YouTube, Widgets, and Endorsements, Oh My!

My family recently took to YouTube to talk about why they're supporting Proposal 2, and I'm thankful to them for speaking out!



Most of you have probably already seen Laura Jackson's ad on tv. We need to make sure that every Michigan voter has the chance to hear her story and understand why voting YES on Proposal 2 is so important. We can make this happen by donating to the campaign today.

Also, if you give to the campaign before midnight tonight, your gift will be doubled, thanks to a generous donor. Please give as much as you can today so we can keep these ads on the air. Perhaps you'd even be willing to give in honor or memory of someone you know whose live could be improved through the hope that embryonic stem cell research brings.

Are you a fellow blogger? You too can have this great blog widget located to the right to put on your blog to show your support of Prop 2, made by the good folks at Cure Michigan. Email me if you're interested.

And in the last bit of good news, I'm pleased as punch to see that the Lansing State Journal has endorsed Proposal 2, because they too recognize how much our state needs it.

Here's to you and yours and making it a day we can all be proud of!

Making the Good News

If you've been to MichLib much lately, you know I've had some serious concerns with the state of the media here in Lansing. While I don't have much to say about the Lansing State Journal as a paper, there are several fine individuals (unfortunately not in managerial roles) who are part of the LSJ team.

Let me also say this, while I have concerns about the media industry as a whole, I generally have a whole lot of respect for most of the journalists that I've come to know, both at the LSJ and particularly within the Capitol Press Corps. That's not an easy industry to work in, and it's clear that only the finest raise to the top.

That being said, I'd like to thank one journalist in particular. It's very easy to only focus on the negative, to report all the bad news, and goodness knows I do a good job of it on my own as a blogger. But when it's something other than the negative, boy is it refreshing to see.

Derek Wallbank writes the Capitol Journal blog for the LSJ. On Wednesday, Wallbank asked for some good news from his readers out of the Capitol to report. Seems as if I was the only one to respond (not sure if that's bad or good) and I offered thanks to the House who passed Rep. Andy Meisner's Restroom Access Bill. The bill would allow people like me who suffer from digestive diseases to have access, by way of a prescription, to those bathrooms in retail establishments normally reserved for employees only. There are measures built in for the security of both the business and the customer, and most everyone was on board with it.

Because I was the only one to respond, Wallbank was kind enough to make it the subject of his post. Obviously I'm pleased as punch that my email was featured, but I hope that he will consider making this Good News piece part of his regular bit, goodness know we could all use it!

More dirt on the LSJ's fight against State Employees

It wasn't bad enough for the Lansing State Journal to throw state employees under the proverbial bus by publishing their names and salaries in an online database.

Now they're trying to excuse it in their latest piece on the issue, and it's just disgusting. For the full scoop, hop over to my post on MichLib.

Here's a little additional info and commentary on the entire debate and what you may or may not have seen and heard -

• City Pulse Opinionist and State Employee William Pettit penned a fantastically sharp piece for the July 25th publication that you won't want to miss.
  

• The LSJ was founded in 1855 as the Lansing Republican, but later changed to The State Republican five years later. -- Ahh, so much makes sense now...
  

• According to Wikipedia, the LSJ's circulation numbers were 71,945 morning and 91,175 Sunday. According to the Gannett website, the numbers are actually 71,386 morning and 89,020 Sunday. Assuming that neither of those numbers were taken before the state employee boycott, those number could be reduced by a thousand or two.
  

• State Supreme Court Chief Justice Cliff Taylor actually had some harsh words for the paper. Republican Taylor lands a couple square on with his heavy hitting words. I know, I know, this maybe the first and only time I will compliment Cliff Taylor.

Stay tuned to LLP and MichLib for further development and news on this evolving story.

Standing in Solidarity: Local Paper's Gone too Far

In response to the Lansing State Journal's decision yesterday to make over 53,000 non-exempt state employees information public on their website, I found myself strangely uncomfortable.

I'm all for right-to-know for the public, and increased transparency within the government, but why does the LSJ choose to flaunt this?

