GM workers in Lansing have voted to approve a new contract agreement, which covers issues such as seniority, overtime and plant conditions for the three thousand workers. The vote ends the strike that lasted about a month. About 73% of the workers voted in favor of the contract.
MIRS News has just reported that today's Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference showed the state bringing in $472.3 million less revenue in FY '09 than experts projected in January. Analysts cite " ...the cost of the state's new film industry credits and the federal stimulus package combined with a sputtering national economy...." for setting us back an extra $393 million.
From mlive blogs ... there is a free workshop coming up next week in the Thumb area, for companies interested in supplying components to the renewable energy industry. The workshop will take place on May 22, from 8am - noon, at ThumbWorks. The workshop will cover the areas of wind energy, solar energy systems, biomass, biofuels and hybrid vehicles.
Renewable energy could create almost 35,000 manufacturing jobs, 70% of which would involve making wind turbines.
The workshop is sponsored by NextEnergy, ThumbWorks, Huron County Economic Development Corp., Thumb Area Builders Alliance and the Michigan Economic Development Commission. You can get more information at (989) 269-6431.
Night exposures of pine trees at Riley trails in a full moon. Holland, Michigan
What do I know about Rich? Well ..., he's a "Designer, traveler, music lover, art maker, reader, work-aholic, vacation-aholic..." from Holland, Michigan. Oh, and he takes AWESOME pictures.
Answer to yesterday's trivia:
This is Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, as it performed "The Impossible Dream." The DSO opened a special sold-out concert featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
(Thanks Xavier! (Follow Xavier on Twitter here and if you like BFM, follow us here.) - promoted by Christine)
I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to cover last night's rally, but once I arrived I figured I should do what I do best--Twitter.
It was a mixture of live-reporting, attempts at wit/humor, and analysis.
I'm just going to copy & past the full stream-of-consciousness tweet-fest, please excuse the spelling error.s
Apparently, the line for the Obama event is already forming in downtown... 02:35 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl
Retweeting @Spout: For a limited time only: 50% off all DVDs on Spout! Get 'em while they're hot. http://www.spout.com/store/ 02:48 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl
Have to leave here at 4:30pm to get credentials for an event that doesn't start until 7:00pm. Stuuupid. 03:19 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl
@tonytagliavia i'll be there in about an hour! 03:41 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl in reply to tonytagliavia
Heading over to VanAndel to check in and get my wristband... 04:25 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl
At this point, I was heading down Ottawa from my workplace to the Van Andel Arena... read the rest of my journey below the fold
But first...
And the tweet that defines the night for me. Although its a simple take-away, it was all over the news last night.. and I tweeted it first (well, probably not really):
Endorsement shifts focus away from obama's trouncing in WV. Now he has to live up to increased expectations among workingclass whites in KY. about 22 hours ago from txt
But on to the fun! Again, I apologize about the spelling. I removed the irrelevant tweets (mostly me asking my friend for a ride home).
"To learn that Blackwater's no-bid security contract for Iraq was renewed even as a grand jury investigates the company and the IRS considers its own review of the company's books, raises serious concerns that merit Senate hearings. How was this decision made? What was the process that concluded there were no alternatives? What was the extent of Blackwater's lobbying effort?, said Senator Kerry. "Five years into this war, there's been too much abuse of the contracting process in Iraq and too little oversight, and nowhere do the questions loom larger than in Blackwater's role and the Administration's apparent imperviousness to skepticism where this corporation is concerned."
I always wondered what would happen if the Democrats in Congress attached funding for every domestic policy they could get their hands on in the bill that funds the Iraq war. Would the Repugs vote it down? Would Bush veto it?
WASHINGTON - The House on Thursday passed a Democratic plan sharply boosting education benefits for Iraq-Afghanistan veterans and awarding people whose unemployment benefits have expired with a 13-week extension.
The 266-166 fell short of the two-thirds needed to overcome a promised veto by President Bush.
The Democratic plan would impose a surtax on individual incomes exceeding $500,000 to pay for the 10-year, $52 billion cost of boosting the GI Bill to provide Iraq veterans with college educations. Couples would pay the tax on income exceeding $1 million.
......
GOP Leader John Boehner of Ohio told Democrats they were playing political games with the crucial troop funding bill by adding to it a big increase in education benefits for troops returning from war, additional unemployment insurance for those whose benefits have run out, and a surcharge on wealthy taxpayers.
Note to Republicons: This is why you're losing.
Democrats, next time just toss Medicare for All in there while you're at it. If you're going to be too scared to do what is needed to end the war, you can at least give Americans health care.
Here's some followup information on the rally led by Teamsters President Jim Hoffa in support of the nurses from Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc. (They're working under a 30-day extended contract after a deadline passed without a new contract. Genesys has proposed a two-year wage freeze with a 1 percent increase in the third year.)
