The Western Right

Dale Pominville, America's Newest County Commissioner

2012-01-31T22:04:00.002-05:00

The Kalamazoo County Commission selected Dale Pominville to replace Deb Buchholtz on the county commission. He is currently the Parchment School Board president. He is also a neighbor of Buchholtz. He appears to work at Metro Toyota. He claims to be a Republican, though it is not clear how active he has been.

Parchment School Board President Dale Pominville selected to replace Deb Buhholtz on Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners

The remainder of Deb's term lasts less than a year. Due to redistricting, he would run against Jeff Heppler if he runs for reelection.

Converted Electric Car

2012-01-31T20:27:00.002-05:00

Converting a gas-powered car to an electric car is an interesting project. The one key fact that the article leaves out is that it cost $17,000, not including labor. Electric cars are not cost-competitive.

Western Michigan University physics professor converts 1992 Honda Civic into electric vehicle

Upton's 'Perfect' Record

2012-01-31T20:23:00.001-05:00

Of course, the real issue is not whether you make every vote, it's how you vote.

Congressman Fred Upton posts perfect voting record for 2011

2012 Kalamazoo Primary Election Preview

2012-01-31T17:27:00.000-05:00

This is a preview of elections in Michigan in 2012. It focuses on primary elections. This post was last updated on January 21, 2012.

While most of political coverage has focused on the 2012 presidential primary races, there will be many other races on the ballot. Here is an overview of the races relevant to Kalamazoo readers. More detailed profiles of some of the races will follow soon.
[List of Michigan Presidential Candidates]

February 28: Presidential Primary
This is the date of Michigan's Presidential Primary. There are eleven candidates listed on the Republican primary ballot. Five of them have since dropped out, and two (Roemer, Karger) are not widely regarded as serious candidates, leaving Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich as Republicans' choices. The winner will face President Barack Obama and various third party candidates in November.

There are also a couple special elections on this date.

District 29 (Pontiac) Safe Democrat
This election to replace a democrat state rep Tim Melton is likely to be won by democrat county commissioner Tim Greimel.

District 51 (south Genesee) Lean Republican
This is to replace recalled state rep Paul Scott. It features Republican Joseph Graves, a county commissioner from the Fenton area, versus democrat Steven Losey, a union boss. The race leans Republican, thanks in part to the likely electorate of the Republican Presidential Primary.

November 6: General Election
President (Michigan)
Michigan leans slightly to the left in Presidential elections. This means that democrats need to win Michigan to win the White House, but Republicans don't. Michigan still has a bad economy thanks to eight years of democrat Governor Jennifer Granholm. Will this help Republicans in the presidential race? Perhaps.

August 7: Other Primaries
US Senate
Democrat Senator Debbie Stabenow is seeking a third term. Seven Republicans are seeking to replace her. They are Scotty Boman, Clark Durant, Gary Glenn, Randy Hekman, Pete Hoekstra, Peter Konetchy, and Chuck Marino. Hoekstra is a former congressman who represented the 2nd district in West Michigan 1992-2010. He lost the Republican primary for governor in 2010. He is the favorite, leading in the polls and in fundraising. His main competitor is Durant, a businessman. Candidates all need to submit 10,000 valid signatures to make the ballot, meaning that it is very questionable whether any of the others will do so.
I-Caucus of Michigan and the Michigan Republican Senate Primary

US House of Representatives
Only one of Michigan's 14 congressional districts is likely to have a competitive general election. However, there are interesting primaries shaping up in the 5th, 6th, 13th and 14th districts. Other primaries may still develop. The following post examines the races in greater detail.
2012 Michigan Congressional Races

Michigan Supreme Court
Conservative Republican Steven Markman will likely seek reelection. Appointed Republican Brian Zhara will likely seek to fill the remainder of the term to which he was appointed. Democrat Marilyn Kelly has reached the age limit, so her seat will be open. Republicans currently have a 4-3 majority on the court, so this election could result in anything from 5-2 D to 5-2 R.

Education Boards
Two seats each on the Michigan Board of Education and University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University boards of trustees will be up for election.

Ballot Proposals
Nothing is expected to be on the ballot at this time.

Michigan House of Representatives
All 110 seats in the Michigan state house will be up for election. Some members will be term-limited. Republicans currently have a 63-37 majority. The new redistricting plan helps Republicans some, but not as much as it could have.

In the greater Kalamazoo area...

59th District (St. Jospeh, Cass County) Safe Republican
Incumbent Republican Matt Lori should have no trouble getting reelected.

60th District (Kalamazoo city) Safe democrat
Incumbent democrat Sean McCann has an even safer district than before, and should have no trouble getting reelected.

61st District (Portage, Oshtemo) Safe Republican
Conservative Republican Margaret O'Brien will likely be reelected easily. The district became safer by losing western Kalamazoo Township to the 60th and adding Schoolcraft Township.

62nd District (Battle Creek, Albion) Safe democrat
Incumbent democrat Kate Segal should have no trouble getting reelected. This district became more democrat with the addition of Bedford and Pennfield.

63rd District (E Kalamazoo, S Calhoun) Safe Republican
Republican Speaker Jase Bolger won't have trouble with reelection in a district that drops Bedfore and Pennfield and adds rural conservative townships in Calhoun.

80th District (Van Buren, Cooper) Safe Republican
Conservative Republican Aric Nesbitt should be safe in a district that drops a small piece of Allegan and adds NW Kalamazoo.

88th District (Allegan County) Safe Republican
Conservative Republican Bob Genetski should have no trouble with reelection in this solidly conservative district.

Republican incumbents will run for reelection in districts 58 (Hillsdale/Branch Counties), 79 (northern Berrien County), and 87 (Barry County). Republicans Sharon Tyler will vacate districts 78 (southern Berrien County) to seek to become Berrien County Clerk.

Kalamazoo Countywide Offices
All six countywide offices are up for election. Republicans hold all six offices.

Sheriff: Democrat Richard Fuller defeated Republican Michael Anderson in 2008. There is at least one Republican running, and more are possible.

Prosecutor: It is unknown whether incumbent Republican Jeff Fink will seek reelection. If he does not, it is likely that one of his assistant prosecutors will run.

Clerk: Incumbent Republican Tim Snow will likely seek reelection.

Treasurer: Republican Mary Balkema, who was appointed to replace Sharon Cubitt in 2007, will seek reelection. Balkema barely defeated a token challenger in 2008. It is possible that liberal billionaire Jon Stryker will fund a stronger challenger this time due to Balkema's opposition to a 'gay rights' ordinance in Kalamazoo city in 2009.

Drain Commissioner: The incumbent is democrat Patricia Crowley. In 2008, she defeated Republican Pat Crouse who was appointed to replace Bill French, who was convicted of a crime. County commissioner Nasim Ansari, who applied for the position in 2008, is a potential Republican candidate.

Surveyor: Republican Bill Hahn is the incumbent. This position is usually unopposed. The position is unpaid, and its holder must be a licenced surveyor.

Kalamazoo County Commission
Republicans have a 10-7 majority on the commission. Redistricting will shrink the commission to 11 seats, changing the district boundaries. The new map is likely to yield a 7-4 Republican majority. It is not known yet who will run for reelection. There may be several incumbent v. incumbent races unless several incumbents retire. The following post has detailed descriptions of the districts and their political leanings.

Kalamazoo County Commission Districts.

District 1 [Carolyn Alford and Robert Barnard] Safe Democrat
District 2 [David Buskirk, Jack Urban] Safe Democrat
District 3 [John Taylor] Safe Democrat
District 4 [Brian Johnson, Michael Seals] Safe Democrat
District 5 [Open] Safe Republican
District 6 [Jeff Heppler, Dale Pominville] Safe Republican
District 7 [Ann Nieuwenhuis] Safe Republican
District 8 [John Gisler, David Maturen] Safe Republican
District 9 [Tim Rogowski, Brandt Iden] Safe Republican
District 10 [Phil Stinchcomb] Safe Republican
District 11 [John Zull, Nasim Ansari] Safe Republican

Township Elections
There are plenty of contested township elections. A few are noteworthy.

Comstock Township: Incumbent democrat Tim Hudson is not expected to seek reelection. There is no word on replacement candidates yet.

Kalamazoo Township: The democrat incumbent Supervisor is Terri Mellinger, who has had trouble paying her taxes. There are also four trustee positions currently held by democrats.

Oshtemo Township: The incumbent democrat is Elizabeth Heiny-Cogswell. There are also four trustee positions up for election, two of which are currently held by appointee due to the resignations of Republican Jim Grace and democrat Scott McCormick.

Texas Township: Conservative Republican Dave Healy will likely seek reelection. Incumbent conservative Erin Hoogendyk is among the four incumbent Republican trustees.

School Boards
School board elections were moved to November by a recent bill. There is nothing to report on these elections yet.

2012 Michigan Congressional Races

2012-01-28T18:30:00.000-05:00

Cross-posted at The Western Right, Right Michigan, and Red Racing Horses. This post was last updated on January 28.

Michigan will see a number of interesting congressional races in 2012.

Michigan will lose a congressional seat, going from 15 to 14. Redistricting changed the congressional map, particularly in eastern Michigan.

There are several articles that analyse the general political leanings of the new districts.
Michigan Redistricting: Congressional Map Passed
Republican Michigander Congressional District Profiles (Sidebar at right)

District 1 (Upper Peninsula, Northern Lower Peninsula) Likely Republican.
In 2010, Dr. Dan Benishek won an open seat vacated by democrat Rep. Bart Stupak against democrat state Rep. Gary McDowell 52-41. The new district gets more Republican, adding areas around Traverse City. Benishek has generally voted with the leadership, displeasing some of his former Tea Party supporters. McDowell is back for a rematch, but Benishek will be difficult to beat as an incumbent.

District 2 (Ottowa, Muskegon) Safe Republican.
Republican former state rep. Bill Huizinga won a close primary in 2010 to replace Pete Hoekstra, who was running for governor. Since then he has generally voted the party line. This remains the most Republican district in Michigan. There has been talk of Tea Partiers supporting term-limited state rep. Dave Agema in the primary. Agema is a staunch conservative who has championed gun rights, immigration restriction, and fiscal conservatism. His home in the Grand Rapids suburb of Grandville was added to the 2nd in redistricting.

District 3 (Kent, Calhoun) Safe Republican.
Republican state rep. Justin Amash won the primary to replace moderate Republican Vern Ehlers, who retired rather than face a strong primary challenge. Amash is a libertarian in the mold of Rep. Ron Paul. He has stepped on some toes in Washington, most notably getting into a spat with the NRA over procedural objections to a gun rights bill. There have been repeated rumors that someone will challenge Amsah in the Republican primary, but nobody has so far. Amash remains the favorite.

District 4 (central Michigan) Safe Republican.
Republican Dave Camp has been winning big margins in this district since 1990. He's now the Ways and Means Committee chairman and still going strong.

District 5 (Genesee, Saginaw, Bay) Safe democrat.
Michigan 5th Congressional District Election Preview
Democrat Dale Kildee, who has held this district since 1976, is finally retiring. Former Genesee Treasurer Dan Kildee, notable for his proposal to tear down sections of Flint, is running. Several other prominent democrats, former Congressman James Barcia, State Senator John Gleason, and state rep. Woodrow Stanley, have discussed running but have not announced anything yet. Former democrat state rep. Jim Slezak is running as a Republican. 2010 nominee John Kupiec is also considering running.

District 6 (SW Michigan) Safe Republican.
Moderate Republican Fred Upton has won by wide margins since defeating conservative Mark Siljander in 1986. In 2010, former state rep. Jack Hoogendyk, running with Tea Party support got 43% in the Republican primary. The race received almost no outside attention and Jack raised only $60,000 in that race. Since then, Upton became Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and his record received more scrutiny from national conservatives. Hoogendyk is challenging Upton again in 2012, and is likely to receive support from the Club for Growth.
In 2008 and 2010, Upton easily defeated leftist Kalamazoo city commissioner Don Cooney. In 2012, the democrat candidate is John Waltz, an Iraq War veteran who recently moved to the district from Kentucky.

District 7 (south-central Michigan) Safe Republican.
Republican Tim Walberg defeated liberal democrat Mark Schauer in a hard-fought race in 2010. This followed Schauer's defeat of Walberg in 2008, Walberg's defeat of RINO Joe Schwarz in 2006, and Schwarz's winning a divided Republican primary to replace Nick Smith in 2004. Redistricting removed Schauer's base of Calhoun county, and he is not running again. Walberg tends to be underestimated, but even in 2008, facing a strong opponent supported by Schwarz in the worst Republican year in memory, he only lost by 3%. Democrats have no candidate so far. Walberg will never win the margins of Camp, Rogers, or Miller, but I suspect he will settle in and win 55-60%.

District 8 (Ingham, Livingston, N Oakland) Safe Republican.
Republican Mike Rogers has won big margins since 2000, and he should have no trouble with his new district.

District 9 (S Macomb, Royal Oak, Bloomfield) Safe democrat.
This is mostly the old 12th district of Sander Levin, though it also takes in part of Gary Peters' old 9th district. This district is less liberal without Southfield and Oak Park. Levin is more liberal than the district, but he is popular enough to win here as long as he wants. He will likely be succeeded by a less liberal Macomb county democrat.

