The Local Area Watch

HEAD HONCHO HACKS HYMN

Dwight Anderson, superintendent of the Comstock Park public school district, has forbidden a high school choir from singing a hymn at next week's graduation ceremony in honor of a fellow choir member, Nick Szymanski, who died in an accident last October.  The banned hymn is the Lord's Prayer, which was a favorite of Szymanski's.  The choir has previously performed the hymn at a school event in commemoration of Szymanski, and the graduation ceremony is in fact being held at a church.  But Anderson has now decided that the hymn could possibly offend someone attending the graduation ceremony who might deem it as an attempt by the school to proselytize the Christian religion.  So he ordered it tossed into the dumper.

A person who genuinely believed that the government was oppressing him by a group of teenagers singing the Lord's Prayer in his presence would be clinically insane.  That obvious fact never seemed to enter into Anderson's decision.  More likely Anderson was running scared from the possibility of pathetic troublemakers who like to invent offenses to themselves whenever they can, even though the chance of such people attending next week's graduation ceremony is a slim one.  Why what can or cannot be uttered at a public event must be determined by the lowest common denominator of tolerance for diverse beliefs in inexplicable.  What lesson in civics is being taught to our students by a school superintendent who censors the expression of a wholesome and decent petition for protection from evil and stength to do good because it might possibly disgruntle a crank in the audience?  So much for robust public discourse.

Anderson rationalized his cowardice by telling the Grand Rapids Press that he banned the hymn because, after consulting with the school district's lawyers, "[W]e are going to abide by the law."  Fine, except for one small thing.  There is no law to abide by.  Instead there is patchwork of arbitrary court decisions conflicting with each other.  So, the Comstock Park public school superintendent should come clean with us.  If he silenced the choir because he doesn't want the hassle of getting into a lawsuit filed by some whack job, then say so.  If he thinks it really is an affront to religious liberty to allow the Lord's Prayer to be sung at a graduation ceremony, then say so.  But laying it off on the district's lawyers is just weaselly.

Meanwhile, we all need to take a deep breath and consider how we have let the courts and our public officials turn the First Amendment on its head.  Freedom of religion is NOT, as the libertarians are wont to say, freedom from religion.  Just as freedom of the press keeps the government out of the media's business and not the media out of the government's business, what the First Amendment guarantees is that the exercise of religion will be free of the government, not that the government will be free of religion.  Moreover, it certainly does not shield one citizen upon entering the public square from exposure to the religious expressions of another.  And that works both ways, whether the offended citizen is an atheist who cannot countenance statements of faith in his presence or a devout believer who cannot tolerate that which he thinks is inimical to his religion -- as we had to say about the absurd banning of Halloween at a Rockford public school last year.

In short, we need to stop accommodating the hypersensitivity of those who wish the outside world would never put before them any idea, word, or deed contrary to their beliefs.  If anything is inimical to genuine independence of thought and toleration of opposing views, allowing ourselves to be silenced lest we might possibly offend someone somehow will wreck these virtues vital to a democratic society.

THE RIVER CITY SAGA: WINNING BY LOSING

Today we welcome a special guest writer to the Local Area Watch.  Dan Tietema will periodically contribute articles on life in Grand Rapids from the perspective of an ordinary resident whose insight, we think you’ll find, are anything but ordinary. – WQT3, Executive Director LAW.

It is amazing how much the game of youth baseball has changed in America over the past three decades.  There was a time when kids enjoyed playing on a dirt-covered field embedded with pebbles and stones just big enough to deflect any sharply hit ground ball.  Long gone are the days of keeping track of wins and losses and limiting the number of coaches in a dugout to one.  I know this to be true because I remember my first year of baseball.  The team that I played with practiced for hours on batting, fielding, and throwing about twice a week in order to prepare for the big game on Saturday.  We were only seven, but we knew the game inside and out and understood what it took to achieve success.   

Our coach was tough and demanded perfection from all us, and he did not waste time with much encouragement.  Instead, we quickly adapted to his coaching style and learned the game by overcoming barriers and obstacles.  There were no favorites and everyone had the opportunity to take part in the action – even if they didn’t want to.  Knowing the basics were imperative and in many cases, just implied.  You were expected to keep an eye on the ball when swinging the bat and instinctively knew when and where to run immediately after contact without any directional screams from the crowd.  We knew the importance of keeping our head down when fielding a groundball in practice, because, should there have been an error made, you didn’t get a sentimental “that’s ok, son!” Instead, you nervously held your breathe and waited as the coach took a long drag from the cigarette permanently attached to his mouth to receive a second chance at fielding the ball, only this time - twice as hard. 

Baseball, perhaps even all sports, is different today.  We live in an era where we want our kids to participate in as many activities as possible without ever stressing the importance of competition.  More importantly, we are doing everything possible to prevent our children from ever having to shoulder any pain or disappointment in any failed attempts or in defeat.  Being  “fair” and “equal playing time” is the norm today and we certainly are not interested in who ends up on top.  At least, we don’t display that interest publicly.

My seven-year-old son Jack is now in Little League after two years of playing tee-ball through the Grand Rapids Parks & Recreation Department program.  Jack is in the 7 & 8 year-old division where a coach pitches the ball to the batter to promote hitting and more importantly, to speed the game up.  Games are limited to five runs per inning, with no strikeouts and the batter/runner is allowed ONLY one base after a hit.  And, of course, NO winners and NO losers – even though everyone attending is keeping score on their-own. 

The role of the parent today has been reduced from supporter to now cheerleader, where it becomes more important for the grown-up to consistently holler out words of encouragement to the young athlete after getting out and reminding him that everything is OK.  Poor performance or lack of effort is often celebrated and applauded to reduce any potential damage to the already fragile egos of these “little leaguers”.  Now, I am not saying that we throw bottles at these kids or shout at them when they mess up.  And, I certainly do not wish to see any child hurt physically or emotionally.  I am just suggesting that maybe we have made too many changes to the game of baseball and underestimate the strengths, talents, and perseverance of our children.  Perhaps – just perhaps, that by altering the rules in order to make the game more fun and enjoyable, it may actually have a detrimental effect and only push our kids back instead of moving them forward. 

