Blackwater: The Extreme-Right Mega-Millionaire Mercenary

Since the U.S.'s invasion into Iraq and Afghanistan, many Michiganders, like many Americans, lives have changed. So many lives lost in a fight that is viewed by most of the country and world as unjust. So many families shattered, so many bright futures tragically cut short.

For one Michigan man, the War of Bush/Cheney/Haliburton Oil was his golden ticket to massive wealth and an extraordinary level of influence and menacing power. Meet Erik Prince, born and raised in Holland, Michigan, and one of the country's most dangerous men.

The Man, the Mercenary

Ted Roelof of the Grand Rapids Press has an extensive look into the reclusive Prince and a life built on ultra-conservative tenets and money.

Prince, son of Holland industrialist Edgar Prince and an ex-Navy SEAL, tapped his inherited wealth in 1996 to found a little-noticed North Carolina security firm that would become Blackwater USA.

Family connections helped. As brother to former Michigan GOP chairwoman Betsy DeVos and brother-in-law to her husband, 2006 GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, Prince had access to Capitol Hill power brokers.

But his business plan did not crystallize until the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

With the U.S. decision to go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, a changing military looked to the private sector to complete a variety of missions.

Blackwater was in prime position to capitalize.

Roelof's Blackwater descriptor as a "security firm" is akin to calling Wal-Mart the mom and pop corner store. According to David Isenberg with the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), Blackwater is a private military company. Isenberg should know, he has been researching and writing on private military companies since the early 1990s.

George Washington University professor of political science Deborah Avant had this to say about Prince in Roelof's piece

"Blackwater is owned by one guy, who is very rich," Avant said. "He's very connected. He's very tied to the Christian right."

Prince's entire history is seeped in the ultra-conservative agenda, from political beliefs to campaign donations, Prince has been a stalwart of the Republican money machine.

In 1992, Erik Prince and his father split politically with his sister, Betsy DeVos, who was then 5th District GOP chairwoman. They backed Pat Buchanan for president. She supported President George H.W. Bush.

As a 22-year-old senior at Hillsdale, Prince explained his decision to The (Grand Rapids) Press.

"I interned with the Bush administration for six months," he said.

"I saw a lot of things I didn't agree with -- homosexual groups being invited in, the budget agreement, the Clean Air Act, those kind of bills. I think the administration has been indifferent to a lot of conservative concerns."

-snip-

At age 19, Prince made his first political contribution: A $15,000 donation to the GOP. By 2006, his total contributions had swelled to more than $235,000 -- virtually all to Republican or conservative causes.

The Questionable Company

The problem isn't Prince's money, personal political beliefs or his sister and brother-in-law, fondly known here in Michigan as Mr. and Mrs. Amway Guy. As much as I may not agree with Prince, I respect his right to believe whatever he wants and have as much money as he wants.

The real problem is with what he's turned Blackwater into, how the company is being used to our ridicule country's justice system and the careless way in which its employees are being treated.

According to BASIC's Isenberg, private military companies like Blackwater use political campaign contributions and lobbying firms to influence the government.

On the lobbying front it was reported that Washington, D.C.-based PR and lobbying firm Alexander Strategy Group is working on behalf of Blackwater USA. Though ASG recently announced it was shutting down because of its ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former House majority leader Tom DeLay, who has been indicted on money-laundering charges.

As if that's not bad enough, The Nation's Jeremy Scahill has done extensive research on Blackwater USA. Up till now, the facts have been kept quiet because they are so scary. Consider this from Scahill's August '06 report -

Government records recently obtained by The Nation reveal that the Bush Administration has paid Blackwater more than $320 million since June 2004 to provide "diplomatic security" services globally. The massive contract is the largest known to have been awarded to Blackwater to date and reveals how the Administration has elevated a once-fledgling security firm into a major profiteer in the "war on terror."

-snip-

Blackwater was originally slated to be paid $229.5 million for five years, according to a State Department contract list. Yet as of June 30, just two years into the program, it had been paid a total of $321,715,794. When confronted with this apparent $100 million discrepancy, the State Department could not readily explain it. Blackwater's two years of WPPS (Worldwide Personal Protection Services, a little known State Department program) earnings exceed many estimates of the company's total government contracts, which the Virginian-Pilot recently put at $290 million combined since 2000. Six years ago the government paid Blackwater less than $250,000.

With this surmounting evidence, it seems as if Blackwater is up to its eyeballs in questionable transactions and the whole thing reeks of collusion and conspiracy.

The Sins of the Employer visit kill the Employees

Many Americans are perfectly willing to sit in their living rooms and cluck their tongues when they hear of corporate scandal and incest. For most, it's a problem within the boardroom, and even if they wanted too, what could they really do about it?

To date, according to SourceWatch, Blackwater USA has receieved no-bid government contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and post-Katrina New Orleans, all from George W. Bush's administration.

That's what was going on with Blackwater until that fateful day in Fallujah on March 31st, 2004. The world turned on their televisions and were met with a gruesome image of charred American bodies, burned and chopped up, hung in pieces to a bridge over the Euphrates River. The poor soldiers, everyone said. Jaws hit the floor when it was discovered that those poor men were not U.S. soldiers, they were Blackwater USA employees.

Even more stunning than the manner in which they died, is why they died. In a separate piece for The Nation, Scahill's Blood is Thicker than Blackwater reveals the truth.

According to former Blackwater officials, Blackwater, Regency and ESS were engaged in a classic war-profiteering scheme. Blackwater was paying its men $600 a day but billing Regency $815, according to the Raleigh News and Observer.

-snip-

All this was shady enough--but the real danger for (murdered Blackwater employee Scott) Helvenston and the others lay in Blackwater's decision to cut corners to make even more money. The original contract between Blackwater/Regency and ESS, obtained by The Nation, recognized that "the current threat in the Iraqi theater of operations" would remain "consistent and dangerous," and called for a minimum of three men in each vehicle on security missions "with a minimum of two armored vehicles to support ESS movements." [Emphasis added.]

But on March 12, 2004, Blackwater and Regency signed a subcontract, which specified security provisions identical to the original except for one word: "armored." Blackwater deleted it from the contract.

"When they took that word 'armored' out, Blackwater was able to save $1.5 million in not buying armored vehicles, which they could then put in their pocket," says attorney Miles. "These men were told that they'd be operating in armored vehicles. Had they been, I sincerely believe that they'd be alive today. They were killed by insurgents literally walking up and shooting them with small-arms fire. This was not a roadside bomb, it was not any other explosive device. It was merely small-arms fire, which could have been repelled by armored vehicles."

When the facts of the case revealed themselves, the families of the murdered men were horrified. It was discovered that Scott Helveston and other Blackwater employees knew about the shortcuts and mistreatment, and attempted to bring it to Blackwater's attention. Their complaints were swept under the rug and the families would not find out about it until after that fateful day in Fallujah.

Erik Prince and Blackwater played the role of grieving employer well, until the families wanted some answers.

After the killings, Katy Helvenston joined the families of Mike Teague, Jerko Zovko and Wesley Batalona in grieving and in seeking details about the incident. Blackwater founder Erik Prince personally delivered money to some of the families for funeral expenses, and the company moved to get the men's wives and children benefits under the government's Defense Base Act...