District 10 (N Macomb, the Thumb) Safe Republican.
Candice Miller is highly popular in Macomb County and statewide, and that isn't going to change.

District 11 (NW Wayne, SW Oakland, Troy) Safe Republican.
Republican Thad McCotter saw the most improvement in his district, trading increasingly democrat suburbs of Detroit in Wayne County for Republican areas of Oakland County. During his Quixotic presidential campaign, state senator Mike Kowall announced a campaign for the seat. He only recently dropped out; his campaign seemed more driven by geography than issues.

District 12 (Downriver, Ann Arbor) Safe democrat.
Democrat John Dingell, in Congress since Eisenhower's first term (really!), gets a new district that reunites his Downriver base. This successor of the old 15th district loses Monroe to Walberg. If Dingell ever leaves Congress, we could see an interesting Downriver versus Ann Arbor primary.

District 13 (W Detroit, Westland) Safe democrat.
This district contains the bulk of John Conyers' base, although Republicans drew him out of the district. Conyers, in Congress since 1964, hasn't had a tough primary or general election in decades. Conyers' image has been tarnished since his wife Monica, formerly Detroit city council president, pled guilty to bribery and is now serving time in federal prison. He is being challenged by state senator Glenn Andersen, whose base in the mostly white suburbs of Westland and Redford was moved from McCotter's district into the 13th. Senator Bert Johnson, who is a convicted felon since he robbed a country club at 19, is also running. Rep. Shanelle Jackson is also running in the democrat primary. There may be polarized voting between white suburban supporters of Andersen and black Detroit supporters of Conyers, Johnson, and Jackson.

District 14 (E Detroit, Southfield, Farmington, Pontiac) Safe democrat.
This district promises a very interesting primary. The majority of the district is the old 13th of democrat Hansen Clarke, who beat the scandal-plagued Carolyn Kilpatrick in 2010, though he was drawn out of the district. Congressman Gary Peters, whose old 9th district was split into four pieces, is running here. This is his best shot, although none of his options were good. The third candidate is Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence. Also running is former state rep. Mary Waters, who has pled guilty to filing a false tax return. I don't have a good sense of how this primary will turn out, but all of the first three have a legitimate shot.

Allegan Surrenders to Terrorists

2012-01-28T18:08:00.002-05:00

Allegan police chief Rick Hoyer shut down an event where Kamal Seleem was to speak on the threat of radical Islam. This is an attack on the First Amendment rights of free speech and freedom of association. This was due to a rumor of a bounty on his head (which seems dubious). It's a shame that the police chief would surrender to the threats (real or imagined) of terrorists rather than stand up to them.

Allegan High School event canceled after police learn of 'bounty' on speaker Kamal Saleem's head

Impeach Obama!

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Three years down, hopefully no more than one to go.

Jack Announces

2012-01-18T01:09:00.002-05:00

Jack Hoogendyk has announced a second challenge to Congressman Fred Upton.

Jack Hoogendyk to challenge U.S. Rep. Fred Upton again for seat in Congress
Jack Hoogendyk announces bid for Congress at Kalamazoo event
Congressman Fred Upton responds to Jack Hoogendyk entering the Republican primary for the House

Retiring POLITICAL UPDATES

2012-01-16T23:08:00.000-05:00

Due to time constraints, I have decided to cease my weekly POLITICAL UPDATES. We had a good run, dating back to summer 2005. Unfortunately, I can't keep up the same schedule any longer. Readers can find good conservative articles by visiting the websites frequently linked to, and reading frequent authors such as Steve Sailer, Gary North, Thomas Sowell, Ann Coulter, and Phyllis Schlafly.

Thank you.
-Conservative First

Enough

2012-01-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

POLITICAL UPDATE--Immigration

2012-01-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

This update focuses on immigration.

Victor Davis Hanson: Vandalized Valley
James Fulford: Republican Legislators And The US Chamber Of Commerce Collude On Increasing Legal Immigration During Great Recession
Steve Sailer: Import Teachers Who Can’t Speak English—Alienate Reagan Democrats
James Fulford: So Why Doesn’t The “Broken Windows” Theory Apply To Illegal Aliens?
Washington Watcher: The Achievements Of Russell Pearce—Arizona’s Patriotic Immigration Reform Champion is Down But Not Out!

For more on immigration, see VDARE.com.

The Best of The Western Right: 2011

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000-05:00

This blog was somewhat less busy this year but still covered many topics. We had 180 posts this year. Here are some of the best posts of 2011.

A series of articles on redistricting in Michigan.
Michigan Redistricting

Conservative of the Year: Scott Walker
Who are the "Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility" and why do they support Fred Upton?
GOP Leaders: ~~Merry Christmas~~ Happy Holidays!
Evangelical Environmental Network Runs Misleading Ads
Van Jones' Speech
Another Kalamazoo College Employee Lies About Van Jones
Kalamazoo College Professor Lies About Van Jones
Howard Wolpe, RIP
City of Kalamazoo Declares War on Kalamazoo County!
Up From the Projects
The Case for a Creator
Weapons of Mass Instruction
The ACLU vs America
Michigan 5th Congressional District Election Preview
Does Detroit Need Immigration?
How Busing Wrecked Kalamazoo
Reagan Forever
Democrat Supervisor Doesn't Pay Taxes
Snyder Appoints Democrat WMU Trustee

2011 Election Preview

Previous:
The Best of The Western Right: 2010
The Best of The Western Right: 2009
The Best of The Western Right: 2008
The Best of The Western Right: 2007
The Best of The Western Right: 2006

Best Articles of 2011

2011-12-31T21:17:00.003-05:00

It is time for the best articles of 2011. These articles were selected from roughly 10,000 articles this year. More than 400 articles appeared in this year's 52 POLITICAL UPDATES.

The economy and the government were the most frequent topics, inspiring seven updates each. Immigration and the culture war were tied with six each.

Here are the ten best articles of 2011.

Victor Davis Hanson: Two Californias
Gary North: Facebook, Twitter, and the Arab Revolutions
Steve Sailer: Census 2010: Hispanic Hype, Black Backwash, White Flight
Thomas Sowell: Voting with Their Feet
Steve Sailer: Obama and Osama: Can We Go Home Now?
Gary North: College: Why It Is Not a Bubble
Gary North: London Riots: What Nobody Dares to Say
Federale: Obama Regime's Administrative Amnesty: Impeachment Is The Only Answer
Gary North: Too Many Eurozone Summits
Victor Davis Hanson: Vandalized Valley

Previous:
Best Articles of 2010
Best Articles of 2009
Best Articles of 2008
Best Articles of 2007
Best Articles of 2006
Best Articles of 2005

2011 Year in Review

2011-12-31T15:55:00.000-05:00

Local news from the Gazette:
Here are the top stories in the Kalamazoo area for 2011

National news from Dave Barry:
Dave Barry’s Year in Review: The 2011 Festival of Sleaze

Conservative of the Year: Scott Walker

2011-12-30T16:21:00.004-05:00

2011 was a year of political stalemate, following Republicans' victories in the 2010 election. Consequently there isn't as clear a choice for conservative of the year as in some past years. In Congress, conservatives including Paul Ryan in the House (Human Events' choice for Conservative of the Year) and Rand Paul in the senate fought good, but mostly losing fights. 2009 winner Glenn Beck continued his efforts with a rally in Israel and launching an internet television network.

2011 was also the year of the mob. There were protests and riots in the Middle East and Egypt. There were leftist rallies in Wisconsin and the Occupy Wall Street movement in Manhattan and across the country. No one called this better than Ann Coulter, whose new book Demonic explains the liberal mob.

In the states, many conservatives fought the good fight. Arizona Senate Majority Leader Russel Pearce fought the good fight on immigration, gun rights, and more, and was recalled for his efforts. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie continued his efforts to reform that state. All of the preceding deserve honorable mentions.

But the best embodiment of these trends is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Walker proposed reasonable reforms to the budget process and monopoly (collective) bargaining of some government employees. In response, Wisconsin leftists generated a firestorm of outrage. The democrat state senators fled the state, attempting to stop the bill from passing. Mobs invaded the state capital for weeks. But Walker and legislative Republicans refused to give in. They stood their ground and passed the bill anyways.

The issue didn't end there. Democrats tried to snag a state supreme court seat that would have given them the majority, but Republican David Prosser held them off. Leftists tried to recall enough state senators to take a majority of the state senate, but that effort was beaten back, with democrats winning only two seats under exceptional circumstances.

The issue still isn't over, as leftists are organizing to recall Walker in 2012. But Walker has continued to calmly stand his ground and argue for the merits of his reforms. His approval ratings have improved, and he stands a good chance of beating the recall.

Budget reform is all the Wisconsin Republicans accomplished. They also made Wisconsin the 41st state with the right to carry a concealed weapon. They strengthened self-defense laws. They passed a voter ID law to protect elections.

For standing up for conservative principles against the worst the left had to offer, Scott Walker is the 2011 conservative of the year.

Previous winners (including retroactive):
2010: Jim DeMint
2009: Glenn Beck
2008: Sarah Palin
2007: Ron Paul
2006: Jerome Corsi
2005: Tom Tancredo
2004: John O'Neill
2003: Roy Moore
2002: John Ashcroft
2001: George W. Bush
2000: William Rehnquist

2011: The Year at Western

2011-12-30T15:13:00.004-05:00

2011 was a fairly quiet year at Western, at least politically. The big news on campus continues to be the effort to establish a medical school. The school continues to raise money and hire administrators. It was also given a building downtown to serve as the location of the new school. (Presumably, the business that donated it will get a big tax writeoff.)

Construction continued on the new Sangren Hall, with the exterior now mostly complete and interior work continuing. Work is also progressing on an expansion to the Lee Honors College.

There has been little political activism on campus from either the College Republicans or the various leftist groups on campus. The Students for Life were revived from near death. The Western Herald has cut publication down to twice a week and seem to have lost significant readership. The WSA hasn't been involved in any recent controversies.

In February, Governor Snyder reappointed businessman Ken Miller to the WMU Board of Trustees and also appointed former Granholm staffer Dana Debel. Retired professor Joseph Ellin passed away. Veterans of the WMU College Republicans celebrated the five-year anniversary of Ann Coulter's speech on campus.

In March, the speed limit on Stadium was increased to 45 mph. In April, Jesse Jackson spoke on campus. The great Paul Maier finally retired as a history professor at Western. In May, university continued living well. In July, a federal appeals court panel overturned the MCRI; the ruling is being appealed to the full 6th circuit court of appeals . Western bought the University Bookstore , establishing a monopoly on physical bookstores on campus.

In August, Western's 'weak' education college was debated in the Gazette. A Western alumnus was involved in one of the big political stories of the year in Michigan. Western was rated as a 'gay-friendly' campus. In September, the costs of college continued to be debated. Western remembered 9/11.

In October, Human Events editor Jason Mattera spoke at Kalamazoo College, causing controversy. Later in October, it was announced that communist Van Jones would speak at Kalamazoo College. After the Gazette told a little too much truth about Jones' past, Kalamazoo College professor Any Elman and employee Hussain Turk lied about his record. His speech promoted big government under the guise of 'green energy'.

Former Congressman and WMU professor Howard Wolpe passed away. Khan Academy is changing math and science education. Western cut down trees to install solar panels.

What's next in 2012?

Previous:
2010: The year at Western
2009: The Year at Western
2008: The Year at Western
2007: The Year at Western
2006: The Year at Western

POLITICAL UPDATE--Election 2012

2011-12-29T15:01:00.000-05:00

This political update focuses on the 2012 election.

Mark Steyn: The Gingrich Gestalt
Larry Kudlow: The 2011 HUMAN EVENTS Conservative of the Year: Paul Ryan
Ann Coulter: Newt: Speak Bombastically and Carry a Tiny Stick
Ann Coulter: Newt Presents a Fresh New Virtual Face
Ann Coulter: If Not Romney, Who? If Not Now, When?
Peter Bradley: Newt Gingrich—GOP’s Anti-White Quota King
Steve Sailer: Herman Cain And The Limits Of Permissible Republican Ideology
James Kirkpatrick: Is “Conservatism” Enough? Russell Pearce’s Defeat And The Future Of “The Movement”
Phyllis Schlafly: National Popular Vote Is a Bad Idea

For campaign and election coverage, visit Red Racing Horses.

Michigan Articles

2011-12-29T01:48:00.002-05:00

Steve Sailer on Benton Harbor:

Municipal Coup

Will Grigg on self-defense in Michigan:

The Right To Resist: Will Michigan Repeal the 'Rapist Doctrine'?

POLITICAL UPDATE--Sovereignty

2011-12-27T03:17:00.000-05:00

This update focuses on sovereignty.

Phyllis Schlafly: China Celebrates Outwitting Us in the WTO
Phyllis Schlafly: UN Mischief from Durban to Rio
Steve Sailer: Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush—Servants of Davos Man
Phyllis Schlafly: Goodbye UNESCO a Model for Goodbye UN
Gary North: Europe's Hangover
Gary North: Too Many Eurozone Summits

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Who are the "Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility" and why do they support Fred Upton?

