The Grand Rapids Activist Calendar is a new website and email list that aims to make it easier both for progressive and left groups to promote their events and for people interested in social change to find out what is happening in Grand Rapids.
The calendar--which launched on Sunday, March 8, 2010--is an effort aimed at filling the void that currently exists in Grand Rapids. There are many event calendars in the city, but few that focus exclusively on progressive/left events. The Grand Rapids Activist Calendar aims enhance organizing efforts by creating new and strengthening existing ties in the Grand Rapids community through mutual solidarity in our struggles.
At the core of the calendar is a weekly email list that will be sent out to subscribers. Each week the Grand Rapids Activist Calendar will send out a list of upcoming lectures, protests, documentaries, rallies, and meetings with the goal of building the progressive movement in Grand Rapids.
In addition to the weekly emails, people can also stay up-to-date on activist events in Grand Rapids by following the Grand Rapids Activist Calendar on Facebook and Twitter:
Finally, we encourage individuals and groups to add their own events to the calendar as it can only be as good as the community makes it. To add your event, go to:
Last August, a health care protest rally staged in front of the offices of MI-07 Representative Mark Schauer brought out Jackson County Commissioner Phil Duckham with a swastika sign. You can read more about that in my Huffington Post article. This Thursday, another such rally is scheduled.
So the question is: Will Phil Duckham stage a repeat performance?
A counter protest due to begin a 3:30 pm is planned and, if you have a chance to go, it might be worth a trip. If you take photos of any particularly "interesting" signs or activities, feel free to email me and I will be sure they get published prominently.
The official statement for the counter protest:
Dear Friend-
We urgently need your help. This Thursday, the Michigan Republican Party is planning to hold a health care protest outside Congressman Schauer's district office at 4:30pm. The GOP invitation says, "We need your help to stop Mark Schauer and the liberals from a radical government takeover of health care!"
During a similar protest last August, pro-health care reform activists outnumbered Tea Party protesters by a 4-to-1 margin, and we need your help to do it again. You can watch a video of Mark speaking at last summer's health care rally here.
If you agree with Mark that we need to fix our broken health care system, hold the big health insurance companies accountable, eliminate the prescription drug donut hole, and cut health care costs for working families, then you can show your support by attending a Rally for Health Care Reform this Thursday. Here are the details:
WHAT: Rally for Health Care Reform
WHERE: U.S Rep. Mark Schauer's District Office
800 W Ganson, Jackson, MI 49202
WHEN: Thursday, March 11, 3:30pm
WHY: To send a message that working Michigan families are ready to fight for health care reform
We're in the homestretch of a 62-year battle to fix our broken health care system. Mark is ready to get the job done, but the Party of No and their deep-pocketed friends are willing to do whatever it takes to defend the status quo for another 62 years. We can't let them get away with it.
Come show your support for health care reform and Mark Schauer this Thursday - and don't forget to tell your friends!
Organizing for America (OFA) is the organization that grew out of the Obama Campaign for Change (also known as Obama for America or OFA 1.0.) Right now they are currently engaged in holding Strategy Session around the country to give folks an overview of where we've been in the last year (including the things they did right and the things they did wrong) and where they are headed in the coming year.
This is a big year, particularly in Michigan because the party that controls Congress after November will have the most to say about the upcoming redistricting that happens following the 2010 census. Democrats received a huge setback ten years ago when the Republicans controlled both houses in Congress as well as the Michigan Supreme court.
In addition to midterm elections we also have the fight for health insurance reform along with climate change/green energy legislation, financial sector, and education reform ahead of us.
I attended one of these strategy briefings a bit over a week ago in Ann Arbor where over 100 people came to listen and learn. You can read more about that HERE and read more about other events that have taken place HERE.
I encourage you to find one near you in the coming weeks. You'll find a full schedule after the jump.