I have seen on occasion a batter swinging over 20 times, (never coming close to the ball) before finally hitting a “dribbler” to the pitcher, where he was easily thrown out.  Upon returning to the bench, cheers of “Great Try! Or Yea! Anyways!” were echoed from the stands.  Any chance the kid felt miserable that he just spent five minutes up at the plate without ever coming close to hitting the ball?  At least with the “three strike, yer out” scenario, the child could walk away with some dignity.  As for the individuals that do have some talent, the game has become boring.  I noticed them skipping or jogging to first base after long hits to the outfield and barely pay attention to details when playing defense.

No one wins when you “dumb down” the sport of baseball, except for the parents who cannot deal with the fact that other children may have an athletic advantage.  The participation in any sport or other activities that emphasizes achievement embodies the “American way of life” and should be a great opportunity for kids to become educated on the importance of success and how to reach it.  I believe that we are doing a huge disservice to our younger generation by removing the many barriers that stand in the way of progress. 

But what do you expect when leaders and politicians today are constantly changing the rules for personal gains and/or achievement.  Recently, our own mayor of Grand Rapids, George Heartwell, made news for aggressively challenging the outcome of an election in which the voters from Michigan overwhelmingly decided to eliminate preferential treatment in our state.  Mayor Heartwell’s belief was that this decision was too offensive and hurtful for the Grand Rapids community and felt compelled to stay the course and continue down the road of his own interpretation of choosing winners and losers despite what our electorate decided months ago.  Unfortunately, for some, the rules that are put in place to keep order do not apply to all, therefore, causing confusion, and ultimately having a negative influence on our community. 

We all know that before a child can walk, he must first learn how to crawl, and “life experience” is truly the most important ingredient to success.  It is my wish that baseball players of any age can savor the joy of wining but not before feeling the utter embarrassment of being blown out by ten and suffer the tremendous amount of pain of losing by one run. I believe you should try at least once to stretch a single into a double and experience the intense enjoyment of getting caught in a “pickle”. I hope that our kids continue to dream about a day they make the game winning hit or catch after striking out or committing a crucial error in the last inning.  I think it is important for our children to someday be called out at the plate only to find out later that the umpire was the uncle to one of the opposing players.  And I expect after being nearly hit by an inside pitch that our kids can calmly dust themselves off and energetically get back up to plate, but be the first to rush to the aid of a fellow teammate in need of defense.  It is my desire that we teach our children the lessons of the game of baseball the same way we would educate them on life.  Moreover, I hope that our kids learn the values of winning and losing and the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect.            

Editor’s note:  Dan Tietema is a life-long resident of Grand Rapids and entrepreneur, who has this to say about himself:  “I have become interested in the positive growth our community after recognizing the vast changes (both positive and negative) that our city has experienced over the past two decades. I decided to get involve and become active in local politics to expose the partisanship that currently exists in our non partisan government and to bring a ‘conservative’ voice to Grand Rapids.”

HONOLULU WATCH, DAY 7

Only one more day and NCPERS 2007 is over!  That day is today.  As we have reported over the past week, our local public pension fund officials have had to put in a 25-hour week of toil at the Waikiki Hilton in Honolulu, Hawaii.  No doubt some of these worthy public servants put in even more time networking and information sharing with their colleagues from around the country.  I'm willing to bet they did so even in some unsavory circumstances like lounges and bars, where -- believe it or not -- they would have to pay for drinks out of their own pockets!

Now after doing all of this for us, the taxpayers, NCPERS 2007 still demands of them yet another long day.  Starting at 9:00 a.m. Hawaiian time, our people have a two-hour-long annual business conference to settle the affairs of NCPERS.  Then they have to ... hmm, well, I guess that's it for today.  But if you're thinking that wrapping up business by 11:00 in the morning is a sweet deal, you're not keeping in mind how long two hours can last when there's a warm sunny beach and a cool ocean breeze waiting for you just outside the conference hall.

THE PROPHET IS COMING TO THE LOCAL AREA WATCH...

How much do you know about Muhammad? 

How much do you know about The Qur’an?   

How much do you know about the Islamic faith? 

If you say you know nothing, it’s not important,  Islam doesn’t impact your life, I hope you will reconsider those thoughts. 

Islam is one of the largest growing faiths.  It’s spreading around the world in massive numbers and we see some of the results of it’s newest growth via Islamic extremists and jihadists in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and even countries like The U.S., The U.K., Spain and France, among many others.  Michigan also calls itself home to one of the largest Arabic and Islamic populations outside of the Middle East.

Look next week for a review on a book called, The Truth About Muhammad, by Robert Spencer for a comprehensive over-view on the man, his words, his life and the religion known to the world as Islam. For those who have previous knowledge in these areas, add it to your collection. To those with little or no background, this book will be a good starting point.

To get you  going, I’ve put together a little question and answer period.  See how well you do on the questions below.  Unlike the good old days we all experienced in high school and college, don’t worry about if you pass or not. The goal is simply to expand your knowledge.  Consider this similar to taking a class 'just for credit'.   

Answers will be at the end of this posting (no cheating please!).

QUESTION PERIOD:

Which book was the first full length biography of the Prophet of Islam – Muhammad:

1.) The Qur’an
2.) The Sira
3.) Hanging with Big Mo
4.) The Night Journey – The Miraj
5.) The Hijra
6.) A Thousand and One Jizya’s
7.) The Dueling Muhammads

Which three books make up the Sunnah – the most important books which deal with the history of  Muhammad, Islamic culture and the Muslim faith:

1.) A Thousand & One Jizya’s, The Qur’an & the Miraj
2.) The Hirja, The Sira & The Qur’an
3.) The Qur’an, The Hijra & The Miraj
4.) The Qur’an,  The Hadith & The Sira
5.) None of the above

True of false:  Muhammad left behind no clear successors to his religious legacy, no surviving sons, only daughters. 

Around which age did Muhammad begin spreading the word of Allah for Islam:

1.) 6
2.) 23
3.) 40
4.) 55
5.) 63

Which angel(s) or demon(s) visited Muhammad during his prophetic lifetime:

1.) Satan
2.) Seraphel
3.) Gabriel
4.) Casper (The Friendly Ghost)
5.) Only 1 & 2
6.) Only 2 & 3
7.) Only 1, 2 & 3

True or false:  Muhammad was born in Medina, rose to Paradise one night in Jerusalem and traveled to Mecca to preach and eventually died there.

