Let's Not Forget Michigan's Tar Sands Disaster

Nearly two years ago, an oil pipeline burst and spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River. Two years is an eon in the days of the 24-hour news cycle so most of the media in Michigan has forgotten about it.

Leave it to Rachel Maddow to not only remember the mess, but to tie it to one of the national issues of the day -- construction of the Keystone Pipeline, which Republicans are trying to pressure President Obama into approving.

On her MSNBC show Friday (March 9, 2012), Maddow noted that the national already has tar sands pipelines like Keystone and they have created messes of the kind that opponents of Keystone warn about. Her case in point was the spill in the Kalamazoo River. At the time of the spill, officials said the mess would be cleaned up in a mere month. But here we are nearly two years later, and work is still on going. Turns out, oil from tar sands is heavy and rather than floating on the top of the water so that it can be skimmed off, it sinks to the bottom of the river bed.

But let's let Rachel explain, as only she can. (The most relevant part of the clip starts about six minutes in.)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Asked to Help Auto Industry, Romney's Firm Refused

With all the ink that's being spilled in Michigan newspapers over Mitt Romney and his non-stop dancing on the auto industry rescue, some facts are still being lost.

As The New York Times pointed out Monday (Feb. 20, 2012), Romney's claim that the federal government should have let private equity firms come up with the money doesn't hold water. The article states:

"To go through the bankruptcy process, both companies needed billions of dollars in financing, money that auto executives and government officials who were involved with Mr. Obama’s auto task force say was not available at a time when the credit markets had dried up. The only entity that could provide the $80 billion needed, they say, was the federal government. No private companies would come to the industry’s aid, and the only path through bankruptcy would have been Chapter 7 liquidation, not the more orderly Chapter 11 reorganization, these people said.

"In fact, the task force asked Bain Capital, the private equity company that Mr. Romney helped found, if it was interested in investing in General Motors’ European operations, according to one person with direct knowledge of the discussions.

"Bain declined, this person said, speaking anonymously to discuss private negotiations."

So Romney says private equity firms should have provided the $80 billion required to rescue the firms. But his own private equity firm wasn't interested.

In other words, Romney had a chance to put his money where his mouth is, and didn't. He had a chance to help out the key industry in his own state, in a way that he says is the only way the industry should have been helped, and he refused.

As Gov. Jennifer Granholm said, Romney stabbed us in the back in our hour of greatest need.

It Wasn't Just 'Let DETROIT Go Bankrupt'

Democrats are letting the contenders for the Republican presidential nomination off the hook on the issue of rescuing the American auto industry. Ironically, they're doing so by using Mitt Romney's own words against him.

Romney's "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" opinion piece at the time of the auto industry rescue seems devastating, and in many ways it is. Bringing it up is especially effective here in Michigan, of course.

But why should the rest of the nation really care about Detroit and Michigan's troubles, when they have troubles of their own? By implying that the rescue was only for Detroit, or jobs in Michigan, Democrats let voters in the rest of the country forget about auto industry jobs around the nation -- in assembly plants, dealerships, and auto suppliers.

They also let people forget that not only Chrysler and General Motors would have disappeared, but so would the suppliers that furnished parts to Ford. Ford's survival would have been in jeopardy at that point, too. So even though Ford did not need a rescue itself, it needed a rescue for Chrysler and General Motors in order to stay in business. This point was made at the time, but it seems to have been lost.

Democrats need to remind voters of the broad national impact of Romney's foolish plan, not narrow it to one region.

Hune's Quarter of a Million-Dollar Legislative Campaign

Livingston County is a county where everyone always votes Republican, we are told over and over again, so why did Joe Hune close in on spending a quarter of a million dollars in his state Senate campaign?

That's right, nearly a quarter of a million dollars -- or $222,196 to be exact. That's according to Hune's latest report filed with the Michigan Secretary of State's office. The Livingston Press and Argus Tuesday (January 4, 2011) claimed Hune had only spent about half that amount - $116,000. But Hune's final report shows the figure is much greater. You can look it up.

Hune raised even more than he spent -- a total of $298,400, leaving him with a big chunk of cash on hand for four years from now.

Hune's Democratic opponent, Chuck Fellows, spent about $10,000. Yet Hune kept going to insurance company and farming political action committees with his hand out, seeking more and more money to run in what we are told is a safe Republican district against an under-funded opponent. Is that the way a fiscal conservative handles finances? Why couldn't Hune just say , "No, No, No" to all that money?