-snip-

But then things started to get strange. Blackwater held a memorial service for the men at its compound. The families were gathered in a conference room, where they thought they would be told how the men had died. The Zovko family asked Blackwater to see the "After Action Report" detailing the incident. "We were actually told," recalls Zovko's mother, Danica, "that if we wanted to see the paperwork of how my son and his co-workers were killed that we'd have to sue them."

Thus began the legal battle between Blackwater and the dead men's families. In one of its few statements on the suit, Blackwater spokesperson Chris Bertelli said, "Blackwater hopes that the honor and dignity of our fallen comrades are not diminished by the use of the legal process."

Katy Helvenston calls that "total BS in my opinion," and says that the families decided to sue only after being stonewalled, misled and lied to by the company. "Blackwater seems to understand money. That's the only thing they understand," she says. "They have no values, they have no morals. They're whores. They're the whores of war."

Prince and Blackwater do seem to understand money quite well. They hired convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's former employer, Greenberg Traurig, the influential DC law firm as their lead counsel. With their vast financial resources, Blackwater's legal team has managed to delay the case for almost 3 years now with tricky moves and one fluff motion after another.

According to another article in The Nation, in early October 2006, Blackwater dumped Greenberg Traurig and hired former Whitewater investigator Kenneth Starr to file motions in front of the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the suit.

There are undeniable benefits to having Starr, the US Solicitor General under President George H.W. Bush, represent Blackwater--a highly partisan GOP company--in front of a Supreme Court stacked with Bush appointees. Starr also has a personal connection to Blackwater. Starr and Joseph Schmitz, the general counsel and chief operating officer of Blackwater's parent company, the Prince Group, have both worked closely with the arch-conservative Washington Legal Foundation. Since 1993 Starr has served on the legal policy advisory board of the organization for which Schmitz has frequently acted as a spokesperson and attorney.

The case is in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, and a decision is being awaited. U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California) chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding hearings into the allegations that Blackwater purposely shorted its employees of necessary equipment.

As the country awaits the two decisions, we need to stare the grim reality of this situation of corruption, greed, and complete disregard for American lives straight in the face and change the system. The ultimate tragedy will be if we, the People, turn a blind eye and allow people like Erik Prince and corporations like Blackwater to continue to make a farce out of our brave men and women and the laws that exist to protect them.

The Real Skinny on the Michigan '06 Elections

To say this election was a bit of a doozy is an understatement. I'm glad that I was able to get the real breakdown of the numbers and what it all meant with lpackard this past Friday at the Kellogg Center at MSU for the Off the Record - On the Road 2006 Election Wrap-Up, hosted by our 'favorite' Tim Skubic.

I went to hear what the pollsters had to say, what wasn't in the papers, and what the real numbers were. I think you might be as surprised as I was.
Better yet, we got post-election thoughts from the Granholm, DeVos, Stabenow, and Bouchard campaign people. Pretty interesting. So interesting, I took notes. Not quite live-blogging, but I think you'll enjoy it.

This bit's from Ed Sarpolus with EPIC + MRA...

• The ad that helped Governor Granholm win more women was her Abortion Ad. Even with the Right-to-Life group, women sided with Granholm because in the end, they didn't want anyone telling them what to do with their body.
• DeVos lost most retirees after itwas revealed that he believed that if you want health care, you need to get a job.
• More Michigan voters liked President George W. Bush more than they liked Dick DeVos, and that ain't saying much.
  
• Between 8 and 10% of Republicans voted for Granholm based on their feelings over Iraq.
  
• More people believed that Michigan's poor economy was the fault of President Bush, not Governor Granholm's.
  
• Most people did not believe Michigan is experiencing a single-state recession, contrary to what DeVos said.
  
• More voters believed that out of the two candidates, Governor Granholm was the one who "was more honest and truly cares about you."
• The Single Biggest Complaint voters had about Dick DeVos was that he was unable to define himself for the voters.
  
• 51% of voters knew more of Granholm's plan (if re-elected) compared to 31% of DeVos.
• 59% of voters believed that Governor Granholm was more charismatic, compared to 23% for DeVos.
• 49% of voters believed that on issues of abortion, stem cell research, intelligent design, gay marriage, Granholm better reflected their personal views, as compared to 35% for DeVos.
• 45% of voters believed that DeVos' role as President of Amway hurt his chances of winning. - Biggest single factor that he was unable to shake.
  

and my personal favorite - after the 1st Debate, Dick DeVos lost votes based on (in Sarpolus' words) The Wimp Factor. No explanation, she beat him senseless in that first debate.

Then there's Steve Mitchell. Ah yes, that guy that called it right before the election 46%-44% for Granholm, which quite obviously was not the case. Not too mention that he's good friends/worked for the DeVos team (something that's addressed below).

• Both Mitchell and Saropolus agreed that this race was most comparable to the 1966 race due to the Vietnam War in terms of negative backlash.
  
• Total of 3.8 Million voters, up 600,000 from 2002.
  
• DeVos actually won 100,000 more votes than Dick Posthumus did in 2002.
  
• Granholm won 500,000 more votes than she did in 2002.
  
• Of those who voted in the 2004 Presidential Race, Granholm took 86% of those who voted for John Kerry, and DeVos took 70% of the voters for George W. Bush.
• Noted extremely high Democratic turn out for Granholm.
  
• Granholm won two-thirds of the Independent vote.
  

Mitchell also credits DeVos' loss with a failure to present his biography through ads, and was not effective in answering the 'China Accusations' from the Granholm camp.
He believes that Governor Granholm ran a superb campaign, but it was more of a national campaign, with lots of backlash over the war, GOP handling of the country, etc.

Upon being questioned by a member of the audience about his integrity in polling, given his association and paid polling services by the DeVos team, Steve Mitchell responded "I'm glad you asked that question." To para-phrase him, he is proud to be very good friends with Dick Posthumus, and did polling for him that showed him down. "As a pollster, all your integrity lays in your numbers." Hmmm...famous last words?

John Truscott is Dick DeVos' man still to this day. He thinks they ran a great campaign, that the media did an excellent job reporting things (I wanted to know about the media, NOT just the Detroit News) and when asked what it was like to have a campaign where money was not issue he responded "Beyond your wildest dreams!" to which everyone laughed at. Too bad it was so true.

Chris DeWitt spoke on behalf of the Granholm campaign and it was nice to see both him and Tom Russell (campaign manager for Stabenow for Senate) thank and credit their campaign staff and workers with a job well done, including our own lpackard. I was happy to see DeWitt also mention how important the Internet was in this campaign (props given to our favorite Granholm Campaign Internet Communications Director, Clint!) and how it's going to increasingly be a larger factor in the future of campaigning.

All-in-all, it was a fruitful evening, and even a bit of a spectator sport. I'm never ceased to be surprised how snarky Michigan politics can get. No one was out right rude, but each side knew how to get their dig in here and there, and it made for a little entertainment throughout the evening.