2011-12-26T18:46:00.000-05:00

Radio ads in Southwest Michigan are touting the supposed fiscal conservatism of Congressman Fred Upton. The ads praise his work on the "Supercommittee" and claim that Upton was picked because "he's a tough conservative", instead of his insider connections. Of course, the supercommittee didn't accomplish anything, though the fact that they didn't raise taxes can be seen as a victory.

The ads are run by an outfit called "Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility". Who are they? Their FEC filing lists the people sharing control and Stephen Linder and Jeffrey Timmer. They are both also listed as owners of the Sterlling Corporation, a major Republican political consulting firm in Michigan. The group had previously run ads in 2010 (presumably) attacking Gary Peters, Mark Schauer, and Gary McDowell.

MCFFR seems to be a "SuperPAC" that is not required to disclose its donations. The organization does not appear to have a website.

It would seem that some wealthy person or persons, who may not actually be citizens of Michigan, paid the Sterling Corporation to run ads praising Upton through a front group that doesn't actually exist except on paper. Listeners are advised to be skeptical.

Deb Buchholtz Resigns

2011-12-24T06:30:00.002-05:00

Deb Buchholtz, the county commissioner representing district 13 (Alamo, Cooper, Parchment) will resign to devote more time to her new job.

Deb Buchholtz resigning from Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners

District 13 is staunchly Republican. The county commission will appoint a replacement to finish Deb's term. It will be interesting to see whether they appoint a moderate like Deb or a more conservative Republican.

District 13 was chopped into three pieces in redistricting. The largest part, Cooper, which is where Deb lives, was put in a district with longtime commissioner Jeff Hepler. Parchment was added to a democrat district, and Alamo is in a new, open Republican district. If the county commission wants to appoint someone who will be around for more than a year, that person will likely have to be from Alamo.

2000 Posts

2011-12-24T06:22:00.002-05:00

This is the 2000th post on The Western Right. This blog began February 12, 2006 as a group blog for the WMU College Republicans and eventually transitioned into a personal blog when the other contributors moved on to other things. Some of the posts have since been off-lined, but I have kept count.

Here is the first month of posts. Many of the highlights of this blog are linked at right.

GOP Leaders: Merry Christmas Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T16:44:00.002-05:00

Christmastime for conservative activists brings lots of spam emails from GOP leaders in Michigan. These provide a curious sidebar in the "War on Christmas", the leftist effort to eliminate traditional symbols of Christmas as part of the broader culture war.

The chief symbol of the War on Christmas is the battle between the greetings "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays", with "Season's Greetings" making an occasional appearance. Of course, there wouldn't be "Holidays" without Christmas. The bizarre argument for using "Happy Holidays" is that some tiny fraction of the population would be offended by "Merry Christmas", so we must use a phrase that annoys far more people. (But they're the wrong people, so who cares are them?)

Two recent polls have shown that 69% and 77% of Americans prefer "Merry Christmas". The percentages of Republicans was 88% yet another poll.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/content/pdf/7006
http://www.goppolk.org/?p=1131

Yet some Republican leaders have taken a cowardly stand with the forces of political correctness rather than the vast majority of the Republican base. Here is a list of the greetings used by prominent Republicans who have mailed or emailed me.

Rick Snyder: "Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays"
Brian Calley: "Seasons Greetings"
Bobby Schotak: "holiday season"
Saul Anuzis: "Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays"
Bill Scheutte: "Happy Holidays"
Randy Richardville: "holiday season, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"
Pete Hoekstra: "Merry Christmas"
Dan Horning (candidate for UM regent): "Warmest Holiday Wishes"
Jack Hoogendyk: "Merry Christmas"
Senator Tonya Schuitmaker: "Happy Holidays"
Rep. Margaret O'Brien: "Merry Christmas"
Speaker Jase Bolger: "A Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!"
Kalamazoo GOP: "Merry Christmas"

Please post any additional data you have in the comments.

1967 Detroit Riots

2011-12-14T13:21:00.001-05:00

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Culture War

2011-12-13T16:39:00.000-05:00

This update focuses on the culture war.

Immanuel Velikovsky: Deluge
Gary North: The Coming Break-Up of the Nation-State
Pat Buchanan: The Equality Racket
Steve Sailer: Steve Jobs: Nature, Nurture, And Apricot Orchards In Silicon Valley
Pat Buchanan: Why We Should Care If Whites Become A Minority
Gary North: The Paterno Affair and Western Liberty

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

WMU CR alum's latest column

2011-12-12T19:25:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, I've been writing a few articles for a number of places across the nation. My latest has been published on RealReaganConservative.com. Here's a short preview:

It seems that a number of conservatives won’t be getting what they want in 2012. Far too many conservatives are defining the current presidential pack as less than inspiring. What followed was a number commentators and pundits hoping that someone with experience and a solid conservative record would jump in and save us all from the mediocrity they saw in the current field.

For the past few months, I’ve heard nothing but comments like “Sarah Palin needs to run,” and “Marco Rubio would be prefect!” Ann Coulter even joked about taking away Chris Christie’s inhaler until he ran. But the window has come and gone for people to join in the race, and there’s a lot of disappointment with many now talking about 2016.

It’s as if all the hoopla surrounding the race for the White House has caused us to completely forget the fact that there are other elections taking place in November. One third of the Senate seats and the entire House of Representatives will be determined by voters in November. There are also numerous state and local elections taking place across the nation. That’s a sizeable chunk of our government that cannot be ignored.

Read more

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Economy

2011-12-05T22:17:00.002-05:00

This update focuses on the economy.

Gary North: French Fried Banks
Gary North: Europe's Two Endgames
Gary North: German Pope, Italian Central Banker
Gary North: Boomer Blindness
Gary North: Compound Economic Growth and Atlas
Phyllis Schlafly: Let's Talk About Jobs

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Evangelical Environmental Network Runs Misleading Ads

2011-12-03T12:06:00.003-05:00

An environmentalist group that claims to be Christian is running ads in Michigan.

http://creationcare.org/
http://creationcare.org/blog.php?blog=35
Christian environmental group says the EPA's new rules on mercury pollution is a pro-life issue

The Evangelical Environmental Network is running radio ads in six states. The ads are virtually identical, merely substituting the name of the state and the senators who are targeted in the ad. The ads, narrated by "Pastor Tracy" (no last name given) all say that "children here in [state] are vulnerable". But unless she recorded identical ads in each state, she is LYING about where she is in most or all of the ads.

The ads also reference "members of Congress who say they are pro-life", which is bizarre since since some of those mentioned, including Levin and Stabenow, say no such thing.

I can't claim to be an expert on mercury emissions, but I am extremely skeptical of the scientific claims of environmental organizations, which have a long history of distorting science for their own ends. But whatever the dangers to the unborn of a few parts per billion of mercury, it pales in comparison to the dangers of BEING STABBED IN THE NECK AND HAVING YOUR BRAINS SUCKED OUT.

Abortion has killed 50 million or so unborn, and Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow are ardent defenders of it. For "Pastor Tracy" and the EEN to imply that Levin and Stabenow are pro-life is outrageous, and to attempt to use the pro-life cause to promote their environmental agenda is despicable.

The EEN also uses bad theology. In the Bible, God requires that we "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it." Earth's resources are there for our use, and while we should use them responsibly, producing energy is essential to our standard of living. Coal plants are an essential part of our energy production, and taking them away would hurt our economy and even our lifespans.

Bus Tax Zone

2011-11-29T23:43:00.002-05:00

The Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority, which has never met a tax it didn't like, is proposing a map of areas of the county with access to bus routes. The goal would then be to raise taxes in those areas. This follows the failure of its attempts to raise taxes on the entire county.

Transportation authority recommends new map to include residents with access to bus routes

The problem with the map is that it is based on election precincts. Thus there are people in Comstock, Oshtemo, and Portage who live miles away from the nearest bus stop who would be paying extra for buses. In Comstock 5, some residents appear to be six miles or more from the nearest bus line.

The map should be fixed to only take in those who actually use the bus lines. Better yet, only the people who use the buses should pay for them.

Khan Academy

2011-11-29T23:39:00.001-05:00

A very interesting article about learning math and science online. I don't think this will replace teachers, but it can be a nice supplement.

How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education

POLITICAL UPDATE--Government

2011-11-27T01:20:00.000-05:00

This update focuses on government.

Allan Wall: Photo ID For Voters—How Come It’s OK For Mexico?
Mark Steyn: Biden’s Fourth-Grade Economics
Gary North: Not Theirs To Occupy

Gary North: Lake Wobegon Politics
Gary North: Occupy Liberty Street (OLS)! (The Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
Gary North: Gasoline Sales in Oregon: 16x7
John Whitehead: SWAT Team Mania: The War Against the American Citizen

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Lord of the Rings: Full Text Online

2011-11-24T18:24:00.000-05:00

Lord of the Rings: Full Text Online

POLITICAL UPDATE--Liberalism

2011-11-20T14:35:00.001-05:00

This update focuses on liberalism.

Dan Flynn: The Original Kool-Aid Drinkers
Gary North: Ellen Brown's War on the Constitution
Mark Steyn: Corporate Collaborators
Washington Watcher: J. Christian Adams’s INJUSTICE: The “Racial Agenda Of The Obama Justice Department” Turns Out To Be Anti-White Zealotry
Mark Steyn: American Autumn
Dan Flynn: Progressives' Prohibition
Steve Sailer: Randall Kennedy On Barack Obama:"Eloquence And Candor Are Not Always Useful Qualities"
Steve Sailer: How Smart Is Obama, Anyway? About As Smart As Gerald Ford!

Much information on liberal individuals and organizations can be found at David Horowitz's Discover the Network site.

Parking Lot Carry

2011-11-18T11:48:00.000-05:00

This bill would prevent people from being fired or prosecuted for having a gun in a car at a business. While this is a very small restriction on the property rights of businesses, it will reduce crime and make the public safer.

Michigan: Bill would allow residents to lock guns in cars at work

Van Jones' Speech

2011-11-18T10:25:00.001-05:00

After all the buildup, what did Van Jones say at Kalamazoo College?

Van Jones, former White House advisor and author, attracts hundreds to Kalamazoo College event (video)

KALAMAZOO – More than 400 people filled Dalton Theatre to hear author, activist and former White House advisor Van Jones speak for Kalamazoo College’s William Weber Lecture on Government and Society on Wednesday night.

Jones began his lecture by praising the students in the room for the Occupy Wall Street movement started by young people, which he made appearances at in California.
“You are bigger than the Baby Boomers,” he said. “You are more ecologically aware, more humanitarian than any generation of Americans ever. You stood up in 2008 and in your enthusiasm you made history. In 2010, you sat down and made history and now in 2011 you stood up – or are laying down in sleeping bags – whatever you do you make history.”

What a suck-up. Pathetic.

Many of the college students and adults in the audience said they regard Jones, 43, as a man who has answers to our grim economy with green jobs, which he outlines in his book “The Green Collar Economy.”

“When the wind turbine falls over, you don't get a massive wind slick that wipes over,” Jones told the audience.

You know what you also don't get from wind turbines? Affordable energy.

“I've worked in solar energy for 10 years and I've never seen a sun spill.

Have you heard of skin cancer? By the way, when has Jones ever "worked in solar energy", as opposed to being a political activist?

There is a smarter way to power America and the good thing about it is everything that is good for the environment is a job.”

Jones joked about hot-topic issues such as gay marriage and immigration reform and said the millennial generation is the most diverse one yet.

“Y'all make up genders and still get along, it's a miracle in human history,” he said. “This diversity you are managing and celebrating and multiplying will be a source of your solution to find a way to restore the prosperity.”

Mayor Bobby Hopewell – who sat in the second row among the lecture's namesake Bill Weber, who founded of the William Weber Chair in Political Science – said Jones is already making a difference by finding a new approach to improve urban communities. Kalamazoo billionaire philanthropist Jon Stryker was also present at the event.

Kalamazoo's Fran Kremlick, 78, said Jones's visit reminds her of when Martin Luther King Jr. visited her church 60 years ago.

Yet more liberals who don't have a problem with a communist past.

Jones is currently president of the liberal nonprofit organization called Rebuild the Dream as well as co-founder of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change and Green For All. He is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and on the board of several organizations including Demos, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and the Campaign for America's Future.

TIME magazine recognized Jones as one of the 100 most influential people in 2009. That same year, Jones was asked to resign from his position as green-jobs advisor in the Obama administration.

Rumors about his involvement in a Sept. 11 conspiracy group, a radical group with Marxist roots and past statements against Republicans are what led to his resignation, according to The Washington Post.

The Gazette’s advance article on Jones’s lecture, which mentioned the above controversy, was met with sharp criticism in a letter to the editor from Kalamazoo College Professor R. Amy Elman, who pointed to Jones’s New York Times editorial piece explaining how the rumors were false.

Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership of Kalamazoo College program coordinator Hussain Turk also wrote a letter accusing the Gazette of being “racist and heterosexist” for publishing the public controversy surrounding Jones.