Allah gave Muhammad approval to implement the following laws & traditions in place by faithful Muslims even today:

1.) Cutting off the hands of male & female thieves – penalty of amputation
2.) The veiling of women due to the sinfulness of exposed flesh & body parts
3.) The taking of up to 4 wives by each man – approval of polygamy
4.) It takes 4 witnesses to support an act of rape against a women – less than 4, the crime is denied
5.) Saying, “I divorce you”, “I divorce you”, “I divorce you” three times and a man can be divorced from his wife – the wife cannot do this
6.) The stoning to death of a woman found guilty of adultery – or more frequently, being lashed for the crime and kept in seclusion for the rest of a woman’s life as punishment for adultery
7.) Going to war during holy periods and befriending an enemy short term are all acceptable practices as long it is for the good of promoting Islam
8.) Only 1, 3, 5, 7
9.) Only 2, 4, 6
10.)All the Above

By most historians and experts, how man wives did Muhammad take during his lifetime:

1.) 2-3
2.) 4-5
3.) 6-7
4.) 8-9
5.) 11-13

True or false:  Muhammad was commanded by Allah to marry one of his daughter-in-laws?

How old was Aisha, Muhammad’s favorite wife, when he eventually married her and consummated the marriage vows?

1.) 9-Nine years old
2.) 13-Thirteen years old
3.) 20-Twenty years old
4.) 30-Thirty years old
5.) 40-Forty years old

Allah commanded Muhammad after battle he could keep which of the following:

1.) Nothing – He had to give everything away as sharing is a cardinal rule of Islam
2.) He got to keep it all to himself -  All loot & booty was for Muhammad (he could share if he wished, but it was his first and foremost)

True or false: Muhammad died of poisoning by a rival tribe in the Arabian Peninsula at age 63?

What was the major source of income to Muhammad & the faithful:

1.)  Wine making
2.)  Selling of slaves
3.)  Drilling for oil and selling off reserves
4.)  The collecting of taxes on non-Muslims
5.)  Breeding camels for transportation
6.)  Water collection and distribution

Who is known by Islamic scholars and the faithful as the first Muslim?

1.) Muhammad
2.) Aisha
3.) Khadija
4.) Gabriel
5.) Allah or God

True or False:  Muhammad appeared to borrow Jewish, Christian and other sources for his preaching and written references. 

ANSWER PERIOD:   

Here are the final answers to the above questions:

#2 - The Sira  by Ibn Ishaq – 150 years after Muhammad’s death

#4 - The Qur’an, The Hadith, The Sira

True – He had one son by a concubine, but the boy died at birth. He had no other sons with his wives or concubines and left only daughters behind.

#3 -  He was about forty years old when he began doing active preaching of Islam. Many scholars feel they can date it to the year 610 when Allah commanded  Muhammad to tell people to turn away from polytheism. He formally began preaching in Mecca around 613.

#7 – Only Satan, Seraphal and Gabriel are deemed to have visited with Muhammad

False-He was born in Mecca and died in Medina – I reversed the cities on you

#10- All the above

#5 – 11 to 13 wives (most well known are Khadija – 1st wife, Aisha – favorite wife,
daughter-in-law wife Zaynab)

True-he married his adopted son’s wife – the lovely Zaynab bint Jahsh

#1 - Nine (9) years old.   He got engaged to her at age (6) and held off on marriage and
consummation for three years.  Not pleasant by modern standards, but not really  uncommon for their time and culture.

#2 - Muhammad got to keep it all – his to keep and to share – if he chose

False – He died at age 63 in Medina, but it was not by poisoning. Natural causes was reason given. He had an attempted poisoning once, but it failed. This was much earlier in his life.

#4 - Taxing of non-Muslims was the chief income for Muhammad and his followers.  This tax was known as a poll tax or the jizya.

#3 -The first known Muslim was Khadija – his first wife. She converted to the faith of Islam based upon Muhammad’s revelations and visions and they believed he was the Prophet sent by Allah.

And the final answer….

True – Most scholars agree there are too many similarities between Jewish, Christian and other sources which came before Islam.  Thus, many of Muhammad’s stories, revelations, commands, thoughts and ideas are thought to be less than “pure”.

That's the quiz!!! 

If you got ALL the answers right,  consider yourself well versed in the basics of Islam and the history of Muhammad.

If you got any of them wrong or knew none of the answers, that’s ok too.

On the other hand, if any of your answers included Hanging with Big Mo'  or  Casper (The Friendly Ghost) in it, we implore you to seek assistance :-)

Hopefully, this little Q & A made you interested in learning about a practice that is changing the world we all live in. Whether we practice this religion ourselves, approve of this lifestyle or do something altogether different, in the end, it impacts us all.  How?  By the current War on Terror (Should be re-titled The War Against Islamic Extremism) in Afghanistan, Iraq & worldwide, Sharia Law possibly coming to a country near you,  women’s rights (or lack thereof) and rejection of human rights & dignity as recognized and practiced by The West. 

The Prophet is On His Way….Be on the look out!

Submitted By:

Bridget Dupont-Tingley
Editor
Local Area Watch

HONOLULU WATCH, DAY 6

Dear readers, I know these reports of the trials our dogged local public pension officials are going through at NCPERS 2007 at the Waikiki Hilton in Honolulu, Hawaii, are getting to be old news.  But isn't it a matter of simple justice to acknowledge the dedication and sacrifice of these public servants?  If you thought the schedule for Monday and Tuesday wasn't tough enough, they got to do it all over again today.  Two-and-a-half hours with a guest speaker and another two-and-a-half hours in an educational seminar, with only a lousy thirty minute break in between, and no relief until the day ends at 1:30 p.m.  On top of all that, today's speaker, Prof. Charles M. Elson, is only confirmed as "invited".  He may not even show up, and so our pension officials at NCPERS 2007 might end up with half of their five-hour workday going down the crapper.  I for one am keeping my fingers crossed that everything will go well for them today.

RIVER RAT STUMPS FOR SECOND MILLAGE VOTE

With self-important chest-thumpers like Boss Logie and Big Sister as mayor, Commissar Kimball at the helm of the city manager's office, the string of duds who have presided as superintendent over the incredible shrinking Grand Rapids public school district, and a panhandling billionaire like Rich DeVos lauded as the epitome of community spirit, it probably isn't much of a wonder that River Rat Gary Schenk is the chairman of the Grand Rapids Community College.  We sure know how to pick 'em in River City.

