Sean Mullally

We the Future

2011-07-25T19:44:00.011-04:00

A Progressive Vision to

Rebuild the American Dream for a New Generation

Why are young Americans today destined to bring about the largest political shift in 50 years? (page 29)

What was the Boston Tea Party really protesting? (page 9)

Alexander Hamilton was never president. What earned him his place on our $10 Bill, and why have we forgotten it? (page 44)

What does Ferris Bueller’s Day Off have to do with the decline of the American middle class? (page 79)

Is American a Democracy or a Republic? (page 6)

If a person can’t be considered property, can property be a person? (page 131)

Why can’t our government do anything right anymore? (page 123)

What can you do to make a difference? (page 157)

It's been in the works for about 8 months now, but I am happy to say it is complete. I look forward to getting it in some local bookstores and libraries, but for now it available to order online. It is available as a paperback or as an eBook.

Thanks to everyone for your support!

Sean

People power in Muskegon

2011-04-17T21:31:00.007-04:00

Politically this has been an eventful year so far. After campaigning as a nonpartisan “nerd”, Governor Snyder took office with full control of the legislature and began pushing a hard right agenda. Like the new Republican governors in Wisconsin and Ohio, Snyder overreached and ignited a political backlash. Both in Muskegon and around the state, we’ve seen the citizenry wake up. We’ve seen the largest protest rallies in our state’s history at the capitol building, and record size crowds locally as well. Two rallies in Muskegon so far, on Mar 15th and April 4th, each drew between 500 and 700 participants. I’ve reported on these earlier as well as the even larger rallies in Lansing, and it’s so encouraging to see people taking a stand in such numbers.

This April 15th (Tax Day), the Muskegon Tea Party had their annual rally in downtown Muskegon. Last year their event had about 150 attendees and got front page coverage in the Muskegon Chronicle. This year I came out to observe what they had to say. What I saw was a few of the most devoted tea party organizers, and not much else. Altogether they had maybe 30 people present. It made me ask: What if you threw a tea party and no one came?

I don’t point this out to belittle the local tea party activists. They are not the bad guys. They are our coworkers and neighbors, and they’re concerned about the same ills in society as the rest of us. I believe they’ve just been misled about the causes. Right now is probably a good time for introspection for tea party activists. Their message is clearly not resonating with the public. Also troubling, as I looked around the crowd, I tried but could not find a single non-Caucasian face. Muskegon County has a diverse population, yet the local tea party seems to be a 100% white organization. Does this make them racists? No, of course not. But their message seems to have a unfortunate blind spot and is alienating anyone but one certain demographic.

It is our responsibility as progressives not to hold up those we disagree with as bogeymen, but to bring our message to them. That may mean you get yelled at sometimes (as I was). But I also had several civil conversations and was able to explain some issues to people in a way they hadn’t heard before. Did I change any minds? I don't know. But I do know the public is trending our way. People are realizing we are all in this together, and when there are those who would divide us by race, religion, gender, union vs. non-union, public employees vs. private, or anything else, then those people are best ignored. We are one, and we will rise or fall together.

The next rally is Thursday, April 28th at 3:30pm, at the CIO Hall, 490 W. Western Ave. We will march at 4:00pm sharp from there to Hackley Park. This is not a "Democrat" event. This is not a "union" event. This is for anyone who is concerned about our eroding standard of living and anyone who believes in the ideal of a citizen-controlled government. Hope to see you there!

Sean Mullally

'We Are One' rallies growing in Muskegon.

2011-04-05T09:40:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, April 4th, demonstrator again gathered in downtown Muskegon to march and rally in opposition to new taxes on retirees and the working poor and against the Emergency Financial Manager law that would strip voting rights from some local communities.

The event was similar to but somewhat larger than one held here two weeks ago. The next one should be even larger yet! There were several more speakers than I included here. The whole march and rally lasted nearly two hours, but a lot of my footage couldn't be used do bad audio and wind noise. I am getting more video that was taken with a different camera, so I might have some coverage of more speakers coming up later. This is just a small snippet.

Thanks to all the people who came out, organized, and spoke at yesterday's rally.

Would your legislator work for a teacher's pay?

2011-03-27T22:25:00.007-04:00

Sara Scholtens wrote an interesting proposal in Saturday's Kalamazoo Gazette. Many of our Michigan legislators have been fixating recently on how much our public employees are paid, claiming it's too much. Scholtens suggests that if our school teachers' pay is so generous, perhaps our legislators would like to work for the same salary. This is similar to the proposal I advocated last year that our legislator's salary should be set equal to the median income in the state.

Currently our state representatives are paid $82,485 per year in salary and expense allowance. This is the second highest in the nation, behind only California. Scholtens claims a typical salary for a teacher in Michigan is about $38,000. She continues to say if we were to reduce our legislators compensation to that of a entry level teacher, it would save taxpayers nearly $5 million per year.

Shared sacrifice requires leading be example. I would call upon our legislators to do the right thing and accept the same pay cuts they are calling on others to take. This is potentially a win-win proposition. Taxpayers would save millions, and legislators could gain credibility by walking the walk. As a additional benefit, going forward we might get more people in office for the right reasons rather than those just chasing the $82,485 paycheck. That could only serve to help the political climate in Lansing.

But watch carefully. Any measure to reduce compensation for legislators must include current office holders. One of the slight-of-hand tricks that have been used in the past is for lawmakers to pass pay and benefit cuts that affect only their successors and then boast endlessly about it as an act of political courage.

Call you representative or senator today and ask them if they are willing to accept the pay of a teacher!

Upcoming events

2011-03-27T12:01:00.009-04:00

Well, it's been an eventful couple of months. We've seen an undemocratic agenda laid bare in Michigan and around the country as voter's rights, worker's rights and women's rights have all come under attack by newly elected officials who should be spending their time creating jobs and fixing the economy.

But we've also seen the American people invigorated and fighting back! From Madison, Wisconsin to Lansing, Michigan and even right here in Muskegon we've seen people take to the streets in record numbers and say in one unified voice, "Enough!" I've recorded some of these events for those who couldn't be there and included links here.

This movement is continuing and growing. Below is information on two important upcoming events in Muskegon where your voice can be heard. Your voice in your workplace, in your school district, and your local government are under attack by the current leadership in Lansing. This is a use it or lose it moment. We need to get out and be heard while we still can!

Michigan's Budget Town Hall
Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright and Mitchell Bean, nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency Director are hosting a Town Hall meeting about Michigan's Budget. Monday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. at the Stevenson Center at MCC, room 1100. Bean is an expert on Michigan's budget. This is information we all need to know. Come hear Representative Hovey-Wright's and Director Bean's analysis of events in Lansing and ask some questions!

'We Are One' Rally
April 4th, Muskegon will be rallying to commemorate the day Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated for fighting for human rights. We again are in a struggle with our government and Big Business for some of these same rights, so we rally on this day to get our message out and be heard!

State Sen. Geoff Hansen, State Reps. Holly Hughes and Marsha Hovey-Wright have been invited to attend and address our group. We must keep the message out that we won't be silenced and recalls will follow if we aren't represented by our elected leaders. Come down to Heritage Lansing from 4pm - 6pm on Monday Apr. 4th, and let your voice be heard!

Is nuclear worth it?

2011-03-23T13:55:00.007-04:00

The recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan were bad enough, but the subsequent failure of multiple nuclear reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi facility quickly grabbed the headlines. The public has always had a simmering distrust of nuclear power. Nuclear proponents will say this is due to a lack of knowledge. We fear what we don’t understand. But the truth is more complex than that. Nuclear accidents don’t cause as many immediate casualties as natural disasters, but their insidious poisoning can spread far and last virtually forever.

Yes, nuclear is one answer to the climate change crisis. It is said that nuclear energy emits no carbon dioxide. Of course, if we count the process of mining and refining the uranium fuel, an energy intensive process, we’re forced to admit that nuclear energy does involve some carbon emissions after all.

Nuclear is also phenomenally expensive. Nuclear power was originally promoted as too cheap to meter, but has turned out to be far and away the most expensive source of electricity, even with massive government subsidies. One new nuclear plant is anticipated to cost $10 billion to build.

Most of this cost is due to elaborate safety requirements, but as we see in Japan this can only reduce the risk of disaster, not eliminate it. We have to begin with the understanding that no mechanism built by man is or will ever be 100% reliable. Every system will fail at some point. We have to accept that going in.

In the late nineties, I worked for a short time at Detroit Edison’s Fermi 2 nuclear facility south of Detroit. It’s called Fermi 2 for a reason. Sitting immediately next to the facility is the decommissioned Fermi 1 reactor which suffered a core meltdown in 1966. The incident is covered in detail in John Fuller’s book, We Almost Lost Detroit.

In an inspection in 2006, it was discovered that Fermi 2’s backup diesel generators were nonfunctional and would not have worked if called upon in an emergency. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of these generators. They are critical to prevent a catastrophic meltdown if primary power is lost. Furthermore, the inspection revealed the generators had been nonfunctional since 1986. For 20 years the plant was operating a high wire act with no safety net. Michigan is amazingly lucky the Fermi 2 site had no major power disruptions during those decades. It’s also worth noting that the Fermi 2 reactor is the exact same GE Mark I design as Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi reactors that have proven so fragile.

With Fermi 1, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and now Fukushima Daiichi, we’ve seen that accidents happen regardless of precautions. Accidents will always happen. The question we need to ask ourselves is: Is nuclear worth the cost? Are there better alternatives? One way or another, we’re going to use energy. Perhaps looking at some windmills on the horizon isn’t so bad, considering the alternatives.

Muskegon Rally - We Are One

2011-03-16T09:12:00.004-04:00

Muskegon residents pack the streets on Mar 15th to protest Gov. Snyder's new taxes on retirees and the working poor to pay for tax breaks for businesses. Over 500 people march down Western Ave chanting "We Are One".

Protesters flood into Michigan Capitol

2011-03-09T09:46:00.007-05:00

I was in Lansing yesterday to witness an amazing public outcry against efforts in the Senate to strip local residents of voting rights in their communities. The so-called Emergency Financial Manager bills would allow the state government to remove local elected officials from office and replace them with random bureaucrats that can dictate decisions big and small with no accountability to residents.

I was awestruck as I entered the capitol yesterday. I don't believe we've ever seen public demonstrations quite like this in this state before. Working people have been taking it on the chin for years now, but things seem to have reached a breaking point nationwide in recent weeks. People have finally had enough and it’s contagious. We’re seeing more people now willing to take a stand to stop the creeping erosion of their rights and constant calls for those with the least to give up more and more. It's time to draw a line and shout, "This far, but no farther! This stops now.”

The Emergency Financial Manager bill will be voted on today. It’s time to call your Senator. Goeff Hansen’s office number is (517) 373-1635. Call him now.

Rally to Save the American Dream

2011-02-27T10:59:00.004-05:00

Saturday Muskegon sent to a large contingent of supporters to rally in Lansing at the State Capitol steps. The event was part of a nationwide effort in all 50 states capitols to show solidarity with the 100,000 gathered in Madison, WI protesting their governor’s reckless attempt at union busting.

Roughly 3000 demonstrators from around Michigan came out for the peaceful event, including many individuals from Muskegon County. A strong showing was made by members of the Muskegon County Democratic Party, the SEIU, and the UAW among others. While our own Governor Snyder has not yet come out as forcefully against public employees as Wisconsin Governor Walker has done, there is still reason for concern. There are several proposals pending in the Michigan Legislature that would weaken workers’ bargaining power, lower wages on government funded projects, and levy new taxes on working people to pay for big business tax breaks.

We need to continue to be seen and heard to make it perfectly clear that this kind of top down class warfare will worsen our economy and only plunge our state into turmoil. We need to find solutions that work for everybody, and that means everyone reaching across the aisle for bipartisan ideas on job creation and economic growth, not using their temporary power as an opportunity to settle grudges and punish perceived opponents. We are one state, and we will rise or fall together.

During the next 20 months it will be critical to keep the current leadership in Lansing focused on job creation instead of descending into attacks on the middle class. Events like Saturday’s rally are a powerful way to do this. To everyone who participated, keep up the good work!

More photos available here

Spartans score big with nuclear research

2011-01-20T10:29:00.006-05:00

I often wear a hat or sweatshirt from my alma mater, Michigan State. People assume it's because I’m a sports fan and start asking me about the teams. I do enjoy an occasional game, but I can’t name off the players’ stats, or who they’re playing this week. However, I am proud of my school, and Michigan State just scored a huge win in the game that most matters. The headline could be: “Spartans trounce MIT!”

The Detroit Free Press has reported that Michigan State University will be home to a new $600 million cutting edge nuclear research site, the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), planned to be among the most advanced in the world. Scientists from far and wide will be flocking to East Lansing to do their research, even from America’s former #1 nuclear research center, the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Science is the future. Research like this may give us answers to our energy problems or treating disease, and the fact that it happens in Michigan will mean jobs for our residents and better educational opportunities for our students. This is a big win for our team. Let’s score a few more.

