Muskegon city commissioners approve deal with cab company to restart senior transit program | MLive.com
"Wakefield offered to provide seniors with one-way rides for $3.50 in the same geographic areas that the city provided for $3 one-way rides.
The city program was eliminated Dec. 31 for budget cutting reasons after city voters failed to approve two ballot proposals Nov. 6 that would have kept the city senior transit program funded.
The city would pay Wakefield $40,000 for a one-year contract to provide the special cab fare for city senior citizens. Port City and Yellow cabs provide service 365 days a year and 24 hours a day where the city program had limited days and hours of operation.
Muskegon used a similar public-private partnership to restore youth recreation programs when the city’s Leisure Services Department was eliminated several years ago as a budget cut."
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Norton Shores and Fruitport Township select engineering firm for water plant changes; will leave Muskegon Heights system in 2015
Norton Shores and Fruitport Township select engineering firm for water plant changes; will leave Muskegon Heights system in 2015 | MLive.com:
"In September, Norton Shores, Fruitport Township and Muskegon came to an inter-governmental 30-year agreement after 17 months of discussing the best long-term water provider.
When the agreement takes effect in 2015, Muskegon will supply water to every municipality in the metro area except Muskegon Heights"
"In September, Norton Shores, Fruitport Township and Muskegon came to an inter-governmental 30-year agreement after 17 months of discussing the best long-term water provider.
When the agreement takes effect in 2015, Muskegon will supply water to every municipality in the metro area except Muskegon Heights"
For Detroit, a Crisis Born of Bad Decisions and False Hope
For Detroit, a Crisis Born of Bad Decisions and False Hope - NYTimes.com
"This city was already sinking under hundreds of millions of dollars in bills that it could not pay when a municipal auditor brought in a veteran financial consultant to dig through the books.
A seasoned turnaround man and former actuary with Ford Motor Co., he was stunned by what he found: an additional $7.2 billion in retiree health costs that had never been reported, or even tallied up."
"This city was already sinking under hundreds of millions of dollars in bills that it could not pay when a municipal auditor brought in a veteran financial consultant to dig through the books.
A seasoned turnaround man and former actuary with Ford Motor Co., he was stunned by what he found: an additional $7.2 billion in retiree health costs that had never been reported, or even tallied up."
Michigan's amazing snowfall this year ranges from under 20 inches to over 150 inches
Michigan's amazing snowfall this year ranges from under 20 inches to over 150 inches | MLive.com:
"And the winner of most snowfall in Michigan is:
Munising 156.4" for official sites, and 225" unofficially for the Keewanaw Peninsula"
"And the winner of most snowfall in Michigan is:
Munising 156.4" for official sites, and 225" unofficially for the Keewanaw Peninsula"
Norton Shores city officials still considering new garbage pick up this year
Norton Shores city officials still considering new garbage pick up this year | MLive.com
"Bartoszek said residents voted for a $1.5 million, 20-year millage for street improvements in 2008 and the effort to reduce garbage truck traffic is just a larger part of reducing road damage.
"We have multiple garbage haulers running up and down our streets in a given week," Bartoszek said of the main five haulers that service residents.
"It makes our city looks trashy because there are always garbage cans out."
Bartoszek said some studies estimate road damage caused by one garbage truck equates to the wear and tear caused by 12,000 to 18,000 cars depending on the size of the truck.
Aside from curtailing road damage, maintaining a more picturesque town and saving residents money, city officials believe contracting refuse services will address safety concerns the trucks pose to motorists, pedestrians and school aged children."
"Bartoszek said residents voted for a $1.5 million, 20-year millage for street improvements in 2008 and the effort to reduce garbage truck traffic is just a larger part of reducing road damage.
"We have multiple garbage haulers running up and down our streets in a given week," Bartoszek said of the main five haulers that service residents.
"It makes our city looks trashy because there are always garbage cans out."
Bartoszek said some studies estimate road damage caused by one garbage truck equates to the wear and tear caused by 12,000 to 18,000 cars depending on the size of the truck.
Aside from curtailing road damage, maintaining a more picturesque town and saving residents money, city officials believe contracting refuse services will address safety concerns the trucks pose to motorists, pedestrians and school aged children."
The Hostess Shuffle: Feds put the ‘dough’ in this doughnut
The Hostess Shuffle: Feds put the ‘dough’ in this doughnut - Daily Inter Lake: Frank:
"This is where the devil starts to look a bit more like Jason in a hockey mask instead of a nice wholesome inviting Hostess Twinkie.