Of course, a man who knows how to tell a tall tale is just the fellow GRCC needs to rationalize putting a millage request back on the ballot only three months after the voters had rejected it the first time.  Two weeks ago GRCC's request for a 0.56 millage hike was narrowly defeated, mostly on the no-vote from suburbanites.  Now GRCC is going back to the well with a new millage request in the August election which, curiously, will not have many primary races or other issues likely to bring a lot of suburban voters to the polls.  Schenk assured the Grand Rapids Press that the board had not even considered the likelihood of a low suburban turnout in its decision to put the new request on the August ballot.  Trust me, folks, a man who will lie to the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will lie to you too.

But even if Schenk were telling the truth, he and his fellow board members are thumbing their noses at the spirit of democracy by forcing us to immediately vote again on a measure that was contested and decided in a fair election.  The fact that the GRCC's millage request on the May ballot was narrowly defeated makes no difference.  In an election, no means no, whether the margin was 10,000 votes or a single vote.  Would Schenk and the gang have given us a second chance in August to defeat the millage if it had narrowly won two weeks ago?  Of course not!

The recent election reform by the state legislature was supposed to put an end to these serial demands for new millages by our schools.  Apparently it is not enough to prohibit them from scheduling millage elections on oddball dates.  They need to be prohibited from going to the well more than once a year.  The voters are entitled to some finality when they make a decision on a millage.  If reprobates like Schenk cannot accord that respect to the voters, it's time our legislators in Lansing force him to.

HONOLULU WATCH, DAY 5

As if the grinding regimen of Monday's agenda at NCPERS 2007 weren't bad enough.  Our intrepid public pension fund officials must go through it again today!  Another two-and-a-half hour general session with speaker Bradley D. Belt, ex-Executive Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and then another two-and-a-half hour educational seminar.  Another day that just won't end until 1:30 in the afternoon.  (And, as far as I can tell, our people are not even getting con-ed certificates for going through these seminars for us.  That's sacrifice, folks.)

HONOLULU WATCH, DAY 4

Now the real work begins for River City's public pension officials attending NCPERS 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Bright and early at 8:00 a.m. Hawaiian time, our public servants will be in a general session keynoted by Gene B. Sperling, the Clinton Administration's National Economic Advisor.  The session will last until 10:30 a.m.  And then they only get a half-hour break before a two-and-a-half educational seminar begins.  So they won't even complete their day's work until 1:30 in the afternoon!  (And don't forget the children who have accompanied their parents to this remorseless regimen of work, work, and more work.  Think of the children!)

HONOLULU WATCH, DAY 3

People, it's SUNDAY.  A day of rest.  Our city and county public pension fund officials are in Hawaii to WORK.  Should we begrudge them a day off?  Besides they really don't have a free day because there's the two-hour NCPERS 2007 welcoming reception this evening.

A VIEW FROM THE RIGHT: TIME FOR HOUSE DEMS TO GO ALONG OR APPROVE AN ALTERNATIVE

If the Democrats want a tax hike, they’re going to have to vote for one. 

The Governor and the House Majority continue to play political games but the Senate doesn’t look to be interested in games.  Today at least the FY2007 budget has been balanced through cuts alone.  In theory.  In the Senate.  This afternoon, under Senate GOP leadership the senior chamber approved Senate Bills 436 and 437, cutting government spending by hundreds of millions of dollars, bringing spending in line with estimated revenues and forcing Lansing to live within it’s means.  The bills now head to the House. 

The measures passed in the face of continuous pressure from the Granholm administration to raise taxes, claiming she’d made all the cuts she possibly could, and several weeks Granholm’s April temper tantrum induced threat to cut school spending by $125 per pupil. 

While Jennifer Granholm continued her grandstanding before the Michigan State Medical Society, telling doctors and hospital administrators that without a tax hike the state would start forcing people to their deaths (her words were “people will die”), Bishop stood up and got something done.

When you look back over the last four-plus months it’s nothing short of miraculous that they’ve held the line this long… and this firmly. 

The constant target of the administration, the Senate minority and the House of Representatives and a more and more popular target of the mainstream press for his insistence on forcing government to live within it’s means before coming back, hands out and palms up to Michigan taxpayers, Bishop’s stood his ground, insisted that the cuts were there and darn it all if he didn’t find them.  Again.

If someone will point me to the petition where I can nominate him for super-hero status I’ve got my pen ready.  For that matter I’d like to nominate the entire GOP caucus and the minority caucus in the House for standing firm, steely eyed and determined to protect working moms and dads if no one else will.

But as good a day as Wednesday was for Bishop, it was a worse day for Andy Dillon and Jennifer Granholm.

Let’s examine a few facts.  Not opinions, not word games, not hyperbole and partisan rancor… facts.

The school aid fund:

Jennifer Granholm’s plan: Cut $122 per pupil forcing some schools to close.

Senate GOP: in legislation approved Wednesday, May 16:  $36 per pupil cut forcing no schools to close and saving public educators, the governor’s biggest special interest backers, $86 per pupil!

House Democrats:  Silence.  No votes, no legislation, no movement.

Medicaid funding:   

Jennifer Granholm:  Cut 6% and tell the state that “people will die.”

Senate GOP: Cut 3% so no one will die.

House Democrats: Silence.  No votes, no legislation, no movement.

Tax hikes:

Jennifer Granholm:  Has proposed in various forms as much as $3 billion in new taxes and Tuesday scuttled $337 million in bipartisan spending cuts because Republicans refused to acquiesce to a demand for a minimum $1.8 billion tax increase.  Conservative studies indicate her tax hike plan would cost the state 19,000 jobs at a minimum.

Senate GOP:  They’ve held the line for five months and balanced the state budget three different times now with spending cuts.  They continue to say NO to new taxes.

House Democrats: Silence.  No votes, no legislation, no movement.

Who exactly are the obstructionists?  And talk about reclaiming a little brand ID for the GOP.

So what’s next?  Well, the Senate’s done their thing.  They’ve passed legislation that balances the budget.  The ball is now squarely in the Democrats court.  The House has two choices.  They can either vote on the Senate measures or actually introduce an alternative plan. 

