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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Washington DC Climate Rally Feb 17


9:48pm Jan 30
Bus from Detroit to DC Climate Forward Rally
www.eventbrite.com


In coordination with 350.org, Sierra Club, and PlanIt4Planet we are organizing buses to bring demonstrators from Detroit to Washington, DC, on February 17th for the Forward on Climate Rally – the largest climate rally in American history. 2013 must be the year of climate solutions and the President of the United States must refuse to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and lead the way Forward on Climate.

Go here http://forwardonclimatedetroitbus.eventbrite.com/ to reserve a spot on one of the buses leaving from the Detroit area or to support scholarships to help students and low income individuals attend.

Buses will leave from a location (TBD) at 10PM on Saturday February 16th from the Detroit area. The rally begins at 12 noon on Sunday, and buses will depart Washington DC late that evening and arrive back around the Detroit area at 4PM. We will email you with information about departure locations.

To reserve a place on a bus, folks must submit a payment of $85.00 for regular tickets, $45.00 for low income and student tickets, and some full scholarships available based on donations received by going here: http://forwardonclimatedetroitbus.eventbrite.com/

Payment is due by February 4th at the latest. No refunds available.

Questions email PlanIt4planet@gmail.com or call 313-444-8428
--
Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. -Albert Einstein

Jarret Schlaff
Organizer
PlanIt4Planet.org
(313) 444-8428

Election Rigging in Michigan

Friends and fellow Democrats,
Some of you have probably heard about a proposal by Michigan Republicans -- and Republicans in blue states across the country -- to change the way our state’s Electoral College votes are decided.
Lansing Republicans have tried to justify their proposal under the guise of fairness, but the bill’s sponsor admitted they didn't undertake the scheme last session because they thought Mitt Romney still could win Michigan. This isn’t about fairness -- it’s about politics.
The Republicans have now lost six consecutive presidential elections here in Michigan. After considering their record of futility, they have given up trying to win. They can’t win, so now they’re trying to rig the game.

We believe the effort to gerrymander the Electoral College is nothing less than election-rigging, plain and simple.

Unfortunately, this election-rigging scheme is just another chapter in the neverending story of Republican corruption here in Lansing. Remember -- Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger is still under investigation by a grand jury for his attempt to rig a House election in Grand Rapids last year.
While some Republicans appear to be wavering in their support for this proposal, we must keep up the pressure. After all, we’ve heard the “not on our agenda” line before.

Contact your state representative and senator today. Ask them to stand up for democracy and stand against this Electoral College rigging scheme.

In Virginia, thousands of concerned citizens took action and contacted their legislators about a similar proposal there. They were able to stop the bill -- at least for now.
We can do the same thing here in Michigan.

Contact your legislators now.

Working together, we can stop this.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