You see, according to the Department of Labor website, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program is actually money that Congress has allocated for “trade-affected workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased imports or shifts in production out of the United States.”
But wait a minute!
Didn’t Hostess go out of business in a well-publicized blaze of glory because union workers refused to accept concessions that would have allowed the bakery to stay open?
Well, yeah, but in a brazenly Orwellian rewrite of history, the Department of Labor announced that “an investigation found that increased imports of baked products contributed importantly to the company’s sales declines and worker separations.”
“Importantly.”
That’s a nice vague word, isn’t it?"
"This is where the devil starts to look a bit more like Jason in a hockey mask instead of a nice wholesome inviting Hostess Twinkie.
You see, according to the Department of Labor website, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program is actually money that Congress has allocated for “trade-affected workers who have lost their jobs as a result of increased imports or shifts in production out of the United States.”
But wait a minute!
Didn’t Hostess go out of business in a well-publicized blaze of glory because union workers refused to accept concessions that would have allowed the bakery to stay open?
Well, yeah, but in a brazenly Orwellian rewrite of history, the Department of Labor announced that “an investigation found that increased imports of baked products contributed importantly to the company’s sales declines and worker separations.”
“Importantly.”
That’s a nice vague word, isn’t it?"
Thrown Off a United Airlines Flight for Taking Pictures!
Thrown Off a United Airlines Flight for Taking Pictures! - Live and Let's Fly:
"He was direct—"The captain is not comfortable with you on this flight.
You'll need to gather your things and we'll find another way to get you to Istanbul."
I was flabbergasted.
My first thought was that they had the wrong passenger—they must have wanted the passenger who was arguing."
"He was direct—"The captain is not comfortable with you on this flight.
You'll need to gather your things and we'll find another way to get you to Istanbul."
I was flabbergasted.
My first thought was that they had the wrong passenger—they must have wanted the passenger who was arguing."
Muskegon man's sex with dogs results in 'crime against nature' no contest plea
Muskegon man's sex with dogs results in 'crime against nature' no contest plea | MLive.com:
"Kurtis Peter Peterson has pleaded no contest to “crime against nature” for having sex with two dogs in his Muskegon home."
"Kurtis Peter Peterson has pleaded no contest to “crime against nature” for having sex with two dogs in his Muskegon home."
City Airport intends to remain open despite looming budget cuts
City Airport intends to remain open despite looming budget cuts | Crain's Detroit Business
"In addition to City Airport, Michigan airports on the air traffic control closure list are Ann Arbor, W.K. Kellogg in Battle Creek, Jackson County-Reynolds Field in Jackson, Muskegon County in Muskegon and Sawyer International in Marquette County's Sands Township.
The towers at the Lansing and Willow Run airports are on the list of 72 nationwide that could close overnight through the elimination of midnight shifts for air traffic controllers."
"In addition to City Airport, Michigan airports on the air traffic control closure list are Ann Arbor, W.K. Kellogg in Battle Creek, Jackson County-Reynolds Field in Jackson, Muskegon County in Muskegon and Sawyer International in Marquette County's Sands Township.
The towers at the Lansing and Willow Run airports are on the list of 72 nationwide that could close overnight through the elimination of midnight shifts for air traffic controllers."
Mayor Bloomberg: ‘We're Not Banning Anything; It's Called Portion Control’
Mayor Bloomberg: ‘We're Not Banning Anything; It's Called Portion Control’ | CNS News:
“We're not banning anything.
It's called portion control,”
Bloomberg said Sunday on CBS’s "Face the Nation."
“It's a typical way that companies use to and governments use to explain to people what's in their interest and what isn't.”
“We're not banning anything.
It's called portion control,”
Bloomberg said Sunday on CBS’s "Face the Nation."
“It's a typical way that companies use to and governments use to explain to people what's in their interest and what isn't.”
State Department Will Issue 'Female' Passports to Anatomical Males
State Department Will Issue 'Female' Passports to Anatomical Males | CNS News:
"The U.S. State Department's policy on dealing with transgendered people will allow Americans who are anatomically male but identify themselves as female to secure U.S. passports that match their gender "identity" rather than their anatomy."
"The U.S. State Department's policy on dealing with transgendered people will allow Americans who are anatomically male but identify themselves as female to secure U.S. passports that match their gender "identity" rather than their anatomy."
NLRB Policies Help Unions, Not Workers
NLRB Policies Help Unions, Not Workers | NetRight Daily
"Consider the NLRB’s recent rulings against Prime Healthcare Services, a California-based hospital company that was forced to continue collecting union dues even after the expiration of its collective bargaining agreement.