Swearing in ceremony

2011-01-13T12:13:00.004-05:00

Yesterday at the 2011 Muskegon Community College Board of Trustees organizational meeting, Judge Pittman presided over the swearing in. Diana Osborn and myself join the returning five trustees and we then elected Trustee Larry Wright as the chair for this term. We all look forward to a productive term in office. There are a lot of challenges facing the college, our community, and Michigan as a whole. There is also, I believe, significant opportunity to build on this already strong institution as a cornerstone of the broader community. I appreciate the very warm welcome from the staff and my fellow trustees and am excited to explore the possibilities over the next couple years.

I want to give a hearty thanks to everyone who stood with me during this last year. It was a roller-coaster ride during which I saw and learned so much about my own hometown. I meet so many amazing people, but also discovered so much unfinished business, and work yet to be done in our community. This journey has brought me to this point where I can hopefully stand up and make a positive contribution. I didn't get here alone. So to all of you who've been so supportive of me, I sincerely thank you and will work hard to meet your expectations.

Sean Mullally
Muskegon Community College Trustee

Viewpoint: Voters would benefit from changes in campaign finance laws

2011-01-13T12:06:00.002-05:00

Last month, the Chronicle Editorial Board rightly decried the growing influence of big money in local politics. In 2010, over $1.6 million was spent on races for our area’s three state legislative seats (91st and 92nd State House and 34th State Senate). Much of this came from sources outside our community. When asked, the heads of both the Democratic and Republican parties in Muskegon County expressed concern that this trend will make politics more disconnected from average people.

As one of the 16 candidates who ran for these three open seats last year, I share their concern. While on the campaign trail I had the chance to hear many different candidates describe their varied backgrounds and express a wide range of ideas and visions for our state’s future. It was an honor to be part of the democratic process, but I share the frustration expressed by others at the steamroller effect big money had over this field of candidates and their ideas. Each of these three races featured one candidate who was able to outspend their opposition by a dramatic margin. In each case that candidate won and the spending seems to have been the decisive factor.

To be clear, this is not meant to criticize the winning candidates. They, like myself, simply followed campaign laws as currently written. Rather, it is the system that needs to be fixed, and I would call on our new legislators to address that. Current rules give a huge built-in advantage to candidates with large personal wealth, who’ve spent many years honing the art of fundraising, or who have close connections to the Lansing lobbying community. Lost in this equation are all the average citizens just wanting their voices heard.

We also need to understand that at the moment, big money may seem to benefit one political party at the expense of the other, but as voters, this trend hurts us all regardless of party preference. In the future, Republicans and Democrats alike will have less ability to focus on you as they are forced to constantly scramble for ever more cash.

So, what can we do? Money will always be part of politics, but there are some things that can level the playing field and keep politicians’ focus less on money, and more where it belongs: on voters’ concerns. The Editorial Board’s call for transparency is a good start. The recent “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision has opened the door for anonymous, unlimited campaign spending by anyone, including potentially foreign corporations and governments. Limiting the impact of Citizens United with new legislation, and ultimately reversing the decision, with a constitutional amendment, if necessary, should be a top priority in Washington. This is something our new representative Bill Huizenga needs to focus on right away.

At the state level, there are a number of measures that could improve our electoral process. I could fill a book, but for brevity I’ll start with two simple ideas that representatives Holly Hughes and Marcia Hovey-Wright, and Sen. Goeff Hansen should push for in Lansing.

First, candidates for the state legislature can currently get their names on the ballot in one of two ways: either collecting a minimum number of signatures from qualified voters or by paying a $100 filing fee in lieu of signatures. I’ve never understood the purpose of the filing fee. No one should be able to walk into the county clerk’s office with a checkbook and get on the ballot. We should do as is already the case for gubernatorial and congressional candidates, and make the signature requirement mandatory. It’s only fair to expect potential candidates to prove they have a base of support. Additionally, we should outlaw the practice of paying people to sign or circulate nominating petitions. This will ensure the signatures represent genuine support and will eliminate one more way a candidate might buy his or her way onto the ballot.

Second, in a couple of local races in 2010 we saw the unseemly spectacle of a state political party spending massively on negative attack ads, while the candidate those ads benefited stood off to the side claiming not to be involved. This good cop/bad cop routine is demeaning to voters and should be done away with. If we wish to elect true leaders, we have to expect them to take responsibility for their own campaign messages. We need to require that any campaign spending by a political party on behalf of their nominee must bear that candidate’s approval. A disclaimer like the “I approved this message” tagline in federal campaign ads should do just fine. No more letting your party smear your opponent then claiming you’ve got clean hands.

These are just a couple proposals. It will take a lot more for comprehensive reform, but I believe these changes will help make candidates more directly engaged with voters, and more accountable for their own campaign messages, and that is a step in the right direction.

Is tuition-free college possible?

2010-09-30T12:28:00.003-04:00

In many parts of the world, any student willing to study is provided with free access to college. While these countries are generally very happy with their systems, critics have said such an idea would never work in America and we should stick with our system of basing college access on ability to pay.

Now two mayors in Tennessee are bucking this conventional wisdom and using their local community colleges to enact impressive reforms to give free college access to all their residents. They are using existing financial aid and scholarships as well as working with their state government to fill the gaps. The end results is they are able to tap multiple resources and give any resident a tuition-free college education. More information on this exciting project is available at Community College Review.

Meanwhile in Michigan we've moved in the opposite direction. We've cut the Promise scholarship and the Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) has an uncertain future. Instead of continuing to cut support for students, we should be looking at what is being done in Tennessee. We should be asking ourselves: if tuition-free college can work there, can it work here too?

One positive change currently being considered in Michigan is the expansion of 4-year degree programs to community colleges throughout the state. This has the potential to give more students access to higher education both closer to their homes and at a lower cost. For these reasons I believe it will strengthen our state and is something we should pursue.

I am eager to push for progress on these and other new ideas. That’s why I ask for your vote on Nov. 2nd for Muskegon Community College Board of Trustees. Remember, this is a non-partisan race on the back of the ballot. If you vote a “straight party ticket”, you must still vote separately for this race.

To keep updated on new information please visit my website: www.SeanMullally.com.

MCC and State Legislature need to honor commitment to students

2010-09-03T12:21:00.001-04:00

Our community is used to bad news coming from all directions lately, but the recent headline “Muskegon Community College Holds Back Money from Low-Income Students” was particularly disappointing. As reported, the college is withholding Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) funds out of concern that the Michigan Legislature will cancel the program. Our state representative Mary Valentine, however, has reiterated the legislature has no plans to do that.

A large part of the economic pain our country is suffering is due to the loss of millions of blue collar jobs over the last couple decades as manufacturing has been off-shored. The resulting effect on the middle class and the economy as a whole has been devastating.

For years we’ve been told that higher education is the answer and virtually all our young people will need college degrees to succeed in the job market. At the same time we’ve seen average tuition costs skyrocket year after year. The result is that many young adults are graduating with student loan debt they will be saddled with for decades. Many others are unable to afford college at all and are at risk of being left behind in an unforgiving economy.

Last year, our Legislature cut the Michigan Promise Scholarship, a decision I strongly disagreed with. That program helped thousands of students do exactly what society is telling them they must: go to college. Making it harder for them to do that sends a mixed message and hurts us all.

TIP helps those who need it the most. Cutting it would, in my view, be even worse than the loss of the Promise Scholarship. In this changing economy it’s vital we make sure everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

I would ask our State Representatives Mary Valentine and Doug Bennett to reiterate the importance of TIP and commit to continue it. I would also encourage MCC to do whatever possible, like Baker and get students the TIP funds they’ve been promised now, not later. Asking low income students to wait for money they were expecting is an unfair hardship they may not be able to mange.

As a community college, MCC has a mandate to serve the whole community in a way that private institutions like Baker do not. MCC has for years been a major asset to our community and we need it now more than ever. The college is dealing with a tightening budget like most other institutions right now, but I believe it is vital that we make every effort to keep this cornerstone of our community accessible to people of all income levels.

My next steps.

2010-08-14T20:49:00.002-04:00

I would again like to thank everyone who supported my recent campaign for State Representative. It was a tremendous experience and I had the opportunity to get to know so many great people along the way. We finished very competitively, and that speaks volumes for the hard work and support so many of you put in. I cannot thank you enough!

During the ten months campaigning in this community, I was engaged in so many conversations with residents about their concerns. One thing I heard over and over is the importance of quality education in preparing our young people for a changing job market. At a time of rising tuition rates and growing emphasis on advanced job training, higher education is an increasingly critical piece of our efforts to move Michigan forward.

Recently I was approached by a member of the Muskegon Community College Board of Trustees who had been following my campaign and encouraged me to run for a seat on the board. During our conversation I agreed this would be a great fit for me, given that education was, and still remains one of my main priorities. Taking all of this into consideration, I have decided to run for the position. On Nov. 2^nd, if you live in Muskegon County, you will find my name on the ballot for Muskegon Community College Board of Trustees. This is a non-partisan race.

I ask you to consider supporting me in this endeavor. I feel my experience working as a Board member for the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and serving as Trustee and Executive Board member for UAW Local 1243 gives me solid experience I can draw upon while developing new ideas to keep MCC effectively serving Muskegon’s changing needs.

To keep updated on new information please visit my website: www.SeanMullally.com.

Sean Mullally

Thank you!

2010-08-04T01:14:00.003-04:00

I want to give a hearty thank you to all the friends and supporters who stood with me during the last 10 long months on this journey. While we may not have won at the polls, I consider this campaign a total success!

When I first decided to get into this race, I knew I would be the unknown underdog going up against some big political powerhouses. Going from that improbable beginning to our finish near the top of the pack is a huge achievement especially considering we were outspent over two-to-one. This dramatic success I owe heavily to my volunteers and supporters that worked so hard. You really went above and beyond. Thank you again for all your help!

I also want to thank everyone who made it out to the polls yesterday to vote. When 85% of people sat out this election, you are the few who are standing up and making democracy work. You have my respect for that, regardless of who you voted for.

That said, there is a lot of work left to be done and I've never been one to stand still. This fall I will continue putting my energy into making sure that we get the political change we need for our community. There are a few closely contested races I am watching in which I believe it is important we get the right people elected. That is why I am supporting Virg Bernero for Governor, Mary Valentine for State Senate, and Fred Johnson for Congress. I hope you will join me!

Thank you,
Sean Mullally

Today is the day! Vote Mullally for State Rep!

2010-08-03T08:12:00.004-04:00

It’s been a long time in coming, but the day we’ve been awaiting for almost a year is finally upon us: Election Day. If you haven’t already, please come out to the polls and vote for Sean Mullally to be our next State Representative.

We’ve accomplished a great deal since the campaign began. As we head to the polls today, it’s important to remember that we’re voting for more than merely which person will hold a given office, we’re casting a vote for the future of our state.

I believe that Michigan’s future should be one in which we provide every child with access to high quality education, preserve and protect our environment for generations to come, and kickstart our economy through investments in the high-tech, high-wage jobs that will drive the 21st century economy.

If this sounds like the sort of Michigan you’d like to see, keep that in mind as you head to the polls today, and as you discuss with friends and family what this election means for the future of our state.

None of this would have been possible without the hard work you’ve already put in to bring us to where we are. Thank you again! Now, we’re asking for your help one more time: vote for a long-term vision for Michigan, vote for Sean Mullally.

Check here to find your polling place: https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/mivote/

Sean Mullally
State Representative candidate (D-92)

Quality Education is Key to Future Success

2010-07-27T08:55:00.001-04:00

A few months ago I was touched to see the public outpouring of support as teachers, parents, and young school kids alike all rallied outside Muskegon’s McLaughlin School to save it from closing. It was a successful demonstration of community spirit. McLaughlin School was saved, for now.

Other schools in our community have not been so fortunate. Glendale Early Childhood Center and Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Muskegon Heights were not able be saved, and while population changes played a role, a big factor was funding cuts.

This should not be happening. During the last few years the state legislature has cut our school funding repeatedly. I believe our schools should be the last thing we look to cut, but it seems to be the first. Now is not the time to be short changing our schools.

Public education has always been the most important way we invest in our future. Right now this is truer than ever. The jobs of today and tomorrow require more advanced skills than in the past, and our young people need access to quality education to prepare them to compete in that environment.

For years our urban school districts have not gotten the same per-pupil state funding as more wealthy districts. I believe that needs to change, now. The first thing I would do as State Representative to strengthen education is guarantee our urban districts equal funding. This will allow us to continue not just our core K-12 classes, but also important efforts like Early Childhood Education, and after school programs that give at-risk students the preparation and guidance they need to stay on the right track and succeed.

Now more than ever college is essential too. That is why I was disappointed to see the Promise Scholarship canceled. One value I hold dear is that any student willing to hit the books deserves a college education, and it is our responsibility as a society to make sure all our young people have the chance to reach their full potential. Restoring the Promise Scholarship is the first thing I would do to help that, but more will need to be done to make tuition affordable, and make sure student loans and grants are available to those they need them.

It’s often said that our young people are our future. It’s also true that their future is in our hands. They can and will work hard to succeed, but it’s our responsibility to make sure they have that opportunity.

Road Repair In Our Community Must Be Priority

2010-07-27T08:45:00.001-04:00

I don’t need to tell anyone who lives in Muskegon County about the condition of our roads. In our urban neighborhoods we see a growing epidemic of pot holes, and in our rural areas the Road Commission is pulverizing paved roads back to gravel for lack of maintenance funding.

