Voters Must Register by January 30th

On Tuesday, February 28th both of Michigan’s major political parties hold “Open Primaries”.  However, voters must “declare” her (or his party) designation by selecting a Democrat or Republican ballot at the polls.  The voter’s choice becomes public information.  There is one major difference between the two parties, in that the Republican delegates “are bound to presidential contenders based on the results of the voting in today’s Michigan Presidential Primary”, while the Democratic primary is “non-binding” and “has no effect on delegate allocation.”

Click here for

Mail in Voter Registration

available at the Secretary of State Website, but time is running out!

Mark Levin (of conservative talk-show fame) has just released a new book called “Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America“.

It is a masterful work that explains the history of our founding and reveals the gap between the original intent of our republic vs. our current status.  Levin does so by explaining the underlying philosophies that were asserted by our Founding Fathers, and how these philosophies have been eroded over time, being largely blended with, or replaced by, modern Utopian philosophies.

“What is this movement, this force, this agenda that has unhinged us from the Constitution? And I get into this in great detail obviously — this utopianism,” Levin says.

It would serve us as Conservatives well to know what our own philosophical beliefs are, and to be able to articulate them clearly in the marketplace of ideas.

Not many would argue that over the last 100 years that we have lost this battle of ideas, mainly because we have offered little resistance. It is easy to see that the  out-workings of these Utopian concepts have permeated our entire culture.  Today, we live in a defining period of American history, in which we will decide who we want to be as a nation.  Will we continue down this path, or will we attempt to recover the principals and values of our country’s founders?

Levin’s book has met with rave reviews, including these from
The American Spectator and Rush Limbaugh.

Click here to watch an interview of Mark Levin discussing his book,
“Ameritopia,” with the Daily Caller.

January 13, 2012

Weekly local legislator roll call report for the Romeo Area Tea Party

The legislature began the 2012 session in a pro-forma assembly on Wednesday during which no votes were taken, so this report instead contains several newly introduced bills of interest.

Y = Yes, N = No, X = Not Voting

Senate Bill 775: Revise allowable deer hunting guns south of “rifle line”
Introduced by Sen. Michael Green (R), to revise the types of firearms allowed for deer hunting south of the “rifle line” in the Lower Peninsula. In addition to shotguns and muzzle-loading rifles, hunters could use a .35 caliber or larger pistol capable of holding no more than nine rounds, and a .35 caliber or larger rifle loaded with straight-walled cartridges and a maximum case length of 1.80 inches (in other words, not a high-power rifle cartridge). Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

Senate Bill 779: Impose criminal penalties for making toy gun look real
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D), to prohibit changing, altering, removing, or obliterating any coloration or markings on an imitation or toy gun that are required by any applicable state or federal laws, in a way that makes it look more like a real firearm, subject to up to18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

Bill 802: Require state agencies post spending plans online
Introduced by Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R), to require state agencies to post online a detailed spreadsheet with their proposed spending for the next fiscal year, before the deadline for the governor to submit a budget to the legislature. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

Senate Bill 803: Require voters to affirm citizenship
Introduced by Sen. Darwin Booher (R), to require voters to affirm that they are a U.S. citizen when voting or applying for an absentee ballot. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

Senate Bill 819: Restrict diesel idling
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D), to prohibit heavy diesel trucks (over 8,500 pounds) from idling more than five minutes within a one hour period, or 15 minutes for loaded buses (or 30 minutes for ones waiting to unload), with certain exceptions, subject to fines of up to $500. Rather than the fine revenue going to public libraries as in other traffic violation laws (intended to prevent local governments and police agencies from using enforcement to raise revenue), it would instead go to local governments. Also, the measure could be enforced by local volunteer “parking officers”. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

Senate Bill 857: Ban barber pole display by unlicensed hair cutters
Introduced by Sen. John Gleason (D), to revise the law that prohibits a person from earning a living as a barber unless he or she gets a state license, so that it would prohibit a person who does not have the license from displaying a barber pole. Under current law, barbering is illegal without a license, and a new barber can’t get a license unless he or she has completed a 2,000-hour course of study at a licensed barber college, and met other requirements imposed by a board comprised of existing barbers who have received political appointments to this board. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

House Bill 5128: Create specialty “business courts”
Introduced by Rep. John Walsh (R), to create a new specialty “business court” division within local circuit courts, which would specialize in business and commercial disputes greater than $25,000. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

House Bill 5138: Create state “yellow dot” medical safety program
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R), to create a state “yellow dot” program to alert medical responders of medical information located inside a vehicle. Participants would get an easily-visible yellow dot decal to put on the driver’s side rear window, which alerts emergency responders to look in the glove compartment for a form with emergency contact information, physician information, medical conditions, recent surgeries, allergies and medications being used, etc. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit http://www.MichiganVotes.org.