GOP Moves to Rig the Next Election


Dear Robert,
Last week, we warned you about the Republican Plan (see below) to rig the Electoral College to win the presidential election in 2016.
And now they've already started to move this plan forward in Virginia! This past Tuesday, Virginia SB 723 passed out of the Senate Elections and Campaigns Subcommittee, and got one step closer to becoming reality.
SB 723 would allocate electoral votes by congressional district, and reward two statewide electors to the candidate who wins the most districts statewide. Had this bill been enacted last year, Mitt Romney would have received 9 of Virginia’s 13 electors, despite losing the state’s popular vote!
It's clear that the Republicans have decided that if they can't win over the majority of voters, they’ll just change the rules to rig the results -- and we have to let them know that they can’t away with such an overt power grab.
Thanks for all that you do,
Ben Betz, Online Strategy Manager
From: Ben Betz, People For the American Way
Date: Saturday, January 19, 2013
Re: GOP Moves to Rig the Next Election
every vote counts
Make SURE Every Vote Counts -- Speak Out to Stop the Right's New Scheme to Rig Elections!
sign the petition
Dear Robert,
Imagine that when President Obama won Ohio in 2012, instead of getting all the state’s electoral votes, he only got six of them, while Mitt Romney, who lost, got 12 … that each candidate was awarded electoral votes based on how many congressional districts they won in the state. Now, imagine this didn’t happen just in Ohio, but also in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and other “blue states” that right now happen to have state governments completely controlled by Republicans.
This isn’t just some thought experiment. It’s the latest Republican scheme to rig America’s elections in their favor, and it could work … unless we can create a public backlash against it.
Actions like this petition will help create the necessary backlash that will send these proposals down in flames in states like Pennsylvania, where a bill has already been introduced, and others like Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan, where lawmakers are discussing it.
We’ll use the petition to lobby lawmakers in the states and make sure the media is giving attention to how unpopular this vote rigging scheme is.
If the scheme is enacted, the will of the people would mean nothing in those states. And, nationally, the playing field would be dramatically shifted towards Republican presidential candidates. That’s because one of the results of the Tea Party wave election of 2010 was that right-wing Republicans controlled the redistricting process in these states, and congressional districts there were gerrymandered within an inch of their lives, ensuring more “safe” Republican districts. It’s the same reason that Republicans maintained a healthy majority in the House of Representatives in 2012 despite losing the congressional popular vote nationally to Democrats by 1.4 million votes -- more than a whole percentage point.
In states like Ohio, where Republicans have a super majority in the legislature, they have the power to move this affront to democracy through unilaterally, bulldozing any opposition!
The head of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, supports the scheme, and it’s gaining traction amongst GOP state lawmakers. We need to stop this NOW, before it gets too far!
Another similar idea being floated by Republicans in these states is electoral vote apportionment based on percentage of vote, instead of by congressional district. This could theoretically be a fair system, but only if EVERY state did it. With only blue, Democratic-leaning states splitting their electoral votes and definitively red, Republican states remaining winner-take-all, the national field would still shift dramatically to the Republicans favor -- and AWAY from the will of the people. To put it bluntly:election rigged.
Thank you for helping to save our democracy by protecting the voice of the voter -- the American Way.
-- Ben Betz, Online Strategy Manager
donate

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Friday, January 25, 2013

Violence Against Women Act in Congress

Well, finally. You probably heard that the last Congress was one of the least productive in history. Even worse than that, they're the first Congress to fail to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
So it's good news that leaders in the new Congress, in both the House and Senate, just introduced VAWA again. Even better, the versions that have been introduced expand protections to communities who are especially vulnerable to sexual and domestic violence--Native American women, immigrant women, and members of the LGBT community.1
But those expanded protections are the very reason House conservatives shamefully refused to act on VAWA last year--leaving millions of women without crucial protections.2 So if we don't push Congress, hard, it might not even come up for a vote this year.
Reporters are already covering the new VAWA bills, and conservatives didn't face nearly enough pressure when they failed to act last year, so now is the time to speak up. New members of Congress are particularly sensitive to news coverage early in their terms, and want to avoid bad press at all costs. So we need to put pressure on them right away. Can you sign this petition telling Congress to expand and reauthorize VAWA? We’ll deliver your signature directly to your member of Congress.
Every nine seconds in the U.S., a woman is assaulted or beaten.3 Far too many of those incidents are the result of domestic or partner violence.
But thanks to VAWA, we've seen progress. Among many other things, the Violence Against Women Act has:4
  • Strengthened federal penalties for repeat sex offenders and created a federal “rape shield law,” which prevents offenders from using survivors' past sexual conduct against them at trial.
  • Trained over 500,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges every year to ensure they understand the realities of domestic and sexual violence.
  • Established the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which has answered over 3 million calls and receives over 22,000 calls every month; 92% of callers report that it’s their first call for help.
The results have been clear:5
  • Between 1993 to 2010, the rate of intimate partner violence declined 67%.
  • Between 1993 to 2007, the rate of intimate partner homicides of females decreased 35% and the rate of intimate partner homicides of males decreased 46%.
  • More victims are reporting domestic and sexual violence to police, and reports to police are resulting in more arrests.
The legislation introduced this year would expand protections to the very communities most vulnerable to violence: Native American women, immigrant women, and members of the LGBT community. Shamefully, this expansion is what House conservatives are up in arms about, and what prevented reauthorization of VAWA before it expired in 2012.
Women’s lives are at stake. Don’t let House conservatives get away with turning women’s health and safety into a political football. Sign the petition today, and make sure Congress knows that Americans want the Violence Against Women Act reauthorized and expanded immediately.
Thanks for speaking out,
Nita, Shaunna, Kat, and Karin, the UltraViolet team
Sources:
2. Ibid.
3. "Every 9 Seconds in the US a Woman Is Assaulted or Beaten - Help End Domestic Violence," National Coalition Against Domestic Violence press release, October 8, 2012
4. "Factsheet: The Violence Against Women Act," The White House, accessed January 24, 2013
5. Ibid.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

