Coulouris Headed to Nation's Capitol

by: Petrolcide

Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:47:22 AM EST

http://www.mlive.com/news/sagi...

Around the Watercooler

by: Petrolcide

Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 15:34:40 PM EST

Seals Joins Race for 95th

by: Petrolcide

Mon Jan 25, 2010 at 23:06:30 PM EST

Seals, former Mayor, ran for the seat before in 2006. She was one of the stronger candidates in a field of five candidates for the seat.

All three candidates seem to be have strong credentials. Others could still enter the already crowded field, making for an exciting and unpredictable campaign.

http://www.mlive.com/news/sagi...

In the S'News

by: Petrolcide

Thu Jan 21, 2010 at 15:26:33 PM EST

http://www.mlive.com/news/sagi...

In related news, another candidate appears to have jumped into the race to replace Coulouris, as Buena Vista Township Trustee and Saginaw County Democratic Party Chair Greg Dietrich has established a fan page for a State House bid.

Update: Dietrich just announced to the Barrie Barber of the Saginaw News, via MLive, that he is in fact running for State House...
http://www.mlive.com/news/sagi...

Erwin Oakes Files for 95th

by: Petrolcide

Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 13:41:04 PM EST

http://miboecfr.nictusa.com/cg...

Candidate Intends to Replace Coulouris

by: Petrolcide

Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 01:16:59 AM EST

Less than 24 hours after Coulouris said he would not seek re-election, Stacey Erwin Oakes announced her intention to replace Coulouris in the House of Representatives.

http://www.mlive.com/news/sagi...

According to the story, which appeared in the Saginaw News on Saturday, Erwin Oakes and her campaign managers "began speaking of propelling Oakes' political career about six months ago" and that Erwin Oakes "solidified her intentions after a discussion at Thanksgiving dinner with her husband and is happy with the first step in her candidacy," suggesting she was considering a run for the seat even if Coulouris did not make an announcement.

Other candidates are expected to throw their hats into the ring soon.

Coulouris Leaving House

by: Petrolcide

Fri Jan 15, 2010 at 01:14:26 AM EST

According to an interview with the Saginaw News, Coulouris had considered running for Speaker of the House, replacing prospective gubernatorial candidate Andy Dillon, but has decided to step down to spend more time with his family.

http://www.mlive.com/news/sagi...

Update (1:42am): According to an attendee at the Saginaw County Democratic Party meeting Thursday night, there was no announcement made at the meeting. Coulouris was not in attendance.

Trying to Define Life

by: Petrolcide

Fri Oct 16, 2009 at 18:15:03 PM EDT

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/...

This bill would essentially ban abortion, with no exceptions; severely restricting the rights of women throughout this great state.

Murder of Anti-Abortion Activist Focuses Debate

by: Petrolcide

Thu Sep 24, 2009 at 00:53:33 AM EDT

Labor Violations, Bogus Standards in WalMarts Chinese Supplier Factories - via China Labor Watch

by: WakeUpWalmart

Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 17:55:54 PM EDT

The CLW has found, as a result of investigations from April to June of this year, that violations at one of Wal-Mart's suppliers, the Huasheng Packaging Factory, include:

• Elaborate system to cheat Wal-Mart audits.

• Some workers make only $0.51/hour, 60% of the minimum wage.

• Poor working conditions: workers inhale large amounts of paper particles and other debris.

• Twelve workers live together in cramped dorms

• Workers not paid overtime wages.

• During busy period, workday is 11 hours or 77 hours per week, and overtime is mandatory

Please help us by taking action and voicing your concern about Wal-Mart, and please continue reading for more from CLW's press release.

Will Walmart live up to their PR on Health Care this time?

by: WakeUpWalmart

Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 15:11:35 PM EDT

There has been a lot of talk this week about the surprising move by Walmart to publically support President Obama’s health care reform plan, supposedly positioning themselves as a leader in the fight to bring health care to all Americans. As we mentioned in a post on our blog yesterday, this might be easier to swallow if Walmart had any history of leading by example. Instead, they usually do just the opposite.

Given Walmart’s long record of trying to build a positive reputation on ineffective work-arounds to health care coverage for employee, the recent revelations about sacrificing quality for cheap perescription drugs, and their deceptive PR campaign that severely overstated their workers’ health care coverage, it’s not hard to understand our skepticism. [get the details in the extended entry]

Saginaw News dropping nonpartisan pretense?

by: Nazgul35

Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 12:42:38 PM EDT

We expect this from Republicans.

But the local Saginaw News never called to ask the Chair, Greg Dietrich, what was going on. If they had, they would have learned 1) The flag was displayed for Cinco de Mayo celebrations which includes a parade which runs right past the front of the county office and 2) the county does not have the proper lighting to display the American flag at night, but the flag is located inside the office.

So why did they Saginaw News run this photo without first confirming the background of the story and preventing themselves from being embarrassed?

I can't understand why local newspapers are going out of business...