This cannot continue. The big challenge we face as a local community and a state is to attract new businesses. This will not happen unless we have the quality infrastructure they need, including reliable roads.

Funding is the key. Although the state budget is very tight, Michigan Dept. of Transportation still has significant money allocated for new highway construction, including about $170 million to build a new bridge and expressway in rural Ottawa County, known as the US-31 bypass. The goal is to divert traffic away from downtown Grand Haven’s business district and send it through farmland to the east.

This is a bad idea for several reasons. First, the $170 million is just the beginning of the cost. This new highway will have to be maintained, salted, plowed, and patrolled every year, presenting a substantial ongoing cost to taxpayers that would hurt our ability to pay for other things.

Second, diverting traffic miles to the east, rather than improving the existing U.S. 31, would contribute to the pattern of sprawl that has already drawn economic activity away from our core cities and eaten up much of our countryside. This is not good for our existing communities.

Finally, and most importantly, the roads in our cities, the places people live and drive today need serious attention. This is where our transportation money should be spent.

We can also raise the funds we need for our roads by closing the diesel loophole. Michigan motorists currently pay 19 cents per gallon gas tax, while diesel users are charged only 15 cents. Simply charging diesel users what gasoline users already pay would be fair and give all of us better roads and fewer tire and axle repair bills.

This has to be our priority: Maintaining our existing communities, not sending our scarce resources to questionable projects in sparsely populated areas. Expensive new highways leading to ignored cities will not attract business, nor is it fair to our residents footing the bill.

This is the disconnect in Lansing right now, and our representatives need to see that our tax dollars are spend right here fixing the roads where we live.

2010-07-16T08:58:00.003-04:00

Virg Bernero was in Muskegon last night, speaking to a crowd gathered outdoors on Western Ave. The Democratic Gubernatorial candidature spoke strongly about the need to revive our tradition of manufacturing in Michigan and the US.

I can't think of a more appropriate place for that message to be delivered that downtown Muskegon, MI. Our city has a long and proud tradition of manufacturing, going back to our vital role in the "Arsenal of of Democracy", building the heavy equipment that allowed the U.S. to win WWII.

Much has changed in this world in recent years, but the laws of economics have not. Manufacturing remains the essential key to prosperity. A country that makes nothing, will soon have nothing. We can't let that happen.

We need to preserve the manufacturing we have in our state and diversify into more advanced technologies like renewable energy. The rest of the world understands this, and is fiercely competing to get the new high tech industries built there. We have to fight just as hard, and Virg Bernero clearly understand that. I look forward to working with him to put Michigan back to work!

Sierra Club endorses Mullally for State Representative!

2010-07-13T23:15:00.002-04:00

I want to thank the Sierra Club for giving me their endorsement in my campaign for State Representative! Some of my first political involvement was in the area of environmental protection. Specifically, speaking out to protect our Great Lakes coastal dunes from the threat of sand mining. I grew up near the former site of Pigeon Hill in Muskegon and not far from the active sand mining operation on Sherman Blvd., so even at a young age I was acutely aware of the threats our natural resources face, and the need for the public to make a stand.

Some years ago, I became involved with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, first as a member and later on the board of directors. It was with this organization that I was proud to be a part of the effort to ban "slant" oil drilling in the Great Lakes. The tragedy currently unfolding in the Gulf makes me all the more grateful for those successful effort to keep that risk away from our Great Lakes.

As State Representative I will make protecting our lakes and other environmental resources a top priority. I look forward to working with the Sierra Club and others who want to join in this effort.

Sean Mullally
State Representative candidate (D-92)

Markel withdraws from race, endorses Mullally!

2010-07-08T22:51:00.005-04:00

I want to give my heartfelt thanks to Steve Markel who announced tonight he is withdrawing from the 92nd District State House race and giving me his full endorsement.

I want to commend Steve on a campaign that was conducted with the utmost integrity from start to finish and give him my sincere appreciation for the confidence he has shown in me and my efforts.

To step aside this way and do so with no hard feelings is the selfless act of a true statesman. Steve received a well deserved standing ovation from the Muskegon County Democratic Party after his announcement. Thank you Steve!

“Given the dynamics of this race, I feel this is now the best way I can advance the causes I originally entered the race for.”, Markel said. “If we are to succeed in electing a strong Democratic advocate for our community it’s important we don’t split our votes between several individuals. We need to unite behind one strong Democratic candidate. That’s why I’m supporting Sean. He stands for all the things I believe in, and has the momentum to win, just look at Sean's endorsements!”

Markel has devoted his career to the causes of education and community service. He worked as a teacher for 33 years and is currently serving as Treasurer on the Whitehall Public School's Board of Education. As a member of and representative for the Michigan Education Association, Markel has always been on the front line protecting quality public education for our future leaders; our children. During his state representative campaign, Steve continued to champion the causes of education by successfully keeping it at the front and center in the race. Most recently his hard work aided in getting the Whitehall bond proposal passed which will not only further quality education but provide local jobs opportunities to our community.

Steve’s strong focus on education funding has really shaped the debate in this race. I’m honored to have his support and will value his extensive experience and insightful advice going forward together.

Michigan Education Association joins list of Mullally endorsements!

2010-07-03T17:49:00.003-04:00

I am excited to announce today the Michigan Education Association has endorsed my campaign for State Representative in Michigan's 92nd district! The teachers of the MEA join the teachers of the American Federation of Teachers and others in backing my support for high quality public education in Michigan.

The challenge before our state is great. Funding cuts threaten the quality of K-12 education our children will have access to, while spiraling tuition costs are pushing college further out of reach just at the time it is most critical to our young people's success.

I commend the MEA as well as the Michigan AFT for standing up for strong, high quality public education in Michigan and I look forward to their help in the fight to preserve it.

Sean Mullally
State Representative candidate (D-92)

American Federation of Teachers endorses Mullally for State Representative!

2010-07-02T13:02:00.004-04:00

Thank you to the teachers of the AFT Michigan who have decided to stand with me in my campaign for State Representative. Your endorsement is a solid statement of support for my efforts to preserve and strengthen our public education system in Michigan.

Quality education is under fire right now at just the time it is most critical for our young peoples' future success. I believe education needs to be our top priority as a state. We need to stop the cuts to the school aid funding that have caused school closing and other program cancellations in our communities. We need to restore the Promise Scholarship to help make college accessible our young people who will need it now more than ever.

I look forward to talking and working with teachers and other education professional during this campaign and beyond and working together to build a positive future for Michigan!

Sean Mullally
State Representative candidate (D-92)

AFL-CIO endorses Sean Mullally for State Representative!

2010-06-15T16:23:00.003-04:00

Thank you to the AFL-CIO for endorsing my campaign for State Representative in Muskegon County's 92 district!

The AFL-CIO has a proud tradition of representing working families over the years in Muskegon and throughout our state and country. I share their belief that the American Dream is most fulfilled when the largest number of people have access to a secure place in the middle class.

In these hard economic times, Michigan's workers have taken more than their share of the pain, and we need to focus all our energies on rebuilding our state's economy and putting our people back to work. To do that we need new industries and we need a greater diversity of businesses. Yes, we need new automotive manufacturing like the Chevy Volt and the next generation batteries that go into it, but we also need growth in other sectors like renewable energy and aerospace technology.

I will work tirelessly to bring Muskegon and our state the jobs of the 21st century so that our long and proud tradition of manufacturing doesn't end, but continues to be one of the ingredients of a strong economy for our future. Please visit my website, www.SeanMullally.com, to learn more about how you can help as we Build Michigan's Future Together.

2010-06-06T13:00:00.004-04:00

Thank you to Paul Billings and the staff at 103.7 The Beat for having me on air June 3rd to discuss my campaign for State Representative and some of my ideas for our community and the state.

UAW CAP Endorses Sean Mullally!

2010-05-23T11:11:00.014-04:00

I’m pleased to announce today the UAW Community Action Program (CAP) Council has endorsed my candidacy for State Representative! The CAP Council looked at all ten candidates running in the 92nd district carefully. I’m honored and humbled to have their support.

The UAW has long been a progressive institution standing up for working families in our community. Muskegon's UAW members have a strong tradition of political activism, fighting not just for all people’s rights in the workplace, but also for broader social justice and racial equality. I am proud to be a part of that tradition.

It is a truism that united we stand, divided we fall. That has never been more true than in politics. The 92nd race has become very crowded in recent weeks, including a well known Republican-minded candidate running as a Democrat in the primary. Now more than ever, we can't be divided. We must come together.

That is why I’m asking for your support. If you're still on the fence or even backing another candidate, I’m asking you to join us now. We must stand united as progressives. While the UAW endorsement adds momentum to our campaign, we need to build on this and continue to push forward so we can bring a strong progressive voice to Lansing. Together we will surely succeed.

We need volunteers for the campaign, please visit SeanMullally.com to sign up to help. Thank you so much for your support!

Sean Mullally

P.S. Financial contributions are still needed. You can donate securely online with any credit card. You help today will get our message out to more voters.

Bumper stickers are in!

2010-05-10T13:02:00.002-04:00

As you may have seen around town, our bumper stickers are in. These are high quality, Michigan-made products, not cheap imports. They are designed to come off as easy as they go on, with no residue.

If you want to support the campaign, this is a great way you can help. If I haven't gotten one to you yet, you can stop by 490 W. Western during most normal business hours and pick one up.

Thanks to everyone for the support so far with the campaign. We are into the final three months and it is getting exciting. T-shirts and yard signs are on the way. We need your help to make this campaign a success and bring change to Lansing. Please contact us at 231-769-0030 or info@seanmullally.com to learn how you can help!

Remembering Walter Reuther

2010-05-09T14:21:00.000-04:00

Forty years ago today the world lost one of its great progressive leaders when Walter Reuther, his wife, and four others died in a plane crash near Black Lake, Michigan. As a driving force behind the United Auto Workers, Reuther along with his brothers, spent a lifetime fighting for the rights of working people and struggling to form an American middle class.

Under his leadership the UAW made great strides for working people and their families. Health and safety standards were enacted for the workplace and the American dream of a middle class lifestyle was brought within reach of more people than ever in the history of this country.

In addition to the achievements Reuther made for workers, he was also a strong Civil Rights activist. Reuther participated in both the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March and the 1963 March on Washington where he stood beside Martin Luther King Jr. during the "I Have a Dream" speech.

Today, 40 years after Reuther’s activism fell silent, we’re struggling against the persistent erosion of everything he won: access to health care, secure retirements, protections from workplace injuries and illnesses, and most of all, the very existence the American middle class.

With all of these under attack today, perhaps the best way to honor the man who did so much for us is to pick up his torch and keep marching forward. If we fight even half as hard for progress as Reuther did, the future might still have a chance.

Candidate forum

2010-04-30T11:37:00.005-04:00

All 7 (count them) candidates for 92nd State Representative appeared this morning at the Muskegon Chamber of Commerce breakfast forum. It was great speaking with everyone and having a chance to hear all the candidate's viewpoints. Candidates for other races in the area appeared as well. Big thanks to the Chamber and sponsors who hosted the event.

The main focus was of course on jobs, the economy, and the state budget. We didn't all agree on everything, but everyone present felt the urgency to get this state back on our feet, and I sincerely hope the desire to work together toward solutions lasts beyond election day.

Protecting education

2010-04-27T08:52:00.004-04:00

This is in response to a recent Chronicle story.

We tell our young people that a college degree is the key to success in tomorrow's job market. If we are going to stand behind our words, we need to make sure that college is affordable for these kids and their families. It's not just the right thing to do for them, it's the the right thing for our state.

These students will be the workers that support the entire economy tomorrow, and we all have a stake in their success. We can't let tuition continue to spiral out of reach. Let's keep the state funding there, and lets get the promise scholarship back.

As the article states, GVSU has been underfunded compared to universities in more distant parts of the state. This needs to be fixed. West Michigan's kids deserve equal treatment.

Save McLaughlin School rally

2010-04-17T18:31:00.004-04:00

I spoke with several activists today trying to save a center point of their community. McLaughlin school is slated for closing due to budget problems. This school has served the community well, and residents feel it is important to keep open.

Students and other community members rallied today to keep the school open. Seeing these young kids picketing to keep their school open is exactly why I am adamant we can't continue to gut education funding. I saw today exactly who it is hurting, and it just can't continue.

The matter will be up for discussion at the next Muskegon Board of Education meeting. I plan on being there, and I hope there is a good turn out so we can find a solution for these kids. The meeting is at the Hackley Administration Building at 6:00pm Tuesday Apr. 20th.

Help in our community

2010-04-14T11:34:00.003-04:00

These are hard time in our community. I've just posted a guide to various sources of help available to people in and around Muskegon. I have this on my website at SeanMullally.com/community.shtml. These are just a few of the places to look for help. I'd appreciate hearing of any other groups that would be good to list here.

Sean

Fred Johnson speaks

2010-04-01T11:34:00.011-04:00

We had a great turn out for Fred Johnson's event last night. Fred spoke with conviction on the need for West Michigan to have new representation in Congress, and the audience seemed convinced he's the person for the job. If I didn't have my own campaign to take care of, I'd be out stumping for Fred every day.

Fred spoke for about a half hour and I've posted the highlights here:

Thank you to the 400!