FRACKING IN MICHIGAN


The state owned mineral rights, under both public parks and private residences, are nominated every 6-months to be sold. Oil and Gas extraction companies buy these rights often for only $12 an acre. This is the first step for drilling and fracking operations to happen in and under our parks, homes, and lakes. The last mineral rights auction is October 24th, 2012, the DNR has reduced the price to $10 an acre.
 
1.  Oil and gas companies reap billions in profits and millions in executive compensation without complying with the clean water act while residents bear enormous risks and the state earns a tiny fraction. .    http://www.ngsa.org/Assets/docs/top%2040%202011%202nd%20quarter.pdf  The DNR sells rights under your home and lakes for $12 an acre, energy companies earn $100 a barrel.    Energy CEOs earn $100 MM a year.  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/NOMNOTICE_382057_7.pdf   The supply chain of energy companies engage in arbitrage (trading of these rights) while the state makes a fraction. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-big-fracking-bubble-the-scam-behind-the-gas-boom-20120301  . http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/how-shale-tilts-the-scale.aspx These companies can take up to 5 million gallons of water per drill for free, in other states they have to pay to truck water, MI incentivizes them to pollute here. http://www.danolt.com/pa/costanalysis.html
2.  Oil and gas companies will use their gargantuan profits for advertising, PR and lobbying.  It is very difficult for objective sources such as universities (Duke, Cornell and the EPA) to complete research BECAUSE THE INDUSTRY DOESN'T NEED TO DISCLOSE THE DANGEROUS CHEMICALS THEY USE.  Some objective research (not funded by big oil):  http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/dukenvironment/f11/in-the-midst-of-a-fracking-firestorm , http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2012/05/31/cornell-university-professor-at-odds-with-pa-dep-over-regulation/
3.  Residents bear the risk and damage of a) polluted drinking and recreation water, b) storage of  millions of gallons of toxic wastewater (aka produced water), c) transport of polluted water and other contaminants, d) destruction of the beautiful environment (roads, noise, drills, waste pools. http://www.friendsofthejordan.org/  http://catskillcitizens.org/learnmore/Shonkoff.pdf
4.  Why is the state complicit in selling mineral rights for pennies on the dollar?  Are they being funded by big oil and gas?
6.  Remediation efforts and expenditures by energy companies are feeble, ask the residents of the Gulf and Kalamazoo.  How can BP and Enbridge still earn record profits and executive compensation?  http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3313_56784-251978--,00.html