They were lying, as was Jones.
Kalamazoo College Professor Lies About Van Jones
Another Kalamazoo College Employee Lies About Van Jones

“This is the most controversial thing I am going to say and I know you were waiting for it,” Jones said, poking fun at his controversial reputation. “America is not broke. We are the richest country in the world. We can't drill and burn our way out of our energy problems but we can invent and invest our way.”'

Evidence? Wind and solar don't produce anywhere near enough energy.

While his humor brought much laughter to the room, some audience members wanted a more solution-oriented conversation.

"Van Jones shows himself as a true showman," said Bejamin Leventer, 22. "Ultimately he left us with a challenge of how to bring jobs back and bring about climate change by changing our reliance on 'dead' energy sources."

There was an hour-long question and answer period and a book signing after the lecture. It was not disclosed if Jones received payment to speak at Kalamazoo College, but tickets to the event were free.

Jones is participating in a panel discussion called “The Political Moment: Social Justice Tensions, Possibilities, and Aspirations,” at Kalamazoo College’s W.K. Hicks Student Center banquet room on Thursday morning.

Van Jones continues to sell his gospel of more spending, more corporate welfare, higher taxes, and more debt. He is exploiting and promoting the fad of "green energy" to do so, but the real goal continues to be big government.

POLITICAL UPDATE--Education

2011-11-14T03:37:00.000-05:00

This update focuses on education.

Roger Devlin: Higher Education: The Impossibility Of Reform
Phyllis Schlafly: College May Be Dangerous for Men
Phyllis Schlafly: Scandals in the Classroom
Gary North: Just Say No to School Vouchers . . . Again
Phyllis Schlafly: Obnoxious Classroom Curricula
Phyllis Schlafly: Perpetuating Federal Spending on Education

Learn more about education issues in Education Reporter.

Kalamazoo County Tax Rates

2011-11-13T21:32:00.002-05:00

Julie Mack of the Gazette compiled the following useful chart of local tax rates.

Which Kalamazoo County community has the highest millage rate? (Julie Mack blog)

-------------------------

2011 homestead millage rates for Kalamazoo County
This chart is organized by school districts, which are listed in bold, and show the millage rates for owner-occupied homes. The tax bills shown are for a home with a market value of $130,000 and a taxable value of $60,000, which is the county average.

____________Mills Tax bill
Kalamazoo
City of Kalamazoo 51.2 $3,072.00
Kalamazoo Twp. 38.7 $2,322.00
Oshtemo 30.7 $1,842.00
Texas 28.3 $1,698.00

Portage
Portage 37.7 $2,262.00
Texas 28.4 $1,704.00
Pavilion 27.8 $1,668.00

Climax-Scotts
Climax Village 38.9 $2,334.00
Climax Twp. 30.9 $1,854.00
Charleston 28.6 $1,716.00
Wakeshma 28.6 $1,716.00
Pavilion 28.5 $1,710.00

Comstock
City of Kalamazoo 52.9 $3,174.00
Kalamazoo Twp. 40.5 $2,430.00
City of Portage 40 $2,400.00
Portage 37.9 $2,274.00
Comstock 30.6 $1,836.00
Pavilion 28.5 $1,710.00

Galesburg-Augusta
Augusta/Ross Twp. 42.4 $2,544.00
Augusta/Charleston 41.8 $2,508.00
Galesburg 37.2 $2,232.00
Climax 30.7 $1,842.00
Comstock 30.4 $1,824.00
Ross 29 $1,740.00
Charleston 28.4 $1,704.00

Gull Lake
Village of Richland 36 $2,160.00
Charleston 28.4 $1,704.00
Comstock 27.6 $1,656.00
Richland Twp. 26.5 $1,590.00
Cooper 26.4 $1,584.00
Ross Twp. 26.2 $1,572.00

Mattawan
Oshtemo 31.1 $1,866.00
Prairie Ronde 27.5 $1,650.00
Texas 27.5 $1,650.00

Otsego
Oshtemo 28.8 $1,728.00
Alamo 26.4 $1,584.00
Cooper 25.6 $1,536.00

Parchment
City of Kalamazoo 50.8 $3,048.00
City of Parchment 46.1 $2,766.00
Kalamazoo Twp. 38.4 $2,304.00
Cooper 30.3 $1,818.00

Plainwell
Cooper 25.6 $1,536.00
Alamo 26.4 $1,584.00

Portage
City of Kalamazoo 50.9 $3,054.00
City of Portage 37.9 $2,274.00
Texas 28.3 $1,698.00
Pavilion 27.8 $1,668.00

Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft Village 44.7 $2,682.00
City of Portage 40.3 $2,418.00
Schoolcraft Twp. 29.6 $1,776.00
Prairie Ronde 29.3 $1,758.00
Texas 29.3 $1,758.00

Vicksburg
Vicksburg Village 42.6 $2,556.00
City of Portage 37.4 $2,244.00
Pavilion 28.6 $1,716.00
Schoolcraft Twp. 26.7 $1,602.00
Brady 26.6 $1,596.00
Wakeshma 26 $1,560.00

Sackley/Randall Spat

2011-11-13T20:44:00.002-05:00

There is a spat between Portage council members Ed Sackley and Patricia Randall. Sackley criticized her attendance, and she responded that she had been seeking treatment for breast cancer.

Portage council member reveals 'detour in my life' in response to statement read at council meeting (viewpoint)
Portage City Councilwoman Patricia Randall speaks out to 'set the record straight'

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Economy

2011-11-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

This update focuses on the economy.

Thomas Sowell: Numbers Games
Phyllis Schlafly: Mexican Trucks Are On Our Roads
Gary North: On Rebooting America
Phyllis Schlafly: Korean Agreement Is a Jobs Killer
Gary North: Newton's Apple and Jobs's Apple: Their Dual Trajectory Is Inevitable
Gary North: The #1 Historical Question Is Unanswered
Gary North: God, Gold, Groceries, and Guns
Gary North: Flying PIIGS
Gary North: Europe's Botox Bailouts

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Herman Cain in Kalamazoo

2011-11-10T23:37:00.001-05:00

Presidential candidate Herman Cain visited Kalamazoo today.

Herman Cain says he's 'been through hell,' Kalamazoo supporters stand by his side (with video)

Election Day

2011-11-08T11:06:00.012-05:00

Today is the day for local elections in Michigan.

Vote!

Mattawan voters, please oppose the millage.

Results later.

9:12:
Mattawan millage trails 760-925 in Kalamazoo County.
Mattawan millage trails 805-1156 in Van Buren County.

Die, millage!

9:37:
Kalamazoo marijuana ordinance is passing 3866-2084.
City commission: Hopewell/McKinney/Cooney/Miller/Anderson/Cinabro/Bell
Boyd trails...

9:42:
Mattawan millage loses 1379-1471 in Kalamazoo County!
Mattawan millage loses 805-1156 in Van Buren County!

9:51:
Kalamazoo final results:
Marijuana proposition wins every precinct, including absentees: 4649/2416.
City commission: Hopewell/McKinney/Cooney/Miller/Anderson/Cinabro/Bell
Miller and Anderson switch places, Bell drops to seventh.

Portage:
Campbell/Pearson/Randall
Bailes trails...

9:56:
Paul Scott recall (13/35 precincts)
51.24 Yes
48.76 No

10:04:
Genesee County Election Results
STATE REP RECALL, 51ST DIST-PAUL SCOTT
VOTE FOR 1
(WITH 18 OF 35 PRECINCTS COUNTED 51.43%)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,210 50.15
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,167 49.85
Total . . . . . . . . . 14,377
Over Votes . . . . . . . . . 9
Under Votes . . . . . . . . . 55
Down to the wire...

10:13:
No trails...
STATE REP RECALL, 51ST DIST-PAUL SCOTT
VOTE FOR 1
(WITH 23 OF 35 PRECINCTS COUNTED 65.71%)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,892 49.49
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,075 50.51
Total . . . . . . . . . 17,967
Over Votes . . . . . . . . . 9
Under Votes . . . . . . . . . 71

10:17:
Portage all but over (one precinct left)
Portage:
Campbell/Pearson/Randall
Bailes defeated.

10:48:
No inching ahead...
STATE REP RECALL, 51ST DIST-PAUL SCOTT
VOTE FOR 1
(WITH 29 OF 35 PRECINCTS COUNTED 82.86%)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,361 49.21
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,693 50.79
Total . . . . . . . . . 21,054
Over Votes . . . . . . . . . 10
Under Votes . . . . . . . . . 88

11:57:
The final percentage in Mattawan was 55% no.

12:56:
Paul Scott recalled. Lost by 232 votes.
State lawmaker says he accepts his recall in Genesee County

Electric Cars Versus Trees

2011-11-07T21:46:00.002-05:00

Western cut down trees to install electric car chargers near Miller Auditorium. I'll take the trees over the bogus green energy boondoggle.

Green energy project leaves WMU student group seeing red
In Western Michigan University's trees vs. charging stalls 'green' debate, trees have the edge (letter)

Global Warming Propaganda in Michigan Schools

2011-11-07T19:21:00.001-05:00

This excellent article exposes a bogus left-wing propaganda book on global warming. The book calls Al Gore an eco-hero and urges students to "vote green" while containing plenty of factual errors.

Farm Bureau upset that science kit for students contains left-wing book with misinformation about modern farming

The book was eventually pulled from the BCAMSC science kits.

Climate change book recalled by Battle Creek Area Math and Science Center

Club for Growth Encourages Upton Challenge

2011-11-03T02:20:00.002-04:00

The Club for Growth is considering supporting Jack Hoogendyk in another bid against Fred Upton. I suspect this a warning to Upton not to support any bad deals on the Supercommittee. It would have been nice if the Club had supported Jack last time when he got 43% against Upton.

---------------------

Club for Growth Encouraging Upton Primary Challenger

The Club for Growth is considering supporting a primary challenge to Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) next year.

Club spokesman Barney Keller said the conservative organization is “impressed” with former state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk, who is considering challenging Upton for a second time in 2012.

“The club met with Hoogendyk today and came away impressed,” Keller said. “We’re taking a look at the race.”

Upton has faced renewed scrutiny from conservatives since he became chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this year. After House Republicans appointed Upton to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, conservatives groused.

But back home in Michigan, Upton has consistently won re-election by double-digit margins. Last year, Upton defeated Hoogendyk in the primary, 57 percent to 43 percent, although the Congressman heavily outspent his GOP challenger.

Hoogendyk has not announced a campaign yet. But the club’s statement is likely meant as encouragement for him to challenge Upton in the August primary.

“Hoogendyk has a good record in the Michigan Legislature, he voted against spending and tax increases,” Keller said. “And Fred Upton has a long record of voting for bigger government that’s inconsistent with our policy objectives.”

Keller pointed to Upton’s meager lifetime score of 54 on its Congressional Scorecard.

Local Campaign Finance Reports

2011-11-03T01:35:00.002-04:00

Local campaign finance reports are out.

Mayor Bobby Hopewell leads candidates in Kalamazoo campaign fundraising, reports say

Local elections have been very quiet so far. Bobby Hopewell is the biggest fundraiser so far, with $24,000. He always raises and spends a lot even though he could be reelected without spending anything. Robert Cinabro is second with $12,000. He was appointed to fill a partial term on the commission. The other incumbents trail. Nicholas Boyd and Nicholas Wikar are the only challengers who have raised more than $1000.

The Portage race is pretty quiet, with Cory Bailes leading and Patricia Randall trailing.

The pro-tax-hike group in the Mattawan School district raised $2477.

The filing didn’t list itemized spending but top contributions included $500 each from Kingscott Associates Inc.,an architectural and engineering firm,and the Miller-Davis Co., a construction management firm.

I'm sure those construction firms donated because they are concerned about quality schools, and not at all because they hope to get million-dollar building contracts.

Another Kalamazoo College Employee Lies About Van Jones

2011-11-03T00:14:00.002-04:00

Hussain Turk, the "program coordinator for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership of Kalamazoo College" took time off from defending the rights of great apes to pen a letter to the Gazette protesting its accurate characterization of Van Jones as a Marxist. Turk, who has virulently anti-American views, writes

What Van Jones really offers is rebuilding the American dream, not a course in Marxism

In a recent piece on Van Jones' upcoming presentation at Kalamazoo College, the Kalamazoo Gazette echoed the archaic and unprofessional (and not to mention historically racist and heterosexist) red-baiting cry of "Marxist!" in its description of the progressive intellectual.

What is 'red-baiting'? Why would criticism of Marxists, who murdered 150 million people, be considered a bad thing by Mr. Turk? How is it 'racist and heterosexist'? Communists certainly weren't very kind to racial minorities and homosexuals when they were in power. Incidentally, the original progressive intellectuals were incredibly racist, supporting eugenics. Woodrow Wilson segregated the White House, for example.

This is an outdated tactic that will not save any of us from the immoral and disgustingly expansive web of corporate greed that in 2010 afforded John Paulson a $4.9 billion annual paycheck while unemployment rates soared to unprecedented heights.

Turk then blathers about corporate greed for a few paragraphs.