The rally drew hundreds of supporters together and Hoffa led the crowd in a chant of "We want a contract!" He was joined on the stage by Democratic union supporters Lt. Gov. John Cherry and Sen John Gleason.
"This whole situation feels like David and Goliath. But we don't need more slingshots - we need bigger rocks. James P. Hoffa is our really big rock," Teamsters Local 332 President Nina Bugbee said shortly before the rally to support about 1,000 Genesys nurses embroiled in contract negotiations since Feb. 21. [...]
"This is bigger than what's going on at Genesys. This is about an attack on workers in every industry," said Bugbee. "Mr. Hoffa is here to lock arms with all unions to expose corporate greed and to help hang on to the American Dream of middle-class America."
This is bigger than what's going on at Genesys - or even American Axle. Whether blue collar or white collar, nearly seven in 10 Americans are worried about maintaining their standard of living. They can't afford to go backwards by giving up wages or accepting a pay freeze. They're struggling to pay for rising gas, food and health care on the money they're earning today.
It's not just wages that are under attack either...
I looked at WOOD TV's Brian Sterling in disbelief, jaw dropped open...
"Did you go live with it already?"
He nodded.
Damn, can't break a story. Oh well, I didn't bring the laptop anyway. I did put in a call to "headquarters" and told Christine what was going on. I could barely hear her over the music blasting through the arena and the murmur of the crowd animal, who at this point did not know this would be happening.
(From our friends at Media Mouse - promoted by djtyg)
Many of you have already signed a petition to get Democracy Now! on both 88.1 FM WYCE radio and WGVU TV Channel 35 in Grand Rapids. This media alert is the last push in this campaign to get the award winning show with Amy Goodman on the local airwaves in our community.
Here is what you can do in the next few days:
1) Sign the Petition online and get others to do the same no later than May 19:
2) We need as many people as possible to come to the May 20 Board of Directors meeting of the Community Media Center to lobby for them to air Democracy Now! on 88.1 FM WYCE. The meeting is at 6pm at the Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy. Everyone will have a chance during public comment to speak on why you want Democracy Now! to air on this community radio station.
3) If you cannot make the meeting on May 20, you can send an e-mail to the Executive Director of the Community Media Center Laurie Cirivello laurie@grcmc.org. We are also delivering petitions to WGVU TV Channel 35 next week, so we encourage you to send an e-mail to Michael T. Walenta, the station manager of WGVU:
Last night Mississippi's Democratic Party delivered a demoralizing blow to the Republicons when Greg Davis was defeated by Travis Childers for the MS-01 Congressional seat.
I normally would've written this off as a nice victory, but after seeing this post by DemFromCT over at DailyKos showing the panic by the tighty righties, there's strong evidence that there's more to this.
Here's how it's looking:
1. MS-01 was a R+10 district, according to Cook's Partisan Voting Index. Michigan only has two congressional districts that even come close to that (2nd and 3rd CD, both R+9). Which means all Republicon districts in Michigan are potentially in play.
2. The standard fear and smear campaign of the Republicons aren't working any more. Despite a campaign built around tying Travis Childers to Rev. Wright and Nancy Pelosi, Childers still won by 8 points.
3. Republicon congressmen up for reelection are out for their own survival. Don't expect much solidarity. This means groups like the RCCC and RSCC will continue to have even more problems raising money, while the DSCC and DCCC enjoy a strong cash advantage.
4. The Republicons have decided to run on the "change issue". You know what they say about being Democratic-lite...
5. The MRP has (or maybe had) a debt of $250,000. And Saul Anuzis, well known for losing badly in 2004 and 2006, is still running the show. The few dozen super-rich that keep the MRP afloat may be tired of jumping on that sinking ship.
6. Ron Paul supporters haven't fallen in line behind McCain. Many Ron Paul supporters are former Bush supporters who fell out of line when they were disenchanted with the Bush administration. According to Matt Taibbi in his book The Great Derangement:
Particularly on the Republican side, you can see that the paranoia conjured by all those years of right-wing oracles telling people that they've been lied to by the "liberal media" is blowing up in some prominent faces. This is the problem with training people to believe they're being lied to; after seven years of Bush, some Republicans raised on that kind of education are beginning to wonder just who else exactly has been lying to them.
....
Excepting a few cases here and there, they [Ron Paul supporters] were all former died-in-the-wool Rush Limbaugh Republicans who had expereienced hotly conversions. Many talked about being reunited with liberal family members with whom they had argued for years.
Anyone who has been on the internet message boards of late can tell you that the Ron Paul supporters aren't going anywhere. While there's going to be some that vote for McCain, many will either stay at home or vote for Bob Barr. If Ron Paul runs as an independant, McCain is finished.
That doesn't even include local races. I don't know much about what's going on in other counties, but if the OCDP meeting I went to is any indication of the energy surrounding the Michigan Dems, everything is up for grabs. We have more candidates running against the entrenched GOP establishment in Oakland County than we have since I can remember. Not only is the Board of Commissioners within our grasp, but we have a credible candidate to take on L. Brooks Patterson for the first time EVER, and we have people running for small races that the party hardly ever considers (yesterday we even had a guy announce his run for Drain Commissioner).