“The Rise and Fall of Great Empires”

Guest Speaker Harry C. Veryser

Dinner Menu:

Tossed Garden Salad (served with Italian dressing)
Penne with Tomato Sauce (penne pasta topped with Francesco’s homemade tomato sauce)
Breaded Chicken Medallions (breaded chicken medallions topped with white wine lemon butter sauce and mushrooms)
Chef’s Vegetable
Italian Whipped potatoes

Click here to order tickets online.

Harry Veryser
Assistant Professor of Economics & Coordinator, UDM Graduate Program in Economics at Macomb University Center.

Degrees

• B.A., Philosophy, University of Detroit
• B.A., Economics, University of Detroit
• M.A., Economics, University of Detroit
• M.A., Religious Studies, University of Detroit

Monday, January 23, 2012

at our new venue:

The Palazzo Grande, 54660 Van Dyke, Shelby Township, Michigan 48315

Doors Open 6pm, Dinner Served 6:45pm

$20 per person

Click here for a biography on Professor Veryser

“Can We Shrink the Federal Bureaucracy?”

This very relevant topic was discussed recently at Hillsdale College’s Free Market Forum,
which was held in Atlanta, Georgia, October 27th, 2011.

Here is part of the lecture on shrinking the Federal Bureaucracy;
in particular, the Department of Education.

Our speaker is Dr. Charles Murray.

Click here to watch the entire Hillsdale lecture, “Shrinking the Federal Bureaucracy”

Every once in awhile the “Drive by Media” goes so far out of its way to push their agenda that the definition of “Absurd” is realigned.  Recently, it appeared that the “power” inferred by the value of a national TV audience was intoxicating enough to drunken the judgment of the likes of George Stephanopoulos, and Ivy League (Columbia University) graduate.  The rational of his recent query in the New Hampshire presidential debate, did not exist.

With Presidential candidate Mitt Romney clearly leading polls in New Hampshire, it was time for the biased media to take aim at the front runner.  Surely, history proves sure that whenever a leading candidate in the republican primaries emerges, established media sources target them in coordinated unison.  Established media types all use the same playbook, so their choices are limited.  Its like blind faith, without the faith.

On Saturday (January 7th),  so clever was the attempt of ABC NEWS anchor George Stephanopoulos, in his efforts to “trip up”  Mitt Romney, that the ABSURDITY of his question was apparent.  Not since the “Lost Weekend” of John Lennon has time stood so still, when Candidate Romney enlightened the audience as to the ridiculousness of the question regarding; States Rights to (potentially) Ban Contraception, as defined by the Supreme Court in a 1965 ruling (Griswold v. Connecticut).  Certainly, Stephanopoulos dug deep into the archives of current events, as he was only four at the time of that ruling.

So, what was the point?

Exactly!

The only purpose of George’s question could only have been to create a new talking point for the ABC Sunday morning “talking head” show, “This Week with… (I miss David Brinkley)“.

No.  There was no value to the question, nor Romney’s answer, which only clarifies the absurdity of the lost three minutes of time ABC paid for.  But, we promise.  If you watch the actual video evidence presented here, you won’t loose your entire weekend, nor will you be attended to for eighteen months by May Pang.  You will, however, be reminded of the “absurdity of it all”.

January 7, 2012

Weekly local legislator roll call report for the Romeo Area Tea Party

The Legislature is adjourned until Wednesday, Jan. 11. Because there were no votes to report, this edition instead contains some of the 55 constitutional amendment proposals introduced by legislators in 2011. Such proposals require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to be placed on the ballot, and do not become law unless approved by a majority of voters.