Hune says there was no quid pro quo in exchange for all the cash his campaign raked in. Of course not. Hune's donors are professionals. They give money in exchange for favors routinely and they know how to do it to and stay within the law. What is expected of Hune is understood automatically, sealed with a wink and a nod, or maybe an artfully worded questionnaire.

While Hune grabs all the money from big financial interests, he keeps the home folks distracted with his ultra-right wing statements about illegal immigrants and the U.N. coming to take away your guns. That way, the folks at home won't notice that he plans to sell them down the river with votes in favor of big money interests against their economic interests. But, boy, they won't have to worry about the U.N. taking away their guns. Because by the time Hune and his cronies get done fleecing us, we won't be able to afford guns anymore.

The Envelope, Please

We've been through the list of top political stories in Livingston County, counting down on Wednesday (Dec. 29, 2010) from Number 10 to Number 2. I've been feeling the suspense building the last 24 hours, and now it's time to reveal the top political story in Livingston County during 2010.

Drum roll, please. The top political story in Livingston County during 2010 was:

--The Livingston County Commission's debt management subcommittee was revealed to have failed to approve minutes of its meetings for ten of its meetings going back to August 2009.

The maneuver was discovered when a Freedom of Information Act request was filed for the minutes and the subcommittee had no actual minutes to release, only "drafts." At its next meeting, the debt management subcommittee suddenly decided to approve its back minutes.

The failure to approve minutes was an example of the way the all-Republican county commission tried to keep secret for months the depths of the problems that the county and many of its townships face from their decision to build water and sewer systems for developers without requiring adequate security, even as Michigan was losing jobs in its major industry throughout the decade.

The secrecy was destroyed when Bloomberg News singled out Livingston County as the center of the problem in Michigan.

County commissioners and former official, such as former chair Rep. Bill Rogers and former Handy Township Supervisor and now state Rep. Cindy Denby, continued to cover up their role in causing the crisis. They insisted there was no way to foresee slowing demand for housing in Livingston County, even as figures show Michigan lost jobs from 2001 on and even as they approved more and more subdivisions while others remained unfilled.

That's what passes for leadership in Livingston County.

2010's Top 10 Livingston County Political Stories

The nation's news media is engaging in its annual "Top 10 news stories" ritual right now, but there is no reason to let them have all the fun -- or to believe their judgment is the only one that matters.

So here's a top 10 political news list for Livingston County, from a Democratic point of view.

10. Lance Enderle nominated to run last minute campaign against Mike Rogers in 8th District.

9. Democrat Annette Koeble runs for Hamburg Township treasurer, is named to planning commission by all Republican board in recognition of her qualifications.

8. Livingston County Democrats launch first-ever pot-hole contest, revealing sorry state of county roads under GOP management.

7. Incumbent County Commission Chair Maggie Jones squeaks out primary win over an unknown, earns nickname “Landslide Maggie.”

6. Incumbent County Commissioner Carol Griffith gets special treatment from Secretary of State’s office after failing to file campaign spending reports for years.

5. Nearly full slate of seven Democratic county commission candidates issue comprehensive, coordinated platform pledging “Smart Leadership, Smart Growth” for county in contrast to Republican drift.

4. State Senate candidate Chuck Fellows beats the crap out of Joe Hune in every forum and joint appearance they have and House District 66 candidate Jim Delcamp runs great grass-roots campaign.

3. House Districdt 47 candidate Garry Post wages aggressive campaign and puts incumbent Cindy Denby on the defensive for her do-nothing record.

2. Livingston County revealed to be $100 million in debt due to foolish real estate speculation by the county commissioners and townships, leading to Republican demands for a $5 million bailout from state taxpayers to prevent financial disaster in some townships. Commission Chair Maggie Jones and commissioners Jack LaBelle and Steve Williams along with county staff march into Livingston County Press and Argus offices and overwhelm editorial staff with their "It's not our fault" explanation for their fiscal incompetence.

And the top political story of 2010 is... Well, you'll have to wait until tomorrow!

Vote TODAY!

Polls open this morning at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

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Fellows vs. Hune in State Senate Debate

Chuck Fellows shows why he's the best choice for state Senate District 22 in this debate against "Just Say No Joe" Hune held in Lansing.

Watch the video here.

Here's What Our Low Taxes Get You -- Dangerous Roads

Want to know what low taxes in Livingston County gets for you?

Take a look.



This stretch of Rushton Road between 9 Mile and Ten Mile won the "worst of the worst" pothole contest sponsored by the Livingston County Democrats. The stretch of road was nominated by Karen Hamp of South Lyon.