If Democrats continue to insist on “new revenues” (read: massive tax hikes) being a part of their solution then the time has come to introduce them and martial them through the House.  Put up or shut up, boys and girls. Time’s running out and continued cowardice in the face of fiscal crisis isn’t doing anyone much good.

What are you afraid of?

Guest Writer - Nick De Leeuw
www.rightmichigan.com

A VIEW FROM THE LEFT: DEAL OR NO DEAL - THE MICHIGAN BUDGET CRISIS

It's worse than they thought.

State officials are now staring down the barrel of an $803.2 million shortfall in the current Fiscal Year  (FY) 2007, according to the House Fiscal Agency (HFA) on the back of Friday morning's Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference. The sizeable growth in the hole, which the Granholm administration had estimated to be $715 million, is the result of declining state revenue and higher spending pressures from social service programs, among other factors.  As the budget shortfall continues to grow; it becomes more and more apparent that cuts, and cuts alone are NOT going to help Michigan.

For years, Senate Republicans have demanded cuts, cuts, and more cuts.  Governor Granholm has obliged and has cut over $3.6 billion from the State’s budget over the past four years, and has cut more from the budget than any previous Governor, as well as operating state government with fewer state employees than we had in 1970.  Granholm continues to cut services and streamline government and she has lived up to her end of the bargain.  Senate Republicans need to live up to theirs.  Economists from across the country who have reviewed the state of Michigan’s budget have agreed that cuts alone will not help Michigan.  Sensible cuts and new revenue streams (taxes) will be required to bring Michigan’s budget out of its funk.

Senate Republicans introduced and passed S.B. 436 and 437 on party-line votes.  Basically, S.B. 437 would create a cut to schools of $36 per pupil, and make devastating cuts to the 21st Century Job Fund to balance the 2007 budget.

Senate Democrats have two main reservations about this legislation.

First, it is irresponsible in terms of both long and short-term economic development -- schools representing our long-term economic development and the 21st Century jobs fund as the agency charged with long-term economic development. Second, cutting schools at this point in the school year is irresponsible, since schools have most likely already committed the funds.

Basically, the Dems feel this amounts to shooting ourselves in BOTH our feet. In many ways, this plan is even worse than one that is based on cuts alone, since it effectively robs the 21st Century Jobs Fund -- which was created with strong bipartisan support to stimulate our economy -- to balance the budget.  It's also important to mention that the money that would be taken from the 21st Century Jobs Fund includes dollars that have already been assigned to specific companies. In other words, we believe this legislation would effectively break the state's contracts with these companies, which would expose the state to lawsuits.

Both of these bills are non-starters, since they move us in the wrong direction, and send a terrible message to Wall Street agencies, who have already lowered the state's credit ratings a number of times.

The Senate Dems are ready to vote on a comprehensive solution that includes cuts, reforms, and revenues. Unfortunately, based on what we witnessed this month, Republican Leader Mike Bishop is still refusing to reach a compromise and solve this crisis.  To not even consider a compromise which involves revenue enhancements, or tax increases, or new taxes… whatever you want to call it… to take it off the table all together, against the advice of experts and economists… that is irresponsible.

Guest Writer - Jeff Winston
www.michiganliberal.com

HONOLULU WATCH, DAY 2

Sweet relief for our trusted public servants enduring the rigors of NCPERS 2007 at the Waikiki Hilton in Honolulu, Hawaii.  They should have completed Part II of the "Manager Challenge".  I'll bet that's a load off their minds.  Now they only have to spend a couple more hours getting through the ""DB/DC Discussion Panel", "Legal Issues Facing Trustees", and "Presentation of Continuing Education Certificates".

I'm pretty sure that last one really isn't a training topic but an actual presentation of a continuing education certificate to each of our city and county public pension fund officials in attendance.  Quite an honor.  Could you blame any of them for wanting to celebrate their graduation with a beach party when class is out at 1:00 p.m.?  I for one will not be so churlish.

HONOLULU WATCH, DAY 1

Several of your local public pension fund officials have safely arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, and checked into the Waikiki Hilton for an important week-long conference called NCPERS 2007.  At this time (1:00 p.m. Hawaiian time), these dedicated public servants have justed completed a five-hour-long training session covering "Elements for All Trustees", "Writing an Effective Communications Policy", "Hallmarks of Effective Managers", and "Picking a Winning Team: The Manager Challenge (Part I)".

Now if you're thinking that these topics sound like things you could have mastered from skimming through a generic business manual in the used paperback bin at Barnes & Noble, I don't think you are appreciating the cliffhanger aspect of that last topic.  Part I, people, which means there's still a Part II that must be covered to explain it all.  Indeed, I can only imagine the tension our folks at NCPERS 2007 must be enduring.  If they need to skip the "Networking & Information Sharing" session scheduled for the afternoon to wind down at the beach, I'm not going to hold it against them.

THE RIVER CITY CODE OF SILENCE

On Tuesday 2nd Ward City Commissioner Rick Tormala declared that he is running for mayor of Grand  Rapids.   

In his announcement there was some indication that he is willing to break the code of silence on the de facto right of first refusal and special tax breaks city officials give the River City oligarchs, namely Rich DeVos and Peter Secchia, on large downtown real estate deals.  The city manager’s office under Kurt Kimball is the center of this corruption, and Tormala railed against Kimball’s usurpation of the City Commission’s role in setting policies and priorities – albeit obliquely – and incumbent Mayor George Heartwell’s acquiescence to this diminution of the people’s elected representatives – more pointedly.

That’s a start.  Until Tormala or some other candidate for city office defines the crimes against the public trust and names the names of the perpetrators, the reform message will not resonate with the voters and its messengers will not win the election.   

The voters need to be informed about how the city government has become a tool for DeVos and Secchia to use either to get control of downtown deals or to wet their beaks in the them.  The voters need to be informed how they got their hands upon the levers of government power by anointing themselves as kingmakers, as the men who claim they can either make or break the ambitions of city officials, and nothing more.