2010-03-25T10:24:00.010-04:00

A hearty thank you to everyone who helped circulate and signed our nominating petitions! We collected 400 signatures which was twice what we needed to get on the ballot. This is far more than any other candidate has achieved, making us the solid frontrunner in public support!

This was only possible as a team effort, and I thank everyone involved, but the race is just beginning. We may have the grassroots support, but the opposition has deep pockets. If we are to be successful in bringing change to the status quo in Lansing and having a strong progressive voice in the 92nd district, I will need your help. Together we can build on this grassroots energy over the coming months to be successful on August 3.

Whether you prefer to contribute financially, or volunteer your time and effort, it’s your participation that will make us successful. Thanks again to everyone!

Donate Volunteer

Free movie & discussion: "Capitalism: A Love Story"

2010-03-21T09:04:00.004-04:00

Please come out for a free screening of Michael Moore's film "Capitalism: A Love Story". Immediately following will by a town hall style discussion of the economic issues raised in the film, how they are affecting us in Muskegon, and what we can do locally.

The film will start at 6:30, followed by an open discussion forum. Light refreshments will be provided.

CIO Hall, downtown Muskegon (map)
27 Mar , 06:30 PM

Reserve your seat today

Fixing our roads must come first.

2010-02-25T08:38:00.007-05:00

It’s back. Michigan Dept. of Transportation is talking again about spending $170 million constructing a new bridge and expressway in rural Ottawa County, known as the US-31 bypass. The goal is to divert traffic away from downtown Grand Haven’s business district and send it through farmland to the east.

This is a bad idea for several reasons. First, the $170 million is just the beginning of the cost. This new highway will have to be maintained, salted, plowed, and patrolled in perpetuity presenting a substantial ongoing cost to taxpayers that would hurt our ability to pay for other things.

Second, diverting traffic miles to the east, rather than improving the existing U.S. 31, would contribute to the pattern of sprawl that has already drawn economic activity away from our core cities and eaten up much of our countryside. This is not good for our communities.

Finally, and most importantly, the roads in our cities, the places people live and drive today, are crumbling. In Muskegon County’s urban center there’s an epidemic of potholes and no money to patch them. In various parts of the county we’re pulverizing roads back to gravel for lack of funds.

This has to be our priority: Maintaining our existing communities, not sending our scarce resources to questionable projects in sparsely populated areas. Expensive new highways leading to neglected cities will not attract business, nor is it fair to our residents footing the bill.

This is the disconnect in Lansing right now, and our representatives need to see that our tax dollars are spend right here fixing the roads we live on.

Why I'm a Democrat.

2010-02-17T21:32:00.002-05:00

Someone asked me recently why I’m a democrat, and that’s a question I enjoy answering. I answer that question in this video:

Here is the text of the video:

I’m proud to call myself a democrat because I believe in the party and what it stands for. The Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the world. It was founded in 1792 by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Today when a politician puts that “D” behind their name, it means something. It means you’re holding up the legacy of those founding fathers and others leaders who came since like Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy.

It means you believe in a government that works for everyone. It means you understand that it was millions of working people whose sweat and blood built this country and we all hold a stake in its future.

It means you stand up for people when they need it. Whether it’s a sick child lacking health insurance, the student living in poverty who deserves a college education, or the working family struggling to make ends meet, being a democrat means understanding you don’t leave people behind.

I'm a Democrat because I believe the Constitution is an amazing document and our constitutional rights should always remain inalienable.

I’m a Democrat because I’m a proud union member. And whenever working people in America have organized for dignity and respect in the workplace, it’s been democrats that have stood with them.

I'm a Democrat because we understand how to balance budgets. At the Federal level, Democrats were responsible for the largest surplus in American history. At the state level, we understand that roads, schools and hospitals cost money, but also that these things are well worth the cost.

I'm a Democrat because we're the party that won two World Wars, ended segregation in America, contained Communism, founded the UN, got us out of the Great Depression and set up Social Security.

Finally I want to say that how a candidate campaigns is a good indication of how they will perform in office. That’s why I urge you to watch my campaign over the coming months.

I believe in openness and accountability that’s why I fully participate in the campaign finance reporting. You can find every dime I’ve received or spent listed on the Secretary of State website. I would suggest you look this up for all the candidates. If there’s someone whose information isn’t listed, you should ask why.

I believe in grassroots democracy. That’s why you may have seen me knocking at your door collecting signatures. Some other candidates choose to skip this step by buying their way onto the ballot. That’s of course, the quickest route, but I believe it’s more important to include people in the process. That’s why I’m going door to door with petitions, even in the middle of winter. Because I believe politicians have to be willing to talk to people.

The other thing I want to say is that the people of Muskegon will always be my top priority. I see other local candidates going to Lansing to hold $100 per plate fundraisers for lobbyists. While they’re doing that, I’m going to be back here listening to you. We may not have the champagne and caviar the Lansing lobbyists are used to, but what you will have is my undivided attention, and when do, hopefully, send me to Lansing as your representative, I’ll go there without owing any favors to anybody in that town.

Those are my priorities. I am asking for your support. Thank you.

Sean Mullally
www.SeanMullally.com

Holland-Zeeland Tea Party Forum

2010-02-10T09:51:00.005-05:00

Last night the Holland-Zeeland Tea Party Patriots hosted a forum for all the candidate running to replace Pete Hoekstra in our 2nd congressional district.

Why would a nice Democrat like myself go mingle with the Tea Party folk of Ottawa County you might ask? I went to hear and support Dr. Fred Johnson, the lone Democrat among six candidates at the event.

It turned out to be well worth the drive from Muskegon despite the blizzard. The Republicans all spoke first, and were mostly unmemorable. Johnson spoke last. When he approached the podium welding his Marine Corps sword, the room woke up immediately. Fred pulled no punches introducing himself or fielding questions. While he may not have converted all the Tea Party folk in the room, he left no doubt as to the depth of his knowledge or the energy he will bring to this campaign.

I've included three clips below of his address to the group:

Hoekstra faces questions on Asian Carp

2010-02-09T00:08:00.007-05:00

This morning Pete Hoekstra was in town to answer questions about the Asian Carp threat. A bipartisan effort in Michigan including our Democratic governor and Republican Attorney General have recently asked the locks separating Lake Michigan from the Carp infested rivers be closed. Chicago officials have refused citing high costs and the need to redesign systems for controlling rain water.

Hoesktra surprisingly has come down on the side of Chicago on this debate. Citing the same concerns over costs and redesigning a drainage system, Hoesktra thinks this is too much for us to ask of Chicago. I told him I disagree. Michigan has a lot at stake, and it is our responsibility to think of Michigan's interests first. Let us not forget Chicago created this problem and put us all at risk by artificially connecting their canal to the Mississippi in the first place. It's only fair they bear the cost to fix that error.

Hoesktra claimed to favor alternative methods that might be used, particularly a "bubbler" barrier where bubbles are percolated through a spot in the river to deter fish from crossing. Frankly, I'm no expert on bubbles, but I'm not buying that idea. We don't get any do-overs on this one. Let's go with the big steel locks.

History of the Black Church, with Dr. Fred Johnson

2010-02-08T23:32:00.005-05:00

I had the pleasure of listening to a lecture tonight by Dr. Fred Johnson. A top notch speaker, Johnson is a pleasure to listen to, and his knowledge of American history is second to none. For over two hours Johnson kept our rapt attention discussing the history of the Black Church and race relations in American as it pertains to both politics and religion.

In addition to his work as an educator at Hope college, Johnson is currently running to represent West Michigan's 2nd congressional district in Washington.

Knowing Fred and his background, I'm confident he'd represent us well in Washington, and I'm proud to endorse his candidacy. Learn more about Johnson's campaign at: fredjohnsonforcongress.com.

"Make an Impact" on our environment

2010-02-01T12:08:00.004-05:00

This morning I attended the community kick-off for the "Make an Impact" initiative at Grand Valley's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) and sponsored by Alcoa Howmet and the Muskegon Chamber of Commerce.

Alcoa officials highlighted the company's efforts at making their facilities in our community more environmentally friendly in recent years, and they have made striking progress.

In interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I've spent the last several years as an Alcoa employee and currently serve on the executive board of UAW Local 1243, representing the workforces at the five Alcoa facilities in Muskegon County.

That said, I think the company deserves recognition for the achievements in going green. From recycling industrial waste and reducing air emissions to restoring natural landscaping and habitat, Alcoa Howmet has a lot to be proud of, and as Muskegon County's largest private sector employer, sets a strong example for other local businesses.

This morning's event also highlighted an outreach program that is being rolled out not only to Alcoa Howmet's 1900 local employees, but also to the general public. A new website has been release, including a carbon footprint calculator that can help individuals learn how to become more environmentally friendly, and save money at the same time. This is a very useful tool, I would encourage anyone to try out.

Vision for Michigan's future

2010-01-24T08:41:00.003-05:00

I've released a video in which I discuss my vision for Michigan's future. I invite you to take a moment to watch and I invite any feedback. Also, I've got more information at my Facebook page. Please check it out. Thank you for your time!

Thank you,
Sean

Sprint for the finish line with petitions!

2010-01-21T13:52:00.004-05:00

We are well over half way to our goal of 400 signature to get on the ballot for State Representative! You can help us achieve this quickly.

If you are registered to vote in the 92nd district, you can sign the nominating petition. Even if you yourself are not in the district, you can take a petition to have friends and family sign.

We would be happy to mail you out a copy. All we need is a mailing address. Send a message to info@SeanMullally.com, and we'll have a petition out to you ASAP.

Thanks again for your support!
Sean

Wind Project for West MI?

2010-01-19T15:21:00.014-05:00

Monday I attended a public hearing hosted by Scandia, a European company specializing in large scale wind turbines currently eying West Michigan for a $3 billion renewable energy development.

The developers claim it would create hundreds or thousands of jobs and a significant source of new revenue for state and local governments. But not everyone is happy. There was a large organized turnout of residents in Oceana county, some of them lakefront property owners, opposed to placing turbines in view of shore.

That is a fair concern. The state of Michigan is currently drafting regulations that would keep wind turbines a minimum of 6 miles from shore, while this project would place them between 2 and 4 miles out. The technology exists to place turbines anywhere in the lake, but the developers cite higher construction costs further from shore.

This proposal will be important for Muskegon to watch. The developers say they don't see Muskegon as a desirable location for the turbines due to variations in lake depth, wind speeds and our further distance from Ludington's electrical pump storage facility. However, Muskegon's big asset is our deep water port could possibly give our city a significant role in the on-land construction and over-water transportation of the turbines and their anchoring systems.

Much discussion clearly still needs to happen between the developer, the local community and state regulators before there can be a plan that will work for everyone. Scandia for their part seems very open to community input. Hopefully they continue to be. Also, the Michigan legislature should work to finalize rules for wind turbine placement in the lake. It's ultimately in everyone's best interest that this be as open and democratic a process as possible.

Sec. of State closures discussed at Capitol.

2009-12-16T14:39:00.007-05:00

I had the opportunity to attend the Michigan House Appropriation committee hearing this morning in the Capitol building. Rep. Mary Valentine issued an open invitation to the hearing and several members of the community came to show their support, although I was the only 92nd dist. candidate who came.

The topic was the proposed closure of Muskegon County's two Secretary of State offices, to be replaced with a single new office sitting nearly on the Ottawa County line. This idea seemed fishy to begin with, but after hearing the various testimonies it just got worse.

Rep. Valentine brought in various concerned community members opposing the closures. It was pointed out that this move would leave our county very under-served compared with neighboring counties. Ottawa county, for example, will keep all three of their offices. Questions were also raised whether the Secretary of State followed proper procedure in making this decision.

The officials from the Secretary of State's office didn't seem able to give credible answers to any of the questions raised. In the end the topic was tabled while more information is gathered.

We need to keep the pressure on this issue. Keeping our Sec. of State office in a central, accessible location is critical to the people in this community. If not on Apple, then somewhere else near the middle of the county. Personally, I'd like to see it across the street from our Post Office on Western Ave. That would fit in perfectly with the other recent developments downtown.

End of year help needed!

2009-12-14T08:30:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas! I have great news as we enter the new year. In three short months we've hit the ground running with our campaign for State Representative. I've been very encouraged and excited by the support we've received both from volunteers as well as financially, but there's a long way yet to go.

Right now I need your help. Dec. 31st is the deadline for annual campaign finance statements. This will be our first public reporting of fundraising and we want to make as strong a showing as possible.

If you give today, we can meet our goal, and continue the momentum we've started. The most important thing is to show a broad number of supporters, so a donation of any size really does help.

Over the coming months I plan to further reach out into the community to meet with residents as well as network to build on the base of support and great team we already have. I invite you to contact me if you have any questions or input on the campaign or are interested in getting involved. I look forward to working together to build a future in Michigan that works for everyone.

P.S. Strong financial support this month will allow us reach out to more voters in the coming year. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Sean Mullally
850 Victor
Muskegon, MI 49445
231)769-0030
www.SeanMullally.com

Michigan Goes Smoke Free!

2009-12-11T13:53:00.007-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but we now have a date: May 1, 2010. Michigan legislators have officially made our state the 38th state to go smoke free in indoor public places.

Aside from the obvious health benefits, this should be a boon to our economy. Other states to have made this transition have reported increased business for bars and restaurants as the air is cleaned up. It should also help our tourism industry as most out-of-state travelers have long since come to expect clean indoor air in places they visit.