That decision overturned a half-century of legal precedent.
Then there was the agency’s ruling against Kent Hospital — in which the board held employees were no longer permitted to opt out of paying the percentage of union dues spent on political activity.
Not only that, the same ruling removed language requiring unions to provide employees with an accounting of what they spend on political activity."
"Consider the NLRB’s recent rulings against Prime Healthcare Services, a California-based hospital company that was forced to continue collecting union dues even after the expiration of its collective bargaining agreement.
That decision overturned a half-century of legal precedent.
Then there was the agency’s ruling against Kent Hospital — in which the board held employees were no longer permitted to opt out of paying the percentage of union dues spent on political activity.
Not only that, the same ruling removed language requiring unions to provide employees with an accounting of what they spend on political activity."
Applying for health care not easy
AP Exclusive: Applying for health care not easy - Yahoo! News
"Applying for benefits under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul could be as daunting as doing your taxes."
"Applying for benefits under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul could be as daunting as doing your taxes."
How Your Retirement Package Compares to Members of Congress
How Your Retirement Package Compares to Members of Congress
"As a result, all federal employees get a return on their contributions at a rate that's almost double what other workers do. (See chart.)
But thanks to a faster accrual rate on their savings — 1.7 percent as opposed to 1 percent for everyone else — members of Congress get an even better payout than other federal workers, even though their contributions are higher."
"As a result, all federal employees get a return on their contributions at a rate that's almost double what other workers do. (See chart.)
But thanks to a faster accrual rate on their savings — 1.7 percent as opposed to 1 percent for everyone else — members of Congress get an even better payout than other federal workers, even though their contributions are higher."
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
How to Stock Your Disaster Pantry
How to Stock Your Disaster Pantry - Popular Mechanics:
"Remember, you don't have to buy it all at once.
Each week, add a few extra items to the shopping list until you've filled up your basement shelves to your satisfaction.
We built up a sample store of goods for this photo as a guide to the sorts of foods that store well and could keep a family of four well-fed and sane through the aftermath."
"Remember, you don't have to buy it all at once.
Each week, add a few extra items to the shopping list until you've filled up your basement shelves to your satisfaction.
We built up a sample store of goods for this photo as a guide to the sorts of foods that store well and could keep a family of four well-fed and sane through the aftermath."
SEIU organizes Hugo Chavez ‘celebration and procession’ to honor ‘Our Comrade’
SEIU organizes Hugo Chavez ‘celebration and procession’ to honor ‘Our Comrade’ - The Global Dispatch: "Fri., March 8 – 6:30pm
Gather at 1199 SEIU
310 West 43rd Street, Manhattan
Candlelight procession to the statue of Simon Bolivar in Central Park
Those who die for life cannot be called dead
A Celebration and procession for the life of our comrade Hugo Chávez,
an extraordinary human and revolutionary.
Your energy, love and example will not be forgotten.
The revolution will continue until there is liberation for all."
Gather at 1199 SEIU
310 West 43rd Street, Manhattan
Candlelight procession to the statue of Simon Bolivar in Central Park
Those who die for life cannot be called dead
A Celebration and procession for the life of our comrade Hugo Chávez,
an extraordinary human and revolutionary.
Your energy, love and example will not be forgotten.
The revolution will continue until there is liberation for all."
Union's attempt to sidestep right-to-work law killed by Saginaw County commissioners
Union's attempt to sidestep right-to-work law killed by Saginaw County commissioners | MLive.com
"Just weeks before Michigan's right-to-work legislation is set to go into effect, Saginaw County's largest employee union came to county leaders Monday, March 11, asking them to do an end run around the new law.
The Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 459 chapter, came before the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners' Labor Relations Subcommittee Monday to request ratification of a 10-year contract that would preserve a requirement for OPEIU members to pay union dues."
"Just weeks before Michigan's right-to-work legislation is set to go into effect, Saginaw County's largest employee union came to county leaders Monday, March 11, asking them to do an end run around the new law.
The Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 459 chapter, came before the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners' Labor Relations Subcommittee Monday to request ratification of a 10-year contract that would preserve a requirement for OPEIU members to pay union dues."
Public comments on new Muskegon Farmers Market plans to be gathered March 18
Public comments on new Muskegon Farmers Market plans to be gathered March 18 | MLive.com:
"The first of promised community forums on the relocation of the Muskegon Farmers Market has been scheduled for Monday, March 18."