Van Jones' movement to Rebuild the American Dream might offer us a solution. On Wednesday, Nov. 2 he will speak at Kalamazoo College's annual Weber Lecture about this movement, which he sums up in a Contract for the American Dream:

[Comments in brackets]

1. Invest in America's infrastructure [government spending]
2. Create 21st century energy jobs [corporate welfare]
3. Invest in public education [spending, socialism]
4. Offer Medicare for all [spending, socialism]
5. Make work pay [You can get PAID for work? All this time I've been working for free!]
6. Secure Social Security [spending]
7. Return to fairer tax rates [raise taxes]
8. End the wars and invest at home [spending]
9. Tax Wall Street speculation [raise taxes]
10. Strengthen democracy [socialism is central planning by elites, which is undemocratic]

Jones offers a traditional American solution to the problems that have plagued this country since its beginning. Rebuild the American Dream repositions the American Dream as an ideal worth striving for: "this basic idea that ordinary people should be able to find a job, keep a job, keep a home and give their kid a better life."

Which Founding Father would endorse this platform?

My political theoretical barometer picks up little to no Marxism here — but for things to be as unfortunate as they are at present, a healthy dose of Marxism might be "productive."

Little? So there is some? So Turk does want Marxism?

In spite of the Gazette's false accusations and vapid commentary, I encourage your attendance at this tonight's presentation by Jones — a presentation that is sure to raise both viable solutions to and critical inquiries around the national crisis.

On Thursday at 10 a.m. in Hicks Banquet Hall, Jones will also speak on a panel discussion, "The Political Moment," alongside two local community activists and two Kalamazoo College students. Admission is free and no RSVP is necessary.

Hussain Turk is program coordinator for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership of Kalamazoo College.

Communists don't gain power saying that they're going to kill people. They always promise good things like jobs and health care. At the same time, they exploit existing divisions in society through class warfare (and phony accusations of 'racism'). Van Jones made a strategic decision to abandon overt radicalism in favor a phony 'green jobs' agenda, but with the same goal of imposing big government socialism.

Turk is either clueless or lying, most likely the latter given his oblique endorsement of Marxism. I'll quote again Politifact on Van Jones.

There's little question that Jones was an avowed communist.

In a Nov. 2, 2005, profile of Jones in the East Bay Express , an alternative weekly in Berkeley, Calif., Jones said his life hit a turning point in the spring of 1992 when he was swept up in mass arrests while protesting the acquittal of police officers accused of beating Rodney King.

Although the charges against Jones were dropped, Jones said that while in jail, "I met all these young radical people of color — I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.' I spent the next 10 years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary."

"In the months that followed," the Express article said, "he let go of any lingering thoughts that he might fit in with the status quo. 'I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th,' he said. 'By August, I was a communist.'"

In 1994, the story states, Jones formed a socialist collective called Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement, or STORM.

According to a history of STORM written in the spring of 2004, the group held "structured political education" training at every meeting "to help members develop an understanding of the basics of Marxist politics." They "trained members on capitalism and wage exploitation, the state and revolution, imperialism and the revolutionary party."

Would Turk make the same excuses for a speaker with Nazi ties? Would he invite David Duke (who has also endorsed Occupy Wall Street) to speak about social justice? If not, why not? Communists killed far more people than Nazis. Once again I'll ask--is communism the sort of 'social justice' Turk and the Arcus Center are promoting?

Previous:
Kalamazoo College Professor Lies About Van Jones
Van Jones at Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo College Professor Lies About Van Jones

2011-10-31T20:12:00.003-04:00

Amy Elman, the "chair" of the Political Science department at Kalamazoo College is upset at the Kalamazoo Gazette's description of Van Jones.

Story repeats inaccuracies about Van Jones in advance of his visit to Kalamazoo College (letter)

Here is what the Gazette said.

Van Jones, activist who resigned from Obama White House, to speak at Kalamazoo College

That same year he was asked to resign from his White House post after his past involvement with a Sept. 11 conspiracy group, a radical group with Marxist roots and past statements against Republicans came to light, according to The Washington Post.

Let's analyze Dr. Amy's complaint.

I'd like to take a moment to comment on what I find to be a troubling presentation of Van Jones in the Kalamazoo Gazette.

In my role as chairperson of the political science department at Kalamazoo College and thus a primary co-sponsor of the prestigious Weber Lecture to be given by Mr. Jones on Nov. 2, I feel a responsibility to address the misleading information now circulating about our guest.

What's the misinformation?

Let me take particular exception to the claim that Mr. Jones is a 9/11 conspiracy theorist who was somehow exposed for his "involvement" with Marxists.

The Professor mentions two issues: 9/11 and Marxism. Careful readers will note that the allegation of Marxism IS NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN IN THE ARTICLE. Elman 'takes exception', but never offers any defense.

Curiously absent from this contrived history is the fact that he served under the Bush administration long before he worked within and then resigned from the Obama administration.

I have no idea what Dr. Amy is talking about here. Van Jones' Wikipedia page makes no mention of this. Googling, the only article that makes this claim is...Amy's own letter.

As Mr. Jones makes clear in his own New York Times op-ed pertaining to this 9/11 libel, he went from relative obscurity to national infamy within hours after pundits insisted he signed a 9/11 conspiracy petition.

Jones' 'relative obscurity' was due to the fact that the media refused to report all the damaging information on Jones that Glenn Beck dug up.

Why would those nefarious pundits insist that Jones signed the 9/11 truther petition? Perhaps because HIS NAME APPEARED ON THE PETITION. When the controversy erupted, Jones denied having signed it. It is not possible to know the truth for sure. But what is more likely--that someone added the name of a then-obscure leftist activist to a petition without his consent, or that Jones, who has a long history of documented radical views, did sign the petition and then lied about it when it was politically convenient to do so? Judge for yourselves.

Then, as now, the media rushed to judgment [HA!] concerning a document he never signed. But then it was too late. Let's hope it is not too late for the truth this time around.

If, in the past, there were few who believed that organized lying could be an effective weapon against the truth, the Internet has altered the political landscape and in so doing it demands that we respond quickly. I'm not sure what to make of the resulting emphasis on rapid response without reflection. I hope cooler heads will prevail.

Now to the lesson Mr. Jones derived from his (9/11) experience. Rather than raise the level of animus, rather than direct a diatribe against the assassins of his character, he expressed his deep concern for "people at all levels of government" who "are becoming overly cautious, unwilling to venture new opinions or even live regular lives for fear of seeing even the most innocuous comment or photograph used against them, all while trying to protect and improve the country."

The conditions that Van Jones describes are sad indeed, not least because we so need the energy and ideas of those determined to do better. I imagine that when Mr. Jones takes up our distinguished Weber lecture, we will all be called on to reflect on the ways that America is imperiled by a rapid fire race to judgment without facts. Thank you for allowing me to share just a few of these facts with you now.

Professor R. Amy Elman is chair of the political science department at Kalamazoo College.

The rest of the letter basically summarizes Jones' New York Times article. Does Dr. Amy think that no one will notice that her article contains no facts? All it has is a link to a piece by Jones himself. I'm not sure whether this letter appears in the print edition of the Gazette, but if it does, there wouldn't even be a link.

Going back to the issue that Elman failed to address, why would anyone think that Jones was involved with Marxists?

Particularly starting at 2:18.

This article from "Politifact" documents Jones' communist past before implausibly claiming that he has changed.

There's little question that Jones was an avowed communist.

In a Nov. 2, 2005, profile of Jones in the East Bay Express , an alternative weekly in Berkeley, Calif., Jones said his life hit a turning point in the spring of 1992 when he was swept up in mass arrests while protesting the acquittal of police officers accused of beating Rodney King.

Although the charges against Jones were dropped, Jones said that while in jail, "I met all these young radical people of color — I mean really radical, communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.' I spent the next 10 years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary."

"In the months that followed," the Express article said, "he let go of any lingering thoughts that he might fit in with the status quo. 'I was a rowdy nationalist on April 28th, and then the verdicts came down on April 29th,' he said. 'By August, I was a communist.'"

In 1994, the story states, Jones formed a socialist collective called Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement, or STORM.

According to a history of STORM written in the spring of 2004, the group held "structured political education" training at every meeting "to help members develop an understanding of the basics of Marxist politics." They "trained members on capitalism and wage exploitation, the state and revolution, imperialism and the revolutionary party."

The question I asked at the end of the previous article on Jones stands. Why would Kalamazoo College and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership bring someone to campus who has been an advocate of an ideology that murdered 150 million people?

Previous: Van Jones at Kalamazoo College

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Culture War

2011-10-30T21:46:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on the culture war.

Pat Buchanan: The Conquest of the West
Pat Buchanan: What Is It We Wish to Conserve?
Steve Sailer: HOMESICKNESS-There's A Reason STAND AND DELIVER's Escalante Returned To Bolivia
Pat Buchanan: Is America Disintegrating?
Steve Sailer: Sailer On Buchanan’s SUICIDE OF A SUPERPOWER: Bareknuckle Brawler and Wisest, Most Objective Man In American Public Affairs
Phyllis Schlafly: The High Costs of Marriage Absence
Pat Buchanan: A.D. 2041—End of White America?
Paul Gottfried: Yes Virginia [Dare], There Is A “Cultural Marxism”
Gary North: How Steve Jobs Connected His Lifetime Dots
Gary North: Steve Jobs: Setback and Recovery
Gary North: Rev. Jobs Brings His Sermon to a Close
Peter Brimelow: Beware Bilingualism! The Catastrophic Canadian Case

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Howard Wolpe, RIP

2011-10-29T18:43:00.006-04:00

Former Congressman Howard Wolpe died on Tuesday.

Former U.S. Congressman Howard Wolpe dies

Wolpe was an arch-liberal who represented the then-3rd district, which consisted of Kalamazoo, Calhoun, and Eaton Counties and part of Lansing. He was elected in 1978, defeating Republican Garry Brown. In 1992, his district was dismantled after Michigan lost two seats in the House. He was the democrat nominee for governor in 1994, when he was crushed by John Engler.

Wolpe was previously on the Kalamazoo city commission and in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Wolpe's ACU ratings:
1992: 0
1991: 0
1990: 13
1989: 4
1988: 0
1987: 0
1986: 5
1985: 10
1984: 0
1983: 0
1982: 0
1981: 0
1980: 17
1979: 5
Life: 4%

Wolpe was last in the news accusing Congressman Fred Upton of becoming a "right-wing extremist". See Upton's ACU rating's here.

Wolpe's letter contained the following revelation.

Fred, we’ve known each other for many years. Despite my being a Democrat and you being a Republican you will recall that I helped in getting you elected in the first place by making members of my own campaign organization available to you in your fight against Mark Siljander. I have always known you to be honest, moderate, reasonable, and conscientious, and I have always valued our friendship.

Jason Mattera at Kalamazoo College

2011-10-26T02:06:00.002-04:00

Jason Mattera, the editor of Human Events, spoke at Kalamazoo College on October 5. The event wasn't very very publicized, or I would have heard about it.

Liberals responded with their usual snivelling about tone, being offended, racism, etc. All the usual ways that they avoid real debate.

Conservative Author and Speaker Jason Mattera Ingnites Heated Debate
Jason Mattera: A Scathing Review
Kalamazoo College Republicans need to engage the campus differently

This apparently led to another of Mattera's speeched being canceled.
Christian College Gives Pro-Riots Leftist Piven a Forum, Then Cancels Conservative Speaker

Power Line Eminent Domain

2011-10-25T23:11:00.002-04:00

A private energy company wants to build a power line across private property in Oshtemo.

Residents dig in against power-line plan: Oshtemo Township group mobilizes, but face uphill battle

The township attorney says

Oshtemo Township Attorney James Porter said the 138,000-volt lines fall below the threshold where the company would be under the jurisdiction of state law.

"The law is weighed heavily in favor of ITC," Porter said. "I just don't see a legal basis for the township to effectuate a change."

Here is what the Michigan Constitution has to say.

STATE CONSTITUTION Article X § 2

Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation therefore being first made or secured in a manner prescribed by law. If private property consisting of an individual’s principal residence is taken for public use, the amount of compensation made and determined for that taking shall be not less than 125% of that property’s fair market value, in addition to any other reimbursement allowed by law. Compensation shall be determined in proceedings in a court of record.

“Public use” does not include the taking of private property for transfer to a private entity for the purpose of economic development or enhancement of tax revenues. Private property otherwise may be taken for reasons of public use as that term is understood on the effective date of the amendment to this constitution that added this paragraph.

More Bus Taxes

2011-10-25T22:39:00.002-04:00

They never give up. The Kalamazoo County Transportation Authority is plotting yet another tax increase.

Kalamazoo County voters to decide next year on new transit system

Van Jones at Kalamazoo College

2011-10-25T22:12:00.003-04:00

Admitted communist and former Obama administration Green Jobs Czar Van Jones will speak at Kalamazoo College on Wednesday, November 2.

Van Jones, activist who resigned from Obama White House, to speak at Kalamazoo College

The Gazette gives a halfway decent description of Jones.

That same year he was asked to resign from his White House post after his past involvement with a Sept. 11 conspiracy group, a radical group with Marxist roots and past statements against Republicans came to light, according to The Washington Post.

He was so embarrassing that even the Obama administration had to force him out.