On a personal note, May 1st will be the day I will finally get to go bowling again, a pastime I largely gave up because of the lack of non-smoking facilities.

Finally I want to give a solid thanks on behalf of myself and the 80% of Americans who don't smoke to our legislators for acting on this important issue and also to the many local activists like Richard Mullally who kept this issue front and center for so long.

And now the map we've been waiting years to see:

Open letter to Senators Levin and Stabenow

2009-12-09T16:16:00.004-05:00

Senators,

I’m writing about the recent proposal to scrap the public option in favor of expanding Medicare to Americans as young as 55.

It’s been widely pointed out that “Medicare-for-all” or letting any American buy into Medicare at cost, with subsidies for the poor, would be the simplest and most cost effective solution to our health care crisis. I can’t describe how exciting it is to see the Senate contemplating this. However, if you do this while overtly excluding my generation, I can’t imagine a more callous attack, and we will remember it.

Medicare’s tragic flaw from the beginning has been the built-in arbitrary age discrimination. Working age people, many uninsured ourselves, pay for Medicare, however we are prohibited from coverage.

You have a once in a generation chance to end this injustice. Please do not perpetuate this tragedy by further reinforcing the age discrimination in the system. You wouldn’t exclude coverage based on race or gender. Age is no different. Please craft a solution that works for everyone equally.

Sean Mullally
850 Victor
Muskegon, MI 49445

Foriegn entanglements, then and now.

2009-12-02T01:09:00.003-05:00

I watched two presidential addresses tonight. President Obama spoke live detailing his case for escalating the war in Afghanistan. I then felt compelled to watch President Johnson's 1967 State of the Union Address.

Although I'd never heard the 1967 speech before, tonight seemed a uniquely appropriate time to do so. President Johnson used remarkable similar statements and justifications to support his escalation of the Vietnam War as were in Obama's speech today.

It is said those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. With 30,000 more lives now on the line, I think we all have a duty to study how Vietnam was allowed to happen in relation to what is happening now in Afghanistan. It is also worth looking up why Afghanistan is called the graveyard of empires.

Asian Carp Arrive?

2009-11-22T10:16:00.006-05:00

The dreaded headline in the Chronicle Saturday, is sad, if not surprising. This is a problem we saw coming from miles away.

Asian Carp are a dangerous invasive species in part because of their habit of leaping airborne at the sound of a motor. This can lead to serious injuries as in the photo, the woman's jaw was wired shut for 6 weeks. But they are also dangerous because they crowd out native species wherever they go, putting our entire sport fishing industry at risk.

The worst part is this was entirely foreseen and preventable.

We knew for years how it would happen: the Asian Carp would enter the through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal that artificially connect the Great Lakes to the Mississippi.

We knew how to prevent it: disconnect the canal from Lake Michigan. This would present a financial cost to Chicago, but nothing compared to the multi-billion sport fishing industry that Michigan and surrounding states now stand to lose.

Instead of disconnecting the Canal, the Army Corps of Engineers designed a far cheaper alternative: an electric barrier meant to cause fish discomfort the same way "invisible fence" shock collars keep dogs in their yard. Anyone like myself who's seen dogs wearing such a collar chasing cars down the street could predict how successful this would be.

Unfortunately the worst may now have happened. Nevertheless, the Army Corps of Engineers needs to step up now and aggressively apply their Rotenone to kill the Carp not just near the barrier, but right up to the mouth of the Chicago river, and make immediate plans for an impassible physical barrier protecting Lake Michigan. This may be costly, but the Chicago area has for decades benefited from this artificial water diversion that has among other things, lowered our lake levels. It's only fair to ask them now to pay to make it safe, or even better, dismantle it entirely.

Fred Johnson fundraiser in Muskegon

2009-11-13T00:00:00.006-05:00

I had the privilege of speaking before Dr. Fred Johnson tonight when he was in town. Fred is an inspiring and promising candidate running for Congress from Michigan's second district which covers Muskegon. Here is my short statement before Fred came up and spoke.

Mullally campaign kick-off video

2009-11-10T22:51:00.003-05:00

Campaign Kickoff Report

2009-11-09T09:44:00.004-05:00

Saturday was a beautiful day. I want to thank everyone who took time away from fall raking and other weekend activities to come out and make our campaign kick off a success! A special thanks to the team that hosted the event, lead by Jim and Connie Klug who graciously opened their home to us for the day. I very much enjoyed meeting everyone and look forward to future conversations as the campaign builds up. I also look forward to getting together with some of you who weren't able to make it this time.

Special thanks to our hosts (above) who put on such a nice event!

I will be hosting "coffee hours" this coming Saturday for anyone interested in stopping by for a chat. And other upcoming events will be posted on my website. Here are a few more pictures from Saturday:

Kick-off open house this Saturday

2009-11-05T08:14:00.003-05:00

We are busy making final preparations for the State Representative campaign kick-off. We will be gathering Saturday, Nov. 7th from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the home of Jim and Connie Klug who are hosting the event. Refreshments will be served and Pam Chappell will be providing live music for the event.

I am looking forward to this opportunity to meet with friends, family, and community members to gather input and build momentum for the campaign.

The address is: 435 Lake Shore Blvd. Muskegon, MI 49444 next to Mona Lake Park in Muskegon Heights. (*not to be confused with two other streets named Lakeshore in Muskegon) We hope to see everyone there!

Sean

"Saturdays with Sean" beginning at Carmen's Cafe.

2009-10-26T16:45:00.005-04:00

Sean Mullally, Democratic candidate for State Representative for the 92nd district, will begin hosting “Saturdays with Sean” Saturday, Nov. 14th from 9-11 a.m. at Carmen’s Cafe, 878 Jefferson St, downtown Muskegon.

Mullally is encouraging members of the community to come share their views and ideas for the state of Michigan in an informal setting. “I plan to do at least as much listening as speaking.” said Mullally. “This is a chance for folks to get to know me, but also to have their voices heard.”

The candidate plans to host “Saturdays with Sean” bi-weekly throughout the campaign, which runs to Nov. 2010. An up to date schedule for Saturdays with Sean and other campaign information can always be found at the campaign website: SeanMullally.com.

White Lake Beacon scoops Muskegon Chronicle

2009-10-23T08:48:00.006-04:00

Last week the Beacon ran an article on my campaign. Both the Beacon and The Muskegon Chronicle were sent copies of the campaign announcement at the same time, but the Chronicle has yet to print any mention of it. They did, however publish a detailed piece on another candidate is this same race back in June.

I've spoken with Chronicle staff to encourage them to treat all candidates in this race evenhandedly, and I hope they see the importance in doing so. For now, I will thank the Beacon for it's timely and fair coverage, and I look forward to further interactions as the campaign continues.

Jeff Alexander speaks on invasive species

2009-10-20T22:13:00.003-04:00

I spent the evening with Jeff Alexander. He was in town discussing his new book with a group at the GVSU Energy center downtown. He paints a grim picture of unintended consequences and the perils of lethargic environmental regulators.

From the Sea Lamprey and the Round Goby to the Zebra mussel, and most recently the Quagga mussel which is basically the Zebra mussel on steroids, the great lakes are in the middle of a rapid and permanent transformation. Once these things are in we can't get them out.

Jeff makes a strong case for closing the St. Lawrence Seaway. But recognizing that is unlikely, he emphasises the importance of sterilizing ship ballast water, which is the way the vast majority of these organisms get here.

We can't get rid of the pests that are already here, but we can shut the door on any more, and prevent further damage to our sport fishing industry. That means getting strict on ballast water, and it also means devoting enough resources to blocking the Asian carp from invading the great lakes through Chicago.

Access Health: a good start.

2009-10-19T11:20:00.004-04:00

The Muskegon Chronicle recent highlighted Muskegon’s Access Health program. This initiative has been a real success at bringing a level of health coverage to certain segments of the uninsured, and it’s a testament to local ingenuity that this homegrown solution is being seen by other communities as a model to follow.

However, despite being an effective program in many ways, it is far from a comprehensive solution. Many part-time workers, the self-employed, and the unemployed are excluded from coverage, and its geographic limitation to Muskegon County, and $100,000 annual cap complicate treating certain serious medical problem. The program’s designers readily admit these shortcomings, and to be fair, these are symptoms of larger problems in our nation’s health care system.

Health care reform is currently being addressed at the federal level, and if the right solution comes out of Washington, many of these problems could go away. But we should be prepared as a state in case Congress fails to act, or produces a half measure. In that case we’ll need to build a system that works in Michigan. While Muskegon’s Access Health is only a starting point, it is a good start, and an idea that should be brought to Lansing.

Campaign Announcement

2009-10-02T17:20:00.005-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SEAN MULLALLY ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN MICHIGAN’S 92 DISTRICT.

Muskegon, MI - October 2, 2009

Laketon Township resident Sean Mullally announced today he is a candidate for State Representative in Michigan’s 92nd district. A Muskegon native, Mullally is a 1992 graduate of Mona Shores High School and went on to earn his Bachelors degree in Communications from Michigan State University in 1996.

With a background in property management and information systems, Mullally was hired at Alcoa Howmet in 2005, where he currently serves as an elected executive board officer of United Auto Workers local 1243 representing approximately 1500 members.

Mullally has been active in the Greater Muskegon community for years. Having been involved with such local organizations as the Alliance for the Great Lakes, United Way of the Lakeshore, the Red Cross, and the AFL-CIO, Mullally is deeply committed to protecting and improving the quality of life and economic opportunities for Muskegon’s families.

“Economically our nation is at a critical point, but Muskegon, and the rest of the state, are feeling it harder than anywhere else”, Mullally says. “We will need fresh perspectives and bold ideas to move us into the future we want. Some have suggested to me this is how I could best serve our community right now. That is why I am running. The challenge before our state today is big, but I am confident we can come out on top.”

The 92nd district consists of the cities of Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, North Muskegon, and the townships of Muskegon, Laketon, and Fruitland. Mullally will be on the August 3rd 2010 ballot in the Democratic primary.

The campaign has unveiled a website at www.SeanMullally.com. For more information, the Mullally campaign can be reached at:

Friends of Sean Mullally
850 Victor
Muskegon, MI 49445
(231)769-0030
info@SeanMullally.com

FCC Expected To Announce Support of Net Neutrality Monday

2009-09-19T10:28:00.006-04:00

Sometimes a seemingly small technical dispute can have much broader ramifications in society. Take Net Neutrality for example, which is currently a three-way fight between Internet service providers (ISPs), consumer advocates and internet content providers.

At issue is whether the ISPs should be able to set limits on, or "throttle" the way their customers use their Internet connection, or pick and choose what Internet sites they connect to.

Being debated are dollar and cents things like cost the of traffic volume and network speeds, but what is potentially at stake is nothing less than the free speech rights of citizens and the survival of independent media.

ISPs like Comcast, Verizon and others would like to make money on more than just your monthly Internet bill. Value added services like video-on-demand, and internet-based telephony (VoIP) are a booming and highly competitive market. Lately however, the ISPs have been accused of crippling their customer's internet connections specifically to degrade the performance of third party applications and steer business to their own services. Net Neutrality would outlaw such anti-competitive practices and guarantee a technological level playing field for competition.

So you ask, "That a fine argument to make for consumer protection, but what does it have to do with free speech and the media?" Well to answer that, it's important to understand the recent history of media ownership and consolidation in the U.S.

Currently five corporations (Disney, Viacom ,TimeWarner, News Corporation, and General Electric) together own more than 90% of the media in the United States. That is, 90% of the movies, magazines, TV, radio, Internet or other information Americans are exposed to each day comes out of just these five organizations. It's an old saying that freedom of the press only really applies to those that own a printing press, but never before in America has so much of the information flow been controlled by so few hands. When we remember that democracy depends on the free flow of information, we understand the problem.

The one shinning light in recent years has been the rise of the Internet technology and the power that has created for to alternative voices to reach broad audiences. The arrival on the scene of things like blogs, Youtube, and social networking has rewritten the rules of the game in a radically egalitarian way, dramatically shifting the balance of power in favor of the individual. To be sure, the media conglomerates still have a huge advantage, but at least independent voices now have a fighting chance.

That is where Net Neutrality comes in. The same corporate interests that have enjoyed a choke hold on mass media up until now also control many ISPs. Without Net Neutrality, they can abuse their positions to stifle online independent media and limit consumers exposure to only their own information or that which they sanction.

As time goes by we will soon see much more of our activities on the net. From our choice of television programming, to our phone calls, text messages and other things yet to be invented: All these things will be built around assumptions we make today. One of those assumptions needs to be an emphasis on open access and individual empowerment as opposed to central control. This is what Net Neutrality does and why it is important.

(Read wired.com's report on the upcoming FCC decision)

Nine questions you won't hear Ben Bernanke asked

2009-09-18T15:59:00.008-04:00

A quick refresher: The "Fed" or Federal Reserve is a private corporation that the U.S. government has given the sole right to print U.S. currency and control interest rates. Despite the name, they are not a branch of the Federal government and very little public oversight exists over how this private bank manages our public affairs.

The U.S. President has the power to appoint the Fed chairman, but can only pick from a short list of names provided by the Fed itself! It then falls to the U.S. Senate to confirm the appointment, which is due to happen again shortly.

