Monday, March 31, 2014
Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #9 (MI) Dave Agema, Michigan Republican National Committeeman http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=3&seed=9
Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #9 (MI) Dave Agema, Michigan Republican National Committeeman http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=3&seed=9: Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #9 (MI) Dave Agema, Michigan Republican National Committeeman http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=3&seed=9
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #9 (MI) Dave Agema, Michigan Republican National Committeeman http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=2&seed=9
Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #9 (MI) Dave Agema, Michigan Republican National Committeeman http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=2&seed=9: Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #9 (MI) Dave Agema, Michigan Republican National Committeeman http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=2&seed=9
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #14 (NH) State Rep. Kyle Tasker http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=1&seed=14
Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #14 (NH) State Rep. Kyle Tasker http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=1&seed=14: Vote in the #MarchBadness Bracket - #14 (NH) State Rep. Kyle Tasker http://www.marchbadness.org/?year=2014&rnd=1&seed=14
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Links
If you read all of my Michigan Governor endorsement, you may have noticed I posted no links. This is an attempt to correct that.
http://act.markschauer.com/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=6780
https://services.myngp.com/ngponlineservices/contribution.aspx?X=lC1mtJCkxiHFsvfEwHDY7TTu7A99qY1VENa8Y18mrgE%3d
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Michigan Governor Endorsements
Today is Wednesday, and it's a good time to release the final endorsement for the State of Michigan. Rick Snyder, the incumbent, has no issue positions on his website whatsoever. Therefore, it was necessary to go back to the bills he has signed. As a Governor, he has passed a Right to Work bill (or Right to Work for Less, if you so prefer.). This bill caused no end of headaches for the State, as it led to many protests and a shut down of the Capitol, I assume to avoid the protesters at the steps. And then he had the nerve to sign it, even while saying it "wasn't on his agenda." Which begs a question: was it a lack of leadership, lack of the ability to say no to his own party? Or was it a cynical political ploy, a gamble by a former businessman? After all, it's hard to argue you aren't up to anything as you are signing something that would benefit you and your business associates. And business would love to see the end of unions. He has come out against a minimum wage increase, which is foolish when two thirds support raising the wage. (See my March 10th post for other reasons why someone who is serious about helping people should support this.) Meantime, he has banned benefits for same sex partners and is against same sex adoption, which is illogical once you factor in that typically speaking same sex relationships with kids are far more stable than heterosexual relationships.
However, even while some of the things he has done have either been damaging to us as a people or utterly ridiculous (such as abolishing the requirement that motorcycle riders wear helmets), he has some good things on his record as well, not the least of which is a vetoing of concealed carry expansions. Concealed carry is just not appropriate in certain areas, such as schools or bars, which this bill would've done. After fighting his party, he has signed an expansion of Medicaid; as part of the Affordable Care Act, it is an important first step in making sure the people who need coverage the most have it. The State of Michigan now requires that lottery winner's names be shared with the Department of Human Services, in an effort to end abuse and double dipping, which means money and help for those who need it. It is a logical, sensible reform that we need. And if you or your child has autism, insurance companies must provide coverage for treatments, which is important. Especially as autism continues to grow, currently it is found in 1 out of every 150 people.
So it would appear that Mr. Snyder is a bit of a mixed bag. A moderate if you will. And who's running against him? A private investigator named Mark McFarlin. Mr. McFarlin originally planned to run as a Democrat; however, due to his conservative stance on certain issues, he is now on the Republican ticket. On his site, he mentions repealing Right to Work laws, which will make liberals happy. However, he mentions establishing fair labor laws. They are supposed to be fair for all involved parties. The question is, what does he plan on doing to make things fair for all negotiating? Will it be Right to Work Lite? He offers no specifics on this. Where guns are involved? He would expand concealed carry, and (presumably) pass laws cutting the number of gun regulations there are. And what happens then, do you think? Probably more gun deaths. Mr. McFarlin also stands against same sex marriage, and it is safe to say that there will be no expansion of LGBT rights in our state. A lower income tax, to be made up by a higher sales tax, is a bold idea. Unfortunately, its more apt to hurt the poor and middle, who have less to begin with. This will no doubt lead to fewer services, and other spending cuts, which may harm the citizens who rely on state programs to begin with. This makes it a double whammy. From this little bit he has released so far, it is safe to say he, too, will be more center, center-right.