I was glad to see that the Democrats were the primary ones to touch on the importance of netroots activism in this campaign. I hope that they continue to see how crucial it is to invest time, money and people into this area. I have no doubt that like everything else in this state and country, the Internet is the future. Americans, particularly the 30-somethings and under, are the instant-gratification generations, they want their news and information instantly, pulled up by a couple mouse-clicks. Our party and our candidates must keep up, or get out. I just hope that our party leadership understands that now before its too late.

And now, onward to victory again in '08!

(Cross posted on MichganLiberal and Daily Kos)

A Laugh from South of the Border...

(Courtesy of the Toledo Blade)

Many thanks to Patrick for providing this link on yesterday's post. You can never have too many reasons to laugh in a day.
If any of you would ever like to share a funny, a thought, or vent, you're welcome too right here at LLP. You are what keeps LLP great!

Dick's Demise + An Amway Surprise

While it's nothing new that those of us who followed the campaign closely don't know, the MSU paper - The State News - has a tidy little piece about Dick's downfalls, future (or lack thereof) plans, and some interesting news on Amway.

This news is all thanks to an incredible woman, candidate and governor who soundly defeated Amway Guy by a beautiful 14 point margin. Way to go Gov!

So why didn't Dick win, just for the record?

DeVos, whose wealth is estimated at more than $500 million, spent more than $35 million from his own pocket on the campaign, said Rich Robinson, a financial analyst with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a nonprofit government watchdog group.

"(DeVos) has a record, and I don't think he was able to overcome that despite a heavily funded campaign," Robinson said. "He has a long record as an interest-group lobbyist, on all kinds of tax, but particularly inheritance."

Largely self-funded campaigns are not generally successful because they often reflect a narrow support base, Robinson said.

Despite record spending for a Michigan gubernatorial race, Robinson said DeVos lost to an incumbent who raised less than one-third of what he did.

Ouch!

But it wasn't just the money. And clearly, all that money did nothing to solicit good advice on his TV advertisements...

MSU political campaigns expert Charles Atkin said DeVos made strategic mistakes in the way he executed his campaign.

While DeVos started his campaign early and was able to garner name recognition, Atkin said the Republican candidate's advertising approach backfired.

"For a candidate like DeVos, positive ads would help him to be recognized. They help to identify that he has positive ideas and qualities," Atkin said.

"The proportion of positive ads and negative ads was very skewed," he added. "Candidates have to be very careful because (negative ads are) a risky form of persuasion. They wear out much faster."

In addition, DeVos appeared in many of the negative ads, which is uncommon for candidates, Atkin said.

No real surprise there either, but still, I think it helps to have what a lot of us have been saying for a while now echoed by an expert.

I really think Amway's image took a thumping itself in this election. What really caught my eye in this entire article is here

In a post-campaign twist, positive ads promoting Amway Corp. — the company DeVos used to run as CEO — began airing last Monday on WSYM-TV, FOX 47, Lansing, said Lyle Schulze, the station's general manager.

The ads will continue until Sunday and were paid for by Alticor Inc., the parent company of Amway.

The ads feature a medley of employees saying, "I am Amway." Throughout the campaign, Granholm accused DeVos of outsourcing Amway jobs to China when he ran the company.

The Associated Press reported the ads are the first that Amway has run in the United States in 20 years.

See Dick.

See Jen.

See them run.

Run, Dick, run!

Run, Jen, run!

See Jen win!

See Dick leave.

Bye, bye Dick!

More Legal Action Against Amway

(From one of my favorite writers over at MichiganLiberal, DemWave caught this beauty earlier this evening. I just had to post it - as if you really needed a 26th Reason Why NOT to Vote for Dick! Nice work DemWave! ~LL)

On the eve of the coronation planned by Dick DeVos (R-Amway), the Grand Rapids Press reports that a new legal action has been initiated against Alticor Inc. President Doug DeVos (little brother of Dick), Chairman Steve Van Andel, and the Amway guy himself, former President Dick DeVos.

Four former investors in the Asian subsidiary of Amway Corporation claim they were cheated out of $1 billion. According to the Press:

Chicago attorney Clinton Krislov has filed an appeal with Michigan Supreme Court on behalf of former Amway Asia Pacific shareholders Nancee and Donald Turnwall, of Irons, local attorney Robert Wardrop II and Texas resident Mark Metro.
. . .
A federal court dismissed the breach of fiduciary duty claim. But Krislov maintains while Amway's offer was a 53 percent premium over the market value of the shares at the time, they were worth closer to $40 and would be valued much higher today.

"They literally took a billion dollars that rightfully belonged to their shareholders," Krislov said. "You can buy the ticket, but if there's a train to be ridden, you're not on it."

Earlier this year, the Michigan Court of Appeals said the claims should have been brought against DeVos and Amway in Bermuda:

Most recently, a three-judge panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals decided in favor of Amway on July 22. Judges Richard Bandstra, Alton Davis and David Sawyer ruled the investors ought to have sought appraisal with the Supreme Court of Bermuda, where they company was incorporated.

"Under Bermuda law, appraisal of a fair share price by the court ... was plaintiffs' exclusive remedy," according to the judgment. "Because plaintiffs failed to avail themselves of that remedy, they cannot maintain this cause of action."

Amway Asia Pacific's Bermuda incorporation was thrown into the political ring, with Democrats claiming it could have been a move to dodge taxes.

It looks like Dick DeVos's decision to incorporate Amway Asia Pacific in Bermuda is working out for Dick DeVos. How is it working out for you Michigan?

Apparently not well given that Dick DeVos is a quitter, with a record of failure.

Just Say NO to Dick and YES to Jen - Reason #1

(When I started this list, I did it in the hopes of reaching the average, non-politically involved citizen. I wanted to bring the facts, as they already existed, together and show voters exactly where the candidates stood on the issues. Michiganians have a right to know exactly who they are voting for.
I never imagined how many hours of research, moments of stress ("@$!*^ How am I ever going to come up with 25!"), this would take from me. I still had to go on with my life, job, responsibilities, even with losing my grandfather (my inspiration for #15) in the middle of it all. But as I toiled, my resolve strengthened, my dedication deepened, and this list became a true labor of love. I know I've educated myself, and I hope that I've educated and opened even a few people's minds along the way.
A thanks goes out to all of my friends, mentors, supporters, and those of you who take the time to read my simple little list. An even bigger thanks goes out to everyone who loves our great state just as much as I do, and works hard to keep it great by voting tomorrow. Without you, this list would be pointless and completely in vain. Without further adieu...)

************************************************************************************

Tomorrow we decide.
Who will lead us into the next 4 years?
Who will help us get jobs, healthcare coverage, keep our rights, and protect our children?
Who will fight for us?

Let's see where they stand, on all of the issues.