For example, consider the girlish giddiness of Heartwell over the prospect of Secchia endorsing his re-election as mayor or the chastening of 1st Ward City Commissioner Jim Jendrasiak who opposed a taxpayer-subsidy for DeVos’s ritzy J.W. Marriot hotel project and was then challenged in the next election by a DeVos-Secchia backed candidate.   Even four years after exiting three terms as mayor carrying water for DeVos and Secchia, Logie still pushes their agenda with the hope that these Republicans will back his Democratic run for the U.S. Congress once Vern Ehlers retires.  Then there are the rumors that City Manager Kimball and his assistant Eric DeLong have been promised cush jobs after they leave their posts.

The voters should be shocked at how cheaply their public servants go for these days.  Look at what DeVos and Secchia got in return for some kind words, a few promises, a couple of bucks, and the occasional excoriation behind closed doors.  Public funding of the arena and convention center (which boosted the value of nearby DeVos and Secchia properties like the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel which climbed $20 million or more), the nixing of a Monroe North parking ramp needed by a competing developer in favor of a ramp DeVos wanted for his project, the bargain Secchia got on the City Center, the legal defense of the Toxic Towers developers (financed by Secchia’s bank and assisted by DeVos’s property management firm), taxpayer subsidies to DeVos for the Marriot hotel project and the Chrisman medical complex on Michigan Street, and so on.

Then again, maybe not so shocked.  Going along to get along is Logie’s legacy from his long reign as mayor of Grand Rapids.  Over a dozen years Logie accumulated personal power by holding several board and commission seats tied to real estate development and didn’t hesitate to bully and intimidate the weak sisters among our public servants on behalf of DeVos and Secchia.  People got used to doing what was expected of them by Boss Logie to avoid confrontation.  Old habits die hard, and it’s no help that a phony progressive like Heartwell has tried to carry on the Logie oligarchic tradition for the past four years.

It’s well past time for a shake-up at City Hall.  The old guard at the city manager’s office must go, as well as the politicians like Heartwell who abet their corrupt agenda.

A shake-up won't happen if no one calls them to account.  The media’s not going to do it, especially with the newspaper of record run by a publisher who wants to be DeVos’s pal.   Even the brave new world of the internet has plenty of old-fashioned cowards.  For instance, the message board on UrbanPlanet.org that was critical of Secchia’s designs on downtown Grand Rapids disappeared into the ether.   Of course, we’ll bark, but we’re not the big dog. 

To get this job done it is up to politicians like Tormala and other candidates for city office to name the names of those who have abused the public trust.

The sixteen-year-long code of silence must be broken.

EDITOR'S REVIEW: HOW ONE SIDE LOST ITS MIND & THE OTHER LOST ITS NERVE

Book Review:

Bernard Goldberg, Crazies To The Left of Me, Wimps To The Right

Harper Collins Publishers – 2007

Available at all major books stores - Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Walden, Schuster, etc.

Type of Book:

Non-Fiction. A solid book that will appeal to ANY fed up liberal, moderate or conservative who feels that their principals and ideas have been sold out on BOTH sides of the isle when it comes to the Democratic and Republican parties. A quick and short read that properly tars both parties – Republicans who are afraid to be conservative and Democrats who have gone beyond the pale with liberal nuttiness.

Background:

Per Harper Collins Publishing, Goldberg is the number one New York Times best selling author of Bias, 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America and Arrogance. He has won eight Emmy Awards for his work at CBS News and at HBO, where he now reports for the acclaimed program Real Sports. In 2006, he won the Alfred I. E. duPont-Columbia University Award, the most prestigious of all broadcast journalism awards. A more complete history of this author can be found in the Wikipedia.

General Overview:

Mr. Goldberg starts off his book with a bang, chapter one lays it all out, “Just My Luck, I’m on one side and they loose their minds…I go to the other side and they loose their cojones”.

He spends the early part of the book giving some historical background to his own situation. Growing up in the 50’s in the Bronx New York to a middle class family where everyone was a Democrat and no one had ever met a Republican. He notes the terms liberal and conservative hadn’t come much on the radar yet. He discusses how his grandfather and his father were all staunch Democrats – the party for the little guy, the working man if you will, the party that gave rise to great men like FDR, JFK and others. The party that made little money, but always took care of the wife and kids and kept a roof over their heads. Blue collar backbone was the Democratic party and everyone was darn proud to be part of it.

He notes, Republicans were heard about, but no one had actually ever met one. They were known for big business, like General Motors, snooty country clubs, expensive meals at fancy restaurants and high powered jobs. Republicans didn’t represent Goldberg, his family, his friends or even the country he knew and loved.

Bottom line - Democrat good. Republican bad.

In the early 60’s, Goldberg notes how the Goldwater Presidential race impacted him as a young college student. He and his Democratic friends all talked about leaving the country if he won the election. They felt he would blow up everybody in Vietnam, drop nukes on the commies and work against civil rights. This man was conservative crazy as far as they were concerned. Fortunately, Goldwater lost and all the young Democrats so hot to trot were able to stay in the U.S.

Goldberg notes looking back at this time, he realized it was an early warning to him that Dems were becoming less and less tolerant – something this party had prided itself as one of it’s important main characteristics. What he and his friends had been saying was that not only did they know better then everyone else, but they were better then the rest too.

He notes that for the next 20 years he kept his Democratic credentials, but realized in hindsight he had just been going through the motion of being a true blue Dem for many years. As elections passed, Humphrey, McGovern, Carter and so on, he realized Democrats had been changing in fundamental ways. They were becoming elitists. By 1972, it appeared the affluent, well educated liberals – the new elite - were in and the blue collar, hard working man from the factory was out. Goldberg believes Democrats – primarily liberalism – took a hard left turn around the time of Vietnam. It wasn’t enough for liberals to protest the war. No, they had to go one step further and actually demonize the American Military and The U.S. He understood even then it was one thing to be against the war and another thing altogether to be against your own country. He also said the feminist movement went beyond the norm – asking for equality in ways that bordered on crazy. The country was in turmoil and liberals – the new kind – were angry. They were becoming closed minded and forgot how to be liberal altogether. They went from being a party that made real things – cars, steel, houses, food stuff, drilling for oil, fixing automobiles, and so on, to being a party of fads and fashions - actors, actresses, directors, singers, artists, professors, and the like.