Tickets for the general public are available from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 25 to 28 at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership

So the Arcus "social justice" center has no problem with an advocate of an ideology that murdered 150 million people? Very revealing.

POLITICAL UPDATE--Immigration

2011-10-24T02:54:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on immigration.

Steve Sailer: The Sailer Strategy Updated: Three Steps To Save America
Steve Sailer: Sailer on Unz: Immigration, The Minimum Wage, And The Rule Of Law
Tom Tancredo: Is America A "Proposition Nation"?
Phyllis Schlafly: U.S. Citizenship Should Not Be for Sale
Pat Buchanan: "The Importation Of Foreign Workers Must Halt"—Whose Country Is It, Anyway?
Peter Brimelow: Bachmann Right, Washington Post (And Treason Lobby) Wrong, About Pre-1965 Immigration System
James Edwards: Obama's Backdoor Amnesty for 300,000 Immigrants

For more on immigration, see VDARE.com.

Official English is Back

2011-10-21T01:26:00.002-04:00

Good for Ken Kurtz.

Michigan lawmaker wants English to be state's official language

This bill was previously championed by Jack Hoogendyk in 2006, when it passed the house 73-32 but was not taken up by the Senate. A 2006 poll showed that 82% of Michigan voters support it.

Previous: English Attacked Again

POLITICAL UPDATE--Sovereignty

2011-10-16T21:14:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on national sovereignty.

Pat Buchanan: Is the New World Order Unraveling?
Phyllis Schlafly: Buying Counterfeit Chips from China
John O'Sullivan: Fonte on “Global Governance"—John O’Sullivan’s Foreword to Sovereignty Or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves Or Be Ruled By Others?
Gary North: Busted Europe, Busted Dream
Phyllis Schlafly: Time to Say Goodbye to the WTO
Steven Groves: Law of Sea Treaty Could Cost U.S. Trillions
Alex Newman: The Emerging Global Fed

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Gazette Election Guide

2011-10-15T19:17:00.002-04:00

The Gazette has posted its 2011 election guide.

Kalamazoo-area Election Guide 2011

My own 2011 Election Preview is regularly updated.

Mattawan Lies about Kindergarten Mandate

2011-10-15T18:53:00.002-04:00

Mattawan schools are campaigning for another massive school bond measure after the first one was shot down by voters in May. However, the Gazette's Julie Mack has caught them in a lie. The literature created by the district, including Superintendent Patrick Bird, claims that state law mandates all-day kindergarten for the upcoming year. It does not. It says a lot that the district has to resort to falsehoods to defend its massive tax increase.

Mattawan school bond information inaccurate on kindergarten 'mandate' (Julie Mack blog)

Previous: Vote NO on the Mattawan Tax Hike

POLITICAL UPDATE--Government

2011-10-11T01:55:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on government.

Gary North: The Federal Reserve Is Playing Defense
Gary North: Bernanke's Clone: Sarah Raskin Says 'Trust Us'
Gary North: Gold Confiscation: A Highly Unlikely Threat
Gary North: Mass Inflation, Yes; Hyperinflation, No
Pat Buchanan: A Conspiracy of Counterfeiters
Gary North: World Trade Center Building 7 and Conspiracy Theories
Gary North: Jackson Hole: Bernanke as a Magician
Gary North: Gold Standard or Nixon Standard

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Schadenfreude?

2011-10-06T23:31:00.002-04:00

Former head of Hispanic American Council bound over for trial on embezzlement, identity-theft charges
Ramon Berlanga-Rodriguez, former executive director of Hispanic American Council, accused of embezzling from the organization

City of Kalamazoo Declares War on Kalamazoo County!

2011-10-05T21:32:00.003-04:00

OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but consider the following menacing statements from the recent Kalamazoo City Commission forum.

Kalamazoo City Commission candidates discuss taxes, budget priorities at neighborhood forum

First, Robert Cinabro floats a fiendish plan to rob the hardworking taxpayers of Kalamazoo County.

Three-year Kalamazoo resident Matt Milcarek told candidates that Kalamazoo is faced with a “tale of two cities” dilemma in which many people choose to live just outside the city. So Kalamazoo is not collecting taxes from people who still come to the city and use its services.

“What would you do specifically to bridge that gap, to make it worth paying higher taxes to live within the core of this city?” he asked.

Incumbent Commissioner Bob Cinabro said he supports a “countywide solution either on the revenue side or the consolidation of services side.”

Hannah McKinney agreed.

Incumbent Hannah McKinney said the city needs to “figure out how to have a countywide tax base, so that we can begin to equalize taxes.”

The reason that a lot of people moved out of Kalamazoo was to avoid the mess that liberals made of it.

If Cinabro's statement wasn't disturbing enough, consider this from Barb Miller.

Barbara Hamilton Miller, another incumbent, noted the city is landlocked.

“We can’t expand unless we do take over a couple of townships — which if I had my way I’d do tomorrow,” she said.

Forget Iran. It's time for a preemptive strike against the Kalamazoo City Commission!

Intruders shoot man; girlfriend fires back

2011-10-05T21:31:00.000-04:00

Self-defense stories are usually fun, but this one is particularly delightful.

Intruders shoot man; girlfriend fires back

A Eugene woman said she fired several shotgun blasts at two intruders who had sneaked into her home early Friday morning and shot her boyfriend in the leg.

...

Eugene police said the woman and her boyfriend awoke to sounds of a break-in and encountered the intruders. The boyfriend struggled with the two men in the backyard and was shot, police said.

The woman said she then grabbed a loaded 12-gauge shotgun and hit at least one of the intruders with the stock before they fled.

“I was not going to let them just walk away from my home after shooting my significant other,” she said. She was so angry, she said, “I released the safety and started uncasing shells on them. I shot them all the way down the street.”

...

During her interview with The Register-Guard, the woman challenged the robbers to return to her house.

“I dare you to come back,” she said. “If you want more, this girl is happy to give it to you.”

Fat City

2011-10-05T21:26:00.000-04:00

This is a great article from the Weekly Standard.

Fat City
Thank you, Illinois taxpayers, for my cushy life.

After 34 years of teaching sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, I recently retired at age 64 at 80 percent of my pay for life. This calculation was based on a salary spiked by summer teaching, and since I no longer pay into the retirement fund, I now receive significantly more than when I “worked.” But that’s not all: There’s a generous health insurance plan, a guaranteed 3 percent annual cost of living increase, and a few other perquisites. Having overinvested in my retirement annuity, I received a fat refund and—when it rains, it pours—another for unused sick leave. I was also offered the opportunity to teach as an emeritus for three years, receiving $8,000 per course, double the pay for adjuncts, which works out to over $200 an hour. Another going-away present was summer pay, one ninth of my salary, with no teaching obligation.

Legalize Tasers Without Permit

2011-10-05T21:06:00.003-04:00

A state senate committee has voted to legalize the carry of Tasers, but only with a concealed carry permit.

Concealed weapons law may be applied to Tasers

According to the article, Michigan would be the only state to require a permit.

Michigan law bans stun guns, but a Bay City judge recently declared the law to be unconstitutional. This bill would not help the security guard who filed the suit, since he has a criminal record.

The same rules for using force would apply to Tasers as apply to guns. This is appropriate as Tasers are a less-lethal weapon, not non-lethal. They don't usually kill, but they can when the person shocked has a heart condition or some other health problem.

Tasers and other stun guns should be legalized without government requiring a permit.

Previous:
Stun Gun Ban is Unconstitutional
Legalize Stun Guns

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Culture War

2011-10-02T00:45:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on the culture war.

Patrick Cleburn: “Hitler’s Revenge” Paralyzing GOP Hopefuls As Obama Plays Race Card
Gary North: The 'Mayor Palin' Program: Sarah Palin's Golden Opportunity to Change the Country
Steve Sailer: Charles C. Mann’s 1493: The “Columbian Exchange”, The Homogenocene, And White Guilt
Richard Spencer: The Majority Strategy: The Essential Argument--Why The GOP Must Win White America
Steve Sailer: Paul Graham, Ben Franklin And The Value of Political Incorrectness
Ann Coulter: The Flash Mob Mentality of Scientific Inquiry
Ann Coulter: Liberals Aren't Funny, They're a Riot!
Thomas Sowell: Social Degeneration
Phyllis Schlafly: Oh, How America Has Changed

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

What Did Stephanie Moore/Bell Know?

2011-10-01T15:52:00.003-04:00

Kalamazoo City Commissioner Stephanie Bell (formerly Moore) may be implicated in the crimes that her husband is charged with. Bell, pride of the Northside, has a long history of run-ins with the law and unethical behavior.

Kalamazoo City Commissioner Stephanie Bell saw sexually explicit text message to her husband, girl's mother testifies

A couple years ago, Commissioner Moore married Terrence Bell, an employee of Hillside Middle School, and changed her last name to Bell. But then...

Terrence Bell, 32, a coach and paraprofessional at Hillside Middle School who is currently on paid [!] administrative leave, is charged with four felony counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, three felony counts of producing child sexually abusive material, one felony count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and one misdemeanor count of furnishing obscenity to a minor in connection with his relationship with the girl. When the relationship is alleged to have begun in 2010, the girl was 16 and receiving special-education services at Kalamazoo Central High School.

What did Moore/Bell know?

Kalamazoo City Commissioner Stephanie Bell had an "inclination" something was going on between her husband and a teenage girl before the relationship came to light in April because the girl erroneously sent Bell an inappropriate text message, the girl's mother testified Wednesday.

Commissioner Bell has denied this.

Will Kalamazoo voters kick this disgrace out of office this November?

UPDATE: Guilty!

POLITICAL UPDATE--News from Abroad

2011-09-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

This update focuses on news from abroad.

Gary North: Paymaster Germany and the Endgame
Pat Buchanan: The Democracy Worshipers
Pat Buchanan: Why Are We Baiting the Bear In Georgia?
Steve Sailer: Protests And Population Policy: Israel’s Lessons For America
John Derbyshire: John Derbyshire On Understanding China And The Chinese
Ann Coulter: New York Times Reader Kills Dozens in Norway
Steve Sailer: Maurice Glasman, Ed Miliband And The Rapid Rise And Faster Fall Of Blue Labour’s Immigration Patriotism

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Economy

2011-09-19T00:56:00.000-04:00

This update focuses on the economy.

Gary North: Debt and Debt Maintenance: Why American Households Are Not in Big Trouble
Gary North: The Dollar As the World's Reserve Currency. Poor World.
Gary North: The Big (Stupid) Idea: Universal Personal Bankruptcy to Save America's Economy
Thomas Sowell: Back to the Future?
Gary North: How Dave Ramsey Made $55 Million by Being Good on Personal Debt, Naive on Business Debt, Lousy on Investing, and a Loudmouth Bully.
Phyllis Schlafly: Yes, Virginia, There Is a Gender Gap
Peter Schiff: Job Killer in Chief
Gary North: Pencils and Liberty
Phyllis Schlafly: Candidates Should Be Talking About China
Gary North: These Threats Will Not Collapse America's Economy

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Full Sixth Circuit Will Hear MCRI Case

2011-09-17T13:08:00.001-04:00

The full sixth circuit court will conduct an 'en banc' hearing to review the decision of a three-judge panel to overturn the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. En banc hearings are rare, so this indicates that there is a good chance that the decision will be overturned. Ed Whelan offers some reasons for caution, though.

Court to revisit affirmative action ruling
En Banc Rehearing of Ruling Against Michigan’s Colorblind Amendment, But …

Up From the Projects

2011-09-12T23:52:00.001-04:00

Up From the Projects
Walter E. Williams

This delightful little memoir was written by Walter Williams, libertarian economist, syndicated columnist, and occasional substitute host for Rush Limbaugh. Williams recounts his life beginning in the Philadelphia housing projects (not as bad then as they would later become).

Williams outgoing, mischievous nature was evident early on. The chapter on his time in the army, and the trouble he got into is particularly amusing.

After leaving the army, Williams attended college, eventually studying economics and earning a PhD in the subject at UCLA. During this time, he learned to think systematically about the effects of government policies, and adopted the libertarian beliefs that he holds to this day.

Up From the Projects is a quick and enjoyable read.

Is College Worth It?

2011-09-12T18:06:00.000-04:00

The Gazette has a long article asking whether college is worth the money.

College degree still considered good return on investment despite climbing costs

The short answer is maybe. If you get a degree in a real subject that is required to get a job in the field, like engineering, statistics, or economics, college is likely worth it. If you get a degree in political claptrap (sociology), a junk major (communications) or a legitimate subject with no job prospects (history), probably not.

The smart way to go to college is to go to community college in high school and get a two-year degree at 18. You'll take the same classes that are gen-ed classes at a four-year school. Then if you are still apt and interested, go to a four-year college for two years and get a degree at 20 with far less debt.

Colleges love to trumpet that college graduates make more, but they don't mention that CORRELATION IS NOT CAUSATION. People who graduate from college are smarter, more motivated, and come from better families on average, and so would make more even without degrees.

Ten Years Ago

2011-09-11T08:47:00.001-04:00

I still remember that Tuesday morning when, hovering between sleep and wake, I heard on the radio that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I had a 9:30 class, but was planning to drop it, and so I was sleeping in in my dorm room. My Dad soon called asking if I had heard, and I turned on the television.