Democrats, meantime, have united around Mark Schauer. Mr. Schauer has already distinguished himself from Mr. Snyder in an important way: he has actively called for a minimum wage increase, to $10 dollars an hour. He has also put forward a belief that we should try to rely more on green energy, namely solar and wind. This is a good thing, as it will lower our dependence on oil; it will also open a new sector of jobs for the state, making us less reliant on the auto industry and its profits. He is also for expanding civil rights bills to protect the LGBT community and is for same sex marriage. And he is pro choice, which should unite liberals behind him. The question I have is this; what other forms of green energy would he invest in and expand? Also, would he be open to further health reforms on the state level, a la Vermont? While I don't have answers on these, I do believe this will have no bearing on my endorsement. Given his willingness to extend dignity to all groups, given his willingness to put more money in the people's pockets by supporting a measure that has massive support already, given his pro green energy stand, I have no real choice but to endorse the Schauer for Governor campaign.
However, even while some of the things he has done have either been damaging to us as a people or utterly ridiculous (such as abolishing the requirement that motorcycle riders wear helmets), he has some good things on his record as well, not the least of which is a vetoing of concealed carry expansions. Concealed carry is just not appropriate in certain areas, such as schools or bars, which this bill would've done. After fighting his party, he has signed an expansion of Medicaid; as part of the Affordable Care Act, it is an important first step in making sure the people who need coverage the most have it. The State of Michigan now requires that lottery winner's names be shared with the Department of Human Services, in an effort to end abuse and double dipping, which means money and help for those who need it. It is a logical, sensible reform that we need. And if you or your child has autism, insurance companies must provide coverage for treatments, which is important. Especially as autism continues to grow, currently it is found in 1 out of every 150 people.
So it would appear that Mr. Snyder is a bit of a mixed bag. A moderate if you will. And who's running against him? A private investigator named Mark McFarlin. Mr. McFarlin originally planned to run as a Democrat; however, due to his conservative stance on certain issues, he is now on the Republican ticket. On his site, he mentions repealing Right to Work laws, which will make liberals happy. However, he mentions establishing fair labor laws. They are supposed to be fair for all involved parties. The question is, what does he plan on doing to make things fair for all negotiating? Will it be Right to Work Lite? He offers no specifics on this. Where guns are involved? He would expand concealed carry, and (presumably) pass laws cutting the number of gun regulations there are. And what happens then, do you think? Probably more gun deaths. Mr. McFarlin also stands against same sex marriage, and it is safe to say that there will be no expansion of LGBT rights in our state. A lower income tax, to be made up by a higher sales tax, is a bold idea. Unfortunately, its more apt to hurt the poor and middle, who have less to begin with. This will no doubt lead to fewer services, and other spending cuts, which may harm the citizens who rely on state programs to begin with. This makes it a double whammy. From this little bit he has released so far, it is safe to say he, too, will be more center, center-right.
Democrats, meantime, have united around Mark Schauer. Mr. Schauer has already distinguished himself from Mr. Snyder in an important way: he has actively called for a minimum wage increase, to $10 dollars an hour. He has also put forward a belief that we should try to rely more on green energy, namely solar and wind. This is a good thing, as it will lower our dependence on oil; it will also open a new sector of jobs for the state, making us less reliant on the auto industry and its profits. He is also for expanding civil rights bills to protect the LGBT community and is for same sex marriage. And he is pro choice, which should unite liberals behind him. The question I have is this; what other forms of green energy would he invest in and expand? Also, would he be open to further health reforms on the state level, a la Vermont? While I don't have answers on these, I do believe this will have no bearing on my endorsement. Given his willingness to extend dignity to all groups, given his willingness to put more money in the people's pockets by supporting a measure that has massive support already, given his pro green energy stand, I have no real choice but to endorse the Schauer for Governor campaign.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Fred Phelps
http://www.kansas.com/2014/03/16/3349504/son-says-fred-phelps-sr-of-westboro.html
Whether you support or despise him, believe in God or not, gay or straight, the truth is that his family is going through a hard time. They need prayers and support at this time. Please let him have peace in his final days.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Michigan Senate Endorsement
Happy Monday to you all. Next endorsement: the race for Michigan Senate. The race is between Terri Lynn Land, Gary Peters, and Libertarian Jim Fulner. Who should have the job? Terri Lynn Land's campaign site has no real set of issue positions. And on health reform, she has no problem with repealing it, thereby screwing poor, elderly, the sick. The only part she'd keep is covering preexisiting conditions. All the problems she states, she overstates, whether its keeping your plan or peoples work hours dropping. Both are explainable, in innocent ways. Instead, she believes in health savings accounts, which are great if you have lots of money.