Here's the official OFA blurb on these events:
Join Organizing for America for a 2010 Strategy Briefing in your area. The Strategy Briefings are a chance to talk with OFA staff and other volunteers in your area about our legislative and electoral plan for 2010. As an organization, we have come a long way in the past year. We have lessons to learn from the budget pledge drive, health insurance reform, and the Massachusetts Senate Race. Now is the time to bring those lessons together and look forward to 2010. There are countless opportunities to create change in the coming year and we have an important role to play in making that happen. As a team, we will talk about how to be involved in creating change in our country, both legislatively and electorally. We will talk through national strategy and discuss together what that means for our local community.
The Democratic gubernatorial race in Michigan right now is a bit of a clown show. The front runner, Lt. Governor John Cherry has left the race. A former state Treasurer got in and out in less than a week. Even George Perles, former Mich.State Univ. football coach has been suggested as a candidate. Right now the mayor of Lansing Virg Bernero, two state Reps, Alma Wheeler-Smith and Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, and Genesee County treasurer Dan Kildee are all in.
The GOP is putting up a number of candidates in including Pete Hoekstra, Rick Snyder and AG Mike Cox.
But now comes Tea Partier Stacey Mathia. Will she be a spoiler for the Republicans?
My name is Scott Withers and I am a Democratic Primary Candidate for the U.S. Congress in Michigan's 5th District. I am challenging incumbent Dale Kildee, someone whose public service I respect, but I believe is out of touch with the dire needs of the residents of Mid-Michigan.
How do you motivate a Republican whose Congressional seat is being threatened? Well, if you're Incumbent Retention Czar Mike Rogers (MI-08), head of the NRCC's "Patriot Program", you give 'em a colonial soldier bobblehead.
I'm totally not kidding.
Rogers uses not just the stick, but also the carrot. Make that the bobblehead. He gives a Colonial soldier bobblehead doll to the "patriot of the week" who has worked hard to meet his or her goals.
"It's a huge success," Rogers said. "I get members now going, 'Hey, man, when am I getting my bobblehead?' I love that thing."
Yesterday, February 6, three Democratic candidates for statewide office appeared on a panel to discuss their candidacy and to answer questions from the audience. The event was sponsored by People of Diversity United for Equality (PODUE) and was held at the Brown Chapel AME in Ypsilanti. In attendance were Alma Wheeler-Smith -- candidate for governor, Jocelyn Benson -- candidate for Secretary of State, and Richard Bernstein -- candidate for Attorney General. The forum was moderated by Rep. Rebekah Warren -- with opening and closing remarks by House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes, both candidates for State Senate.
From L-R, Rebekah Warren, Alma Wheeler-Smith, Jocelyn Benson, Richard Bernstein, Pam Byrnes, Pastor Jerry Hatter
Okay, not the entire newspaper. But Heritage Newspapers employee Terry Jacoby anyway.
Stu Dowty is the chair of the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. Since his election to that position in 2009, he has done a terrific job of leading the Dems. In answering a series of questionnaire questions sent to him by Mr. Jacoby, Stu demonstrates his extensive knowledge of both the "lay of the land" for Democrats in Washtenaw County as well as the facts and figures of health care and the position our country was in a year ago vs. today.
Last night, MI-07 Representative Mark Schauer spoke to the 2010 annual membership meeting of the Western Washtenaw Dems. During his conversation, he came out firmly in favor of a reconciliation path to passing health insurance reform legislation and was outspoken about the atrocious decision by the Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS) to allow nearly unlimited corporate funding of political campaigns.
We need to push a bill, maybe taking the Senate bill and modifying it, and put into it all the components that can be passed under reconciliation. The long and short of that is that it doesn't take 60 votes. It takes 51. That's actually what our democracy is about. Anybody that complains about that, I'm going to give it to 'em and say it's not 60 votes that's a majority, 51 votes is a majority.
As I sit here in frigid Michigan this morning, I'm contemplating the state of our state. And pondering if we are, perhaps, a bellwether for the rest of the country, particularly in terms of Democrats and our political future.