1. Dick DeVos - fighting for special interests and the uber-wealthy. (click on the link for proof!)

Jobs - Amway Guy cuts thousands here, and sends even more to China. #25, #24, #3

Healthcare - Dick says either get a job or fend for yourself. #21

Education - Tricky Dick has donated millions to undermine our public education system through a voucher system, and has failed our kids. #23, #22, #4

Leadership - Dick lost more jobs and more money as President of Amway. #20

Our Cities - Dick's tax plan will crush our local cities and towns. #19

Job Creation - There's no proof Dick ever created a single job as President of Amway. #18

Great Lakes - Dick supports destroying our Great Lakes through drilling. #17

Campaign Finance - Dick is hiding his tax returns from us, why? #16

Stem Cell Research - Dick says "No Way" - but won't explain himself. #15

Middle Class and the Minimum Wage - Dick's out of touch, and Betsy thinks workers 'make too much'. #14

Public Health - Dick's going to cut it, period. #13

Job Outsourcing - Dick supports outsourcing through NAFTA. #12

Environmental Funding - Dick's going to cut necessary funding to keep our beautiful state pristine. #11

Women's Rights - Tricky Dick wants to outlaw a women's right to choose. #10

Michigan's Problems - Dick thinks it's our taxes, too bad research says different. #9

Affirmative Action - Dick doesn't really support it. Just look at his words, his staff, his record, his running mate, and what his friends are saying. #8

Honesty - Dick and Amway lied about their products and importing goods made in China to the US. #7

Lobbying and Ethics - Dick's donated millions to President Bush and the GOP. #6

The Single Business Tax (SBT) - Dick says he's going to fix it, but his solution will cost us $4 Billion extra. #5

Political Affiliations/Donations - Dick's a good friend (and donor) to Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff, has donated 80% of his campaign money himself, is lobbying for tax breaks that will leave us with a $1.3 Billion tab. #2




1. Jennifer Granholm - fighting for all of us, always putting Michigan First!

Jobs - Governor Granholm has helped thousands find new jobs, created over 7,000 jobs and brought over $200 Million in investment from overseas. #25, #24, #3

Healthcare - Jen's making sure no citizen goes without healthcare coverage. #21

Education - The Governor has invested record amounts of money into education, created the toughest school curriculum, made our schools safer, and is creating early education opportunities. #23, #22, #4

Leadership - Jen has brought more businesses to Michigan, and helped existing ones stay and grow here. #20

Our Cities - She's brought millions of dollars to strengthen our cities and towns. #19

Job Creation - Employment in Michigan is up 24,000 jobs since the Governor took over. #18

Great Lakes - Jen's created necessary legislation to protect our Great Lakes. #17

Campaign Finance - The Lady Gov has nothing to hide, and has fully disclosed her report to voters. #16

Stem Cell Research - The Governor has been fighting like hell to allow research here in Michigan. #15

Middle Class and the Minimum Wage - Lady Jen has signed into law a historic minimum wage law, helping Michigan's poor. #14

Public Health - The Governor has created innovative programs that are working for all of Michigan. #13

Job Outsourcing - She's signed 59 Business tax cuts into law and promoted job insourcing. #12

Environmental Funding - Jen has successfully signed multiple vital funding for environmental projects into law. #11

Women's Rights - Not only does the Governor protect a woman's right to choose, she's also hard at work preventing unwanted pregnancies and saving the taxpayers millions of dollars. #10

Michigan's Problems - Jen's made sure Michigan has one of the lowest tax burdens in the country. #9

Affirmative Action - The Governor has a life-long history of protecting everyone's rights. #8

Honesty - Michigan's largest media outlets agree - Jen's always been working hard for us., and not special interests. #7

Lobbying and Ethics - The Governor has outstanding professional ethics. #6

The Single Business Tax (SBT) - Jennifer Granholm is the only candidate with a detailed plan to get rid of the SBT without hurting us in the process. #5

Political Affiliations/Donations - Donations to the Governor are from us, the citizens, not checks written to herself. Jennifer Granholm supports strong ethics and lobbying reforms, to keep candidates honest. #2

As you remind your friends and loved ones to vote tomorrow, pass this list along. Even if you affect one person's vote, you've still helped democracy, and made sure that Michigan stays GREAT!

Good news for Granholm. Tricky Dick continues to slip

Yay!

More good news from the Detroit Free Press, thanks to the ladies of Michigan. (Way to go, girls!)

A surge of support from women gave Gov. Jennifer Granholm a double-digit lead over Republican challenger Dick DeVos in a race for governor that's entered its final 48 hours.

Granholm's overall 54% to 41% lead is fueled by her 26 percentage-point margin among women, according to the Detroit Free Press-Local 4 Michigan Poll. DeVos has a 1 percentage-point margin among men.

-snip-

The Free Press-Local 4 poll shows Granholm held a 17-point edge among independent voters, who likely will decide the outcome of the race. About 5% in the poll said they were undecided or will choose a minor party candidate.

Granholm had a 21-point lead in metro Detroit, which comprises almost half of the state's voters.

Alright guys and girls, are you listening?

The key to keeping Michigan on track and keep your government working for you is simple.

Go out and vote for Granholm!

(and the multitude of other progressive candidates in your district.)
That's it, so simple, one little act, takes mere minutes and yet can determine how good or bad this state is going to get in the next 4 years.
Why? (other than the obvious?)

"This is all about turnout," she said. "The way this could go for DeVos is voters in metro Detroit stay home and there's an exceptionally high turnout in the west part of the state."

But that's not the only interesting bit....

Besides showing Granholm with a firm lead, the poll suggests trouble for Republicans on Election Day.

Independent voters said they are more inclined to vote for Democrats than they had been in the past. Independent voters are the key to winning the governor's race and others where neither party has a big advantage.

Also, the poll shows a significantly higher percentage of Democrats than Republicans plan to vote straight ticket this year -- 56% to 47% -- which would benefit Democrats in their attempt to wrest control of the Michigan House and Senate from the Republicans.

National polls have shown Democrats have a good shot at capturing the U.S. House or Senate, and that the public's anxiety over the war in Iraq is weighing heavily against Republicans.

I have to be honest though, my favorite bit of this article once again show's how Amway is bringing the sheep to the polls.

Nicole Baker, 33, of Otsego is voting for DeVos. She said she voted for Granholm in 2002, even though she disagreed with her pro-choice stance on abortion.

But Baker said she's disappointed with Granholm because of the state's poor jobs climate.

"It's gotten worse in the last year. There was no way I was voting for her," Baker said, adding that she likes DeVos' views opposing abortion.

Baker said her husband, a mechanical engineer, could easily make more money in other states, but they're reluctant to leave their families in Michigan. She said her brother is an Amway distributor and speaks highly of DeVos.

:sigh: And you wonder why I dislike Amway so much?

~LL

Just Say NO to Dick and YES to Jen - Reason #2

Campaigns - want to know who's really involved?
Follow the money
The mighty dollar speaks much louder than any sound bite or slogan.
Based on these money trails, which candidate would you rather have working for you?

Dick DeVos = ultra-conservative, out-of-touch, criminally-affliated, laden with special interests.

Jennifer Granholm = progressive, supported by working classes, enriched with hard work and old fashioned elblow grease.


