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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

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Activists confirm plans to peacefully take Capitol

By Todd A. Heywood | 03.15.11 | 12:47 pm

A group of Michigan activists has confirmed that it plans to stage a protest in the state Capitol building at 4 p.m. today.

Lance Enderle, a former Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional district, confirmed moments ago that he is leading the protest.

“We are planning to exercise our free speech rights in a non-violent way,” Enderle said. “We will take the Rotunda, and we are not leaving.”

The Capitol building closes at 5:30 p.m. and officials have told Michigan Messenger that anyone remaining in the building after 5:30 will be given a 10 minute warning to leave. If they don’t leave, Michigan State Police troopers could eject them or arrest them for trespassing. The problem for state police troopers, however, might be in mustering the manpower. In last year’s budget, Republican lawmakers voted to close the Capitol police post, which has left the state with only two Michigan State Police troopers and the Sergent at Arms staff. It is likely state police will have to muster road patrol staff to help eject protesters.

“We shouldn’t be surprised that people are extremely upset,” said David Holtz, executive director of Progress Michigan. ”What Republicans are trying to do is a declaration of war on hard-working middle class families. Civil disobedience has deep roots in our democracy. And when democracy is threatened, people will respond.”

Messeger will have a full interview with Enderle before the protests later this afternoon.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    It is hard for me to imagine the state of Michigan voting Republican. If the Tea Party had their way, GM, and Chrysler would be gone and they would be standing back cheering. So they go to the polls and vote for people who want to see the state fail?????

  • Anonymous

    Fight hard for your middle class and keep money circulating locally. If your governor keeps giving tax breaks to businesses in hopes that Michigan can undercut the other states that are doing the same, you will join the race to the bottom. Germany has the strongest economy in Europe… and the strongest unions. They have also created many jobs by embracing green energy. They are on track to generate 30% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. Sounds better than nuclear.

    But you will never get smart solutions for your economy as long as your politicians have to answer to the likes of the Koch brothers. You will only get the same old failed trickle down thinking.

  • Anonymous

    Democracy is not threatened by recent efforts to curtail the expansion of union power to unsustainable levels for union members. Rather, democracy is protected by them. I support collective bargaining, but I also support current efforts by representatives/governors to put a “freeze” on the ability of unions to call the shots. It’s been an unholy alliance between unions and progressive representatives. Allow full collective bargaining everywhere except government workers, and limited or no collective bargaining for public employees. That’s fair and sustainable. REMEMBER: If the collective bargain results in the bankruptcy of the business, the company and its employees lose. If the collective bargain results in the bankruptcy of the state, we all lose.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2THUTAFDHTGCXK74XAQCMNZKIA Robin J

      Leftcoastdave, so tell me where it is feasible to put a 1.7 million tax hike on the all ready struggling low income and elderly of the state and then as they are starving and homeless, give it to the corporations. We saw what they did with our stimulus money when it was given to the big banks and wallstreet. They got richer and then started war on the very people they got the money from. Illegal foreclosures, Hamp is a joke and we all know it as well as breaking laws in every state in order to take away peoples homes. Then lets talk about the cutting of education to the students of the state, what is the purpose behind that? What will be the long term result of cutting education for our kids and adults alike? The economy of Michigan was built on the unions and the backs of the people who fought and died for them. I may not agree with how they are run, but how many rights do we have taken away before there are non left. The Government and Republicans are doing away with the middle class, at the end of that rode is the same thing Africa has struggled with. The Rich and The millions of Poor. Not a happy ending. Wake up Leftcoastdave, maby you need to dig a little further or look ahead a little more.

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