Traveled by nearly 5,000 motorists each day, the road has ruts along the edge that could cause a motorist to lose control if their vehicle left the road. Other stretches of pavement are so deteriorated that motorists frequently drive on the wrong side of the road to avoid them.



Livingston County's incumbent Republican commissioners could do something about the state of roads if they wanted to. Instead, they keep shoveling money into an airport that none of us uses.

To fix the roads, we need to fix the commission first. Vote Democratic on Tuesday.

Livingston Dems on the Radio!

Livingston County Dems are on the air!

The first ad in support of Democratic candidates for county commission focuses on the county's misplaced priorities -- millions for an airport nobody uses but nothing for the roads we all drive on.

Listen here.

Better Late Than Never, I Guess

The all-Republican Livingston County Commission likes to pretend that it is on top of everything, that it knows everything about government and things run absolutely perfectly inside the courthouse. So there's no need for anyone to ever be looking over their shoulders.

But when people do look over their shoulders, they find lots of little problems. Like Carol Griffith never filing a campaign finance report. Like David Domas handing out his business cards at polling places.

And like sloppy minute-keeping from the commission's debt management subcommittee -- you know, the body you never read about that's looking into the county's looming $100 million debt that we are all on the hook for but you also never read about.

Recently, someone filed a freedom of information act request for minutes going back to August of 2009. What they got were ten sets of minutes all labeled "draft" because the panel had never gotten around to approving them.

Immediately after the FOIA and the release of the draft minutes, the panel met again this week. First order of business was adopt all ten sets of minutes.

Of course, the minutes themselves are inadequate -- misspellings of words such as the names of townships, only phrases in many cases rather than complete sentences, and a total lack of detail. For example, "Option 1" with no information on what "Option 1" meant.

The county's debt is a looming problem and one thing is clear from the minutes -- this crew isn't equipped to handle it.

The county and some of its townships may well be headed to appointment of an emergency financial manager to dig us out of this mess.

I hope somebody is taking notes somewhere.

Join Livingston Dems for Debate Watch Party!

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Virg Bernero will take on the "Chief Executive Out-Sourcer" in a debate this coming Sunday (Oct. 10, 2010).

Come watch it with other Democrats at Memories Lounge and Restaurant, 1840 S. Old U.S. 23, Brighton.

We will gather at 6 p.m. and order off the menu, then watch the debate at 7 p.m. There is no charge except for the food and beverages you order.

Come out and cheer on Virg!

Is Longevity All that Matters?

You can tell when a politican has no accomplishments to run on. That's when they talk about where they were born.

So it is with Carol Griffith, Republican incumbent for Livingston County Commissioner from District 7. The pitch in the campaign literature she mailed to voters says "A lifetime resident. A lifetime of leaderhsip in Livingston County!" That's it. Nothing about what that leadership amounted to, just the fact that she's never lived any place else.

How persuasive can that be considering that Livingston County likes to brag about being the fastest growing county in the state, meaning that lots of people have moved here from someplace else as opposed to living here their entire lives? Griffith apparently thinks these people are lesser human beings.

On top of that, she's made plenty of money selling homes to those carpetbaggers who have dared to move into her home county. But now she thinks they're good enough to vote for her, but not good enough to serve themselves.

What does Griffith's "I've never lived anywhere else so I deserve to be elected" pitch mean for people like Griffith's fellow commissioners Maggie Jones or Jim Mantey, who are not native to the county? Guess they don't deserve to be on the county commission either.

Anybody who has moved into this county in the last 20 years is bound to find Griffith's pitch insulting. And there's a ton of those folks out there. Democrat Kelly Raskauskas should be able to capitalize on the resentment that Griffith's insulting campaign mailing will engender.

Enderle: No Spill Baby Spill in Our Great Lakes

Lance Enderle, the Democratic nominee for the 8th Congressional District, is making it clear how he differs from Republican Mike Rogers. Enderle isn't about to let the Great Lakes be ruined by Big Oil.

Check out his first youtube ad on Mike Rogers, the big oily.

Newest Michigan Justice Joining Dems Friday Night!

The newest member of the Michigan Supreme Court will join Livingston County Democrats at their Campaign Countdown 2010 on Friday (Sept. 24, 2010).

Justice Alton T. Davis, appointed to the high court in August by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, will speak at the event at Barnstormers Banquet Center, Whitmore Lake. Davis is running for a full-term on the court in the November election.

Also speaking will be Judge Denise Langford Morris. She is opposing Robert Young, a current justice who has been rated the worst justice on Michigan's high court.

Both Davis and Morris run on the non-partisan portion of the ballot. Voters who opt for a straight-party ticket will not vote for the judges unless they flip the ballot over and vote the non-partisan area.