More of Senator Kahn's Antics

by: Petrolcide

Fri Jun 19, 2009 at 09:04:42 AM EDT

A 72-year-old state senator filed a complaint Thursday accusing Saginaw Township Republican Sen. Roger Kahn of accosting and physically intimidating her as the two argued about budget cuts in an elevator at the state Capitol.

http://www.mlive.com/news/sagi...

There are so many directions to go with the this Roger Kahn story. I thought about starting with a reference to elevator music or Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator." I considered posting the classic video of fictional character Darth Vioxx protesting Roger Kahn. I even momentarily thought about fueling the rumor that Kahn is a raging alcoholic by suggesting Kahn's actions could be proof of such. I even toyed with some kind of bull-fighting concept since Kahn allegedly "charged at [Senator Clark-Coleman] like a bull."

But let's be serious. Senator Kahn's behavior is intolerable. I won't go into detail about Kahn's distant past, but I received two emails in the past 24 hours about him. First, he opposed an amendment to ban Canadian trash, and now this? File this incident in the folder marked "public officials too unstable for office" right next to John McCain and Dick Cheney. A person shouldn't behave like this in public, especially when they're job is to serve the public.

Give this man the boot!

East Michigan Blue

by: Nazgul35

Thu Jun 18, 2009 at 23:09:39 PM EDT

Several factors led to a less than stellar performance for EMB. The most important was me trying to figure out SoapBlox and the rss situation. I believe I now have this fixed. Therefore, diaries for EMB should start being picked up by other sites with LeftyBlogs.

This will help considerably in building a community here.

I am also available to spend more time on the blog...but will need help. So we are looking for individuals who want to blog about Eastern Michigan politics. I will be working to advertise EMB and our other state blogs through various left wing organizations and meetings.

Hopefully this will drive readership.

But the most important factor will be writing diaries about local politics that are thoughtful and interesting. This is something i hope we achieve here and add our names to the various high profile and high performance blogs in Michigan.

Lennox threatens lawsuit to stop Genesee County water pipeline

by: Kathy

Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:21:45 PM EDT

Remember stalker Dennis Lennox? He put away his video camera to run for Cheboygan County Drain Commissioner last year, and only months after winning that election, he announced he's running for the 105th District seat in the House of Representatives. It's pretty difficult to run without a record to fall back on (stalking doesn't count), so Dennis had to drum up an "issue" to add to his resume.  

Cheboygan County, Michigan, is threatening to go to court to stop Genesee County's proposed water pipeline to Lake Huron.

Cheboygan County Drain Commissioner Dennis G. Lennox II said today that the new pipeline would be dangerous to Lake Huron's future.

"This sets a dangerous precedent if Genesee County (is granted a withdrawal permit)," Lennox said. "I don't think any of us want to see pipelines opening up all over Michigan."

Lennox is so opposed to the water withdrawal permit that he's prepared to file a lawsuit to stop the county. Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright called Lennox's actions political grandstanding.

"Mr. Lennox is a political opportunist. His rhetoric does not match the facts," Wright said. "This is no more than a stunt to get his name in the paper."

Facts? Lennox claims the Genesee County proposal is "a direct affront to the landmark Great Lakes Compact ... to protect the water resources in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin."

Wright schooled Lennox on the water compact and explained that it's "designed to keep water from being diverted from the Great Lakes watershed." And, "What we use is 100 percent recycled and put back into the Great Lakes." This site supports Wright's statement, and so does Hugh McDiarmid Jr., a spokesman with the Michigan Environmental Council.

"I can't imagine a municipal water supply would have an adverse impact on a water resource as big as (Lake Huron)," McDiarmid said.

Genesee County currently gets its water from Lake Huron via the Detroit water authority, so there would be zero or minimal difference in the amount of water drawn from the lake.

Everyone I've talked to in the Flint area is in favor of the pipeline because rates have risen more than 100% since 2001. If a new pipeline isn't built, then a 30-year agreement will have to be signed with Detroit and we'll be stuck.  

A new pipeline would cost between $300-400 million, but according to Wright, if Genesee County doesn't build a new water pipeline, Detroit's water authority will, at a cost of $700 million. Guess who gets to pay for that? Flint and Genesee County area residents.

The local pipeline would be built without increasing taxes, although water rates would go up. Wright said water rates would go up less than if the Detroit pipeline is built.

Wright said officials also have applied for federal stimulus money, which would help alleviate the costs for residents.

Wright said the local job market also would get a boost, as 500 to 700 jobs would be created to build the pipeline.

To recap, Dennis Lennox needs to advance his political career if he hopes to win the 105th District seat, so he's threatening to stop Genesee County from building a pipeline based on his belief that it's "a direct affront to the landmark Great Lakes Compact." The Compact prevents most diversions of Great Lakes water out of the region, however, Genesee County isn't sending water out of the region. They simply want to take water from Lake Huron north of the Detroit water system, which also takes water from Lake Huron. Genesee County will not be bottling the water and shipping it out of state, and they won't be building a pipeline to send it to Arizona or Nevada. The water is staying in Michigan.

Whatever happens, Lennox gets what he wants - his name in the paper. It's the residents of Genesee County who stand to lose.