It's a mixed bag in Michigan, to be sure. As I diaried last week, there's been some better news of late. GM has started battery production for its new line of electric and hybrid cars. The Detroit Auto Show is featuring a plethora of new electric vehicles in its "Electric Avenue. This morning we learn that Ford has earned Car of the Year with its Fusion Hybrid (as well as Truck of the Year with the Transit Connect, a 22/25 mpg vehicle). The Obama administration has awarded Michigan vehicle manufactureres $187 million in grants to boost fuel efficiency. Detroit was even named as one of the Top Five Cities to find a "Green" job, being called "the poster child for green jobs".
On the other hand, our economy is in a complete shambles. The Democrats are hosting a certified Clown ShowTM when it comes to the upcoming governor's race of 2010. Even Bart Stupak, author of the Coathanger HCR Amendment, is considering a run for governor. One of the main contenders on from the Valley of the GOPosaurs, Pete Hoekstra, is racing to place his mug in front of any media camera that will have him to talk about how our president is failing Americans with regard to national security.
So what we have is state poised for greatness, thanks in large part to the foreward thinking and planning by our progressive Democratic governor, Jennifer Granholm. But those improvements are going to be largely overshadowed by the poor economy and the perplexing ability of Republicans to frame every single debate and conversation in their own terms, putting Democrats on the defensive. As is happening in our state Congress, they obstruct and fight every progressive attempt to make things better then point their Fingers of BlameTM right back at Democrats who, through their own lame own-foot-shooting seem to be their own worst enemies much of the time. For all her many great efforts, efforts to diversify Michigan's economy and put us in a good position with regard to green energy and a new energy economy, she is term-limited and will likely never get the credit she is due for the great service she has done for our state.
Will Democrats be able to turn the Meme of the Day around in 2010 and fight back effectively to win these battles or will Republicans dominate the message wars and, despite their obstructionist behavior and lack of vision or political leadership, use the poor economy to whip the Dems and gain political advantage?
My take is, if you want to see what will happen on the broad national stage, watch what happens in Michigan. While Sarah Palin likes to cast Alaska as a microcosm of the country as a whole, Michigan is far more representative of the USA. We have rural and urban areas and everything in between. We have a manufacturing base, farming and a strong service sector. We have a racially, economically and politically diverse population. All of these things lead me to believe that how politics play out here in our state in the coming year will very likely be an early warning sign as to how things will go nationally.
My former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers stopped by the offices of the Livingston Press & Argus in Livingston County, Mich. this week to throw some poop on health care reform. Not only did he throw poop, he told several bald-faced lies including this one:
He said a government-appointed panel's conclusion that women need fewer mammograms at certain ages would be incorporated in the bills.
Rogers, himself a cancer survivor, said the government shouldn't dictate who has access to mammograms.
"I said, 'Oh, my gosh. They just sentenced to death 36,000 American women.'"
Do you still have to shop for Christmas? You might want to check out the Free Press' 12 Days of Shopping holiday gift guide that includes ideas for the pickiest folks on your list. They have links to all kinds of things, including toys that teach but keep the emphasis on fun, books from Michigan authors, and 25 great gifts for less than $10.
My favorite is the Made-in-Michigan goodies guide that includes everything from pasta to pasties to popcorn. Throw out all those mail-order catalogs from Figis, Hickory Farms and the Wisconsin Cheeseman and support a Michigan company. Why? Because...
If you send a taste of Michigan to out-of-state loved ones this holiday season, they -- and the local economy -- will thank you.
There's a long list of goodies you can order, but this is my personal favorite.
PASTY CENTRAL, Calumet
What: Individually made pasties shipped fully cooked and frozen in meat, vegetable and breakfast varieties. A percentage of pasty sales benefits Little Brother Friends of the Elderly, an organization that assists elderly people in their homes in the area.
Cost: Four-pack is $35; six-pack, $45; a dozen, $75. Each traditional pasty weighs 14 ounces. Smaller pasties are available. Add $2 if shipping to a residence.
Order: 877-727-8911 or www.pasty.com
Several elderly members of my family live in the Calumet area and I can attest that the Little Brothers organization made a difference in their lives. They delivered food and flowers to them on previous Christmases, but they also gave them something more precious - the gift of time. Their volunteers stayed to chat, listen and spend time with them. That's a priceless gift.