Goldberg says he stayed true to the Dems through the 80’s and 90’s as he worked at CBS News. He felt it was still in his DNA. He said as he got older and wiser, he realized it was nurture not nature that kept him allied with this party. It took the events of 9/11, leaving CBS News and writing his first book Bias about the media that made him see the light by the late fall of 2001. That’s when his break with the left took place. He said he couldn’t take the darkness, the constant cynicism, the toxicity over Bush and the constant anger of the liberal party any longer. He said growing up, liberalism was something to be proud of in the Democratic party. The terrain of the modern liberal landscape was unfamiliar and growing more uncomfortable by the day. Thus, it was time to move on.

Goldberg moves into the next chapter dealing with his conversion to conservatism (although he notes that he’s heavily libertarian on many important issues over-all). His liberal friends felt he had gone to the dark side. He notes, “The whole idea strikes them as preposterous, too crazy to be taken seriously. After all, they figure, I’m not a racist. I can read and write. I’m not married to my sister. And I don’t drool on myself. So, how in the world could I possibly be conservative?”

With tongue in cheek, Goldberg notes it’s a good thing liberals remain open minded and hate stereotyping.

He notes he felt more attuned as he grew older to the conservative movement as it appealed to him on many levels; smaller government, restrained spending, closed borders, being left alone and operating more efficiently at the state level, keeping the family unit intact, being allowed to practice or not practice your faith of choice, etc. He liked their honesty, integrity, intelligence and faith.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, Goldberg notes his turn to the party of restraint has been no easy task either. Too many Republicans forgot how to be conservative and sold out their principals in recent years for political power and personal gain. Over-spending, not cracking down on open borders, not standing up on affirmative action and marriage issues and more have caused him serious frustration.

Goldberg feels strongly that Democrats AND liberals have reached a point where they have lost their minds.

Goldberg also feels strongly that the current Republican party foolishly tried to hang onto power by cashing in on their traditional values. In a nutshell, they wimped out.

He feels that true conservatives still believe in important and critical things and that may be the redeeming factor for this nation in the long run.

He wonders if Election Day 2006 was a wake up call for everyone.  Perhaps it was well past time to take a look at the baggage of our personal histories and decide what stays and what goes.

The rest of the book is short chapters of say 4-5 pages that talk about current issues and events of importance and how each party differs on the issues. Such as Don Imus saying dumb things, Sharpton, the NAACP and our status on affirmative action, Fox News Derangement Syndrome, Ann Coulter free speech limits, San Francisco style liberal actions, Mel Gibson drunken videos and religious movies, other political issues like immigration, abortion and English as our unifying language. He remains tough on both parties when they falter and supports them when they remain stable and sane.

Goldberg is able to produce some sassy little zingers now and then to keep things moving along such as:

”There’s an old line about how politicians are like diapers. They both need to be changed, a lot, and for the same reason. This of course, is unfair. Diapers serve a useful purpose”.

“Republicans like to spend like crazy, but not raise taxes. Democrats like to spend like crazy and raise taxes. Why do I keep thinking of the Jim Carrey movie Dumb & Dumber?”

“Without hard questions it’s too easy to fall back on the old feel good liberal platitudes about how “racism” is the root of all our troubles and about how more “diversity” is the solution. The only way to put an end to this cycle of dishonesty and denial is to begin asking uncomfortable questions and speaking uncomfortable truths.”

“As for liberal intellectuals, they think that because they’re well educated and supposedly enlightened, then by definition they can’t possibly be bigots. That’s what makes them so dangerous. They hold important positions at important universities and because of that they have the power to make bigotry (at least seem) more legitimate. If it’s coming from some goober in overalls, that’s one thing. If it’s coming from a professor at prestigious university, well, that’s something else entirely”.

“Real men say kill every last one of those bastard terrorists and I don’t care how you do it. Thus, real men vote for Republicans”.

Goldberg ends his book pondering the 2008 election.

Will Democrats stay hard to the left and keep being who they are and thus, show the rest of America how insanity really looks? Or will they morph again and take advantage of another open opportunity they didn’t earn, but were wise enough to take advantage of as they did last fall? Better yet, will they get in touch with their roots from 50 years ago and represent again a hard working class of Americans from all over the U.S. and not just the elite coasts as they did from our father and grandfathers generations? Time will tell.

Will Republicans seize a new opportunity and remember what they stand for, what is their core beliefs and not allow themselves to be compromised?  Will Republicans be smart and savvy enough to take advantage of Democratic weakness and as Rush Limbaugh notes, “you can always count on the Democrats, at some point, to revive conservatism in this country by being just who they are”. Or will Republicans continue to sell out their principles and thus, take another “thumping” in the poles and give the Democrats all three houses of government? Time will tell.

My Personal Review:

I was looking for something political to read without the usual destructive grenade tossing so early into a pre-election cycle. The title alone captured my attention as what better to read than someone with enough perspective to poke a little light fun at BOTH parties, their current strengths (few) and weaknesses too (many).

I’m confident many will relate well to Goldberg’s journey from Democrat and Liberal to Conservative/Libertarian. His background, evolution and growth will resonate with many I’m sure. I would recommend this book to anyone open to light political reading.

I'm sure some far left, overly sensitive liberals will cry and weep in horror that they are made to look bad (“where’s my protest sign, it’s time to march, you’ve said mean things to us”!).

Far right, overly aggressive conservatives will reach for the second amendment as they are made to look equally bad ("sir, we need you to step away from the vehicle and drop your weapon...”).

But, come on, that’s half the fun of the book.  Being mature and wise enough to REALLY see the good points and the bad points to each party and trying to figure out where each of us stand. Not just where your family stood on politics, faith and our nation, or where your college professors influenced you to stand, or where the local cable, t.v. and newspaper outlets want you to believe, but where YOU stand after extensive research, reading and soul searching. Anyone who has taken a journey of self discovery will appreciate this book.

I give Goldberg kudos because he gets his point across crisp and sharp without a lot of fluff in the middle. I like a guy who gets to the point and doesn’t put a lot of tail spin on important issues. He speaks from experience and the heart and thus, his points are well taken. Even if you don’t agree with all his conclusions, he reminds the reader we can all have discussions and agree to disagree without going bonkers. He points out so well that, “We no longer speak the same language, liberals and conservatives. We don’t listen to each other. We have different ‘facts’, which we use to come to different conclusions. Maybe it’s always been like this, but it feels worse now than ever”. I concur.

