In case you missed it, last week the Republicans passed a tax reform bill that is a key component Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s budget plan that cuts business taxes by over 85% and does so on the backs of retired folks, kids and the working poor. The bill now heads to the Governor for his signature. Gov. Rick Snyder’s massive […]

UPDATE: I am tempering the tone of the title of this blog entry after realizing that the MDP hasn’t completely removed all posts from their Facebook page. They’ve only changed the landing page so that only their own posts show up unless you click the “Most Recent” tab. Thanks to Sagebrush Bob in the Comments at Daily Kos for this […]

Many parallels have been drawn between what is transpiring in Wisconsin and Michigan in terms of Republicans Gone Wild and the trampling of the rights of voters, union members and any other group Republicans have in their crosshairs. And there are parallels. Certainly the law that Republicans were able to get signed into law stripping away the rights of public […]

I have received information that Michigan Democratic Party chair, Mark Brewer, met with at least some Benton Harbor City Commissioners this week. By now, you’ve probably hear that these Commissioners have been relieved of duty by Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) Joseph Harris. At that meeting, I am told, Brewer stated that the MDP will not be supporting any of the […]

In late April, I wrote about Michigan Governor Rick Snyder’s fake concession on the Earned Income Tax credit (EITC). The EITC is a tax credit that benefits the working poor, especially those with kids, in Michigan. I wrote: In a dramatic concession, he’s agreed to give qualifying families $25 per child . This represents 5.8% of the EITC the average […]

You know Whirlpool, the large corporation that is an integral part of the city of Benton Harbor and who received $3.87 million in tax breaks from the city last year as a bribe so they would build their new headquarters there instead of leaving Benton Harbor altogether? According to Business Week, they haven’t paid a dime in corporate taxes in […]

A press release from Heartland Revolution, who have faced rather ridiculous and farcical accusations that they are somehow allied with Whirlpool or other corporate entities in Benton Harbor: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Joe Palmer Heartland Revolution859-474-0489heartlandrevolution@gmail.comwww.heartlandrevolution.com Heartland Revolution would like to commend all the groups which took part in the “Take Back Democracy” protest at Southwest Michigan’s Grand Floral Parade […]

This blog entry was written by my wife, Anne. Anne is a fantastic photographer (as I frequently mention) and runs two blogs. Her first is The Savage Feast, a blog about food, gardening, eating & drinking, and enjoying the “foodie” lifestyle. Her most recent project is the Anne Savage Photography Politics in Pictures blog. This is where her political photography […]

NOTE: Click each image for a larger version which will open in a separate window. 12:35 – Parade begins in 25 minutes. A HUGE police presence along the parade route: Also a huge union presence: Two sheriff boats and the Coast Guard in the river between St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. My wife’s comment: “For crying out loud, it’s just […]

As I have been talking about, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and State Representative Al Pscholka are scheduled to be in tomorrow’s Blossomtime Grand Floral Parade that starts in St. Joseph and ends in Benton Harbor. It turns out, Rep. Pscholka may chicken out. “We always have a big law enforcement presence at the Blossom parade, up and down the route, […]

As I have written about recently, particularly in my piece The connection between Michigan’s EFM power grab, Rep. Fred Upton and Big Oil/Gas, my biggest concern about the use of Emergency Financial Managers (EFMs), particularly in areas where there are abundant natural (and other) resources to be exploited, is that they represent prime opportunities for businesses and corporations to use […]