2. Dick DeVos is not working for the people of Michigan, and we can't trust him.

The DeVos campaign has already spent over $39 million on the race, easily the most in Michigan history. In this reporting cycle alone the campaign spent over $18 million. On thirteen different occasions, DeVos wrote seven-figure checks to his own campaign, including one for $9 million on September 8. DeVos has personally given almost $35 million to his campaign, which represents well over 80 percent of the total campaign contributions. (DeVos for Governor Campaign Finance Report 10/06)

Dick DeVos had personal meetings with Tom DeLay on DeVos’ yacht. DeLay, a former Amway distributor, was indicted on a state law charge of conspiracy to illegally use soft money. (Washington Post, 5/15/00; Fox News Special Report with Brit Hume 5/20/99)

According to campaign finance reports, DeVos and his Political Action Committee (PAC), Restoring the American Dream exchanged thousands of dollars with DeLay, his campaign committee and his PAC, Americans for a Republican Majority. DeVos gave the Tom DeLay Congressional Committee $1,000 in 2000, DeLay’s PAC $5,000 in 1999 and DeLay’s legal defense fund $5,000.

DeLay’s PAC in turn gave DeVos’ PAC $5,000 over the course of two weeks in the fall of 2000. (Federal Election Commission Disclosure Database and Citizen.org)

Dick DeVos held a yacht party for convicted felon and lobbyist Jack Abramoff. It was hosted on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., “to launch a new fund-raising drive for GOP House conservatives. Many of the guests were heavy hitters from the Religious Right. But when pledge time came, the first to sign up was no churchgoer. It was Jack Abramoff, an Orthodox Jewish lobbyist who is among the right wing's most aggressive fund-raisers.” (Business Week, July 5, 1999)

"Three months after the DeVos' $ 1 million GOP donation, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich put a last-minute provision onto the compromise tax bill that gave Amway a $19 million tax break on its Asian branches, the magazine reported." (Associated Press, 10/28/98)

The DeVos family is one of a handful of super-wealthy families lobbying for the repeal of the federal estate tax. The tax affects only 8,200 families in the entire country, and the repeal would save the Amway heirs approximately $1.3 billion. The report revealed Amway first lobbied on the estate tax under Dick DeVos’ presidency in 1998 and has lobbied every year since. (Public Citizen Report, April 2006)

"Amway, its parent company, Alticor and their family owners have given at least $7.5 million to federal campaigns since 1990. [The Alticor PAC is called “ALTIPAC."] All of it went to Republicans and most was soft money -- cash or assets given to political action committees or parties and not directly to candidates or their committees."(Detroit Free Press, 6/18/06)

"Restoring the American Dream, a PAC created by gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, has given $1 million to scores of Republican candidates around the country, mostly those running for the U.S. House and Senate. The PAC received $180,000 from DeVos family members." (Detroit Free Press, 6/18/06)

In total, Dick DeVos and family members contributed more than $4.7 million in the 2004 election cycle alone. (Detroit Free Press, 6/18/06)

Dick DeVos and his family were the largest contributors in the nation to the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2000, giving $602,000. (The Wall Street Journal, 12/28/00)


2. Jennifer Granholm, candidate for the people, by the people, always putting Michigan first.

Governor Granholm has raised $13.8 million from 30,323 donors. 16,444 donors have given $100 or less. Governor Granholm has received contributions from every county in Michigan. (Granholm Campaign Finance Report 10/27/06)

Jennifer Granholm believes in a strong campaign finance reform package, something that Dick DeVos stands against.

Comparison of Proposed Ethics Reforms

Reform	Governor Granholm	Dick DeVos
Financial Disclosure	Comprehensive disclosure for all state elected officials and candidates of financial and business interests and holdings as required for federal officials and candidates.	None.
	All candidates for Governor must release tax returns for 3 prior years. Pres. Bush & Cheney release their tax returns.	No disclosure of tax returns.
Political-Contribution- Free Zones in Government Buildings	Prohibit candidates or agents from accepting or soliciting political contributions in government buildings. Prohibit lobbyists or agents from delivering political contributions in government buildings.	No new prohibitions on campaign contribution / solicitation.
Ban Paid Speaking Fees	Extend ban on paid speaking fees (honoraria)	No new restrictions on paid speaking fees.
Ethics in State Contracting	Eliminate no-bid contracts. Prohibit state contract managers from soliciting or accepting political contributions from state vendors. Require contract managers to disclose conflicts of interest in writing and abstain when a conflict of interest exists. Prohibit state contract managers from seeking/negotiating job offers from state vendors.	“A DeVos administration will prohibit state contractors from giving to gubernatorial campaigns.”
New Legislative Ethics Act	Create clear standards on ethics and conflicts of interests for legislators. Require legislators with conflict of interest to disclose conflict in writing and abstain from voting or chairing committee hearing relating to conflict. Create new bipartisan legislative ethics committee to enforce compliance and include penalties for violations.	No new ethics / conflicts of interest standards for legislators.
New Ethics Act for Executive Branch Officials and Employees	Create clear standards on ethics and conflicts of interest for elected executive branch officials and employees. Require written disclosure of conflicts of interest. Enhance powers of State Board of Ethics and require referral of criminal matters to prosecutors.	No new ethics / conflicts of interest standards for executive branch officials or candidates.
Lobbying Ban	Prohibit elected officials or state department directors from lobbying for 1 year after leaving government. (HB 4226 – Ward, Passed House 98-9 in Feb. 2005)	“A DeVos administration will require a three-year wait before government officials can become lobbyists.”
Robo-Call Disclosure	Require full disclosure of recorded telephone communications in elections, including who paid for and authorized the calls.	No robo-call disclosure.
Lobbyist Funded Activities	Require full financial disclosure.	“A DeVos administration will ban all tickets and trips for government officials from lobbyists.”

Sources: Detroit News 4/22/06, Granholm for Governor 10/06,

Who's looking out for your best interests?

Just Say NO to Dick and YES to Jen - Reason #3

China - one of our biggest global competitors.
China - A place that Tricky Dick sent and created thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars.
China - The place that Dick DeVos' Amway calls home.
Michigan - Where Jennifer Granholm is bringing thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to.
Michigan - The place where Jennifer Granholm calls home.
The difference is clear.

Dick DeVos = China

Jennifer Granholm = Michigan

3. Dick DeVos has a clear record on lobbying for unfair trade practices with China, hurting Michigan jobs and workers.
The facts speak for themselves - Dick DeVos isn't working for the people of Michigan, but those of China.

"One CEO firmly in the China camp is Amway's Dick DeVos -- though that's not surprising given the millions he has bet on Beijing." (Business Week, 9/14/98)

Official records through the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives showed the Amway Corporation, while Dick DeVos was President, lobbied for U.S. trade with China, including Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. (Amway Lobbying Report, 2/14/01)

On February 23, 2000, while Dick DeVos was President of Amway, Steve Van Andel, Chairman of Amway, testified before the Senate Committee on Finance in support of the PNTR.

The China Daily reported Amway Corp was "working hard to ensure the US Congress grants China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. The act is needed to pave the way for China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO)."(China Daily, 1/30/00)

Dick DeVos chose China, NOT Michigan. On May 17, 2006, the Detroit News published a letter from the former Amway President himself. In the letter, Dick DeVos said his company invested $200 million in China. (Detroit News 5/17/06)

Today, there are more Amway jobs in China than the company’s home state of Michigan. Alticor’s Media Blog admitted DeVos’ China investment ended with 4,300 jobs in China. (Alticor Media Blog, 4/13/06)

Today, Amway no longer considers itself an American company, admitting that it "…considers itself an Asian company, with nearly 70 percent of its sales coming from the region."(Detroit Free Press, 10/22/04)

3. Jennifer Granholm has worked tirelessly to bring jobs back to Michigan.
In 2005 and 2006, Governor Granholm made 2 trips to Japan, and brought back over 1,000 jobs and $200 million in investment for Michigan.