Ben Bernanke is set to go before the senate for re-confirmation to his post of Fed Chairman. Given the events of the past year, there should be some very pointed questions directed at him. Slate.com has outlined nine important questions Senators need to confront him with (although I am not holding my breath) Question #2 is so relevant to Michigan's predicament that I have quoted it here:

"2. What industrial policy does the Fed see best fitting our macro goals? We cannot deny we now have an industrial policy, given the enormous Fed intervention in particular market sectors. So is the Fed now explicitly promoting a revitalization of our manufacturing sector, or is the apparent atrophying of that sector something that the Fed will tolerate through a policy of benign—or malignant—neglect? Does the Fed believe that a service-sector-driven economy can survive and thrive? Does the Fed believe that the trade policies that have led to the out-migration of our manufacturing sector truly generate the mutual gain that traditional "comparative advantage" theory suggests, or is it time to take a hard look at trade theory, just as we are re-examining much of the "rational market" theory that underlay other policies of the past decade."

To sum up, the Fed, as well as the Federal government has had a philosophy for the past three decades or so that manufacturing doesn't matter. America doesn't need to build things to prosper, we can just consume the products other nations sell us and support ourselves with a service economy. The term "free trade" was used to push this idea because it involved removing all regulation of international trade.

This "free trade" approach turned on it's head the policy this nation held for 200 years known as the "American System" which, through tariffs and other measures, actively encouraged the growth of domestic industries and successfully build this nation from nothing into the strongest and wealthiest society in the history of the world.

In 1992 Ross Perot warned us with dire urgency of the "giant sucking sound" that free trade would cause as all our blue collar jobs left the country. Even free trade proponents didn't fully deny this, they just figured it was an acceptable trade off.

Now, in Michigan in 2009 it is impossible to ignore the consequences. You simply can't cut manufacturing out of a nation's economy and expect the other sectors to survive. Everything falls apart. So-called free trade policies have been an ambitious 30 year experiment, but one that has clearly failed. The Fed could play a central role in returning us to the tariff-based American System that served us so well for 200 years, but I suspect they don't intend to.

Have you no decency sir?

2009-09-10T09:06:00.012-04:00

Last night something happened I'm not sure has ever happened before. The President of the United States was addressing Congress. Aside from the State of the Union address, this happens infrequently and is reserved for the most solemn occasions.

As always when a president speaks to Congress on political matters, some of his points receive wide applause, while other points result in that peculiar wide-angle shot we often see with the party on one side of the room standing in ovation while the other sits on their hands.

The Republicans did a lot of sitting silently on their hands last night, as the opposition party often has done. Decorum is very important in Congress. There is no booing. It's about respect. Respect for the people that own this democracy, as well as those that fought and died so that we could have it.

Partway through the President's address however something sad happened. A thug began shouting from the audience, interrupting the address and insulting the President. We're used to seeing this, especially lately, at political rallies or town hall forums Those events are open to the public after all.

But a Presidential address of Congress has extremely tight security. How could a heckler sneak into the event to embarrass himself and insult our country this way? Turns out the truth is even sadder. It was an elected congressman from South Carolina. With that unfortunate outburst, Rep Joe Wilson (R-SC) simultaneously insulted all Americans, humiliated his South Carolina constituents, and lowered the bar for American political discourse.

He accomplished one positive things however. In those few moments, Wilson managed to raise $100,000 for his opponent's campaign. Over the next few hours, donations streamed into the website of Rob Miller who is campaigning to replace Wilson. Miller's campaign website is: RobMillerForCongress.com and I think his campaign just got a huge boost!

Muskegon Labor Day Parade 2009

2009-09-07T18:17:00.007-04:00

Today Muskegon workers and families celebrated Labor Day with a parade. For the first time in many years the parade route went through downtown, not at Pere Marquette Park on Lake Michigan.

It was a beautiful day and fun was had by all. It was great to see so many people from organized labor out with their families.

I marched with several dozen UAW Local 1243 members along with the local's float. Working, retired and laid off members all were there to participate.

Local news coverage focused as it always does, on the negative. In this case, the closing of the Sappi paper mill, and the area's unemployment woes in general. The mood among the people was positive however.

We are all too well aware of the problems in the economy and the effect that is having on so many families in our community. But it was a day to honor what workers have achieved historically up to this point, and also recognize that the best can be yet to come if we make the right choices as a society.

Health Care Hypocrites

2009-08-09T10:23:00.007-04:00

Congressman Vern Ehlers, a Grand Rapids Republican, was on Channel 8's "To the Point" this morning. I heard him say the reason he thinks our health care system is not broken is because when he uses it, it works fine for him.

At the risk of sounding cynical, I am getting very tired of people who's health care is paid for by others, many themselves uninsured, telling me they think the current system is fine.

As an elected official, Rep. Ehlers enjoys government health care paid for by taxpayers (insured and uninsured alike). As a taxpayer I am glad he is satisfied with the insurance we are providing him. It's just disappointing to hear him say those of us picking up the bill shouldn't get coverage ourselves.

The same question come to mind when ever I see someone clearly over 65 standing up at a microphone denouncing universal health care, sometimes even calling it a socialist scheme. Yet how many of these people are refusing their own Medicare coverage (paid for entirely by taxes on younger people) because it is a government program.

In fact, if you count everyone already receiving government health insurance: elected officials, government employees, Medicare and Medicaid recipients, veterans and even prison inmates, you have fully 30% of the U.S. population. I think, in this health care debate if we only listen to those who are already covered, like Rep. Ehlers, of course we will hear that the current system is fine. We need to listen less to them and more to the people who are uninsured.

When a worker looks at their paycheck and sees Medicare and Medicaid taxes withheld for other people's health care but can't afford insurance for their own family, that is a problem. When the health care of prison inmates is paid for, but not for the law-abiding working poor, that is unacceptable. When elected officials like Rep. Ehlers think the system is fine because they themselves have no problem seeing a doctor, that just tells us they have been in office too long.

Muskegon County Smoke Free Ordinance

2009-08-05T08:45:00.008-04:00

Second-hand smoke kills. Anyone who doubts that should speak with Clara Shepherd of Muskegon. Yesterday, Mrs. Shepherd told the heart-wrenching tale of watching her young daughter die. It was in fact Mrs. Shepherd's own second-hand smoke that killed the girl. The smoke triggered the girl's asthma leading to a fatal attack. Her tale was a cautionary one. No other parent should ever have to know how that feels.

Mrs. Shepherd was one of many Muskegon County residents who spoke yesterday before the Muskegon County Commission. It was standing room only as the Commission heard comments on a proposed workplace smoking ban. The measure would cover all workplaces in the county with the exception of restaurants and bars.

The meeting room was packed beyond capacity with people lined back into the hallway to speak. Every single speaker wholeheartedly supported the ban. Not a single resident spoke a word of opposition. In fact the only controversy was the fact that restaurants and bars were not covered. Many folks, including myself, pointed out that these places deserve the same protection as any other workplace. In the end, the commission passed the ban with the same unanimous support the public showed.

The restaurant/bar exemption was not by choice. Michigan has "pre-empted" its local governments from restricting smoking in food establishments. No other state has done this. In fact, most states are moving quickly in the other direction. Only 12 states have yet to pass a tobacco-free workplace law and Michigan is among them. Keeping our public places smokey seems a self-defeating move for a state trying to court tourism.

The fault lies with the state legislature. They have have dithered over the issue for nine years refusing to go on the record with an up-or-down vote, and refusing to put it on the ballot for voters to decide. Instead they just let it languish in committee year after year. It is hard to see how this deadlock can be overcome without replacing some legislators.

Finally, to those smokers who feel this is big brother picking on them. I'd say you should have been at the meeting. In politics, if you don't participate, you don't count. Also, hearing testimonials like that of Mrs. Shepherd and seeing the massive show of public opinion is a humbling experience and enough to make even the most ardent smoking advocate rethink the merits of public smoking.

Gleaners Food Truck

2009-07-29T20:54:00.003-04:00

I had the opportunity today to volunteer at a Gleaner's food truck in downtown Muskegon. Nearly 300 families showed up, some hours early, to wait in line for the food. It was a vivid display of the need in our community right now. A dozen or so volunteers helped out and we were able to divvy up the truck load of food so that everybody got something.

Gleaners trucks are a valuable program in our community. They obtain surplus food, both perishable and non-perishable and partner with local non-profits and other groups to distribute it in the community. There are Gleaners food trucks on a fairly regular basis around the Muskegon area.

I would encourage anyone to get involved with them. Their website is: wmgleaners.org. Here is an informational video about their programs:

Muskegon's Community Conversation

2009-07-28T10:46:00.006-04:00

This morning the Muskegon Chamber of Commerce hosted one of several "Community Conversations" being put on around the state. It was well attended by the usual community leaders, but I wish I'd seen more everyday residents there, especially folks in their 20's and 30's. Most the attendees seemed well older. We broke into several groups of 25 or so for the whole 2 hour session.

The meeting was touted as a community-wide brainstorming session. It began with general outline of the Chamber's political agenda and moved on to a loosely guided group discussion on topics such as economic development, education and political reform. Topic number one on everyone's minds seemed to be jobs, jobs, and jobs. How do we attract businesses to the area? How do we assist displaced workers in retraining? How do we prepare our young people for careers in this environment?

Much discussion was given to improving education on the basis that a highly skilled workforce was the key to improving the economy. But today's college graduates in Michigan are mostly leaving the state to find work. While we absolutely owe our children a quality education, if there is nowhere for them to work, they will have to continue leaving the state upon graduation, and Michigan will be no better off.

My point I tried to stress was the importance of health care costs in why we've lost so many jobs up to now, as well as in how we can attract new jobs. The jobs we've lost have mostly gone to foreign countries, and health insurance is a big part of the reason. No other developed country burdens companies with employee health care costs, and this puts US businesses at a huge competitive disadvantage.

Also the peculiar U.S. system of linking health care to employment strangles small business and entrepreneurship. The 50 year old factory worker with a brilliant idea to start a business might have been the next Edison or Bell, but his wife has diabetes so he can't get an individual health policy. He has no choice but to stay at his factory job for the health benefits. We'll never know how much innovation our society has lost because of our short-sighted system of tying people's health care to specific employers.

I am certain there is no better economic stimulus we could enact right now than universal health care. We need to lift this burden that is driving job providers out of the country, remove this barrier that bars so many motivated people from entrepreneurship.

We have a model that works well for our elderly. We can expand on it by simple remove the age restriction on Medicare and give any citizen the choice to buy into the program at cost. If a good public health plan does not come out of Washington this season, we need to act on a state level, our future is too important not to.

The Brazen Gift of Freedom

2009-07-04T11:51:00.007-04:00

I recently visited the Walk of Presidents in Rapid City, SD, where life sized bronze statues of all the U.S. Presidents are being erected on downtown street corners. Thomas Jefferson's statue is posed signing the Declaration of Independence. The full text of the Declaration is enscribed in the detail of the statue.

On the anniversary of that day, it strikes me that we should recall the context of the event 233 years ago. It was no easy or idle gesture. Each of the 56 signers knew full well, as they put their names on the paper, they were very literally signing their own death sentence. The very act of signing that document was a capital offense under the government in place at the time. Yet they proceeded to put their names on it and deliver it directly to the authorities.

Several of the signers were, in fact, tortured and executed by the British as a result, and most the others, while not wealthy even by the standards of the day, lost all their worldly possessions in the ensuing conflict. These things were no suprise to them. The signers knew all this would happen and they signed anyway. They didn't do it for themselves. They were under no illusion they would themselves benefit. They were signing up for misery and death and they knew it. They signed the Declaration for future generations, us, who they might never meet.

Today is a day for more than pretty fireworks and a day off work. Today is a day, in the words of Edward R. Murrow, to remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Their couage gives us a standard to measure ourselves against, and to strive toward. I see the courage of our founders mirrored today in the streets of Iran and it is a reminder that the global march toward democracy that began in American 233 years ago continues today, but the grave cost has never decreased.

Unemployment Reform

2009-06-10T10:26:00.006-04:00

As anyone in the Michigan knows we are in an epidemic of job loss, and our current unemployment system is outdated and ill-equipped to assist the displaced workers in ways that can really help.

One of the biggest problems is that many workers who lose their jobs are denied unemployment assistance. This is because their employer classified them as "part-time" often working 37-39 hours a week instead of 40. In many cases these workers were forced into "part-time" status (often just before their lay-off) specifically so the employer could avoid paying out benefits and unemployment compensation. This is a loop-hole that too many hard working people are being shoved through and it needs to be closed.

The other problem is that for most people on unemployment, if you enroll in any sort of job training program, you are punished by the immediate cancellation of your unemployment benefits. This rule is a vestige from a very different era in Michigan when blue-collar jobs were plentiful. In today's economy we need to encourage training for new jobs, not punish it. This "no training" rule is a perverse catch-22 that needs to be changed immediately.

Fortunately the federal government has offered Michigan $140 million in stimulus money to help fix both of these problems and get our citizens the retraining they need for the jobs of today. The Michigan House has passed these measures and the Governor is committed to signing them. The responsibility now lies with the Michigan Senate.

I spent the day yesterday in Lansing visiting several of our state Senators regarding this issue, and the results were less than reassuring. Some, including our local Senator Gerald Van Woerkom (R), seemed ready to say No Thanks to the federal money rather than use it to help to Michigan's unemployed.