What can ordinary citizens in Michigan do?
Contact the state DNR to comment on the auction:  contact Debbie Whipple at 517-373-2352 or whippled1@michigan.gov
Attend the October 24 auction and purchase your rights or at least find out who wants to drill and frack in your backyard.  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FinalProposedOctPubNotice2_395123_7.pdf Check to see if you own your mineral rights, Department of Natural Resources mansonj@michigan.gov (e-mail) 517-335-3232 (phone)
Get your water tested because the burden of proof will be on you.  The energy companies will claim that your water was contaminated before they injected millions of gallons of toxic water through the aquifers.  Get a baseline test of your tap water; test for Benzene and VOC’s. Contact the state Drinking Water Laboratory, DEQ, at 517-335-8184.
Check the DNR map to see if mineral rights near you or in your favorite recreation areas have been leased.  http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/1,1607,7-153-10371_14793-30912--,00.html
Alert your neighbors.  Energy companies will try to purchase private rights for a pittance, influence your neighbors not to sell out.  Learn how to interpret the 50 page leases which will require you to sign a nondisclosure if you want any remediation for toxic water. 
Influence your public officials and candidates to take action.
Pass local moratoriums like West Bloomfield, Detroit, Ferndale, Ingram County.  Some of these can include provisions which make it difficult, expensive and slow for energy companies to operate in our area.  There is some legal difference of opinion regarding state law trumping localities.  For steps localities can take to hold energy companies responsible, see pages 4.  Lobby for fair bond amounts.
Alert the media. Write letters to the editor of papers.
Attend public meetings and make comments. 
Join groups such as  National Wildlife foundation, http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Policy-Solutions/Drilling-and-Mining/Natural-Gas-Fracking.aspx  Clean Water Action  www.cleanwateraction.org/category/regions/michigan  and Food and Water Watch who are aligned on this issue http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/

 
Kathy Chiaravalli,
Resident of West Bloomfield for 23 years (lives on Cass Lake)
kathych@comcast.net

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Tony is Back

Yes, the rumors are true! Beginning Monday, January 28, 2013 First Shift turns the page and will rebrand itself as Night Shift. I am very excited to have worked out a deal with Clear Channel and look forward to joining lineup on 1130 AM WDFN.More details to come in the days ahead but you should expect the same hard-hitting, no holes barred, take no prisoners approach you got used to in the morning. We will also be welcoming back many of our regular guests and I promise that we are going to do our very best to bring you the people that are making the news and that are shaping our future.

Clearly, the Republicans both of the state level and the federal level have not learned their lesson from the November elections so it is incumbent upon all of us to not just remind them of what the election
stood for but to demand the change and profound opportunities that we will no longer just sit back and wait for. It is time we demand change that is progressive in nature and responsive to the needs of the 99%.

Of course the show will be podcast on a daily basis for those of you that will not be able to listen in the evening. We will also be broadcasting on the i Heart app that is available for free both at

I want to thank all of you stayed in touch over the last few weeks as I have diligently put together the new show on a station in a new time slot. I want you to know that the management at Clear Channel was very
responsive and anxious to see the program back on and worked very closely with me to make sure that we got a fair deal accomplished.

There is one thing I need that you can all help me with immediately. I am looking for someone that is experienced with graphic design and need them to contact me immediately at Tony@thetonyshow.org.

Thanks again for your enthusiasm and support and I look forward to once again changing the conversation and holding accountable the lawmakers and decision-makers that have made our lives so much more difficult over the last two years. Enough is enough! Are you ready?

Tony Trupiano,
Host, First Shift with Tony Trupiano
313-914-3234 <tel:313-914-3234>
<http://www.thetonyshow.org/>http://www.thetonyshow.org
<http://www.thetonyshow.org/>

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

ACTION ALERT: State of the State Events Across Michigan


Gov. Rick Snyder will be delivering his "State of the State" address next Wednesday. Of course, we all know the real "state of the state" here in Michigan...
  • It's higher taxes for seniors and middle-class families and tax breaks for wealthy CEOs like Dick DeVos.
  • It's attacks on women's rights and workers' rights.
  • It’s disdain for the democratic process.
That’s the state of the state in Lansing. And we refuse to stand for it.
Please join our friends with the We Are Michigan coalition in Lansing on Jan. 16 for a State of the State Action.
Who: Bring your friends, neighbors, coworkers and kids. All are welcome.
What: State of the State Action
When: Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Michigan State Capitol Building outside of the main entrance
RSVP for the State of the State event now!