Eighteen Japanese companies chose to invest in Michigan after meeting with Governor Granholm:

Konica Minolta Holdings purchased newspaper printing plate manufacturer American Litho in Grand Rapids. Konica plans to invest $13.3 million in expanding their facility to create 70 new jobs.

Meiden American, a heavy electrical equipment manufacturer, is planning to expand its Michigan presence by investing $10 million to open a new facility.

Shikoku Cable Company plans to invest $250,000 to expand its sales operations in Novi. The company manufactures coaxial cable for the satellite and cable television industry.

Taichi-S, an automotive seating manufacturer, is planning to invest $700,000 to expand its existing engineering facility in Farmington Hills.

JTETK, a partnership formed earlier this year between Toyoda Machinery and Koyo Seiko, nnounced the company will expand operations in Plymouth. The company manufactures auto parts including steering systems, bearings and drivelines.

Takao Metals, which currently has an engineering facility in Wixom, has recently begun construction on a new facility in Canton to expand engineering and light assembly operations. The parent company of Takao America will invest $10 million.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, which currently has an office in Sterling Heights, will locate a new facility in Wixom this summer. The company produces heavy equipment, including engines and power systems.

Mitsui Chemical, one of the world’s largest producers of chemical products, has announced the company will consolidate production at its Adrian facility this summer. The consolidation will generate approximately $6 million in investment and move jobs from the company’s Indiana plant.

Hitachi Automotive, one of three core member companies of the Hitachi Group, a leading maker of powerful, corporate transaction oriented mainframes as well as semiconductors, PCs and other information system and telecommunications technologies will grow in Michigan. Hitachi is located in Farmington Hills and employs 130 people.

Sekisui Chemical is a diverse company with a range of products from housing and agriculture to medical, electronics and automotive. Its Voltek division is located in Coldwater where it employs 170 individuals and generates sales of approximately $60 million.

Nippon Antenna is undertaking a site search for a new R&D facility in Michigan. The company produces a variety of antenna devices, including automotive and satellite systems, and currently has a sales center in Farmington Hills.

Nippon Piston Ring is completing a new plant in Grand Haven under the name NPR Manufacturing Michigan and preparing to hire new workers. The company currently operates its Assembled Camshafts, Inc. in Grand Haven.

Advanced Special Tools in Battle Creek will create a new subsidiary called Advanced Plastics Molding in Battle Creek. AST currently employs 55 workers at its manufacturing facility in Battle Creek’s Fort Custer Industrial Park.

Nakagawa Special Steel is opening its first sales office in Novi. Nakagawa is a steel trading company, established in 1924, specializing in steel for manufacturing including automotive, industrial machines and home appliances.

Taiko Device Technologies is opening its first North American office in Southfield. Established in 1968, Taiko manufactures and sells various electronics devices such as relay systems for automobile use.

A&D Inc. is establishing A&D Technology Inc. as its wholly-owned subsidiary in Ann Arbor, to commence development of its Measurement, Control and Simulation Systems business in the North American region. The company is investing $500,000 and hiring several employees. The company also recently acquired MTS Systems Corp.’s Powertrain Technology Division in Ann Arbor.

DENSO will invest $36 million to expand its North American headquarters in Southfield and create 250 new jobs.

Tokai Rika will invest $50 million to grow its operations in Battle Creek, Jackson, and Plymouth, creating 230 new jobs.

Sources: michigan.gov 5/18/06, Detroit News 9/22/06, Detroit Free Press 5/18/06, Michigan Economic Development Corporation 5/16/06)

Just Say NO to Dick and YES to Jen - Reason #4

Our kids.
Our hope, our dreams, our future.
So why would we ever elect someone who can't help our children succeed?
Our kids deserve someone who has a proven record of fighting for them.



4. Dick DeVos is intent on bankrupting our public schools.
School vouchers - if you thought Dick and Betsy were done with them in 2000, you couldn't be more wrong. Dick's long and vast history on working against Michigan's public schools from elementary to university shows where his interests lay. We can't trust Dick with our kids futures. (There's more below)


4. Governor Jennifer Granholm has made education her top priority with tremendous results.

Pushed K-12 Funding to an All-Time High. Under Governor Granholm’s leadership, state funding for K-12 public education is at an all-time high of $7,085 per pupil. Even while eliminating $4 billion in budget deficits, Governor Granholm has made investing in public schools her top priority. (There's more)

Dick's Slippery Path

Tricky Dick's own hometown paper, The Grand Rapids Press called Dick and Betsy DeVos 'the face of the voucher movement' (GRP 7/9/06)

Dick and Betsy DeVos founded a national pro-voucher group called All Children Matter (ACM)

All Children Matter is currently pushing vouchers nationwide. "All Children Matter Director Greg Brock says along with Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin, Utah is a key state for the school-choice movement…" (Salt Lake Tribune, 6/25/06)

According to the organization’s website, Betsy DeVos is still leading the organization and is still a big contributor. On April 19, 2006, Betsy wrote a check to the tune of $200,000 to "All Children Matter."(http://www.allchildrenmatter.org/leadership.php)

In Michigan, Dick and Betsy DeVos led the way in the unsuccessful 2000 campaign for school vouchers. DeVos spent $10 million and only got some 30 percent of the vote. (The New York Times, 12/20/00)

"As a candidate for governor, Dick DeVos has carefully calibrated his comments on education, skirting the incendiary issue of vouchers. But the Republican businessman spoke with more candor in a Dec. 3, 2002, speech before the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. 'But when the time comes, we will bring the fight back to Michigan again and do everything we can there.' That statement directly contradicts DeVos' statements as a gubernatorial contender." (Grand Rapids Press, 7/9/06)

Dick DeVos has no plan for improving education in Michigan. There are no policy initiatives listed on his website. Just a lot of rhetoric.

Dick DeVos supports a gas cap on Michigan’s sales tax that would take "about $285 million" from public education. When asked about the impact on schools, DeVos said, “I don’t happen to think the consequences would be substantial.” (Associated Press, 5/3/06)

Of course, then there's always his running mate to consider, and she's not much better.

Ruth Johnson has a record of giving up on public education, too.
She voted YES on passage of a Republican budget plan that cut more than $529 million from public education over three years: $71.5 million in 2001, $189.49 in 2002, and $268.5 million in 2003. [RC 381, 6/28/01, HB 4371; RC 453, 9/20/01, HB 4371]
She voted NO on an amendment that would establish a mandatory core curriculum for Michigan schools. [RC 113, 3/16/99, SB 297].
Ruthie voted against an amendment that would have doubled the Merit scholarship from $2,500 to $5,000. [HB 4302, RC 196, 3/24/99].
Ruth Johnson also voted NO on an amendment to allow more students to qualify for the Merit scholarship. [HB 4302, RC 195, 3/24/99].