David Leyton, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General, also will speak at the event.

The event also is a great time to hear Lance Enderle, the 8th Congressional District nominee running against Republican Mike Rogers, as well as Democratic candidates for state Senate, state House, and Livingston County Commission.

Campaign Countdown will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Suggested donation is $25 per person. Tickets are available at the door. Call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net for more information.

Snyder 'Proud' of Gateway Record'

Republican Rick Snyder says he's "proud" of his record at Gateway Computers. Take a look at the latest ad from the Michigan Democratic Party on what that record really is.

You can view it here.

Yet another reason to come Saturday (Sept. 18, 2010) to an organizational meeting for Virg Bernero for Governor. We'll meet at 10 a.m. at party headquarters, 10321 Grand River Road, Suite 600, Brighton, MI 48116, and hear from Deputy Campaign Manager Farhad Bhatti, and then head out to do some canvassing for Bernero.

Bernero Tells WHMI: Tough People Don't Run from a Challenge

Virg Bernero is standing up to his Republican opponent over his refusal to hold public debates.

In an interview with WHMI on Tuesday (Sept. 14, 2010), Bernero says if Rick Snyder is so tough, he should stop running away from an agreement to hold debates. "Tough people don't run from a challenge," Bernero said.

"If he's not careful, he's going to get a nickname of 'Bubble Boy,'" Bernero said, referring to Snyder's isolation from the electorate.

Bernero also contrasted himself with Snyder. As mayor of Lansing, Bernero said he balanced five straight budgets, brought jobs to Lansing, and led by cutting his own pay and benefits and giving up his city car. In contrast, Bernero said, Snyder shipped jobs to China while at Gateway, with the company eventually being sold to Chinese owners.

Bernero was sharp and smooth during the interview. No wonder Chicken Rick is running from him.

Sign Up for Campaign Countdown 2010!

Join other Democrats at Barnstormers Banquet Center on Friday, Sept. 24, for our Campaign Countdown 2010!

All statewide Democratic candidates -- from gubernatorial nominee Virg Bernero and his running mate Brenda Lawrence on down the ticket -- have been invited to tell us about their campaigns for November.

This is a great chance to hear from our local candidates, too -- State Senate candidate Chuck Fellows, state House candidates Jim Delcamp and Garry Post, and county commission candidates Thomas Bell of Oceola Township, Dane Morris of Hartland Township, David Berry of Conway Township, Keith Tianen of Putname Township, Kelly Raskauskas of Genoa Township, Amir Baghdadchi of Hamburg Township, and Barry McBride of Green Oak Township.

The event, at 9411 E. M-36, Whitmore Lake, will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and includes free appetizers and a cash bar. Suggested donation is just $25 per person. Proceeds benefit our local candidates.

Reserve by sending a check made out to Livingston County Democrats to 10321 Grand River Road, Suite 600, Brighton, MI 48116. Or pay at the door (checks only, no cash). Call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net for more information.

So Is This How He'll Govern--By Ultimatum?

Republican Rick Snyder is starting to show his true colors -- rather than an outsider who will bring reforms to state government, he promises more of the same hyper-partisan gridlock.

Snyder recently called off negotiations on setting up gubernatorial debates with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Virg Bernero. Snyder wanted to call all the shots -- only three debates instead of the eight around the state that Bernero wanted, all in October, etc., etc. When Bernero opened a discussion on the moderators, Snyder walked away.

His way or the highway. Remind you of anybody? How about John Engler, Snyder's old boss? That sort of arrogant inflexibility is not what we need in Lansing. We need bipartisan cooperation to get things done, not high-handed ultimatums from CEOs who think they are the only elected official in the state whose opinion matters.

Snyder, of course, doesn't want debates because he doesn't do well in them and Bernero does. And Snyder doesn't want to tell the public what he really stands for -- shipping jobs to China while collecting $14 million in stock options for himself.

Volunteer for Bernero for Governor!

The Virg Bernero for Goveror campaign will begin organizing in Livingston County and next week is your chance to learn how you can be involved.

An organizational meeting for volunteers is set for Saturday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. at Livingston County Democratic Party headquarters, 10321 Grand River Road, Suite 600, Brighton, MI.

Farhan Bhatti, deputy campaign manager for the Bernero campaign, will be on hand to talk about the campaign and train volunteers. No experience is necessary. We will teach you what you need to know in order to carry Virg's message to voters.

Virg has a plan for making Michigan work again. Come out and learn how you can be involved.

Call (810) 229-4212 or email livcodems@sbcuc.net for more information.