Isn't there a time and place for things like this? Why do we need all of this information flashed across the front-page of one of the state's largest papers? If all of this information is already public knowledge, why can't it be left at that?

There's no doubt there's a delicate balance between the public's right to know and the privacy of state employees, and to me, this whole thing just feels a little off.

I'm fortunate to have several state employees who are regular readers of my humble little blog, and more than one of them contacted me yesterday over this latest firestorm.

After reading both yesterday's LSJ article and the follow-up they posted today, I'm siding with the outraged state employees and fellow blogger Christine Barry, by expressing my displeasure and disbelief toward the LSJ. (In my protest, I refuse to publish the link to the story and/or the online database.)

I encourage you to head over to MichLib and check out my post, weigh in on the debate either here or there, and stand up for our state employees rights. Between John Engler, the Senate Republicans who would slash them to the bone, God knows they have enough fires to fight on a daily basis.

Mixed bag of messages from the LSJ

Reading the Lansing State Journal this morning has left me with some mixed thoughts.

According to the cover story, it looks as if the Downtown area is starting to see a real up kick in business and commercial traffic, which translates to a boost for our local economy. The timing of this with the new Michigan Business Tax that got passed just a few short weeks after the Mackinac conference makes for a happy Thursday.

Of course, when you flip a couple pages back and see the editorial on the smoking ban, you may find yourself a bit puzzled. There's a post that I just did over on MichLib, but the long and short of is that the proposed smoking ban in bars and restaurants is as much about saving money as it is protecting our health. It definitely is not rocket science. What it is is frustrating as hell. I would be interested to hear what everyone else has to say about it.

While you're chiming in below, be sure to stay cool and hydrated today, it's going to be a hot one.

Bishop's Budget Babble

Every once in a while, Mike Bishop says a thing or two that gives me hope that he might actually understand what it's like to be one of the constituents he represents while he leads the Senate Republicans...

Given our economic crisis, a leader is defined by his or her ability to see the difference between what is essential and what is merely desirable.

...of course then I realize that his diatribe in Sunday's Lansing State Journal was just that, all talk and still no plan. It must be hard to sit a top a plushy throne in the Senate and not really know what it's like to be one of us.

The irony in Sunday's piece is rich. I'm not sure how well Bishop or his Communications team really read over their piece before sending it off to the editorial board at the LSJ but let me highlight a couple of my favorites.

Just in case any of us are confused as to how we got in this mess in the first place, Mike takes us for a small walk down Memory Lane with someone that he sure seems to love, former governor John Engler.

If history teaches us anything, it is that government rarely exercises caution when using its power of taxation.

Agreed, Mike. Engler did a heckuva job of throwing one giant tax-slashing party for the state which surmounted to a violent assault on the state's revenue leaving us in the giant hole we're trying to climb out of. I don't like paying taxes as much as the next guy, but if means making sure our kids get a good education, we have police keeping us safe, and health care is more than just a good idea, then I'm willing to pay my share.

From there on out, it only gets better.

The experts who have examined Michigan (sic) economic crisis agree that we are not going to have real prosperity or recovery until we stop fighting the symptoms and start fighting the disease. Figuring out the most efficient way to bring state spending under control is a course of action embraced by an overwhelming majority of Michigan citizens, irrespective of their party affiliation.

I agree again, and we have Governor Granholm to thank for that. Just last week, the Executive Office released National Ranking Provides Evidence Michigan Economic Plan is on the Right Track based upon the latest findings by the Kauffman Foundation. You can also listen as Jack Lessenberry gets the full scoop of the report.

Here's where I get confused -

Senate Republicans have presented a plan that balances our budget through a mix of government reforms and spending cuts.

Now that is news to me. Last time I checked, all Bishop and his band of not-so-merry men had done was shoot down a plan that made sense without offering any kind of replacement. Since then, Granholm, Dillon, Schauer and the rest of Michigan have been asking to see his plan so many times that we might be mistake with Missouri.

