t have a state law that required every homeowner to subscribe to a daily newspaper of their choice. That seems fair.

Redlining has ensured Detroit drivers and homeowner pay some of the highest premiums in the country, and it’s not just happening in Detroit. It’s also unfair when the rates are so high for people who may be the least able to pay them. The Supreme Court ruled in 1978 that insurance is an essential product, and that the state has a duty to ensure people have equitable and affordable access to insurance coverage. The state has failed in that duty.

There are more than a million uninsured drivers in the state who cannot afford the premiums, and half the drivers in Detroit are uninsured.

It is that failure by the state that has ensured insurance companies are making excessive profits. A study released last month, according to the Detroit News, concludes that Michigan auto insurance companies have been piling up big profits and excessive surplus funds. The report was authored by Jay Angoff, who served as Missouri's insurance commissioner from 1993-98. He said AAA's – the largest provider in Michigan - profit more than doubled to $104.2 million last year from $50.9 million in 2002.

In January Scott introduced Senate Bill 37 that will create an affordable and accessible insurance task force within the Office of Financial and Insurance Services, and she also introduced SB 38 that prohibits insurance rates from being based on where the person lives. Both bill were referred to the Committee on Economic Development and Regulatory Reform where they have yet to be taken up.

There is much more information on redlining available on the web site Scott has set up, and you can also sign an online petition against redlining. Scott has vowed to speak every session day until fair and equably priced insurance premiums are available to everyone.

UPDATE: It occurred to me I should have posted some of the floor speeches Sen. Scott made on the Senate floor, courtesy of Senate Democratic Caucus Communications. The speeches are excellent and entertaining, and she does a wonderful job of making her case for the legislation.

Oh where have you gone little Homeland Security Advisory System graph?

If you were like me this weekend, the few hours you spent indoors away from the wonderful weather we are enjoying you could not have failed to see TV news reports of the attack on Glasgow's airport terminal on Saturday between innings of the Tigers game.

The thing that stuck me immediately when I tuned into MSNBC, CNN, CNBC and even Faux “News” was, where was that little colorful terror alert graph we saw constantly in 2003 and 2004 leading up to the 2004 Presidential Election? I don’t think I have seen it since Bush was re-elected in his “if you don’t vote for me the terrorists will kill you” campaign theme.

You recall that the Homeland Security Advisory System in the Department of Homeland Security was created by Presidential Directive six months after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, to provide a "comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to Federal, State, and local authorities and to the American people."

The pretty little color-coded system has five colors as follows:
Severe (red): severe risk
High (orange): high risk
Elevated (yellow): significant risk
Guarded (blue): general risk
Low (green): low risk

The little graph was seen on all the cable news networks as part of their rolling scrawl at the bottom of the screen, especially dug the campaign.

With each perceived threat, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge ratcheted-up the Homeland Security Advisory System in an attempt to sustain public anxiety and fear even if subsequent information proved the threat was over-hyped. Do you remember the near-panic response caused by the Duct Tape & Plastic Sheeting Advisory in 2003? We had Dick Cheney out there making the ridiculous claim that if a Democrat was elected “we would be hit.” The alert system has never been lowered to the bottom two colors, blue and green.

The perceived “war on terror” was the centerpiece of Bush’s campaign. But the real meat of the campaign was fear-mongering with the same, constant drum-beat statement rolled out at every campaign stop where only Bush supporters were allowed in: "We are fighting the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and in other parts of the world so we do not have to fight them in the streets of our own cities."

The fear mongering really went into high gear from Memorial Day 2004 through July 4, and Homeland Security cranked out a series of terror alerts. Shortly after that, they warned us that Al Qaeda could disrupt the November elections.

Apparently, Bush dos not need that graph anymore. However, the system is still in place, but Bush does not need to scare us as much anymore. It appears the little graph-that-could will enter nostalgic status to take its place among pet rocks, 8-track tapes and lava lamps.

Based on the attack in Scotland, airports in the U.S. are orange, and the current national threat level is yellow, where it has been for a long time.