I watched television most of the day, and I saw both the towers collapse live on TV. I remember having a sick feeling in my stomach.

Classes were cancelled at noon. There was a prayer service later in the day. My roommate went, but I didn't. Someone repeated a rumor that gas would be going up to three dollars. Since my tank was near full, I didn't see a need to get any.

I was finally peeled away from the television to get dinner in the dining hall. People talked quietly.

The rocks in Goldsworth Valley were painted in red, white and blue. While they are typically painted every couple days, they stayed that way for months.

Remember.

Remembering September 11

9/11 and Immigration
College Republicans of WMU honor the victims of 9/11 in a tribute of 2,997 flags
Notes from the Chairman

POLITICAL UPDATE--Spending

2011-09-11T03:09:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on spending.

Gary North: Sovereign Debt, Sovereign Bank Runs
Gary North: Your Portfolio of Lies
Thomas Sowell: A Pyrrhic 'Victory'
Gary North: Debt Impasse: Fake and Real
Pat Buchanan: Fiscal Hawks vs. Security Hawks
Gary North: Obama v. Obama

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

The Mysterious Drake/Railroad Stoplight

2011-09-05T21:01:00.002-04:00

This complaint is highly specific to Kalamazoo.

A year or so ago, a stoplight was installed on Drake Road where it intersect the Amtrak railroad line. Having a stoplight at a railroad is unusual unless the railroad is right next to a road intersection with traffic light, which this one is not. Usually, there is at most gates and flashing lights.

But what is really unusual is the operation of this light. Most of the time it is green, but sometimes, for no apparent reason, it turns red. There is never a train in the vicinity when this occurs. Not even one of those carts with two guys pushing up and down on a lever from the old-timey movies. After a while, it turns green again. Even stranger, sometimes only one side turns red, while the other direction continues to allow traffic to go through.

Does anyone know why this light exists and operates in this manner?

POLITICAL UPDATE--Immigration

2011-09-05T20:23:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on immigration.

Federale: Obama’s Administrative Amnesty: Impeachment Is The Only Answer
Steve Sailer: Jorge Castañeda On Mexico's Eternal Mañana
Washington Watcher: Rick Perry—Another Texas Governor for Amnesty
Rachel Marsden: Global Poll Uncovers Psychic Shift on Immigration
Steve Sailer: "Latino Leaders" Lacking Followers, Name Recognition, And Voters—But Not MSM Influence
Allan Wall: Operation Wetback II: A Few Practical Proposals

For more on immigration, see VDARE.com.

Schuette For Silencers

2011-09-02T20:15:00.002-04:00

Good for Schuette.

Schuette clears way for Michigan gun owners to use silencers

-------------------

Lansing— Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says gun silencers can be used in the state by gun owners who have federal authorization.

Schuette issued an opinion Friday that says Michigan citizens who comply with federal firearm regulations can use the devices on their guns to "protect their hearing and minimize noise disruptions" in the surrounding area.

Marquette County Sheriff Michael Lovelace says the "rigorous" federal licensing process will make sure only law-abiding citizens win permission to possess a silencer.

A National Rifle Association official says in the Republican attorney general's release that 38 other states allow the use of silencers.

Possessing a silencer without federal authorization remains a five-year felony under Michigan law.

Graceful Exit

2011-09-02T19:19:00.003-04:00

Republican Jim Grace, the best member of the Oshtemo Township Board, has resigned.

Oshtemo Township Trustee James Grace resigns from board

It isn't entirely clear why.

“Due to my lack of alignment with the Oshtemo Township Board on issues, such as benefits and citizen involvement, I am resigning from the Board and all committees, effective immediately, August 29, 2011,” Grace wrote in a statement.

Leftist democrat Scott McCormick had previously resigned after moving out of the area.

Republicans need solid candidates for the Oshtemo board in 2012.

Immigrant Drunk Driving?

2011-09-01T18:33:00.001-04:00

Doing the drunk driving Americans won't do...

Immigration status of man charged with drunken driving in motorcyclist's death under investigation

Cooney, Moore Rally For Their Jobs

2011-09-01T18:31:00.002-04:00

If you need a job, the best place to go is... a rally!

Labor Day 'Rally for Jobs and Justice' planned in Kalamazoo's MLK Park

KALAMAZOO — A Labor Day "Rally for Jobs and Justice" is set for 11 a.m. in Kalamazoo's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, followed by a cookout for the homeless at noon Monday.

"The basic idea is that it's Labor Day and we should have some kind of event in this city talking about the issue of working people and their families, especially when there is such a crisis," Kalamazoo City Commissioner Don Cooney said.

Who is expecting to get a job there?

The rally is sponsored by Cooney's and Stephanie Bell's campaigns for City Commission but their re-election bids are not the focus of the event, Cooney said.

Ah.

Western Loves Gays

2011-08-30T22:08:00.003-04:00

Fabulous news!

Western Michigan University No. 21 on Daily Beast list of gay friendly colleges

KALAMAZOO – Western Michigan University is among the most gay friendly universities in the country, according to a list published this week by the Daily Beast and Newsweek Magazine.

WMU is No. 21 on the list of the top 25 gay friendly schools. WMU was ranked on factors including the college's prowler diversity grade (B), a campus climate index score of 4.5 and because 75 percent of students surveyed said campus is "very accepting" of minority students. The rankings note that WMU offers a LGBT campus center.

The campus climate score is based on Campus Pride's ranking system that looks at how inclusive college campuses are of LGBT students. A high college prowler diversity grade indicates that different minority groups are well represented on campus and accepted by students.

Apparently they didn't hear about the imaginary crime wave that struck the campus gay community in 2007.

"Queer students say harassment has increased"
Axis of Queers

POLITICAL UPDATE--Liberalism

2011-08-29T22:18:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on liberalism.

Pat Buchanan: Obama's Race-Based Spoils System
Phyllis Schlafly: Feminists Have a Tantrum
Phyllis Schlafly: VAWA Must Be Rewritten
Steve Sailer: That BAMN vs. Michigan Decree: Will GOP Defend Whites Against Judge-Imposed Discrimination?
Dan Flynn: Boston's Bin Ladin
Ann Coulter: Civil Rights and the Mob: George Wallace, Bull Connor, Orval Faubus And Other Democrats
Gary North: Population Growth as Propaganda: The Greens and the Reds

Much information on liberal individuals and organizations can be found at David Horowitz's Discover the Network site.

Suing Walgreens

2011-08-25T12:27:00.000-04:00

Shame on Walgreens.

Benton Harbor pharmacist who shot at robbers sues Walgreens for firing

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Economy

2011-08-20T21:31:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on the economy.

Gary North: Roubini, Marx, and Keynes
Gary North: Too Many Emergency Meetings in Europe
Phyllis Schlafly: Debt Ceiling Up, S&P Rating Down
Gary North: The Crack in the Ice
Gary North: How Karl Marx Foresaw Bernanke and Krugman
Gary North: The Yellow Fever Economy
Gary North: The Ghost of Murray Rothbard Haunts The Economist
Edwin Rubenstein: U.S PhDs Have It Tough Enough Without Importing Immigrants
Gary North: The Next Financial Crisis

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

The Case for a Creator

2011-08-18T16:32:00.000-04:00

The Case for a Creator
Lee Strobel

This is the third in a series of apologetic books by Lee Strobel, who was an atheist and a journalist before converting to Christianity and becoming a pastor. He previously wrote The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith.

This book focuses on issues of creation and evolution. Strobel approaches the issue from an intelligent design perspective. He uses the same format as in his previous books. He begins with a personal story about the issue, this time being asked to cover a creation/evolution school curriculum controversy in West Virginia while he was a reporter. He then proceeds to interview a number of experts associated with the intelligent design movement.

The interviews cover the subjects of icons of evolution, science and faith, cosmology, physics, astronomy, biochemistry, biological information, and consciousness. All are worthwhile, but I found the interview on consciousness particularly interesting.

The one problem that I have with the book regards the mathematics of infinity. William Lane Craig argues that the existence of an infinite number of objects or an infinite period of time is impossible. While he may be right about the underlying question, his arguments are unconvincing. He points out that ∞-∞ is not well-defined, and that ∞+1=∞. However, I don't see why this would rule out the existence of infinity in the the real world.

Overall, Case for a Creator is a worthwhile book.

Previous:
Summer Reading
Godless: A Review
How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
The Victory of Reason
The Privileged Planet
What's So Great About Christianity
Evidence That Demands a Verdict

Weapons of Mass Instruction

2011-08-17T20:50:00.002-04:00

Weapons of Mass Instruction
John Taylor Gatto

The author of this book is famous for being New York state teacher of the year who quit, convinced that government schools are bad for children.

This book contains lots of interesting material, but it is so disorganized that it is hard to recommend. It feels as though it consists of material that was cut from another book.

Gatto argues that the real purpose of government ("public") schools is not to help students learn and flourish. Instead, it is to make them submit to authority, make them alike, determine proper social roles, sort them accordingly, disadvantage those deemed less fit, and select the next generation of the elite. He cites a number of quotes from the architects of the modern government school system to support this.

Gatto adds several personal stories of his battles with the school system including an attempt to fire him on false pretenses and a principle who called the police to interrupt his school assembly speech.

He cites a number of examples of people with little formal education inventing products, building large businesses, and otherwise achieving great things. While the examples are interesting, these may well be the exception, rather than a reliable model.

Gatto is an advocate of 'unschooling', in which students are basically left free to explore their interests, and there is no formal curriculum. While there merit to encouraging students to follow their interests, I am skeptical that you can do without any curriculum.

Gatto inveighs against standardized testing, and advocates that students refuse to take them.

Gatto believes that most students are capable of much, and their abilities are being suppressed by the system. He is on the political right, but his views contrast sharply with another segment of the (paleoconservative) right, which argues that intelligence and genes largely determine academic outcomes, and there is relatively little room for improvement. It would be interesting to see each discuss the others' views.

Weapons of Mass Instruction is interesting, but often frustrating due to its lack of organization.

No Means Try Again

2011-08-16T10:49:00.002-04:00

Voters in the Mattawan school district shot down an 88 million dollar bond issue in May. Naturally, Mattawan schools aren't about to take no for an answer.

Mattawan going back to voters for $59M for new elementary schools

Voters need to say no again in November.

POLITICAL UPDATE--Riots

2011-08-15T18:51:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on riots.

Mark Steyn: The New Britannia
Ann Coulter: The Sun Never Sets On The British Welfare System
Pat Buchanan: The Fire This Time
Gary North: My Lesson from Los Angeles' Forgotten 1962 Riot
Gary North: London Riots: What Nobody Dares To Say

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Upton, Camp named to "SuperCongress"

2011-08-10T12:15:00.002-04:00

Michigan Congressmen Fred Upton and Dave Camp have been named by Speaker John Boehner to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, which has been nicknamed the "SuperCongress". The third Republican House member is Jeb Hensarling of Texas.

Republicans Fill Out Deficit Committee Roster

Their American Conservative Union (ACU) ratings are as follows.
Upton 73%
Camp 89%
Hensarling 99%

Upton is a well-known moderate with a long history of un-conservative votes. He has voted more conservative since surviving a strong Tea Party challenge in 2010. (His 2010 rating was 92%). Camp is an establishment Republican. Hensarling is a staunch conservative who previously headed the Republican Study Committee before being elected to house leadership.

On the senate side, the Republicans are
John Kyl 96%
Pat Toomey 97% (house)
Rob Portman 89% (house)

Kyl is in the leadership and is retiring. Toomey is a Tea Party favorite elected in 2010, while Portman is an establishment candidate elected in 2010.

The ACLU vs America

2011-08-10T12:10:00.000-04:00

The ACLU vs America
By Alan Sears and Craig Osten

This book chronicles the history and activities of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a leftist legal activist group that purports to defend civil liberties. Sears and Osten are the leaders of the rival conservative legal group Allaince Defence Fund (ADF), which has battled the ACLU in court many times in recent years. At times, the book reads like a commercial for the ADF.

They lay out the history of the of the ACLU, which was founded as a communist organization. Founder Roger Baldwin proclaimed

We are for Socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself. We seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal.

Even after the communists were purged following the Hitler/Stalin pact, the ACLU continued its war against Christians and religious liberty. ACLU vs. America cites case after case to document its agenda. In particular, it debunks the false notion that the ACLU fights for civil liberties. For example, they oppose the rights of the Boy Scouts to determine its own membership.

The book has chapters on marriage, mom and dad, children, human life, religion, Christmas, and American sovereignty.

No! It's a Trap!

2011-08-09T01:21:00.001-04:00

Portage targets home-schooled students in hope to boost enrollment

POLITICAL UPDATE--Government

2011-08-07T15:25:00.001-04:00

This update focuses on government.