Oh, I almost forgot. Pasty Central's pasties are almost as good as the ones my Finnish mother used to make!
I just finished my trip to the Middle East, where I visited Israel and Dubai. You may have read my blog post about touting Michigan's Green Jobs for Blue Waters initiative in Israel, where I was able to secure commitments from two Israeli water technologycompanies to locate in Michigan. To be clear: we will never sell our water abroad; but rather will position Michigan as a center of excellence for global water technologies. As the world's thirst for increasingly scarce fresh water grows, we want Michigan to reap enormous economic benefits by becoming the home of businesses who sell technologies that assist other states in solving their water scarcity problems.
We set our sights high when it came to advanced battery technology in Michigan. We began by positioning Michigan to lead in advanced batteries just a few years ago, and the payoff was enormous. Michigan received $1.2 billion of the $2 billion that the Federal Government allocated for advanced battery research and development. This has resulted in a number of companies who will be manufacturing advanced batteries for the new generation electrical automotive engine making Michigan their home-- securing jobs for our future. I believe we can do the same with water technologies bringing even greater benefits to our state.
Following my stops in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, I travelled to Dubai, one of the largest and fastest growing cities in the Middle East. There, even this Wolverine was proud to be the first state official to visit MSU's Dubai campus (and yes, I heard the U-M/OSU score already!). I also visited the American University-Dubai where I addressed the class of Professor Youssef Beydoun. One of Professor Beydoun's students is from Saginaw Valley State University where she is studying for a degree in Political Science, specializing in International Relations. She expressed to me her concern for the future of the Michigan Promise which is assisting her in paying for her education.
Both schools are emerging as great educational institutions in Dubai. Students at MSU's Dubai campus frequently travel back to East Lansing for at least a semester of classes, and receive the same degrees as students here in Michigan - and also pay tuition back to MSU as well. MSU-Dubai is helping all MSU degrees obtain more international exposure and marketability, and I was pleased to be able to visit its campus.
After a long week on the road, I'm thankful to be back home in Clio for Thanksgiving, where I'll enjoy the company of good friends and family. I wish your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
In today's column, Jack Lessenberry completely misses the point in faulting Governor Granholm for signing a bad budget to prevent a government shutdown. The only thing worse than a bad budget would be a complete shutdown of Michigan government.
Think of the consequences -- and imagine what people like Lessenberry would be saying had the Governor refused to sign a budget and let the state shut down, in the ultimate Halloween nightmare. No Medicaid reimbursement. No inspections of Michigan agriculture. No pay for tens of thousands of state employees, who count on a regular paycheck to take care of their bills and families. Doing more damage to Michigan's credit rating. Adding uncertainty for businesses looking to locate here or that do business with the state. Limited state police protection (just imagine if something awful were to happen as a result).
Does Lessenberry really think these were viable options for the Governor? There's wide-spread agreement that we need to make long-term changes to the way Michigan does business. Lessenberry inaccurately states that the Governor "didn't make the faintest effort to move this state to a graduated income tax." However, just this March the Governor floated a graduated income tax to replace the Senate Republican-designed MBT surcharge - an idea Lessenberry wrote about at the time and supported!
Lessenberry's missing the point. Andy Dillon and Mike Bishop spawned this terrible budget, and left the Governor and the people of Michigan with no options with their eleventh hour nonsense. Lessenberry quotes Dillon as calling this year's budget "child's play" - with the damage they've done to our state already, we can only be thankful for one sane leader in Lansing... Jennifer Granholm.
He is right about one thing, though. Citizens should get vocal about this year's budget, and should contact their legislators (particularly obstinate Senate Republicans) to demand a budget that protects Michigan's future.
It's far past time to stand up and fight - and to place the blame squarely where it belongs, on Bishop and Dillon's "deal".
This is easily my favorite time of year. While I love the snow and find it beautiful, autumn is more comfortable to be outdoors and enjoying the remarkable show Mother Nature treats us with. Don't get me wrong, spring flowers are lovely and the deeper more lush blooms of summer are equally entrancing. However, there is something about autumn.