Y = Yes, N = No, X = Not Voting

Mackinac Center

Senate Joint Resolution S and House Joint Resolution GG: Repeal people’s right to recall politicians for political question
Introduced by Sen. Arlan Meekhof (R) and Rep. Roy Schmidt (D), respectively, to place before voters in the next general election a Constitutional amendment to repeal the right of the people to recall elected officials for a “political rather than (just) a judicial question.” Instead, citizens would be limited to recalling officials solely for a criminal conviction, libel, slander or misappropriating public assets. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Joint Resolution N: Replace gas tax with higher sales tax
Introduced by Sen. Howard Walker (R), to place before voters a Constitutional amendment to impose a 1 percent sales tax increase and earmark the extra revenue to roads. See also Senate Bills 714 and 715, which repeal the state gas and diesel tax. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Joint Resolution O: Transfer state employee pay decisions to legislature
Introduced by Sen. Mark Jansen (R), to place before voters a Constitutional amendment to transfer the power to set state employee pay, benefits and terms of employment from the state Civil Service Commission to the legislature. The measure would also ban providing benefits to the unmarried partners of state employees. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Senate Joint Resolution R: Ban charter school hiring for-profit management company
Introduced by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D), to place before voters a Constitutional amendment that would prohibit charter school boards from hiring private education management companies if they are for-profit companies. Charter schools are themselves a form of public school and so are not for-profit enterprises, but many hire for-profit management companies. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Joint Resolution EE: Limit referendum on appropriations ban
Introduced by Rep. George T. Darany (D), to place before voters a Constitutional amendment to revise the current prohibition on citizen referendums challenging bills that contain an appropriation. The measure would establish that this only applies to bills that substantially fund one or more state departments. This would undo a “letter of the law” state Supreme Court ruling that on several occasions allowed the Legislature to deliberately add modest appropriations to a controversial new law, effectively “immunizing” it against referendum, which is a right the people are intended to have under the state constitution. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Joint Resolution FF: Restrict state authority over fiscally, academically sound schools
Introduced by Rep. Timothy Bledsoe (D), to place before voters a Constitutional amendment establishing that school districts with good fiscal and academic records could not be required to consolidate with another district, participate in cross-district schools of choice policies that requires districts with openings to accept children from elsewhere who want to attend, or be subject to measures targeting a large funding surplus. Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

House Joint Resolution HH: Place right to life amendment in Constitution
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R), to place before voters a Constitutional amendment declaring that “every human person has a right to life,” and defining “person” as “all human beings, irrespective of age, race, gender, health, function, condition of dependency, including physical or mental dependency, or method of reproduction, from the beginning of their biological development, including fertilization.” Referred to committee, no further action at this time.

Mackinac Center

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit http://www.MichiganVotes.org.

Free speech? Really?

The legislation discussed in this article gives the government the authority to tamper with Internet search results by requiring firms like Google to block links to infringing websites. Imposing this limit on information providers is very disturbing and arguably a violation of the First Amendment.

Would you be outraged if the Department of Justice shut down the
Romeo Area Tea Party website without any warning and
blocked access for more than a year?

That’s exactly what happened to a hip-hop blog called Dajaz1.com, which was falsely accused of criminal copyright infringement. The blog posted music from artists promoting their work. But federal authorities viewed it differently. They seized the domain name, then shared virtually no information with its owner for more than year. Only recently did they quietly drop the case.

The government’s handling of this hip-hop blog is fueling fears about legislation moving quickly through Congress that addresses copyright infringement and online piracy.

The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA as it’s known in the House, and the Senate’s PROTECT IP Act would give the U.S. attorney general the power and authority to block criminal enterprises from trafficking in illegal products online.

Their cause is a noble one. Business incur significant losses when Americans buy counterfeit items. Consumers must also be increasingly vigilant about purchases they make online. Federal authorities shut down more than 150 websites just last month for pirated goods.

But the two bills making their way through Congress
are the wrong solution.

They pose serious threats to freedom of speech and expression and raise security concerns. With the Senate possibly voting on the PROTECT IP Act in January and the House moving forward with hearings on SOPA, Americans should understand what’s at stake.