Lady Jen - Our Fighter!

Proposed Plan to Give Every Student a $4,000 Scholarship. The Governor proposed her New Merit Award scholarship, which would give every student $4,000 to continue their education at a college, university or technical training school. The amount is equal to the cost of two years at most community colleges and would make a college degree affordable for every student.

Made our Schools Safer. Governor Granholm led the fight to keep sexual predators away from Michigan’s schools. She signed legislation that keeps sex offenders away from schools and childcare facilities, ensuring our children are safe on the bus, on the playground and in the classroom. (Detroit News 4/25/06)

Established a New Rigorous High School Curriculum. The Governor called for and signed into law one of the most rigorous curriculums in the nation to ensure all students are well prepared for college and the jobs of the 21st century. (Detroit Free Press 4/21/06)

Launched Early Childhood Education Efforts. Governor Granholm launched the Great Parents, Great Start program to improve school readiness and give parents the tools they need to help their children learn in the first five years of life. The Governor required licensed Michigan day-care providers to read for 30 minutes a day to children in their care. And Governor Granholm also approved the formation of a new non-profit public corporation, the Early Childhood Investment Corporation, to coordinate state and local efforts to promote early childhood development activities in Michigan.

Increased Accountability for School Districts. Governor Granholm believes we should hold our schools to high standards and give them the support they need to achieve those standards. She has pushed for comprehensive improvement plans at schools that are not meeting academic goals.

Urged Legislators to Pass Anti-Bullying Legislation. In her 2006 State of the State address, Governor Granholm called legislators to pass bills that would protect Michigan children from harassment or bullying at school. (State of Michigan, 3/21/06)

Our kids deserve someone who will fight for them and Governor Granholm's the only one.

Just Say NO to Dick and YES to Jen - Reason #5

SBT (Single Business Tax) - Everyone's talking about it.
It's an almost $1.9 Billion tax.
Dick says he's going to fix it when he's governor.
But let's back up and figure out exactly what Dick's definition of fixing actually is.
Last time I did math, fixing did not mean leaving the average citizen footing $5 Billion.
Since when is a $5 Billion tab better than $1.9 Billion?
Who's Dick fixing things for himself or the people of Michigan?



5. Dick DeVos' Turn Around Plan will cost Michigan taxpayers over 5 Billion dollars.
Tricky Dick is trying to pull another fast one on the people of Michigan. Using his figures here's the estimates of his so-called Turn Around Plan. (see below)


5. Governor Granholm is going to get rid of the SBT responsibly, without cutting vital programs.

Governor Granholm is the only candidate for Governor who has proposed a detailed plan to get rid of the Single Business Tax and replace it with the fair tax on businesses that will protect vital funding for health care, education, and public safety.

Granholm has said she favors eliminating the business tax, but only if it has a replacement as part of the deal. (Detroit News 6/11/06)

Some of the key points in her replacement plan include:

• Encouraging Major Employers to Keep Jobs in MI.
• Encourage Small Businesses to Grow, Attract Jobs of the Future.
• Make Business Tax Structure More Fair

More from Amway Guy

The Michigan General Operating Budget is just over $9 Billion. (Office of the Budget)

Dick DeVos' Turn Around Plan will cost the people of Michigan $5.1 Billion. (Michigan Democratic Party, 7/06)

This calculation does not include Amway Guy's proposed cap on sales tax on gasoline. That number is estimated at an additional $285 Million. (Gongwers News Service 6/27/06)

What's more, DeVos is willing to steal from public education, police and fire just to make a tax cut.

The DeVos' plan, "would save drivers about $1 per fill-up, while wiping out an estimated $285 million that goes to public schools, local police and fire services and mass transit. Incredibly, DeVos reportedly called the revenue loss inconsequential." (Detroit Free Press 5/14/06 editorial)

Dick wants to cut a tax that the State doesn't even collect on.

Treasury officials cited the same law (CL 211.9(j)) in noting that current law does exempt farm equipment from the personal property tax. (Gongwer 6/26/06)

Here's the proof -

	DeVos’ Economic Agenda	What’s the Cost?
	Revenue Cuts
1	Eliminate the Single Business Tax	$1.85 billion
2	Reduce tax on technology and equipment	$1.5 billion
3	Cut taxes on farm machinery and new technology	SOM doesn’t collect
	Spending Increases
4	Increase K-12 funding	$635 million
5	Invest in merit pay for teachers	$205 million
6	Increase funding for higher education	$200 million
7	Loan forgiveness program	$195.5 million
8	Add more police officers	$150 million
9	Incentives for research and development	$140 million
10	Increase health care provider rates	$117.4 million
11	Increase technology in the classroom	$110 million
12	Increase road spending	$70 million
13	Increase electric transmission	$55 million
14	More funding for math and science classes	$34 million
15	Invest in technology in health care	$20 million
16	Increase funding for tourism	$15 million
17	Increase funding for environmental cleanup	$7.5 million
18	Expand dual enrollment	$5.6 million
19	Increase funding for agriculture marketing	$2.3 million
20	Increase funding for life sciences	$1.8 million

(source: MI Dems)

Dick's Turn Around Plan = Turn us all Broke Plan

Just Say NO to Dick and YES to Jen - Reason #6

George W. Bush.
Ethics.
Michigan Voters.
Not really three terms that really make sense when you put them all together.
Bush - Otherwise known as The President Who Forgot the Michigan Auto Industry
If you're Dick DeVos, you might call him one of your best friends.
That is, if you determine your friends by how much money you give to them.
But you got to ask yourself, why raise all that money if you don't want something in return....


6. Dick DeVos loves him some George W. Bush (as long as he gets a little something in return...)
Nothing wrong with having money, that is unless you use that money unethically. The DeVos record is clear.

DeVos Money and Ethics - not in Michigan's best interest.

Dick DeVos and his family were the largest contributors in the nation to the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2000, giving $602,000. (The Wall Street Journal, 12/8/00)

In the 2004 Bush Campaign, Betsy DeVos was named a “Pioneer” for raising more than $100,000. (Detroit Free Press, 6/18/06)

Dick and Betsy DeVos were the nation's fifth largest donors to state Republican organizations and caucuses in 2003-04, giving $981,486. (Detroit Free Press, 6/18/06)

In total, Dick DeVos and family members contributed more than $4.7 million in the 2004 election cycle alone. (Detroit Free Press, June 18, 2006)
Here's the real problem -

Betsy DeVos admitted she expected something in return for her contributions. “I know a little something about soft money, as my family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican party. Occasionally a wayward reporter will try to make the charge that we are giving this money to get something in return, or that we must be purchasing influence in some way. ..I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect some things in return.” (Roll Call, 9/6/97)

And Amway Guy's Dad agrees.

DeVos’ father Rich explained that Amway’s massive lobbying efforts and record political contributions allowed them to “buy access.” (Business Week 2/16/98)

And Dick won't disclose his tax returns, so who knows what else he's hiding from Michigan voters.