Sen. Van Woerkom was very cordial and took the time to sit with us in his office. However he seemed most concerned that these reforms might, years down the road, raise the costs in the state budget. I emphasised to him that our state's current budget crisis (which is very real) has everything to do with people being out of work. And the best, and really only, solution is to get people back in some type of gainful employment. In this regard, any money spent on a retraining program will more than pay for itself in the future as people are able to leave public assistance and return to being productive members of society.

Sen. Van Woerkom somewhat acknowledged my argument, but commented that he didn't think things were that dire. This lead me to think he could benefit from spending more time around some of his working class constituents and perhaps better understand their sense of urgency.

I hope he hears more from our community on this and is given reason to reconsider his position. His office number is 517-373-1635.

Smoke-free Michigan? Let voters decide.

2009-04-28T10:39:00.011-04:00

Last Wednesday State Senator Tupac Hunter (D-Detroit) introduced a measure that would put a statewide workplace smoking ban on the November '10 ballot. This ban would protect all workplaces in the state, including restaurants, bars, and casinos.

Michigan is behind the curve on this issue. Seventy percent of states have already enacted smoke-free legislation. That figure is even higher if you go by population. Michigan's legislators on the other hand have been going in circles discussing the issue for the last several years with no results.

This years-long delay is largely due to endless debate over whether three individual businesses in Detroit should get a special exemption. Certainly the workers at Detroit's three casinos deserve the same protection as workers anywhere in the state. But it's also important the rest of the state should not beheld hostage while the petty bickering over this special interest plays out.

Smoke free Not smoke free

Over two-thirds of Michigan residents polled currently support a workplace smoking ban covering all bars and restaurants. Nevertheless there is a vocal minority of smokers who feel this is just radical activists trampling on their rights. It's easy to understand why some smokers might dislike the new restrictions. They claim an individual right to smoke, which is true. However it's important to recognize the more fundamental right is the right for anyone to earn a living, and go about their lives without having to endure secondhand carcinogen exposure.

Senator Hunter's proposal to let the voters decide is the best idea. Our elected representatives have fallen down on the job by letting a relatively minor dispute over Detroit's casinos derail the whole process. Also, a ballot proposal would be the most democratic method, truly letting the people decide. This would show skeptical smokers this is not some scheme by a dictatorial elite in Lansing, but rather legitimate concern of a majority of their friends and neighbors.

Tea Parties.. then and now.

2009-04-13T15:30:00.005-04:00

I'm hearing a lot on talk radio and cable news lately about "Tea Parties" that are being organized around the country on April 15. There's even one in Grand Haven, MI (noon at City Hall). The term Tea Parties is of course a reference to the Boston Tea Party of 1773.

Despite popular misconception, the original Boston tea party was not a protest against higher taxes. In fact, the Tea Act of 1773 the colonists were protesting was actually a corporate tax cut. The Tea Act of 1773 removed a 25% tariff on tea imported by the East India Company into the colonies. The East India Company was a huge multinational corporation, essentially the Wal-Mart of that era. This tea act essentially reduced the company's taxes to zero, and allowed them to dump cheap imported tea on the North American market. The East India Company actually began selling tea below cost simply to drive the local competition out of business.

The colonists were protesting against corporate power and the removal of tariffs. They recognized that with this tax exemption the East India Company would quickly become a monopoly, stifle local economic development, and weaken the colonies by making them dependent on the imports.

Which brings us back to today. The current "Tea Parties" are being organized and promoted by a collection of right-wing media outlets and organizations as a generalized protest against President Obama's economic recovery efforts. The connection between this and the anti-corporate protest in 1773 seems tenuous at best. In fact it seems more likely the current effort is simply trying to co-opt the term tea party to add a populist and patriotic veneer to their right-wing agenda.

However, it occurs to me that the fair trade message of the original Boston Tea Party is one that is very relevant and necessary today. Perhaps the best thing for progressive minded folks to do is to show up at these tea parties. Not as a counter protest, but to join in. If they want a tea party, lets make sure the message stays true to the original Boston tea party. Mix right into the crowd and bring plenty of signs promoting fair trade and protesting undue corporate power. Talk about how Wal-Mart drives down working-class standard of living. Chant about repealing NAFTA and withdrawing from the WTO.

You may not change the minds of everybody there, but you might change the media coverage, and perhaps give some people a history lesson in the process.

Wild Game Dinner with Lt. Gov. John Cherry

2009-04-09T22:25:00.005-04:00

I just got home from the West Michigan United Labor Sportsman Wild Game Dinner. The meals was delicious and then some! The venison cajun shepherd's pie alone was worth the price of admission. It was good to see such a strong turnout, even in these hard times, for a United Way fundraiser.

Also nice was the chance to meet Lt. Gov. John Cherry, who will, of course, be running for Michigan's Governor in 2010. Cherry gave an impressive keynote speech. He began by asking how many people in the room knew someone who'd lost the job in the last month. Virtually all the roughly 300 people in the room raised their hand. He then asked how many knew someone who'd lost their health insurance in the last month, again virtually every hand when up. Then Cherry, an NRA member himself, speaking to a room full of sportsman, asked how many people knew someone who had their gun taken away in the last month. The room was silent and not a single hand was raised.

The Lieutenant Governor's point was crystal clear. Our society faces some tough problems right now, but an epidemic of gun confiscation is not one of them. There are those on the political right who continue to demagogue this issue, but the reality is there is no there there. Obama is not coming for our guns. But what -is- happening is our economy's crumbling and it's destroying people's livelihoods, gun owners or not. That is the threat we face today and we need to focus on it like a laser beam. Like a the response to a natural disaster, or a foreign attack, this can't be a left-right debate, we need to be united, and we need to resist those who would distract us from this task.

I look forward to Cherry campaigning next year. Unless the Supreme Court rumors about Gov. Granholm turn out to be true, and we see him in the Governor's office sooner!

Gov. Granholm in Muskegon

2009-04-03T16:49:00.005-04:00

I just got back from hearing Governor Granholm speak at Muskegon Heights City Hall. She was discussing the stimulus package, and what we can expect to see out of it here locally. She described an assortment of tax breaks aimed at low to middle income people as well as assistance programs like unemployment extensions and food assistance.

She then discussed how Michigan in particular is hurting because of our loss of manufacturing jobs, including the auto industry. She emphasized the need to retrain workers displaced by loss of manufacturing and how in the future all kids should go to college and get professional jobs.

What seemed to be missing from the discussion is a recognition of the necessity of manufacturing in a society or an effort to rebuild our manufacturing base rather than just write it off and move on. We've been told for years how were moving away from an industrial economy and toward a service economy. On a gut level this never sat right with me.

A service economy is basically: I wash your car, you cut my hair. Money is moving around, but at the end of today nothing of lasting value has been created. With manufacturing, at the end of the day you have new tangible assets that can be traded. That is how real wealth is created a society.

Without manufacturing, it won't matter how many doctors, lawyers, and MBAs we graduate from our colleges. A society can't function with just white collar professions. To put it simply, you have to make things. We are quickly becoming a country that doesn't make anything, and that is in no small way connected to our decreasing standard of living and our growing foreign debt, largely to countries where things are made.

To really get out of this hole, we need to recognize that it was manufacturing that made this country the strongest and wealthiest in the world, and created the American middle class. We need to also recognize that despite technological progress, the basic laws of economics haven't really changed. Like the U.S. in the 20th century, the nation that dominates the 21st century will be the one that sells the rest of the world it's products. There are other nations trying very hard to be that one. We should be trying just as hard.

Congressman Schauer (D-MI) speaks the truth

2009-04-01T17:38:00.004-04:00

The big three have certainly been mismanaged in many way. But finally someone is acknowledging the roles that trade policy and health care costs have played in this problem. The politicians typically don't want to talk about that because then they would be expected to fix it. Kodos to Congressman Schauer for recognizing this piece of the problem!

Auto insurance rates increasing in Michigan.

2009-03-31T15:54:00.002-04:00

Own a car in Michigan? Expect to pay more. The insurance you probably don't need but are forced to buy is getting more expensive. The Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) assessment makes up $104.58 of the annual premium for every car insured in Michigan. That assessment will increase to $124.58 on July 1st.

Why? The MCCA sets the price, and they say the main reason is they lost a lot of money in the stock market, and need to make up the difference from us.

What does this pay for? If you're injured while driving your car, this covers your medical bills.

Isn't that why I have health insurance? Yes, if you already have health insurance, the MCCA coverage is largely redundant.

Then can I dropped it and save money? No, Michigan law requires you buy this insurance even if you don't need it. And you can't shop around for price. The MCCA is a monopoly, and you are a captive audience.

What if I own more than one vehicle? Then you're being double dipped. The MCCA fee is assessed per vehicle, not per driver. So if you're a single person with three vehicles, you pay three times the premium, even though you're still covering just one driver.

How many other states require this? None. No other state forces its drivers to buy unnecessary insurance this way. Some states offer it as optional, which is good for drivers who lack any other medical coverage.

Could Michigan make this optional too, and save motorists a lot of money? That's up to the state legislature, and it would be a good thing to suggest to your state representative!

Gov. Granholm and Health Care Reform

2009-03-30T16:46:00.005-04:00

In the video below, Gov. Granholm discusses the options being looked at for health-care reform in the U.S. Michigan will be hosting some of the first forums for input on this.

What's important, if any reform is to be successful is that we don't end up with a situation like we have with auto insurance today in Michigan where individuals are required by law to do business with one of several for-profit insurance companies. This gives those companies a captive audience they can gouge.

The phrase to watch out for is, "individual mandate". It is basically politicians trying to wish away the problem. Forty-seven million people don't have health insurance? Easy fix: just pass a law making it illegal to be uninsured. Problem solved and home in time for dinner!

But the truth is "individual mandate" doesn't solve anything, it avoids addressing the problem. The true problem is that inefficiencies in our patchwork of for-profit insurance companies and the perverse incentives that are created inside these companies because of their profit motive. So long as for-profit insurers remain peoples only option for accessing health-care, we won't be able to solve anything.

To be successful, any reform must include a "Medicare-for-all" option.
This would let any citizen buy into Medicare at cost, regardless of age. It would be an opt-in system, and not forced on anyone. Anyone happy with their current private insurer, could stay with them.

The theory is that Medicare could undercut the private insurers on price due to its much lower administrative overhead, the fact that it is run by people earning civil servant's salaries and not multi-million dollar bonuses with corporate jets and all that, as well as the lack of any marketing budget on which the private firms spend piles of money.

Extending a "Medicare-for-all" option to everyone would let people choose if they wanted to buy into a public or private program. The private insurers would have to compete with Medicare for customers and that competition could only benefit consumers. Let the best program win.

Who broke the auto industry, and how to fix it.

2009-03-30T12:21:00.006-04:00

The federal government is asking General Motors and Chrysler to come up with "better" restructuring plans to return the Companies to viability. Their deadlines are 30 days for Chrysler and 60 days in the case of General Motors.

The UAW has already made huge voluntary concessions that will see its workers earning in the range of $14/hr. Of course, the long-term benefit of this pay cut is questionable at best, because the days of workers being able to afford the cars they build will soon be over.

Putting all the responsibility for reform on the auto companies and their employees assumes Detroit possesses the power to fix everything that's wrong, and the government holds no blame for getting us here. This couldn't be more false. Much of what needs fixing in fact, must be done in Congress, not Detroit.

It's important to understand what caused this. First, the U.S. is alone in using a system of employer provided health insurance. Every other nation publicly funds their health care. This put our auto manufacturers are at a competitive disadvantage of $1500/car in employee health costs that foreign competitors don't have. This is Washington's fault, not Detroit's or the U.A.W's.

Second, unlike other industrialized nations, the U.S. has avoided any meaningful fuel economy standards and instead created tax breaks for the most fuel inefficient vehicles. By doing so, Washington has willfully encouraged Detroit to become complacent while foreign competitors were forced by their governments to innovate.

Also, Washington has been inexcusably incompetent at negotiating so-called free trade policies in recent years. They've given foreign nations virtually unrestricted access to our markets while gaining only limited access to their markets in return. This has, predictably, caused not just our automakers, but our entire manufacturing industry to wither.

And the latest, potentially fatal, blow to our automakers is the current credit crisis created by Washington's failure to regulate the financial and mortgage markets. In recent months, through no fault of the automakers, many people simply can't get loans, and car sales have fallen off a cliff.

The management at the Detroit three certainly bear a large amount of blame too, and should be required to change. Ousting the CEOs that got us here is entirely appropriate.

But if Washington wants to point fingers for the current crisis, they should take a hard look in the mirror, and then step up and help fix the problem they helped create. An America that doesn't make cars is simply unacceptable. A domestic auto industry is one thing that defines a nation as a top tier economic power. Any other nation would be unapologetic in preserving such a core piece of their economy and so should we.

Destroying What the UAW Built

2009-03-20T20:02:00.000-04:00

Excellent article by Harold Meyerson:

In 1949, a pamphlet was published that argued that the American auto industry should pursue a different direction. Titled "A Small Car Named Desire," the pamphlet suggested that Detroit not put all its bets on bigness, that a substantial share of American consumers would welcome smaller cars that cost less and burned fuel more efficiently.

