Do we really want to pour more money into this money pit?

Ford teachers talk union:


Jeepers, their graduation rate is 11%.
Everyone sure deserves a raise!
http://www.onveon.com/college/graduation-statistics/henry-ford-community-college-48128.htm


"Part-time teachers at Henry Ford Community College hope to form a union this spring in an effort to gain higher wages and better working conditions.
Following a national movement to unionize among part-time faculty who increasingly teach heavier workloads for far less money than full-timers, adjunct professors formed an association last spring to explore unionization. The group is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers-Michigan."

Political leaders=Quality of our State?

Primary revealed a miserable Michigan: "• ' an economically devastated place.' -- BBC Radio."

Our sad, racist Chronicle columnist "celebrates" MLK Day

Just who achieved his dream? No one yet - Muskegon Chronicle Opinion:

Incredible that GordoM would be forced to defend the evil Hillary.

"It started with Hillary Clinton's assertion that while King articulated the dream for justice and equality, it took President Lyndon Johnson to do the heavy lifting. It was Johnson, she said, who pushed for the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and signed King's vision into fruition.
In her words, 'it took a president to get it done.'
All over America, people -- especially black people -- rolled their eyes at the suggestion that somehow Johnson did more for civil rights gains than King did."

No, Americans didn't roll their eyes. Only racist demagogues did.

And no, Hill never suggested that Johnson did more than King.

And both conveniently forgot that Eisenhower proposed the 1957 Civil Rights Act which Johnson and the democrats opposed and killed.

What would you do?

Imagine if only "white" boys suffered this fate?

Boys are treated unfairly by schools and the media:

"What changes would you recommend if I told you that African-American children were:

four to eight times as likely to be drugged with Ritalin and other stimulants, which pediatrician Leonard Sax, calls “academic steroids.”

reading much more poorly than are other students.

five times more likely to commit suicide.

two and a half times as likely to drop out of high school.

severely underrepresented in college and even more so among college graduates, thereby locking them out of today’s, let alone tomorrow’s, knowledge economy."

This day in history

1885 The roller coaster was patented by L.A. Thompson of Coney Island, NY.
Lawyers and loonies rejoice!

1942 Nazi officials held the Wannsee conference, during which they arrived at their "final solution" that called for exterminating Europe's Jews.
War is not the answer?

1961 John F. Kennedy is inaugurated for his first -- and tragically only -- term of office as the President of the United States.
Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, Mafia girlfriends........

1981 U.S. hostages, held captive in Iran for 444 days, are released just minutes after Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the fortieth president of the United States.
Jimmah let 'em get taken. Ronnie got 'em out. Maybe the threat of "war" was the answer?

Native Hawaiians Reclaiming Land

Native Hawaiians Reclaiming Land - TIME:

This is scary! The precedent covers the entire USA.


"More than 200 acres of land that belonged to the Kingdom of Hawaii before the United States took control a century ago will be returned to Native Hawaiians, according to terms of a $200 million tentative settlement announced Friday."

Folks getting all the money say everything is "OK".

State keeps tight hold on its spending, report says:

This is great! The people who are getting all the money assure us that taxes aren't too high and that spending is not out of control.

"The idea that state taxes and spending are out of control is a myth and an impediment to getting Michigan's economy back on track, a group representing universities, cities and nonprofit agencies said Thursday."

DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS:Same old, same old

DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: District spent $1.5 million on trips, catering: "Despite promises to scale back travel and other nonessential expenses, Detroit Public Schools spent more than $1.5 million on hotels, travel and catered meals in the year that ended Sept. 1."

"Till death do us part"

Husband pleads guilty to slaying wife hours after wedding:
"MARQUETTE - A man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the slaying of his wife hours after the couple were married.

Derek Linklater faces life in prison when he is sentenced May 20 in federal court.

An autopsy had shown that 34-year-old Loretta Wandahsega died of blunt force trauma to her head."

Power Line: Bylines of brutality

Power Line: Bylines of brutality: "Today the New York Times resumes its coverage of our crazed killer vets with Deborah Sontag's 'An Iraq veteran's descent, a prosecutor's choice.' Contrast Sontag's long, long story with the minimalist coverage afforded by the Times to the posthumous Medal of Honor awarded to New York native son Michael Murphy. Clay Waters, among others, noted the Times's reluctance to cover the military heroism of Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan."

My Way News - Report: Sears to Reorganize Into Units

Sears to Reorganize Into Units: "Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) plans to reorganize into several companies in another bid to pull the ailing 121-year-old retailer out the doldrums, according to a report published Saturday."

Bush Makes the Best of a Bad Situation

Kudlow's Money Politic$: Bush Makes the Best of a Bad Situation: "President Bush has made the best of a bad situation by applying his so-called tax rebate proposal within the income-tax code, rather than positioning it as new federal spending, like Sen. Hillary Clinton’s $100 billion spending package. He’s going to oppose that. He’s right to oppose that. It’s essential to oppose that."