Phyllis Schlafly: Get Government Out of Our House
Thomas Sowell: Misleading Words Part II
AWR Hawkins: Enemy of the State
Gary North: Counterfeit Gold Standards
Gary North: Good News on Taxes
Thomas Sowell: Dissecting The Demagoguery About 'Tax Cuts For The Rich'
Gary North: Restoring Liberty With Three Short Laws
Gary North: Bernanke Channels Benchley

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Paul Scott Faces Recall Election

2011-08-06T13:31:00.003-04:00

For months now, we've seen news of possible recall elections against Republican legislators. Basically, filing a recall petition is a cheap way to say that you don't like a politician. It gets media attention in a way that a press release doesn't. Then a couple people hear about it and decide to so the same thing elsewhere. But getting signatures is much harder.

After all the hype, only one recall campaign filed signatures for a November election. Republican Paul Scott of southern Genesee County is the target.

The campaign against him has yet to file its campaign finances and seems to be trying to hide them. Nonetheless, it seems clear that it is being run by the MEA, which has paid handsomely to collect the necessary signatures. Scott is being targeted due to the fact that he is chairman of the house education committee, which has passed modest teacher tenure reforms.

Scott has a lean republican district, which is where I would initially rate the recall election, assuming it makes the ballot. If Scott were recalled, there would have to be a special election to replace him.

Interestingly, Scott's district is basically chopped in half in the new redistricting plan. Half becomes part of a new lean dem district and the other half becomes part of an open safe republican district. If Scott were recalled, he could just run there next year.

Other recall campaigns were notably unsuccessful. Signatures have been collected against Al Pscholka (N Berrien), Kurt Damrow (Tuscola/Huron), and Jeff Farrington (Sterling Heights), but none were filed.

Meanwhile in Lenawee County, organizers claimed to have enough signatures. However, the person with the signatures disappeared under mysterious circumstances and they were not filed. There are rumors of a car accident involving him or a family member.

No November recall of state Rep. Nancy Jenkins as petitions fail to appear

As Jack Lessenberry argues, the recall threat has proved overrated.

Recall Threat Proves Overrated

Alumni News

2011-08-06T12:26:00.000-04:00

I missed this at the time.

------------------------

State Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc, and former staffer having baby

GRAND BLANC, Michigan — State Rep. Paul Scott said today he's going to be a father soon.

Scott, R-Grand Blanc, said he and a former staff member will be welcoming a son together in a couple weeks.

Scott was most recently re-elected to the 51st state House seat, which represents southern Genesee County, referring to himself as a conservative "21st century Republican."

"This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," he said of the baby.

Scott said he and the mother, Amanda Grove, are in a strong relationship. She left his legislative office in May before working on his campaign for secretary of state, he said, which ended in August when he lost the five-way race for the Republican nomination.

There are no plans for marriage at this point, but Scott said "you never know what's going to happen in the future."

Scott said the baby will have two "loving parents."

"This has been an incredible experience," he said.

Michigan Redistricting

2011-08-04T16:39:00.001-04:00

Michigan 5th Congressional District Election Preview

2011-08-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

Michigan’s 5th district Congressman Dale Kildee has announced his retirement after 36 years in Congress. Kildee is a liberal union democrat based in Flint. His lifetime American Conservative Union (ACU) rating is 12%. He has identified himself as pro-life and until 2010 was endorsed by Michigan Right to Life, but nonetheless voted for Obamacare. He is anti-gun, with a rating of F from Gun Owners of America.

Michigan’s current 5th district consists of Genesee, Tuscola, and parts of Saginaw and Bay counties. It was drawn in 2001 to merge the districts of Kildee and then-congressman Jim Barcia of Bay City. The Republicans who drew the district successfully packed the most democrat areas of both districts into one, along with a small piece of Congressman Mike Rogers’ district in SW Genesee. Even though he represented more of the new district, Barcia stepped aside in favor of Kildee, and ran for state senate instead.

The new 5th, in which the next election will be held (assuming Rick Snyder signs the new redistricting maps) expands a bit. It consists of Genesee, Bay, Arenac, Iosco, and parts of Saginaw and Tuscola counties. The population of the district breaks down as follows.

60.3% Genesee
15.3% Bay
14.8% Saginaw
2.4% Tuscola
2.3% Arenac
3.9% Iosco

A number of candidates have expressed interest in running to replace Kildee. As this is a democrat district, most of the action so far is on that side.

Former Genesee County Treasurer Dan Kildee, who is the nephew of the current congressman, has announced that he is running. Kildee was treasurer from 1996 until he resigned in 2009 to become the head “of the Center for Community Progress, which promotes the reuse of vacant, abandoned and problem properties in cities and towns across the country.” He very briefly ran for Governor in 2010 before dropping out.

Former Congressman and state senator Jim Barcia has said that he is “highly likely” to run. Barcia was a state rep 1976-82, state senator 1982-92, and congressman 1992-2002. After stepping aside for Kildee, he returned to the state senate from 2002 to 2010, when he was term-limited. Barcia is a genuine moderate democrat who has an ACU life rating of 54%. He is pro-life and a hunter who opposes gun control. For conservatives, he would be a big improvement over Kildee.

State senator John Gleason has said that he is very serious about running. Gleason was a state rep from Flushing before being elected to the state senate in 2006. He is now in his second term, and would be term-limited in 2014. Gleason is pro-life and has been endorsed by the NRA.

State Rep. Woodrow Stanley is “very interested” in running. Stanley, who is black, was mayor of Flint from 1991 until he was recalled from office in 2002 due to fiscal mismanagement. A state-appointed emergency financial manager was appointed afterwards. Stanley was then elected to the Genesee county commission 2004-08. In 2008 he was elected a state representative, and is now in his second term. He would be term-limited in 2014.

Former lieutenant governor John Cherry has been mentioned as a possible candidate but has not yet expressed interest in running. He was a state senator 1986-2002, rising to senator democrat minority leader before becoming lieutenant governor under Jennifer Granholm 2002-10. He represented the suburbs of Flint. Cherry is a liberal with strong union ties but is also pro-gun.

Genesee county treasurer Deb Cherry is the sister of John Cherry. She also has been mentioned as a potential candidate but has not expressed interest in running. She was a state rep before succeeding her brother as a state senator 2002-10 representing suburban Flint. She was term-limited and was elected county treasurer in 2010, succeeding Dan Kildee. Her political positions are similar to those of her brother.

There are plenty of other current and former legislators and county officials who could also run.

Here is the percentage of the new district that they have represented.

60.3% Dan Kildee
52.4% Jim Barcia (congress)
36.3% John Gleason
24% Deb Cherry (state senate)
14.5% Woodrow Stanley (mayor)

While this is a democrat district, it is possible for Republicans to win it under ideal circumstances. For example, Rick Snyder won it in 2010. Before that, John Engler and Candice Miller won it in 1998. Against Kildee, Barcia, Gleason, or either of the Cherrys, Republicans would have no chance. On the other hand, Republicans would have a good chance of winning if Woodrow Stanley were the nominee. Even in majority-black Flint, he was recalled as mayor, and he is not likely to play well outside the city.

Republicans should have a credible candidate in case circumstances line up their way. There are several Republican state legislators who represent significant portions of the district. They are state senators Dave Robertson, Mike Green, and Roger Khan and state rep Paul Scott. The portions of the district that they have represented are as follows.

31.6% Dave Robertson
20% Mike Green
14.8% Roger Kahn
15.2% Paul Scott

Robertson would be the strongest possible Republican candidate if he were to run. This isn’t very likely, though, as he was just elected to the state senate in 2010. Green was also just elected in 2010 and lives in the part of Tuscola county that is outside the district. Kahn is in his second term and would be term-limited in 2014. He is from Saginaw township, which is split between congressional districts. Scott is currently facing a recall campaign due to his efforts to reform teacher tenure rules in Michigan and doesn’t seem likely to run.

Republican’s best choice may be John Kupiec, who held Dale Kildee to only 53% of the vote in 2010, despite receiving very little attention. He is considering running again.

The 5th district promises to have a very interesting congressional race.

Concealed Carry: We Were Right, They Were Wrong

2011-08-01T21:42:00.002-04:00

Michigan's concealed carry law went into effect roughly ten years ago. The Free Press has an article that admits that the fears of the opponents of the law were nonsense. Several opponents who were interviewed, including various prosecutors and police, admit obliquely that what they said would happen didn't.

10 years after concealed weapons law, unclear why many in state were gun-shy

Of course, it didn't take a genius to see that they were wrong. You only needed to look at every other state that has a concealed carry law.

Western's "Weak" Education College

2011-08-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

Julie Mack reports on the poor ranking of Western's education program.

Julie Mack blog: Does Western Michigan University have a 'weak' program for training teachers?

The National Council on Teacher Quality issued a report last week critical of U.S. teacher-training programs, based on a study of student-teacher programs at 134 colleges nationwide.

One of the programs included in the study was Western Michigan University, whose student-teacher program was listed in the report as "weak."

She had previously interviewed former Western President Judy Bailey about the issue.

When Judith Bailey was still WMU president, I once asked her point-blank about the College of Education's mediocre reputation. Without missing a beat, she smoothly changed the topic. ("Do you know what program of ours is really underrated? College of Fine Arts.")

Typical Bailey. Diether Haenicke gave an honest answer.

Before his death in 2009, I l recounted that conversation to former WMU President Diether Haenicke. I figured Haenicke would stoutly defended the College of Education. Instead, he shook his head and said his own failure to reform that particular program was one of his greatest frustrations and regrets. "I tried and tried," but there were too many people in the department resistant to change, he said.

What's wrong with the program?

Certainly, in the local K-12 community, school officials take a lukewarm view of WMU's program. The standard critique: Too many professors teaching outdated theories; too few instructors with actual experience in K-12 classrooms; too little focus on skills such as classroom management and the challenges of educating low-income students.

"When we get kids from Western, we have to retrain them," a former superintendent once told me.

Shockingly, the best way to learn how to teach is to actually do it. In some of Western's departments, graduate students can be put in the classroom teaching college classes with only a couple days of training.

I have talked to numerous College of Education students who describe sitting through endless busywork classes en route to their degrees.

As explained by Thomas Sowell in America's Education Disaster, colleges of education serve as negative filters to screen out bright and knowledgeable people who be good teachers but are unwilling to sit through years of busywork classes. Such people present a threat to the mediocre teachers who staff our classrooms. Teachers' unions and their allies use licensing to restrict the supply of teachers and hence increase their pay.

POLITICAL UPDATE--The Culture War

2011-08-01T09:37:00.000-04:00

This update focuses on the culture war.

Allan Wall: Don’t Expect “Hispanic Family Values” To Counter Gay Agenda
Pat Buchanan: Demography And Debt Are Both Destiny—We're All Greeks Now
Gary North: Cars 2 Isn't a Lemon. It's a Saab.
Gary North: Never Say Retire
Ann Coulter: Casey Anthony -- Single Mom of the Year!
Phyllis Schlafly: Court Wraps Video Games in First Amendment

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

POLITICAL UPDATE--Debt

2011-07-25T10:04:00.000-04:00

This update focuses on debt.

Pat Buchanan: Is a Tea Party Triumph at Hand?
Gary North: Baloney
Gary North: On the Road to Government Default
Mark Steyn: The Great Charade
Pat Buchanan: An Establishment in Panic

POLITICAL UPDATES are archived here.

Does Detroit Need Immigration?

2011-07-24T12:25:00.003-04:00

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, not content with imposing a nanny state on New York City, has weighed in with his solution to Detroit's problems.

Having read reports of Detroit's dramatic population loss (about 25% over the past decade), Bloomberg's solution is simple. Immigration!

Mayor Bloomberg: Detroit Needs Final Solution

Snyder sees immigrants as a key to state's economy

Governor Snyder apparently thinks this is a swell idea, too.

Neither Bloomberg nor Snyder seem to have addressed the most basic question. Why is Detroit losing population? They make it sound as if it were some unknowable force of nature causing Detroit to lose people.

In fact, people are fleeing Detroit because of high crime, social disfunction, high taxes, and low human capital. Anyone who can afford to leave does.

Bloomberg and Snyder seem not to understand that the whole point of immigration is to move someplace better than where you are now. Why would anyone in their right mind choose Detroit as the place to start a business? Why didn't Bloomberg and Snyder move their businesses to Detroit if it is so full of opportunity?

Instead, what Bloomberg and Snyder seem to want for Detroit is colonization, where more advanced outsiders share the blessings of civilization with the benighted native population. But colonization can only work when the colonists have political control. Imperialist Europeans are in short supply these days, anyways.

The flipside to Snyder's belief that immigration is the key to turning around Michigan's economy is apparently that existing Michigan residents are a bunch of lazy bums. While that may be true in Detroit, it is a slander against Michiganders generally.

The reason for Michigan's economic depression is dysfunctional political structures (both government and unions). Some of Snyder's other initiatives are positive reforms, but so far they have mostly been marginal changes, with tax reform being the big exception.

It is true that some immigrants come to America, start businesses, and create jobs. You know what those immigrants have in common? They aren't from the Third World. The three examples Snyder cites were Dutch, Armenian, and Canadian. Michiganders who oppose more immigration aren't upset about Canadian immigration (well, other than Granholm).

Meanwhile, most of America's immigrants continue to come from the Third World, particularly Latin American, particularly Mexico. Why didn't Snyder cite all the big Mexican-founded corporations in Michigan? Wait, there aren't any?