The pamphlet's author was the research department of the United Auto Workers.

By the standards of the postwar UAW, there was nothing exceptional about "A Small Car Named Desire." In its glory days, under the leadership of Walter Reuther, the UAW was the most farsighted institution -- not just the most farsighted union -- in America. "We are the architects of America's future," Reuther told the delegates at the union's 1947 convention, where his supporters won control of what was already the nation's leading union.

Even before he became UAW president, Reuther and a team of brilliant lieutenants would drive the Big Three's top executives crazy by producing a steady stream of proposals for management. In the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor, Reuther, then head of the union's General Motors division, came up with a detailed plan for converting auto plants to defense factories more quickly than the industry's leaders did. At the end of the war, he led a strike at GM with a set of demands that included putting union and public representatives on GM's board.

That proved to be a bridge too far. Instead, by the early 1950s, the UAW had secured a number of contractual innovations -- annual cost-of-living adjustments, for instance -- that set a pattern for the rest of American industry and created the broadly shared prosperity enjoyed by the nation in the 30 years after World War II.

The architects did not stop there. During the Reuther years, the UAW also used its resources to incubate every up-and-coming liberal movement in America. It was the UAW that funded the great 1963 March on Washington and provided the first serious financial backing for César Chávez's fledgling farm workers union. The union took a lively interest in the birth of a student movement in the early '60s, providing its conference center in Port Huron, Mich., to a group called Students for a Democratic Society when the group wanted to draft and debate its manifesto. Later that decade, the union provided resources to help the National Organization for Women get off the ground and helped fund the first Earth Day. And for decades after Reuther's death in a 1970 plane crash, the UAW was among the foremost advocates of national health care -- a policy that, had it been enacted, would have saved the Big Three tens of billions of dollars in health insurance expenses, but which the Big Three themselves were until recently too ideologically hidebound to support.

Narrow? Parochial? The UAW not only built the American middle class but helped engender every movement at the center of American liberalism today -- which is one reason that conservatives have always held the union in particular disdain.

Over the past several weeks, it has become clear that the Republican right hates the UAW so much that it would prefer to plunge the nation into a depression rather than craft a bridge loan that doesn't single out the auto industry's unionized workers for punishment. (As manufacturing consultant Michael Wessel pointed out, no Republican demanded that Big Three executives have their pay permanently reduced to the relatively spartan levels of Japanese auto executives' pay.) Today, setting the terms of that loan has become the final task of the Bush presidency, which puts the auto workers in the unenviable position of depending, if not on the kindness of strangers, then on the impartiality of the most partisan president of modern times.

Republicans complain that labor costs at the Big Three are out of line with those at the non-union transplant factories in the South, factories that Southern governors have subsidized with billions of taxpayer dollars. But the UAW has already agreed to concessions bringing its members' wages to near-Southern levels, and labor costs already comprise less than 10 percent of the cost of a new car. (On Wall Street, employee compensation at the seven largest financial firms in 2007 constituted 60 percent of the firms' expenses, yet reducing overall employee compensation wasn't an issue in the financial bailout.)

In a narrow sense, what the Republicans are proposing would gut the benefits of roughly a million retirees. In a broad sense, they want to destroy the institution that did more than any other to raise American living standards, and they want to do it by using the power of government to lower American living standards -- in the middle of the most severe recession since the 1930s. The auto workers deserve better, and so does the nation they did so much to build.

By Harold Meyerson
The Washington Post, December 17, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/16/AR2008121602482.html

Victory for 'Hire Michigan First'!

2009-03-13T14:11:00.000-04:00

Great news!

Today, Democrats in the Michigan House of Representatives passed "Hire Michigan First," an aggressive job-creation plan that makes sure our tax dollars create jobs for our workers – not people from other states or even other countries.

The plan now goes to the Senate. We call on leaders there to step up and show that they, too, support Michigan's working families.

'Hire Michigan First' is a common-sense solution to the problem of Michigan giving out tax breaks or other incentives to bring businesses to Michigan, only to have those companies turn around and hire out-of-state workers or undocumented workers. This is wrong, and it has to end!

By passing 'Hire Michigan First," House Democrats are standing up for Michigan's workers, who are the best in the world! Our people are ready, willing and able to do any job, and they deserve first crack at jobs created by their own tax dollars.

Visit this website to learn more or sign up in support to put Michigan's workers first!
http://www.hiremichfirst.com/

Founding Fathers on social classes and the American Dream

2009-03-03T15:33:00.000-05:00

Two schools of thought existed at the founding of the United States, and have competed to this day. One philosophy was more egalitarian, whose main proponent was Thomas Jefferson, believes that average people are inherently competent, and as such, power should be distributed amongst the people as widely as possible. Hence, "we the people..", and later in Lincoln's words, "government for.. of.. and by the people".

The second philosophy could be called more aristocratic. Amongst the founding fathers, the main proponent of this view was John Adams. Adams disagreed with Jefferson and they fought bitterly over the years on this philosophical point. Adams was of the believe that average people were not inherently competent, and a ruling elite was required in society. Because of this he was very distrustful of democracy. Jefferson often spoke of the Yeomanry, what he saw as a skilled middle-class, although that term did not yet exist. Adams on the other hand spoke condescendingly of the common people as the rabble. Hence the term rabble-rouser, a pejorative for what today we might call a community organizer.

These two philosophies have continued to this day. Television host Chris Matthews occasionally will joke that Republicans want a leader, while Democrats want to have a meeting. The joke holds some truth because it shows the difference philosophies of the two parties that trace back all the way to Adams and Jefferson.

Personally I fall strongly behind Thomas Jefferson and his egalitarian view. Mainly because, like him I think people are inherently good and competent, albeit with some bad apples mixed in. But also because Adam's aristocratic view, where most people are simply sheep needing to be led by elites, leaves no room for an economic middle-class. Policies based on Adam's view inevitably leads to a very large, subsistence-level working-class, and a very small wealthy elite.

That two-class structure is what virtually every society in history has consisted of, with very few exceptions. In fact, a prosperous middle-class is a very unnatural thing. It doesn't just pop up on its own without specific laws and institutions in place to cultivate it. That is the definition of the American dream as I understand it. The notion that in America we can buck the historical trend and create a stable prosperous middle-class.

We largely succeeded in this for most of the 20th century, in no small part to the new deal reforms which got us out of the Great Depression. But in roughly the last three decades, we lost our focus, and lost ground on our standard of living as a result. My hope is that our new elected officials in Washington will move more to Jefferson's philosophy: involve people more in the governing process and make the middle-class once again the government's first priority.

Convention Trip

2009-02-22T17:29:00.001-05:00

Well, it was a treacherous snowy drive, but I made it back from the Michigan Democratic Party convention in Detroit. An exciting day. The party is quite excited following the recent gains in the last election, but that excitement is tempered by recognition of the stark economic reality Michigan in the nation find ourselves in.

We heard from most major Democratic officeholders in the state, including both our U.S. senators and several members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Special recognition with given to Rep. John Dingell, who is now the longest serving member of Congress in history, as well as our two newest Democratic congressmen, Mark Schauer and Gary Peters, who both won former Republican districts.

Resolutions were past to define the agenda for the coming year. These included support of the federal Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers to choose whether or not to form a union without being coerced or intimidated by an employer in the process. The act would create penalties for employers that attempted to interfere with workers making their own decisions, and would protect employees from retaliation for exercising their rights.

Also past was a resolution to support universal health-care by extending the existing Medicare program to all U.S. citizens. This is done with the understanding that health-care is an inherent right, not a privilege, and that statistics have consistently shown that single-payer systems like Medicare are much more cost-effective than the patchwork for-profit health insurance system currently in the U.S.
Resolutions were also past to support an employee Bill of Rights, to find a solution to the Proposal A property tax system, and to oppose a "right to work" law which despite the misleading name, restricts workers rights and has resulted in lower standard of living in the states where it's been implemented.

There was discussion of the 2010 election down the road. We heard from some individuals who are officially "considering" running. There is also much excitement over challenging Michigan Supreme Court Justice Young.. Young, like recently defeated Justice Taylor, was an Engler appointee, and has an equally dismal track record. The defeat of Justice Taylor has given the party new optimism in replacing sitting judges with bad records, and Young is the next target.

Also targeted will be control of the Michigan Senate, which is still in Republican hands. So long as the Republicans control the Senate they can effectively cause gridlock in the state government, which they have been doing for the past several years. Gaining control of the Michigan Senate will be a top priority in 2010. The 34th Senate seat, which covers Muskegon will be an open race and critical to that effort.

Overall it was a very positive atmosphere -recognition of the big challenges facing us, but a sense of the optimism that the challenges can be met.

Crushing Debt

2009-02-16T13:43:00.000-05:00

In between the federal stimulus package and the various bank bailouts, we hear a lot of big numbers being thrown around these days. So big in fact, they can be hard to get your head around. But we need to pay attention, because what's going on is historically unprecedented in its scale, and what's happening right now in these weeks will dramatically affect the economic reality the next several generations of Americans will have to live with.

For reference, here are the total costs of some of our nation's most expensive endeavors throughout history. All figures are inflation-adjusted and appear in today's dollars.

$115 billion Marshall plan
$217 billion Louisiana purchase
$237 billion Moon Shot (total NASA budget 1958-1972)
$256 billion Reagan Era Savings and Loan bailouts
$454 billion Korean War
$500 billion Roosevelt Era New Deal programs
$570 billion Iraq War (2003-2008)
$690 billion Vietnam War
$3.6 Trillion World War II

Now remember that including the recently passed $780 billion Economic Stimulus Package of 2009, the government has now spent approximately $2 trillion bailing out the economy just in the last few months. (This does not include another $5-$8 trillion in other recent emergency loans and bailouts by the Federal Reserve and FDIC that taxpayers are ultimately responsible for.)

This is all borrowed money, mostly from China. And they will one day want to be repaid. Compare these figures to the costs of the Herculean undertakings listed above, and you get an idea the burden we are placing our children. The efforts previous generations exerted to put a man on the moon, defeat Nazism, and win the Cold War; our children will have to labor just as hard but their goal will be no such noble achievements, but rather just to pay off this generation's debt. Will they ever be able to forgive us?

Property Tax Shock

2009-02-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

Homeowners will soon be receiving their annual property tax assessments. This year especially it’s important to read it carefully. Your State Equalized Value (SEV), which affects your Taxable Value, is legally required to be half of your home’s true market value. (i.e. a $100,000 home should have a $50,000 SEV). During the real estate bubble of the past decade, local governments quickly increased SEVs to match skyrocketing property values. But since the bubble burst, local governments have been reluctant to adjust SEVs back down as market values have dropped.

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight tracks home prices in every state, and according to their data (http://www.ofheo.gov/hpi.aspx), the average home in Michigan has lost 25% of it’s peak value since late 2005, and is now worth only what it was in early 2000. That means, to accurately reflect market value, the typical SEV should be rolled back to what it was in 2000. Many local governments are only making far smaller reductions, if any.

You have the right to appeal your assessment, and if your 2009 SEV is set any higher than it was in 2000, you should do so. When you receive your notice, contact your local government and schedule a hearing with the appeals board. This is usually free. Print and bring along the official government data cited above and any other information relevant to your home’s value, like recent closing papers or an appraisal.

It’s true, local government’s budgets are tight these days, but so are most household budgets. If government officials need more revenue, they need to follow the law and let residents vote on an additional millage. Over-assessing properties, even in a declining market, is fraud and is illegal. Exercise your rights and don’t let yourself be taken advantage of.

History's Greatest Invention

2009-01-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

Today America inaugurated a new president, without sacrificing a single life. In all the celebration we should recognize the significance of this.

Throughout virtually all of history the peaceful transfer of power was an unknown concept. Replacing a leader always meant many people had to die.

Democracy is surely man's greatest invention. Americans introduced this ancient idea to the modern world and people everywhere have fought and died for its spread ever since. As we watch this peaceful transfer of power today, we should never forget how historically unnatural and amazing a gift it is, or those who sacrificed so we could have it.

The Reign of Witches

2009-01-19T15:20:00.001-05:00

Over the past years our country has been under a cloud of ill-conceived war, economic mismanagement, eroding civil liberties, and incompetent leadership. While it seems we have strayed far from the country our founding fathers created, we should take heart that even in their time, our country saw, and overcame such challenges. In 1798, while the United States was waging an unpopular war with France and President Adams was enacting the Alien and Sedition Acts, Thomas Jefferson wrote the following to a friend who worried what was becoming of the young country.

"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to it's true principles. It is true that in the mean time we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war & long oppressions of enormous public debt. But who can say what would be the evils of a scission, and when & where they would end? Better keep together as we are, hawl off from Europe as soon as we can, & from all attachments to any portions of it. And if we feel their power just sufficiently to hoop us together, it will be the happiest situation in which we can exist. If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, & then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are the stake. Better luck, therefore, to us all; and health, happiness, & friendly salutations to yourself."

Perhaps today January 20th, 2009, we've seen our own generation's reign of witches finally pass. Just as our nation eventually corrected the errors of the Adams administration, now is our time to restore our government and win back the principles that have been lost. The challenge before us is serious, but would be instantly recognized by our forefathers, for they overcame equal large problems, and, yes, so can we.