Next is Jim Fulner, who stands against taxation, instead believeing the government is to be funded by private loans. But what happens if the loan holders miss payments? Less money, and more problems. And by towing the party line on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, (Libertarians believe these shouldn't exist.), he disqulifies himself in my view.
Which brings us to Gary Peters. Mr. Peters is running against Paul Ryan's Medicare vouchers, running against privitizing Social Security. He is pro choice, as well as equal pay for women. His site mentions his belief in cutting spending, as well as enacting thr Buffet Rule, which means the wealthy pay their fair share and we can start getting our financial house in order. He has also been for the Employment Non Discrimination Act, which makes it illegal to fire people just because they are gay. Another area where he's taking a moderate stance is on energy, choosing a policy that relies on oil and green energies. He is a supporter of Elizabeth Warren's plan to lower student loan rates to .75%, and most importantly is for fixing instead of repealing the Affordable Care Act.
For those reasons, Gary Peters is the choice for Senate. http://www.petersformichigan.com/landing/e140207/?subsource=splash and https://support.petersformichigan.com/donate/page/
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Raising the Minimum Wage
Turns out, it really is good for America. And a new study from University Of California at Berkeley proves it. Michael Reich and Rachael West have found that raising it to 10.10 an hour would lower spending on food stamps by 46 billion dollars over 10 years. In Michigan alone, 110,000 would no longer need it, and Michigan would save 205 million. Overall, there would be 3 to 4 million fewer people requiring food stamps. But don't tell the GOP, who are bound and determined to screw the poor by any means necessary, including food stamp cuts. Wonder what they would say to this. http://www.americanprogress.org/press/release/2014/03/06/85428/release-over-110000-people-in-michigan-will-no-longer-need-snap-as-a-result-of-raising-the-minimum-wage/
We should be having a minimum wage increase. But more than that, we need to index it to inflation, so that when prices rise, so do wages. So many claim that raising wages means job losses, and the CBO agree. However, it is important to note that it is not by two million workers, but only two million work hours. The number of unemployed? 500,000. That's only .3 percent of our current work force. In the meantime, one million people would be lifted out of poverty. The state of Washington has had the highest minimum wage for 16 years now, and they are seeing growth that is above the average, and unemployment below average. But that doesn't fit the conservative argument, and therefore they will ignore it the best they can.
We should be having a minimum wage increase. But more than that, we need to index it to inflation, so that when prices rise, so do wages. So many claim that raising wages means job losses, and the CBO agree. However, it is important to note that it is not by two million workers, but only two million work hours. The number of unemployed? 500,000. That's only .3 percent of our current work force. In the meantime, one million people would be lifted out of poverty. The state of Washington has had the highest minimum wage for 16 years now, and they are seeing growth that is above the average, and unemployment below average. But that doesn't fit the conservative argument, and therefore they will ignore it the best they can.