“I will be disclosing to the people of Michigan that which I think is appropriate to understand as they look to make a decision about their next Governor.” (WILX-TV, 1/11/06)



6. Governor Jennifer Granholm's personal and professional ethics are unassailable.

Speaking about her ethics proposal, Granholm said “Accountability and openness are at the heart of any democracy. This comprehensive package will ensure that Michigan voters have accurate, honest information on which to judge candidates and elected officials,” said Granholm. Michigan has recently been shown to be among the weakest states in the Union for public servant’s financial disclosure, and Granholm has asked the Legislature to approve the changes she is proposing in early 2006. (PAA Online 12/16/05)

Even the traditionally Pro-DeVos Detroit News agrees, saying "Granholm's ethics proposal deserves action by lawmakers. Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed ethics legislation serves a useful purpose. It should put pressure on GOP state lawmakers to finish up some ethics business of their own. The governor announced that she and Democratic lawmakers have introduced a package of bills to require state appointed and elected officials to disclose their financial interests. Part of the legislation requires candidates for governor to reveal their federal income tax returns going back for three years." (Detroit News 4/22/06)

Who's got your best interest at heart?

Just Say NO to Dick and YES to Jen - Reason #7 (or) The Truth Teddy

(Update: According to the LSJ's Election Blog, the infamous Teddy has been pulled from Quixtar's online store. And still, no word from the DeVos camp since the ad debuted.)

Jobs, jobs, jobs.
That's the single biggest issue in this election.
Michigan's people want to know that there are jobs out there.
The thing about us Michiganians, we don't like to be deceived.
Just give it to us plain, simple and honest.
Why did Dick DeVos send our jobs to China and lie to us about it?



7. Dick DeVos lied to us, the people of Michigan.
Not only did Tricky Dick cut 1,400 Michigan jobs, and invest $220 Million in China, but now those goods from China are being sold here in the US, even though Dick said that they weren't.

Facts Established:

• Dick laid off 1,400 Michigan voters. (Detroit News 8/24/06)
• Amway invested $220Million in China (Detroit News 8/24/06)
• Amway created 4,300 new jobs in China (Alticor/Amway) Blog 4/13/06)
• DeVos Campaign Says : Not one Michigan job has ever been shipped to China and nothing made in China is sold in the United States." (Setting the Record Straight, DeVos for Governor, 8/26/06)
• Amway Teddy Bears sold in the U.S. are made in China. (Quixtar/Amway) Website)

Anyone else confused? (see below)



7. Governor Granholm has worked hard to create new jobs, bring in new companies and stop job outsouring, all successfully.
Jennifer Granholm is a non-stop Job machine, and she's doing it all for us, the people of Michigan.

Facts Established:

• Governor Granholm has created over 7,100 new jobs in Michigan. (MI Dept. of Transportation) #24
  
• Governor Granholm has continually fought successfully for new jobs for Michigan (Detroit Free Press) #20
  
• Governor Granholm has worked hard to keep jobs in Michigan, and to bring in thousands more. (Site Selection Magazine) #12

************************************************************************************
Tricky Dick's Teddy Troubles

Dick DeVos eliminated over 1,000 Michigan jobs.
"Granholm is referring to the fact that DeVos, as president of Amway Co. parent Alticor, eliminated 1,400 jobs at the main plant in Ada, Mich." (Detroit News, September 22, 2006)

Amway built a factory in China while Dick DeVos was President.
Amway Asia Pacific dedicated its approximately 15,000 sq m (152,000 sq ft), state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in the Guangzhou Economic and Technical Development District on January 18, 1995, after extensive production trials. The plant -- a centerpiece of the company's initial U.S. $100 million dollar commitment to China -- has been producing inventory of five household cleaning products since the dedication. These products also are included in the starter kits. (PR Newswire, March 20, 1995)

Dick DeVos acknowledged Amway built a plant in China in his own television advertisement.
"We built a plant in China to sell in China." (Dick DeVos, Television Advertisement, September 6, 2006)

In their media blog, Amway/Alticor openly acknowledged the company invested over $200 million in China and created 4,300 jobs in China.
"Here are the numbers: An investment of $220 million in China (an investment required by the Chinese government as a prerequisite of selling our products there). Over time, this investment has grown into about 4,300 employees in China: including manufacturing jobs, office jobs, and retail clerk jobs, staffing the counters at more than 170 shops." (Alticor Media Blog, April 13, 2006)

On August 22, 2005, in a press release titled, "Governor is proven wrong regarding her attack on DeVos," the DeVos for Governor Campaign said: · "Not one Michigan job has ever been shipped to China and no Chinese products are exported to the United States. Period." (Press Release, DeVos for Governor, August 22, 2005)

The "Teddy Bear" was purchased through the Amway subsidiary, Quixtar, on September 21, 2006 from a Michigan address. The invoice of the transaction is below.



The Teddy Bear was purchased on this Amway/Quixtar Website.



Here's the Teddy Bear and it's tag that clearly says "Made in China"





"...you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

Live from Governor Granholm's Statewide Bus Tour - Lansing!

Monday mornings aren't usually the highlight of my week, but today was the exception to the rule, thanks to Jennifer Granholm.

This morning I headed out to the Coordinated Campaign Headquarters on Michigan Avenue in downtown Lansing with about 100-200 other folks from the area to see off the Governor on her Statewide Bus Tour. The chant Four More Years could be heard several times as the young, old, black, white, rich, poor, gay straight, we were all there, to wish the woman who's fighting for all of us the best of luck in the next 8 crucial days. The entire event was incredible!

Together with an all-star line up, including State Senator Gretchen Whitmer (S-23), House Minority Leader Dianne Byrum (67th District), MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson, Lansing Mayor Virg Benero, and a handful of House hopefuls including Mark Meadows (E. Lansing - running for 69th House Seat), Joan Bauer (Lansing - running for 68th House Seat), and Barb Byrum (running for 67th House Seat), not too mention folks there from the County Level - incumbents and hopefuls alike - from both Ingham and Eaton Counties.

Of course Lt. John Cherry got the crowd all riled up, and introduced our Lady Gov and First Gentleman Dan Mulhern herself. Neither one of them disappointed.

Jennifer Granholm told it like it was - she's a bread and butter Democrat, here for the people, not to make a profit or protect her own personal assets. A fiscal hawk, she balanced the budget, not once, not twice, not three times, but four times.

She's not lobbying for unfair trade policies with China, and she's not looking to repeal the Estate Tax, which would leave the taxpayers like you and me with a multi-billion dollar hole to fill with our own hard-earned dollars. No way!

Jennifer Granholm is there for us, the people, the blue and white collar folks, who are just looking to get by in life, pay our mortages, put our kids thru college and leave this state a little better than we received it.
Amway Guy? Well between crushing our rights, and preventing us from becoming a healthier society and leaving our kids in the dirt, I'm not quite sure what it is he's doing for us, other than trying to become our upline. If you ask me, Dick DeVos is a quitter! No thanks!

The Governor was off to Battle Creek and then Jackson later today. On Tuesday you can find her in Detroit, Ann Arbor and Livonia, among other places. To see when she's coming to your part of town, be sure to check out her campaign blog and she writes in it quite frequently. Four More Years!!!!