Read a message from the ACLU to thank my rep Scott for voting for the state bill to allow 1 non related person on insurance. What? Crazy I thought? But probably not since he has a baby with a female he's not married to--yet--and maybe that baby needs insurance. How hypocritical--but maybe that's a Republican or general politician characteristic. This same rep just introduced a bill that "would fine the MEA $5,000 per teacher for each full or partial day of a teacher strike and strip a striking teacher's license" (flint journal, april 1 p6). Know that strikes are already illegal in MI and a fine exists; I like the stripping of the license though. Nice touch. Is this concerted effort to get rid of all unions and most rights won by unions which benefit everyone on the right track? Welcome to the midwest--MI, WI, OH, IN, and your state next. Paul Scott is a 2nd term rep who is already head of the House Education Committee. Looks like Engler's blood continues to run through good Republicans.
How about states quitting a federal stimulus program offering extended unemployment benefits. MO just did that; MI, AK, and FL just cut back on money going to the unemployed although targeting state benefits.
Less for people with little: more for corporations. GE paid no taxes this year. How extraordinary and evil. People need to do something before it's too late--the death of the middle and lower classes is progressing nicely.
monday:
went to GFS to price gather and ended up getting a box of cookies to bake. asked at the check out where they were made since the box only had the distributed by phrase. clerk checked computer, asked for help several times, and finally they came up with WI. i believe the man called the # on the box. shouldn't we know where food stuffs come from? why made for or distributed by? while waiting, had time to check stuff by the counter. pace salsa--distributed by/mars candy--distributed by. did have conversations with a woman who shops vg's since it is family owned and lady whose friend out west said gas was still cheap there at 3.49/gal.
home on SE corner of irish and bristol where they destroyed the mini swamp with all the cat tails now has standing water. what a surprise. also a surprise was the pump/siphon with hose running from the pond to the drain. is it legal to run your pond water to the drains? what a pretty swamp it was with the birds a few years ago/what an eye sore environmentally destroyed water hole now. progress?
tues april 12: went to progressive meeting where we watched Inside Job. seen it before but forgot how pissed i got the 1st time and just as mad this time. to see the deregulation being allowed or ignored, to see which people were on bank boards or CEO's or in the fed reserve--and then to see those people involved in bush sr's, clinton's, bush jr and now obama's administration destroying america in the name of corporations. unbelievable. no difference between repub or dem, none. we have reached a corporatocracy and the damage done i think is almost beyond fixing. derivatives, leverage (went from 1 to 3 up to 1 to 33), no regulations, obscene ceo pay etc. may god get every one of those involved.
wednesday april 13/meijers today--no one in pet dept, no one in jewelry (usually isn't so that's not new), no one in garden area when i wanted to buy berry pack. went inside with my already purchased groceries, to greeter, sent to cd/tv/gaming area to pay. decided to bring joy to customer "service" desk -- and i was nice too (hard to believe). the 2 workers said yup, happens all the time; they have to call or someone to a dept. $100 cash spent there this week: guess they don't want more business. good part there: it's never busy so they really don't need customer service
love to see things with french on them like the rugs at meijers with bon apetit--20$ for something misspelled. what an idiotic product.
thurs:
womansday for may has a good site to comparison shop for cd rates etc. try bankrate.com
same issue the stigma of illness article: woman diagnosed with HIV discusses common misconceptions about several diseases. she contracted hiv in a supposedly monogamous heterosexual relationship. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men with lung cancer have never smoked. a woman who is bipolar was told by a relative that mental illness isn't real so why was she taking meds? like dad said, the only way you get fat is by eating too much. a simple approach to life. i like it: sometimes blaming the victim is for the best.
at meeting last night april 14: 2 state reps explaining how the gov has expanded proposal A to include universities and state colleges. Proposal A was for K-12. there was a 600 million surplus but the state will be cutting a billion so that there can be a 2 billion corporate tax decrease. probably will pass next week. both reps believe the MINIMUM decrease to school aid/student will be $700. general consensus: having state employees/teachers pay 20-40% of insurance will never begin to cover loss.