If you can’t make it to Lansing, we are planning events in Sault Ste. Marie, Traverse City, Kalamazoo, western Oakland County, Monroe County and more!
Sault Ste. Marie: Email Jim and Dorothy Johnson for details
Traverse City: Email Kerry Navabi for details
Kalamazoo: Email Sakhi Vyas for details
Western Oakland: Email Jim Gualdoni for details
Monroe County: Email Ernie Whiteside for details

And no matter whether you’re watching from Lansing, one of the watch parties or from home, you can join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #MISOTS.

GUNS AND SCHOOLS

January 13, 2013

Dear Fellow Democrats and Friends,

Bob Toliver has given me permission to share my opinions with you from time to time.  This is one of the opinions I have recently shared with a few others:

I’m writing about what we can do immediately to help protect the schools and those who work and learn in them.

We are all familiar with fire drills and the requirements that they be practiced on a regular basis.  They did not come about just because people thought they were a good idea.  They were a reaction to a number of school fires across the country in which lives were lost.  People finally realized that there were three areas that could be improved for the safety of the children.  First was an improvement in the building codes for schools; second was a procedure for evacuating a building as quickly as possible, third was putting out the fire and assisting any victims.  Change did not come fast, but it did come!

Most schools now evacuate hundreds of students in well under five minutes in such an orderly manner that we can tell who is missing and where that person might be.  Fire departments arrive almost instantly and are ready to go to work before the last child is out of the building.  Professional firefighters are then in charge of dealing with the fire, finding anyone missing, handling first aid and calling for additional resources when necessary.  The system works because professional educators deal with school matters and organization, while professional firefighters deal with their area of expertise.

We can apply the lesson of school fires to school violence!  While the requirements are not the same, they are parallel. Schools face major issues: shooters (mentally ill and/or very angry), building access, deadly weapons to name a few.  If schools had a violence alarm that went directly to an identified police precinct, a patrol car could be dispatched immediately while the precinct team could ascertain what other support is required.  Instead of a fire alarm, a hotline from school to precinct could be established.

It would be best if a school/precinct liaison team could be created so that the same officers would have a role with the school community that would make them familiar with people in the school and neighborhood.  Some communities have such personnel employed currently.  In addition to fire drills, schools should be required to have safety drills.  It is obvious that planning and training requirements must be established; but actions can and must be taken immediately.
School, police and fire officials must plan appropriate requirements for school access and exit.  Locked and chained doors that keep the bad guys out, also keep children and staff trapped in case of a fire.   Plans are required for different age groups and school organizations 

Access to assault and automatic weapons must be controlled or eliminated!  But the politics of gun control may take months or years.  Only our politicians can do that, but citizens can organize to make it happen.

What price would be appropriate to improve the safety of children, how should it be paid and who should pay for it?  I propose that a licensing fee or other tax be added to firearms and ammunition to help pay for the additional expenses to schools and police departments.

 Of course, this document is only an outline of a plan; but I believe that it is worthy of your consideration. 



Al Halper

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Public Education is Under Attack

Dear Parents and Citizens: This is an urgent call to action affecting your Bloomfield Hills Schools and public education in Michigan. A package of bills designed to corporatize and dismantle public education is being hastily pushed through this current ‘lame duck’ legislative session. If we do not take immediate action, I believe great damage will be done to public education, including our school system. We have just three weeks to take action before it’s too late. The bills are:

House Bill 6004 and Senate Bill 1358: Would expand a separate and statewide school district (the EAA) overseen by a governor-appointed chancellor and functioning outside the authority of the State Board of Education or state school superintendent. These schools are exempt from the same laws and quality measures of community-governed public schools. The EAA can seize unused school buildings (built and financed by local taxpayers) and force sale or lease to charter, non-public or EAA schools.

House Bill 5923: Creates several new forms of charter and online schools with no limit on the number. Bundled with HB 6004/SB1358, many of these schools could be created by the EAA. Public schools are not allowed to create these new schools unless they charter them. Selective enrollment/dis-enrollment policies will likely lead to greater segregation in our public schools. This bill creates new schools without changing the overall funding available, further diluting resources for community-governed public schools.