It's rarely too hot to breathe, and most people find it comfortable to wander about in a sweatshirt and jeans. Apples are ripe, the winter pears soon to be, and pumpkins have grown huge (much to the children's and young-at-heart's delight!). School is back in session, and all is right in most people's reality.
As I was driving home from work this morning, I paused along the expressway and simply took a deep breath. It was a feast for all of my senses. With a loving brush, the earth has painted her tallest children, the trees, in radiant vibrant shades of riotous color. How incredibly beautiful it is today.
Yes, it is gloomy looking, at least when considering the sky. It has rained for the past few days, and been extremely damp. All of that aside, I simply had to smile and admire the beauty of the trees.
Several years ago, I worked with a woman who was fostering a child from the inner depths of Detroit. During this time of year, I always remember them. Not because they made a lasting impression on my life, nor because I miss them; I remember them because of a story told to me by my co-worker. She went to Detroit and brought her foster-child back to her home in a small town not far from Lansing.
Once they left Detroit and all of its suburbs behind and were traveling up I-75, she noticed her new child, teen actually, had quit speaking and was staring out the windows in a rather dumbfounded manner. Understandably, the woman presumed her charge was experiencing loss and sadness to be leaving her home and uncertainties about how to face life in a small town as opposed to living in a large city. Wrong.
The teen wasn't scared, sad or uncertain. She was in awe. She had never seen so many trees in her short life. And, from what I understand, she fell in love. She fell in love with the wonder of nature.
As I said previously, I remember them during this time of year, and with good reason. For I too am in love with the wonders and intricacies of nature. One of my oldest and dearest friends is the maple tree outside of my childhood bedroom window. And, gentle reader, I know with unwavering certainty the many secrets I've whispered into its bark over the years will never be shared.
When was the last time you paused and just admired the scenery around you? No, I mean really. Don't do it because some random woman you've never met is asking you to...do it because it will cleanse your soul.
Nine Michigan based breweries won medals at the Great American Beer Festival today. 495 breweries from all over the country completed in 78 different style categories. Only five states fared better at the world's largest commercial beer competition.
House Speaker Andy Dillon has suspended his campaign for Governor of Michigan in order to devote his full time to solving Michigan's budget crisis, Bellringer News has learned.
"The unprecedented budget crisis facing Michigan is of the utmost importance, and requires us to have a Speaker of the House," said Wilbert Frankfurt, Dillon's campaign manager.
When pressed Mr. Frankfurt drew on the example of John McCain, suspending his presidential campaign to deal with a government financial crisis as providing a "teaching moment" for other ambitious pols.
"John McCain's mistake was that he suspended his campaign too early," said Frankfurt, adding that McCain should have waited until the crisis was nearly over in order to reap the maximum political benefits. "Look, it's almost a year later and we're still having federal budget and deficit problems. Speaker Dillon has waited until the very last minute to address the deficit, and we think it will pay off. Planning, let's face it, sucks as a fun activity and is not exciting like running for governor."
Dillon's move is already making waves among politicos, with many on the right hailing it as an act of selflessness and many on the left asking, "Can Speaker Dillon walk and comb his hair at the same time?"
This, you may recall, was the same question (eventual winner) Barack Obama posed to (the badly beaten) John McCain. Senator McCain later attempted the feat on "So You Think You Can Dance" only to find out that no, he couldn't.
The Grand Rapids Activist Calendar is a new website and email list that aims to make it easier both for progressive and left groups to promote their events and for people interested in social change to find out what is happening in Grand Rapids.
Organizing for America (OFA) is the organization that grew out of the Obama Campaign for Change (also known as Obama for America or OFA 1.0.) Right now they are currently engaged in holding Strategy Session around the country to give folks an overview of where we've been in the last year (including the things they did right and the things they did wrong) and where they are headed in the coming year.
How do you motivate a Republican whose Congressional seat is being threatened? Well, if you're Incumbent Retention Czar Mike Rogers (MI-08), head of the NRCC's 
Last night, MI-07 Representative Mark Schauer spoke to the 2010 annual membership meeting of the 
My former 