Maybe a book like this, one that provides with sharp clarity what’s wrong with each party as much as what’s right, is perfect for the current election season. It might make some curious and interested people take a new look at what they really think. And, maybe change some minds along the way too.  At a minimum, those who have taken his journey (and I'm sure they are in the millions) won't feel so alone. (I include myself here!)

I give him 3 ½-4 stars (3 1/2 for writing style and length of articles, 4 for content) out of 5.

Reviewed by:

Bridget Dupont-Tingley

Editor, The Local Area Watch

AS THEY PREPARE FOR WAIKIKI ...

Remember, voters, tomorrow is an election day.  There are a number of millages and tax proposals on the ballot.  While you have to stretch a buck to make ends meet at home, you are being asked to fork over more and more to your public servants.  So when you pull the lever, keep in mind those pension fund officials getting ready to jet off to Hawaii, the fact that the ITP has been silent about the city student ridership it wants you to subsidize, and that Mayor Heartwell is tooling around town in the new car you bought him.  These guys have bills to pay and need your help!

THE REAL STORY ABOUT THE HONOLULU PENSION CONFERENCE

As many of you already know from the mainstream media, ten public officials from the Grand Rapids area plan on attending a pension fund conference called NCPERS 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii, later this month.  The National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems is hosting the event.  Ostensibly the week-long conference provides the latest information on the management of public pension funds for trustees, administrators, and staffers.  It is in fact a vacation that NCPERS,  a Washington D.C.-based lobby for public pension fund managers, offers as a perk for its members and a money-raiser for its coffers -- all on the taxpayers' dime.

You see, NCPERS 2007 is like any other trade conference or business seminar that a promoter, under the aegis of a trade association, puts together as a profit-making venture.  Now many of these get-togethers are quite useful, and serious training and business is conducted.  So private businesses pay the tab to send employees to them.  But as often as not, these confabs occur in places like Chicago or Indianapolis as they do in Las Vegas or Orlando.  Besides, if the owner of a company is willing to pay extra to send an employee to a vacation spot, that's his call.

You the taxpayer don't get to make that call when it comes to public pension officials who want to sign up for a NCPERS junket.  And it is a junket.  There won't be much serious business conducted in Honolulu by your public servants.  The conference schedule is pretty lean.  Only five of the seven days of the conference have speakers or seminars, and on those days everything wraps up by 1:30 p.m. at the latest.  And if you still doubt the vacation atmosphere of the event, NCPERS assures attendees that their children are welcome to come along.  (Most conferences and trade shows in the private sector prohibit people under 18.)

NCPERS is concerned that the public will see this Honolulu junket for what it is, and so attempts to arm its members with some disinformation to feed the taxpayers.  For example, NCPERS claims the per-person cost to attend a conference in Honolulu instead of Orlando (note, another vacation spot as opposed to Des Moines or Grand Rapids) is only a couple hundreds bucks more at around $1,400 including airfare, ground transportation, lodging, food, and beverage.  The idea is to pitch the Honolulu location as incidental to this most important event.  Hawaii just isn't that much more expensive, according to the NCPERS propaganda.  Yeah, right.  The hotel bill alone for NCPERS 2007 is nearly $1,600, and that's if your public servant gets the cheapest discount-rate room sponsored by NCPERS at the Honolulu Hilton.  Add on at least $70 for ground transportation, $300-$400 for food and drink, and the $595 admission fee into the conference, and the total tab is nearly double what NCPERS tells its members to report to the taxpayers.

The bottom line, folks, is that the reason why NCPERS 2007 is in Honolulu is that it is a money-making venture.  Because the content of the conference is next to worthless, no one would attend if it weren't for the location and the fact that you, the taxpayers, are paying for it.  So when Peggy Korzen, who manages the public employee pension funds for the City of Grand Rapids, says (according to the Grand Rapids Press) she is going along with five other colleagues because, "We need to be educated what the current laws are and the current trends are", ask her when she gets back what they learned at those grueling 2 1/2 hour-long seminars (that mercifully ended by 1:30 in the afternoon) that they couldn't have gotten from a trade magazine, a book, or a local class for a whole lot less than the $15,000-16,000 the taxpayers will be footing for their Hawaiian junket.

A VIEW FROM THE LEFT: HEY ... IT'S A LIVING

Hey there Local Area Watchers, please excuse my tardiness.  

Sometimes family, work, and life get in the way of deadlines.  I have been researching for an article for this submission, but am still awaiting some data from the legislature.  So in the meantime, I will shift gears and put that story on hold until later.

Nick over at ‘The View from the Right’ has taken his potshots at me for writing about the Chamber of Commerce rather then writing about myself.  Usually I am more concerned with the myriad of issues that we are facing in our Country and in Michigan to be vain enough to skirt the issues to write about myself.  But since Nick has his panties in a bunch over the issue, I will tell the readers about me.  I wouldn’t want him to feel that I one-upped him because I dug right in to the politics.

In my real life, I am more than an innocent bystander, more than a political blogger.  I am a paid Campaign Manager, Policy Analyst, and a Political Consultant.  I do this stuff all day, everyday.  Politics truly is my life and my bread and butter.

I am always astounded at the reaction from people that I meet when I explain that I work on campaigns.  The first reaction is wonderment.  People assume that I am only employed every two or four years.  For example, are you aware that there is an election next Tuesday???  You may be surprised to learn about how many people do not.  There are also many people who are not aware that there will be elections held in August and November of this year.

Political Campaigns are becoming more and more like Christmas.  Every year, they begin marketing earlier and earlier.  I remember when Christmas was not rolled-out until the day after Thanksgiving.  Soon it was just after Halloween.  Now many stores are starting in September.  In fact, Hallmark rolls out their keepsake ornaments in July.  Get real!

Political campaigns are just like Christmas.  Last year, DeVos began running television commercials in February for a November gubernatorial campaign.  Prior to DeVos, the norm in Michigan has been to start spending on television in May if your candidate is in a run-off primary election, and July if there are only two candidates running for the November general election.

There will always be an election of some sort in the works.  So for those who are concerned … don’t worry about me.  I’ll always be busy.  Instead worry about those who do not realize there is an election every year.  Encourage them to register and to vote … EVERY TIME!   In Grand Rapids, the last mayoral race brought in a whopping 11.83% voter turnout.  This is deplorable and unexcusable.  This is your democracy, use it … or lose it.

Jeff Winston
www.MichiganLiberal.com