Pictured is Democrat candidate (for Oakland County Treasurer, running against incumbent Patrick M. Dohany, who has helped maintain Oakland County's rare Triple A bond rating) Andy Meisner's giant mobile billboard, which has no campaign finance disclosure "Paid for" with address printed on it. While I believe it was an oversight, Meisner should correct the situation by printing some kind of adhesive addendum. The pictures demonstrate how much space is available, and we are not aware of any Secretary of State rules exception (there are exceptions for buttons, pens, and other items that don't have the physical space to permit a disclosure line). Meisner is a term-limited state representative, so he should be aware of the regulations, which apply to county wide candidates as well.
I would note that Meisner was quite polite when I approached him about another issue - the Democrats "sitting on legislation." While I didn't raise the billboard disclosure issue, I asked Meisner to help move a bi-partisan "no-brainer" proposed by Republican Marty Knollenberg, ironically on a campaign finance issue. The "no-brainer" is something I noticed personally last year when studying the issue of proposed Constitutional Convention, which is a question that might come up in 2011 if the people of Michigan vote yes to have a convention when the question appears on the November 2010 ballot (by law, every 16 years, the question of whether to hold the convention appears on the ballot). After I noticed it, I told my friend and my representative (and client, as a matter of full disclosure about my bias, but this issue speaks for itself on the merits) Marty Knollenberg, who agreed with me it was a clear oversight and loophole, and proposed legislation to resolve it.
While I oppose a Con-Con, if it occurs, there is currently no provision in Michigan's Campaign Finance Act to require Con-Con delegate candidates to report anything -- that is, it is a loophole. Since Con-Con delegates represent districts of the same size as state representatives (and state senators in a unicameral combination of the two), and the Constitution is arguably of paramount importance, if campaign finance law should apply to state representatives it should apply to convention delegates equally.
Imagine Jon Stryker and Ward Connerly and others from anywhere pumping non-transparent dollars into 148 Convention Delegate races? This is a bi-partisan issue - the oversight occurred because the MCFA was passed in the late seventies after the 1963 Constitution was adopted, and convention delegates are such rare races that I suspect no one even thought about it. The only reason that I can see Marty Knollenberg's proposal to add Con-Con delegate to the defintion of reporting offices is not being taken up is that the Democrats don't want to give a Republican any credit. According to MichiganVotes.com, Marty's bill, the bill has languished with no activity since October 24, 2007, despite it even be co-sponsored in a bi-partisan way by Democrat Fred Miller.
I told Meisner the whole "sitting on bills" issue also suggests a second reform (oddly, "Reform Michigan Now" didn't address this in its 38 Con-Con-like changes) -- require that every bill that's proposed be voted upon within a certain time frame, regardless of sponsor, and prohibit stalling of bills or the Speaker from reassigning sponsorship of bills. This too would cut both ways - Democrats often express frustration at the Senate Republican leadership's use of this tactic, but if Democrats use it on the House side it would be foolish for the Republicans to unilaterally disarm on the Senate side. Change the rules in both. Let's get our legislators on the record on issues and ideas - we don't pay them to sit on ideas, intentionally sweep them under the rug, abstain, or use tricks of parliamentary procedure to avoid them.
Those are simple reforms. They may seem individually small or trivial. But good reform is built incrementally (not radically or in "log-rolled" packages of 38 changes), and it is built by bi-partisan forces taking action.
So, Andy Meisner, and Andy Dillon, you can start by applying the same rules to Constitutional Convention delegates as to representatives. I can't imagine the argument why not (Meisner suggested that the next Con-Con might be years away, but it also might only be in 2 years -- either way, the time to act is in advance, not at the last minute). Then, if you're really horny for "change," let's change the rules of procedure to prevent parliamentary tricks on both sides.
While the Witt literature below surprises us with two endorsements, the Bosnic literature focuses on his message in bulleted points.
Of course, the pieces are designed for different purposes, and I'm not comparing them across dimensions of effect, but I do include this to give readers who can vote in this district both sides of the story and almost to give one a case study for how campaigns do different things at different times.
Both Witt's and Bosnic's pieces here though are positive and self-directed which is good thing for this race.
While Mike Bosnic still has racked up the vast majority of endorsements, and all the top officials, upstart John Witt just sent out a piece of literature claiming two significant endorsements. In Clawson, Kurt Hack, who lost to Mayor Penny Luebs by a couple dozen votes last November when the seat opened up by vacating Mayor Lisa Dwyer (Luebs of course is endorsing Bosnic, and has been a long-time Bosnic ally since at least 2006), is endorsing Witt. It's not surprising in the context just laid out, and Hack demonstrated a base of almost half of Clawson's voters, although it was a non-partisan election and the mix isn't clear.
Surprisingly, Martin Howrylak, a challenger for the Commission seat in 2006, and Troy resident and council member, is also throwing his weight behind Witt. This is particularly odd given Howrylak's connections with Commissioner Gosselin, a strong supporter of Bosnic, and his previous "joint literature" with Bosnic in 2006.
The literature is embedded. Bosnic's most recent literature will be included in the next story.