"The first of promised community forums on the relocation of the Muskegon Farmers Market has been scheduled for Monday, March 18."
Feds Spend $1.5 Million to Study Why Lesbians Are Fat
Feds Spend $1.5 Million to Study Why Lesbians Are Fat | CNS News:
"The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $1.5 million to study biological and social factors for why “three-quarters” of lesbians are obese and why gay males are not, calling it an issue of “high public-health significance."
"The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $1.5 million to study biological and social factors for why “three-quarters” of lesbians are obese and why gay males are not, calling it an issue of “high public-health significance."
Cincinnati poll worker charged with voting half dozen times in November
Cincinnati poll worker charged with voting half dozen times in November | Fox News:
"I'll fight it for Mr. Obama and Mr. Obama's right to sit as president of the United States," she proclaimed in the interview.
Officials charged that she voted in her own name by absentee ballot and also in person at the polls, but Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Deters said she also is charged with voting in the name of five other people in various elections."
"I'll fight it for Mr. Obama and Mr. Obama's right to sit as president of the United States," she proclaimed in the interview.
Officials charged that she voted in her own name by absentee ballot and also in person at the polls, but Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Deters said she also is charged with voting in the name of five other people in various elections."
Average Michigan wage earner is $5,000 behind other Americans
Average Michigan wage earner is $5,000 behind other Americans | Bridge Michigan:
"A 2011 study by Michigan Future Inc. found that per capita earnings from private sector wages in the state, adjusted for inflation, were flat at about $20,000 between 1990 and 2010."
"A 2011 study by Michigan Future Inc. found that per capita earnings from private sector wages in the state, adjusted for inflation, were flat at about $20,000 between 1990 and 2010."
Monday, March 11, 2013
Muskegon broadcaster's labor of love on the market for $300,000
Muskegon broadcaster's labor of love on the market for $300,000 | Detroit Free Press | freep.com: "MUSKEGON -- Doesn't anyone out there want to own a TV station?
That's the question Bud Kelley, the owner of WMKG (Channel 38) in Muskegon, has been asking himself for five years.
He very much wants to sell.
He has sent e-mails, hired a media broker to shop it and dropped the asking price to $300,000, down from $500,000.
He even listed the station on eBay."
That's the question Bud Kelley, the owner of WMKG (Channel 38) in Muskegon, has been asking himself for five years.
He very much wants to sell.
He has sent e-mails, hired a media broker to shop it and dropped the asking price to $300,000, down from $500,000.
He even listed the station on eBay."
Muskegon City Commission: Commerce at Pere Marquette Park to be discussed at Monday work session
Muskegon City Commission: Commerce at Pere Marquette Park to be discussed at Monday work session | MLive.com:
The CJ's on the Beach discussion will likely open up the whole future of commercial development at the community’s premier Lake Michigan beach.
That discussion begins at the work session Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Muskegon City Hall, 933 Terrace St. The city commission’s regular meeting is Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
Steyn: US 'doomed' in wake of Pop Tart gun suspension
Steyn: US 'doomed' in wake of Pop Tart gun suspension [AUDIO] | The Daily Caller
Steyn, author of “After America: Get Ready for Armageddon,” compared this generation of children, who may have felt threatened by the so-called Pop Tart gun, to the American generation that stormed the beaches of Normandy.
“You’re doomed, America,” Steyn said. “You’re done for. No society can survive this level of stupidity. The school counselor is available to meet with any students who are traumatized by hearing reports of some guy four grades below them who nibbles a Pop Tart into a gun-like shape. I’ve never subscribed to this whole greatest generation thing, you know. But you look at those guys, they weren’t much older than the kids from the school. A lot of them were like 17, 18 years old. And they’re storming out of these transport ships in the churning waters of the English Channel and the North Sea, and they’re landing on the beaches of Normandy. And their getting out of these, and they are storming up the beaches and they’re taking German gunfire and all the rest.”
Steyn went on to say that society cannot survive this sort of “institutionalized stupidity.”
“Do you think if you raised people so that you make a school counselor to available to them in cased they’ve been traumatized by someone who was nibbled a Pop Tart into the shape of a gun — do you think if they’re ever called upon to get out those ships and the storm the beaches of Normandy, do you think they’re going to be up to that? ‘Oh no look, the Germans, they’re all holding Pop Tarts! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!’ No society can survive this level of stupidity. These small things are not small. They tell you a lot about the institutionalized stupidity of our institutions.”
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