Leave it to Bishop to save the best for last.

In the coming weeks, I will join the governor and my Democratic and Republican colleagues in the Legislature to correct the 2007 budget shortfall.

Finally! For weeks now, Bishop has refused to meet or form bipartisan panels with Speaker Dillon, Democratic Senate Leader Schauer or reveal his secret plan to the public. Does that mean that this is all going to change?

I might not be Bishop's biggest fan, but even I'll stand up and cheer if he's got a plan that works. Until then, Mike Bishop, first term senator extraordinaire, will continue to remain Michigan's poster boy for legislative term limit reform.

(cross-posted on Michigan Liberal)

The Liberal's Guide to Gift Giving

I pull a 'Scrooge face' and groan as the commericials on TV remind me to hurry up and spend, max out the credit card, and then spend some more on this holiday season. Bah Humbug, indeed!

There are too many going without anything, including a meal this holiday season. What's the point of one more gift? Can't live without one more DVD, a sweater you'll never wear, or one more tool set? Sure you can.

What if - you took all the money you would normally spend in gifts for others and put it towards someone who truly needed it? (Give it to a local shelter/Red Cross/food bank - and get a tax write-off?)
What if - you counted the hours you spend shopping for the perfect gift, waiting in line, asking over-worked and under-paid retail staff only to discover they are out of that size and gave it back to your community? (Volunteer to feed the hungry at a local shelter, staff a food bank/clothing closet, etc)
What if - you gave a gift that would fill a hungry stomach, ensure a warm place to sleep, or just make someone smile who hasn't done so in days? (Donate canned goods, clothing, blood, etc)

You can, right here in Lansing.

There is a terffic article in yesterday's LSJ by a very promising up-and-coming writer, Melissa Domsic about the needy in our very own backyard.

With one in four Lansing residents living in poverty, according to the U.S. Census, local food banks and soup kitchens have reported increases in clients as they begin holiday drives. Others are seeing more first-time visitors.
-snip-
About half the people who go to Our Savior food pantry are children, Miller said."Times are terrible out there, I think more so than people realize," she said

There's no reason for poverty in Lansing, not when we have such a fantastic and giving community to come together and help make things a little brighter for those in need.

Look to the right and you will see a permanent list of organizations that could use your time, your money, or your food and clothing donation, when ever you can give, not just during the holidays.

This holiday season, I'm not shopping for the usual Christmas fare. I'm putting my meager culinary talents to work and will be baking my Grandmother's Applesauce Brown Bread for my family friends, instead.
I'll be taking the usual gift money and putting it towards canned good items for these local shelters and always making sure to have spare change to give to the bell ringers outside of the local grocery store.
I'll be going through my closets and donating unused/gently used clothing to the various charities with Clothes Closets to give to those who need it more than my closet hangers.

There is no season of giving, nor should there be.
We're part of this community, and we should need to come together as often as we can and join hands and lift up those who need our help.
Give of yourself and your gift recipents won't be the only ones smiling. :-D

LLP gets 1st Blogging 'Award' from the Lansing State Journal

Yowsers! Who'd a thunk it?

LLP is extremely honored to be named by the Lansing State Journal's Election Blog as one of their Three Favorite Liberal Election Blogs. An even greater honor, to be named in that group with 2 of my favorite fellow bloggers...

In Michigan this year, a whole array of blogs have either sprung up or had their site traffic explode as more and more folks turn to the web for analysis and talking points. So where to go, if you're feeling the need for blogs? Well, here are a few of my favorites:

On the Left:
Michigan Liberal - Matt Ferguson started the granddaddy of Michigan political blogs after his narrow defeat in the 8th District Democratic Primary. Think DailyKos, but local.
The Disembodied Head of Dick DeVos - No explanation needed.
Liberal, Loud and Proud - One of the newest, one of the best.

Yippee!!!! :-) :-) :-) <--grinning for you non-blogging types.

We won't mention the 3 on the other side of the fence, but er, ah, in all good spirits, congrats to them.

~LL