sat 4-23-11
from sojourners may 2011: good article on genetically modified alfalfa. p10 unfortunately "farmers who grow alfalfa for seed have little hope of maintaining pure strains. Seeds comingle in storage and transport, and--although alfalfa for hay is usually cut before it blooms--cross pollination is inevitable, since bees don't pause to check whether flowers are genetically modified or not". If as Henry Miller in Forbes said "We need seeds and crops that can better withstand drought, combat new pests and weeds, and perhaps adjust to changes in climate and growing seasons" how does roundup ready anything help? The author wondered who was promoting this? Land O'Lakes. It owns Forage Genetics, the seed distributor that cooperated with Monsanto to get us the roundup ready alfalfa. The president of Forage hopes that within 3 to 5 years half of the US alfalfa crop can be roundup ready. Isn't that great?
ordinary people can become extraordinary world changers--liked that idea
act justly, love mercy, walk humbly--micah 6:8
never knew the words to solidarity forever:
"all the world that's owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone.
we have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone.
it is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own,
while the union makes us strong.
solidarity forever! solidarity forever! solidarity forever!
for the union makes us strong."
People Power from sojourners may 2011--some things worth remembering: p18 "there is little truth to the claim that insurgents must use violence in order to get what they want. Many observers maintain that people resort to violence when they are forced to do so--by overly repressive circumstances, by injustices they can no longer tolerate--and after exhausting all other means of political influence. p19 Civilian-led non violent resistance can divide and topple regimes as security forces grow weary of repressing their unarmed compatriots. Material support from foreign states has little effect on the success of nonviolent campaigns."
90 Days To A Better Michigan--the republican lie
April 1, 2011
Lansing, MI — Governor Rick Snyder’s first 90 days in office have been marked by his unshakable focus on one goal: Fixing Michigan, Michigan GOP Chairman Bobby Schostak said Friday.
“Since Day One Governor Snyder has done precisely what he promised to do when campaigning for office last fall,” Schostak said. “Working with legislative leaders, the governor is taking bold steps toward making Michigan into a destination for prosperity and for families who want to enjoy the economic health and physical beauty of this great state.”
Schostak singled out House Speaker Jase Bolger, Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, and Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley as effective leaders who have supported key policy changes aimed at creating jobs and protecting taxpayers’ money.
The governor started his first 90 days with an online “Dashboard” that monitors how well Michigan is performing in critical areas, such as education, public safety, and economic strength. He followed by backing legislative measures that modernize the state’s item pricing law, reduce or eliminate burdensome regulations on businesses, and encourage local units of government to behave more responsibly when spending taxpayers’ money.
“This governor, through words and actions, is exhibiting his concern for Michigan families. He is taking all the time necessary – even as he works the levers of government – to speak directly to our communities, our families, and our neighbors at events throughout the state,” Schostak said. “He has traveled across Michigan almost every night and has done so much to communicate his concerns and approach to re-inventing Michigan. I marvel at his eagerness, energy, and focus as he remains true to his campaignletter to those on education committee in mi, wed april 27
It is extremely dismaying to see a concerted effort to destroy education in Michigan. As I read the continuing pile of bills coming from your committee and your inane comments, I am amazed at how little you must know about teaching, educators, school systems and the public's attitude toward all these bills. Obviously you have not spent much if any time in elementary, middle school or high school. What a shame that people believed they voted for you to help with state problems; instead you are helping make many, many more. Most support you had is eroding quickly.
Is the ultimate plan to privatize schools so you or companies you are getting funds from profit?
Why continued tax breaks for companies and increases for the average citizen?
Will having a teaching degree in any way be necessary for a teaching career? We have licensed mechanics but aren't going to have licensed educators? When you take licenses away, can the teachers go on unemployment? Or do you plan to make new laws to fit the plan you want for that?
How many jobs is this education destruction going to create?
Rumors can get a union decertified? Just rumors? That will be a fun game to play, one which you specifically should appreciate.
Just talking about a strike will be illegal? No right to free speech? Very constitutional and illegal sounding. Can you make a list of what will be acceptable things about which to converse?
The MEA is far from the "most culpable"; actions in Lansing are culpable, reprehensible, immoral.
Is that a threat to "turn information over to law enforcement"?
How pathetic that the good things unions brought are being tossed as you go after what you consider the bad. I hope you never have to depend on educators to teach your child, medicare for your parents, social security, wages that can't support a family or dependents, bargaining for conditions, etc. Perhaps you should listen to some of the stories from the people who lived through the depression, through the evils unions did eliminate, through crises where there was or is no insurance and no resources. However, that might necessitate an empathy you seem to lack. Age and maturity are necessary elements of any job or the desire to do what is right. I hope that when you have aged, you will have gained some maturity and an understanding that you helped create a catastrophe for our state.
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