Michigan's 1st District
Dr. Dan Benishek. First elected in 2010, Dr. Dan pulled fifty percent of the vote against Gary McDowell. In 2012, they both ran again, but the final vote was much closer: Benishek had 48.1 percent, to McDowell's 47.6. Now he faces former Kalkaska sheriff and former General Jerry Cannon. But who deserves the victory in this district? Let's look at Dr. Benishek's record. He has voted to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides health services. Yes, abortion is included, but it's only three percent of what they do. He voted to keep money from being used to oppose the Defense of Marriage Act, a discriminatory piece of legislation to keep from recognizing same sex couples. In essence, he has supported the prevention of extending dignity to a group of people. Whatever the reason may be, to me it is irrelevant. He did in fact vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which is in fact impressive. What isn't impressive is that he has joined the GOP to vote 50 times to repeal ObamaCare, even going so far as to shut down the government, in a stunning display of partisan hackmanship and a clear case of not representing his constituents. Speaking of, he has voted to delay the mandates of the bill, which is fine. But it would be even better if he vote to repeal them. He has voted for the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act, which reforms operations of the Department of the Interior and basically just a push for offshore drilling. (More Deepwater Horizons, anyone?) Dan Benishek has voted to extend FISA Amendments Reauthorization, in essence allowing them to continue, unchecked, to monitor all of us.Speaking of, Benishek has voted to extend the PATRIOT Act. He has voted against repealing Indefinite Detention for enemy combatants, thus destroying the ideal, if they are captured here or in one of our territories, that all are presumed innocent until proven guilty. His site has no issue positions, but I'm willing to bet, from these few things, that he is closer to the right. He's no friend to the LGBT community, no friend to the environment, to civil liberties. He's no friend to unions or reasonable gun restrictions. But what's the alternative? Alan Arcand, a former service member and business owner who is even further right. Arcand should therefore be discounted for his extremism. That just leaves Jerry Cannon. Cannon's listed a belief in the minimum wage, though to what he doesn't say. He's making a pledge to oppose the Privatization of both Social Security and Medicare, two systems that all people pay into and that all should have. Mr. Cannon is for paycheck fairness and expanding childcare and preschool. While he does not completely support ObamaCare, he does not with to repeal it. Instead, he has opted for a third road: fixing it. This is the best choice; however, I do not believe he will support the things needed to fix it. He too is a "supporting of the Second Amendment" which means that more than likely he too will be against regulations that are common sense and might help. Mr. Cannon has chosen to follow in the President's steps: by following an all of the above approach to energy. It sounds great on paper; in practice, we may never be truly energy independent until we cut oil and gas use to bear bones. By doing so, we can save money, fuel, and cut the carbon emissions that are slowly killing us. He has labeled himself a fiscal conservative, which is quite worrying when you see what happened the last time we saw a fiscal conservative in power. (Hint: we went from major surplus to major deficit.) However, he does have an interesting propsal: cutting Congressional Pay during shut downs, banning raises until balanced budgets are passed, and cutting congressional perks. While these are unlikely to pass, it is a bold statement, and if he actually does try it he will deserve reelection based just on that. Mr. Cannon will face charges of liberalism, which might be true when compared to Dr. Benishek. However, given his proposals, he is actually closer to the center, center left. While he isn't a perfect candidate, he's a much better alternative. Please vote, volunteer, donate, and otherwise help Jerry Cannon reach Congress. Go to the following sites: http://action.jerrycannon.com/page/s/volunteer-signup , https://jerrycannon.ngpvanhost.com/donate
Endorsements
Its Monday night, which means it's time to start picking the people I think should win. A few things first though: Number one, I will NOT be getting involved in the House Races beyond MI-1. There are 438 seats, I simply do not have the time or space. Two: Speaking of Michigan, I will be focused on its races, as it is my home state. Three: I will endorse in Senator and Governor races where it's a toss up or we are down slightly. As races tighten, I will make endorsements. Lastly: endorsements consist of who's running, their records, who I'm picking, and why. Also to be included are their campaign sites, store links, links to donate, etc. The first one will be tonight.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Back in the Swing
So, I'm sure any one reading this expected news articles and then my opinions. Which is only fair, for that is how this started out. Don't worry, we will get back to that eventually. As an additional feature, there will now be certain petition links and shares from other blogs, on a variety of topics. Also, with midterms coming, endorsements and candidate sites, for those interested in volunteering their time or money will also be posted. Thank you for your patience, I hope you enjoy it, and if you have something to add don't be afraid to leave a comment.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Boxer, USMC vet team up to fight military rape
Boxer, USMC vet team up to fight military rape
As an update, the bill to fix this was defeated by five votes.
As an update, the bill to fix this was defeated by five votes.
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