"Similar to the record-breaking voter turnout our Party has seen during the primary season, the demand for these coveted blogger positions is yet another indicator of the tremendous interest in this historic Convention," said Governor Dean. "The Internet has played a critical role in connecting Americans to elected officials and candidates seeking office. The DemConvention State Blogger Corps will continue to foster this dialogue - in all 50 of our states and our territories too - as we head towards this year's historic election and elect a Democrat to the White House."
The DNCC previously announced an expansion of the credentialed blogger pool from past Conventions and the addition of a state blogger credentialing program. As part of the new DemConvention State Blogger Corps, designed for bloggers covering state and local politics, bloggers will receive unparalleled access to state delegations and the floor of the Convention hall. In a truly unprecedented move, the DNCC will seat these bloggers with their respective delegations during the historic four-day event, providing even greater access for local coverage and perspective. Highlights from these blogs will also be featured on www.DemConvention.com in the lead up to and during the Convention.
For a full list of the 50 state blogs selected - click here.
Thanks go out to the Democratic National Convention Committee for selecting us - we will do our best to make Michigan proud!
UPDATE: Here is the video that Howard Dean sent out.
Morning thunderstorms followed by a steady drizzle is keeping the crowd down at this point, but the line is starting to form. I checked in with Van Andel security (very nice folks) who informed me that the media check-in time is 4PM, around the back of the building at the security entrance. So far they are not set-up yet, so no need to rush on down there. As far as parking goes - good luck. There is parking across the street and parking behind the arena, but due to the timing of this, you are going to be competing with downtown workers who still will be parked there when you arrive. I'm close enough that I might just walk downtown from my house.
I applied for photography credentials, and so far no one has contacted me to tell me "no" (which the website indicated they would do). So, keep your fingers crossed that I get them - if I don't, I probably won't make it in because the line by 4 will be enormous, and I can't stand in it if I have to be at another entrance. No live- blogging (from me anyway) because I don't plan to try to lug the laptop around - I will concentrate on the photos and then come home and process and post later.
Excuse me a moment while I go find a new place on the sidewalk to beat my head on. Revenue forecasts for '09 are starting to emerge - and it ain't pretty, but it should stop the call for more tax cuts. How can you call to reduce revenue when you are looking at almost a half a billion shortfall?
Knowing the Republicans, they will find a way. Fiscal responsibility isn't their strong suit.
Despite predictions that Michigan's economy would begin to recover in 2009, fiscal experts now believe state revenues will be more than $400 million short of their forecast.
The state Treasury will take in $19 million less than initially forecast this year and $434 million less in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 -- even after last year's increases in income and business taxes, according to a report Tuesday by the House Fiscal Agency. That means lawmakers will have less to spend as they debate next year's budget, but overall spending still will be about $50 million more than this year.
Which lawmaker wants to step up and cut schools, safety, health care, etc and so on, in an election year? Remember, what you do can and will be used against you this fall - and that puts these guys between a rock and a hard place, unless they can come up with some more magical one-time fixes and shifts in book keeping. Which they probably will.
The state's general fund and school aid fund total $20.6 billion this year, so the $19 million shortfall won't drastically impact current year spending. But lawmakers, who haven't yet adopted a 2008-09 spending plan, will have to scale back their expectations for that budget. Original projections for next year's revenues totaled $21.06 billion, compared to the revised $20.63 billion
The lower revenue projected for this year would reduce the anticipated surplus from $259 million to about $240 million. Most of that surplus, state officials say, has already been spoken for.
Thank the Bush economy for our shortfall - the national recession is going to pull us under just as we started to get our head above the water.
The state's gloomier financial picture is chiefly due to:
• A languishing national economy further dragging down Michigan's.
• The federal tax break received by businesses as part of President Bush's economic stimulus package. Because the new state business levy is linked to federal business income, the state will lose about $100 million in revenue.
• A new, 40 percent credit to spur film production in Michigan that will cost the state's general fund about $100 million.
• Reductions in state property tax receipts for school aid due to declining home values, and a drop-off in the tax on home sales attributable to the dead housing market.
"Yeah, it's tight. It'll be difficult to do new programs, difficult to fund increases," said Mitchell Bean, director of the House Fiscal Agency.
Stay tuned to see how we work out of this one; they are chomping on the bit to get out and campaign, so I bet they pull the rabbit out of the hat sooner rather than later. Or we can have another big 'ol budget brawl that makes everyone look bad.
Yes we've been talking about Twitter alot lately ... we can't help it if we love it. We use it to keep up with Progress Michigan, Governor Granholm, LG John Cherry, and many others. Today we're glad to announce that we can now follow the MDP on Twitter as well.