Senate Bill 620: Known as the ‘Parent Trigger’ bill, this would allow the lowest achieving 5% of schools to be converted to a charter school while allowing parents or teachers to petition for the desired reform model. This bill will not directly affect our district, but disenfranchises voters, ends their local control, and unconstitutionally hands taxpayer-owned property over to for-profit companies. Characterized as parent-empowerment, this bill does little to develop deep, community-wide parent engagement and organization.

Look at the Oakland Schools website: http://oaklandschoolsmi.com/2012/11/26/publiced/ for up-to-date information on the status of these bills

I’ve never considered myself a conspiracy theorist—until now. This package of bills is the latest in a yearlong barrage of ideologically-driven bills designed to weaken and defund locally-controlled public education, handing scarce taxpayer dollars over to for-profit entities operating under a different set of rules. I believe this is fundamentally wrong. State School Superintendent Mike Flanagan and State Board of Education President John Austin and others have also expressed various concerns, as has the Detroit Free Press.

If you are concerned about these bills, please do the following:

Attend one of the following grassroots legislative meetings.
Stay informed by registering for updates through ‘Capwiz.’
Call and e-mail your legislator and respectfully ask them to OPPOSE these bills
Enlist ten others to do the same, and please remain active.

Your voice matters! Your opinion matters! Please contact your representatives now and make sure they hear you!!! To make it easier, go to:

http://www.capwiz.com/miparentsforschools/issues/alert/?alertid=62182501

This is a great site with action oriented recommendations including writing your legislators – after you confirm your zip code it will connect you to the legislator in your district – please use this site to send off letters and pass on to anyone who can help.

Rob Glass, Superintendent
Bloomfield Hills Schools

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

The Debt Crisis

WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE DEBT CRISIS?

WHEN CLINTON LEFT OFFICE THE NATIONAL DEBT WAS 5.8 TRILLION. WHEN BUSH
LEFT OFFICE IT WAS 11.9 TRILLION. PRESENTLY IT IS 16.4 TRILLION
  • THE BUSH TAX CUTS (ESPECIALLY FOR THE WEALTHY) WITH NO OFFSETTING SPENDING CUTS
  • MEDICARE PART D PRESCRIPTION PROGRAM. MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ADVERTISED WITH NO ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO PAY FOR IT.
  • CONSTANT WAR IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. THE USE OF EXPENSIVE MERCENARIES INSTEAD OF CITIZEN-SOLDIERS. AGAIN WITH NO ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO PAY FOR THEM.
  • THE GREAT RECESSION OF 2008 DUE TO UNREGULATED AND IRRESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL FIRMS. REDUCING GOVERNMENT REVENUE, AND NECESSITATING MORE SOCIAL SERVICES - UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, FOOD STAMPS, ETC
  • A CONSTANT TRILLION DOLLAR A YEAR DEFENSE BUDGET.
  • 100 BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR SPY PROGRAMS, A RESULT OF 9/11 AND THE PATRIOT ACT
  • HIGH MEDICAL COSTS. CAUSED BY A FOR-PROFIT, MONOPOLISTIC, POLITICALLY WELL-CONNECTED INSURANCE CARTEL AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
  • INTEREST ON THE NATIONAL DEBT - 250 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR

WHAT IS THE FISCAL CLIFF?

THE FISCAL CLIFF IS THE COMBINATION OF TAX INCREASES AND SPENDING CUTS THAT ARE TO TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 1, 2013 IN RESPONSE TO THE DEBT CRISIS. IT IS PREDICTED THAT A SEVERE RECESSION WILL OCCUR AS A RESULT.

WHAT DOES SOCIAL SECURITY HAVE TO DO WITH THE DEBT CRISIS?

SOCIAL SECURITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DEBT CRISIS. SOCIAL SECURITY HAS A 2.5 TRILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS

WHAT DOES MEDICARE HAVE TO DO WITH THE DEBT CRISIS?

SEE HIGH MEDICAL COSTS ABOVE