Dark Roasted Blend: Animals Having Fun, Part 9

Dark Roasted Blend: Animals Having Fun, Part 9

Criminal Alien Program still taking illegals arrested for minor offenses | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News

Criminal Alien Program still taking illegals arrested for minor offenses :

"TOP OFFENSES Since Sept. 1, 2006, Irving police have used the Criminal Alien Program to refer arrestees whose citizenship cannot be verified to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation. Here are the 15 most common charges against Irving jail detainees believed to be illegal immigrants from the program's start in Irving through Wednesday.
Charge* Total
Local misdemeanor
warrants 1,232
Outside misdemeanor warrants 896
No driver's license 515
Public intoxication 499
Other misdemeanors 410
Driving while intoxicated offenses 352
Driving with invalid license 131
Possession of drug(s) 105
Misdemeanor assault 101
Driving without insurance 99
Outside felony warrants 97
Failure to identify self as fugitive 86
Misdemeanor theft 76
Felony theft 44
Failure to display driver's license 36
Total charges** 5,013
Total people turned
over to ICE 2,172
* These are initial charges at the time of arrest and may be dropped or changed after review. Some individuals face multiple charges.
** 'Total charges' include the 15 categories listed here as well as others.
SOURCE: Irving Police Department"

Coming to a county near you!

Washtenaw Co. faces $8 million to $10 million deficit:

Maybe it's time to get a new budget director?

"ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Washtenaw County officials have to act fast to erase a looming budget deficit possibly ranging from $8 million to $10 million.
County Commissioner Leah Gunn, D-Ann Arbor, said the effect on employees and residents won't be known until officials decide on the best way to address the deficit.
The deficit was discovered two months after the 2008 budget was approved in November."

Imagine grades being important?

Proposal: Athletes must have B average
Under Greg Murray's proposal, student-athletes would be required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
The Detroit Free Press reports it's the first attempt to strengthen the state's two-decades-old standards that allow students to play sports with grades as low as four Ds and two Fs

Will "green" signal the "end" of GR?

Mayor's State of the City: new jobs, 100% green:

Don't you love politicians who make expensive, job destroying promises that sound so ............ warm and friendly!

"Heartwell also pledged in the speech that by 2020, the city will get 100% of its energy for municipal use from renewable or 'green' sources.
.
'We are going to survive Michigan's economic tsunami because we have the people,' Heartwell said. 'That's our true wealth.'

But he acknowledged troubles with the Grand Rapids workforce: One in five of the city's adults cannot read. Tests show its children are struggling too.
Better education has been a goal of prior State of the City speeches and now, the mayor is pointing to some progress: higher reading scores for Grand Rapids Public Schools' fourth-graders. Heartwell also referenced a recent study of the city's kids, which concluded those with nothing to do after school cause problems.
'We will have an after-school program in every public school,' the mayor pledged. 'That's my commitment.'"

One of last year's long-term goals was to end homelessness by 2014. After the speech, we pointed out to the mayor that some shelters report seeing more people this year.
"Homelessness is growing in spite of our efforts we've put in place to end homelessness," the mayor acknowledged.


"To build and to unbuild and to rebuild as we dream," the mayor said, concluding his address.

How long before Grand Rapids is "Detroit West"?

Are teacher sick days taking a bite out of education? - Michigan News, Updates, Photos & Video | Detroit, Lansing - MLive.com

Are teacher sick days taking a bite out of education?

No room to cut the budget and no school choice.

"Area public school teachers took an average of eight days for sick and personal leave last school year — nearly twice the rate for workers in other professions nationally."

"The leadership of Governor Granholm cannot be overstated"?

- mlive.com

The Chronicle editorial board is in love with Jenny!

Who cares about unemployment, U-Hauls going one-way out of town and a bankrupt budget?

The religion of GREEN is paramount!


Regional pact right step for Michigan

The leadership of Gov. Jennifer Granholm on regional issues important to the Great Lakes and our state cannot be overstated. Her hard work on substantive matters that extend beyond Michigan's borders is vital in shaping a better region and world. .....

Granholm joined with others in creating regional pacts to reduce carbon emissions and setting up a "trading system" to meet the new targets, as has been done in other areas of the country by other regional gubernatorial teams. Fresh from her work at the governors' conference, Granholm got to work back home on attaining the proposed goals of reduced greenhouse emissions in this state by creating a 35-member Michigan Climate Action Council to bring a comprehensive climate action plan to the table for consideration.

Farmington Daily Times - Are Navajo Blueeyes seeing red?

Farmington Daily Times - Are Navajo Blueeyes seeing red?: "And there are plenty, Anglo and Navajo, who should share the blame for this disgrace. Sending as many a 400 people to Hawaii for a national conference on education, using precious and limited tribal money and federal funds intended to help Navajo school children, should be illegal.
Perhaps, that is the case. The Department of the Interior confirmed that its Inspector General investigation continues into whether taxpayer money was misused for so many to go so far, and for what?
There were not 400 Navajo representatives at the same conference in the three previous years, including when it was in much closer Phoenix and Denver."