As the case with Dajaz1.com illustrates, the federal government already has the ability to shut down U.S.-based websites. A growing number of so-called “rogue sites” are located outside the United States, however, limiting the government’s ability to block them.

SOPA would give Attorney General Eric Holder and individual intellectual property holders the ability to sue these rogue sites if they were “dedicated to theft of U.S. property.” The government, through a court order, could take these four steps:

1. Require Internet service providers to prevent subscribers from reaching the website in question;
2. Prohibit search engines such as Google from providing direct links to the foreign website in search results;
3. Prohibit payment network providers, such as PayPal or credit card firms, from completing financial transactions affecting the site; and
4. Bar Internet advertising firms from placing online ads from or to the affected website.

“The legislation addresses a legitimate problem,” wrote Heritage’s regulatory policy expert James Gattuso, “but it may have unintended negative consequences for the operation of the Internet and free speech.”

Free speech:

The legislation gives the government the authority to tamper with Internet search results by requiring firms like Google to block links to infringing websites. Placing this limit on information providers is troubling and arguably a violation of the First Amendment. Besides, Washington’s appetite for power is uncontrollable, and this would almost certainly lead to a slippery slope of unwanted interference in the future.

Internet security:

Criminals would almost certainly discover new ways to circumvent the government’s measures. But the most glaring security problem with SOPA is the damage it would cause to DNSSEC, the new Internet system designed to limit certain crimes. This would jeopardize security across the Internet, potentially creating new challenges.

“The federal government needs to protect intellectual property rights,” Gattuso concluded in his analysis. “But it should do so in a way that does not disrupt the growth of technology, does not weaken Internet security, respects free speech rights, and solves the problem of rogue sites.”

The debate over SOPA is already among the most intense and polarizing taking place in Washington — and rightfully so. With concerns about free speech and Internet security taking center stage, lawmakers would be wise to look at alternatives when they return in January.

This information was originally posted on The Heritage Foundation’s conservative policy news blog, The Foundry, on December 28th, 2011.

By MATT DECEMBER

Bruce Township officials have expressed displeasure at the recent Romeo District Library audit and at how things have been run behind the scenes there in the recent past.

“(Plante and Moran says) when cash receipts were being deposited, the library did not have a deposit slip. That is totally not true,” said Brockmann. “We do not keep any original items here at Bruce Township. We keep only copies and the originals are all kept at the library.”

December 29, 2011

Weekly local legislator roll call report for the Romeo Area Tea Party

This report recaps some of the most important votes of 2011.

Y = Yes, N = No, X = Not Voting

House Bill 4361, Gov. Snyder’s business and personal income tax overhaul: Passed 19 to 19 in the Senate (Lt. Gov. Calley broke tie)
To replace the Michigan Business Tax with a 6 percent corporate income tax; eliminate several corporate tax breaks and subsidies; repeal a gradual cut in the personal income rate from 4.25 percent to 3.95 percent; scale-back the current income tax exemption for pension income; reduce the Earned Income Tax credit for low income workers by 70 percent; eliminate or reduce other income tax deductions and credits including the homestead property tax credit, personal exemption and dependent child credit; and make many other tax code revisions. The Senate version preserves some corporate tax breaks and subsidies.

House Bill 4214, Increase power of distressed school and municipal financial managers: Passed 26 to 12 in the Senate
To greatly enhance the powers of Emergency Managers appointed to manage fiscally failing municipalities and school districts. EMs would could cancel union contracts, and school EMs would have authority over academic matters.

Senate Bill 7, Mandate 20 percent government employee health benefit contribution: Passed 25 to 13 in the Senate
To prohibit local governments and public schools from providing employee health insurance benefits in which employees contribute less than 20 percent toward the cost, or which exceed certain dollar amounts, with a number of exceptions.

House Bill 4408, Reduce future unemployment benefits: Passed 24 to 13 in the Senate
To reduce from 26 weeks to 20 weeks the amount of time that laid off employees can collect state unemployment insurance benefits.

Senate Bill 806, Revise unemployment insurance: Passed 23 to 11 in the Senate

To revise various elements of the state unemployment insurance social welfare system, including employer payroll tax assessments; requiring beneficiaries to accept alternative work at lower pay, and more. This is part of the package authorizing state borrowing to pay off some $3.2 billion in unemployment system debt, owed because benefit payments exceeded payroll tax revenues.

Senate Bill 165, Ban project labor agreements: Passed 26 to 12 in the Senate
To prohibit “project labor agreements” in state, school and local public construction projects. These require a non-union contractor to comply with union contract conditions and pay scales, which are often above market level.

House Bill 4325, 2011-2012 K-16 Education budget: Passed 21 to 17 in the Senate
To appropriate $12.66 billion for K-12 public schools in 2011-2012, compared to $13.13 billion the previous year (an amount inflated by $420 million in “stimulus” money). Per-pupil grants were reduced around $100 for schools that adopt specified reforms, and another $100 for those that don’t. The bill also appropriates $1.36 billion for state universities, compared to $1.58 billion the previous year.

House Bill 4625, Make it easier to fire ineffective teachers: Passed 25 to 13 in the Senate
To revise the standards for granting a public school teacher “tenure,” and streamline the procedures for taking it away.

House Bill 4627, Ban laying off less-senior teachers over “ineffective” ones (“LIFO”): Passed 20 to 17 in the Senate
To prohibit public schools from using seniority as the determining factor when making layoff or recall decisions (“last in first out”), and prohibit giving preference to a teacher rated “ineffective” over ones rated “minimally effective” or above.

Senate Bill 618, Eliminate charter school cap: Passed 22 to 16 in the Senate

To eliminate the cap of 150 on the number of charter schools that can be authorized by state universities, starting in 2015 (with 300 allowed in 2012 and 500 in 2013 and 2014).

House Bill 4361, Gov. Snyder’s business and personal income tax overhaul: Passed in the House 56 to 53
To replace the Michigan Business Tax with a 6 percent corporate income tax; eliminate; scale-back pension income exemptions, replace the Earned Income Tax credit with a child credit, and more.

House Bill 4214, Increase power of distressed school and municipal financial managers: Passed 62 to 47 in the House
To greatly enhance the powers of Emergency Managers appointed to manage fiscally failing municipalities and school districts. EMs would could cancel union contracts, and school EMs would have authority over academic matters.

Senate Bill 7, Mandate 20 percent government employee health benefit contribution: Passed 56 to 52 in the House
To prohibit local governments and public schools from providing employee health insurance benefits in which employees contribute less than 20 percent toward the cost, or which exceed certain dollar amounts, with a number of exceptions.

House Bill 4408, Reduce future unemployment benefits: Passed 65 to 44 in the House

To reduce from 26 weeks to 20 weeks the amount of time that laid off employees can collect state unemployment insurance benefits.

Senate Bill 806, Revise unemployment insurance: Passed 61 to 47 in the House
To revise various elements of the state unemployment insurance social welfare system, including employer payroll tax assessments; requiring beneficiaries to accept alternative work at lower pay, and more.

Senate Bill 165, Ban project labor agreements: Passed 62 to 47 in the House
To prohibit “project labor agreements” in state, school and local public construction projects.

House Bill 4325, 2011-2012 K-16 Education budget: Passed 59 to 50 in the House
To appropriate $12.66 billion for K-12 public schools in 2011-2012, compared to $13.13 billion the previous year (an amount inflated by $420 million in “stimulus” money). Per-pupil grants were reduced around $100 for schools that adopt specified reforms, and another $100 for those that don’t. The bill also appropriates $1.36 billion for state universities, compared to $1.58 billion the previous year.

House Bill 4625, Make it easier to dismiss ineffective teachers: Passed 66 to 42 in the House

To revise the standards for granting a public school teacher “tenure,” and streamline the procedures for taking it away.

House Bill 4627, Ban laying off more effective but less senior teachers first (“LIFO”): Passed 68 to 39 in the House
To prohibit public schools from using seniority as the determining factor when making layoff or recall decisions (“last in first out”), and prohibit giving preference to a teacher rated “ineffective” over ones rated “minimally effective” or above.

Senate Bill 618, Eliminate charter school cap: Passed 58 to 49 in the House
To eliminate the cap of 150 on the number of charter schools that can be authorized by state universities, starting in 2015 (with 300 allowed in 2012 and 500 in 2013 and 2014).

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit http://www.MichiganVotes.org.