While OP endorses Bosnic, we respect both Hack and Howrylak and their service on each city's council.
I've heard from a person receiving literature that Peters has printed a second version of the literature with both images of him and his shirt containing the "Polo" (TM) logo.
Joe Knollenberg has now endorsed Mike Bosnic in the 19th District County Commission race over young upstart John Witt. Knollenberg's son, Marty, had endorsed months ago and hosted a fundraiser for Bosnic.
As a resident of Bosnic's precinct, and observer of the race (see below), I also endorse Bosnic for the Commission seat (although I'm running against Bosnic in the precinct delegate race, voters can now elect two delegates for each precinct delegate position beginning this year). While I personally endorse Bosnic, OaklandPolitics.com will continue to accept and publish press releases from his opponent and all Republican candidates who avail themselves the opportunity, and I'd feel comfortable hosting a debate between the two candidates as well.
My endorsement of Bosnic is two-fold. He has the most local ability to win the general, and while Witt's energy and enthusiasm are commendable, Witt's youth and naivete have shown a somewhat thin skin. We expect Witt's political skin to grow and thicken, but complaining about people asking you to get out of a race is irrelevant. He has every right to get in and stay in - and people who don't like him have the right to ask him to leave - and the correct response to ignore it and focus on issues.
Bosnic himself will need to stick to key message areas and issues if he hopes to beat the strong incumbent, Tim Burns.
Gary Peters' decided to Photoshop/Airbrush out the "Polo" logo on his shirt in his literature. Not that I have anything against Photoshop, but using it to deceive, rather than enhance (lighting techniques, cropping, etc. all seem reasonable), is at least questionable ethically (while there is no rulebook in political literature design, common sense should apply). The "Polo" brand carries with it a somewhat "elitist" image which doesn't with the common-guy image Gary might prefer.
The funnier thing is that they did it to one of the pictures on the same piece of literature but forgot to do it to the other picture with the same shirt.
My coffee tasted a few degrees hotter as I sipped it this morning at around 8am when Mark Brewer was interviewed on the Paul W. Smith show today (June 3). The final question was something on the order of "Why go after Drolet now that its clear he's failed and the recall is over?"
Smith's questions beckons irony. First, if the recall itself was a pointless waste of time, pursuing its petitioners to the ends of the earth with criminal complaints hardly seems to be a productive use of investigative resources when one could set up internet porn stings and bust heroine dealers (investigators do have to make some choices). But I have no problem with prosecuting anyone and everyone you have evidence committed real fraud. The charge was levied that a police chief's name was "forged" -- if true, a crime clearly occurred, but we'd need a ton more details to have evidence beyond a reasonable doubt (or even probable cause hearing evidence). Drolet has speculated "infiltrators" intentionally forged signatures -- indeed, there is substantial evidence that some of this happened in 2006 to stop TABOR (which was ultimately the failure of the management firm to sort the signatures properly and weed out the intentional duplicates or "Micky Mouse" signatures). Drolet's accusation is no more evidenced than that there was some criminal conspiracy -- if a whole sheet of names was forged in similar hand, that's good evidence the circulator did it. If one signature on a sheet was forged, that might be evidence that an opponent -- almost impossible to ever identify the random signer who thought they might be able to later argue "fraud". If thousands were forged my multiple hands, you might start trying to look for conspiracy on part of the firm's part, or even on opponents. That's lots of evidence collection, and hard to prove the who's, but possible.
But again, with Brewer, the answer was lovable. You see, Mark Brewer wants to "protect election integrity," and prosecuting someone, particularly someone named or close to Leon, is a good thing (really, its a message -- don't ever challenge us this way again).
Mark Brewer is the election integrity specialist that gives "orders" to Board of Canvassers members who are Constitutionally charged with preserving the integrity of elections. Last I checked, even partisan members of that Board are charged with rendering decisions that should transcend politics and defend the rights of the people as expressed by the Constitution. The Party Chair giving orders hardly seems like election integrity - but Brewer goes further, and attacks Zarko Research cameras and believes we don't have a right to view or record the deliberations of our elections board. The whole whispered meeting violates the spirit of the Open Meetings Act, and begs the question -- what was said.
Walking the Royal Oak Memorial Day parade this morning, I encountered a middle-age man with three petitions piggy-backed. It is unclear whether he was paid or supported all three, but the criticism of piggy-backed petitions (higher propensity for "bait and switch" real fraud, usually done by paid gatherers) applies to liberal petitions too (ironically, MCRI was circulated during a time where there were no other active petition drives, for the record).
Regardless, the man appeared to be Dr. Jack Kevorkian's personal escort, because he referred to his third petition board and pointed across the corner of the street to none other than the real Jack Kevorkian, who was making his rounds. I've never met Kevorkian, so I was fascinated. Regardless, I was offered the ability to sign Kevorkian's (I'm not sure that I could knowingly do so legally, since I have signed Joe Knollenberg's, and the man told me Kevorkian was the only candidate not "corrupted" by the system), along with the Reform Michigan Now change in legislature and judicial office structures and most notably the Stem Cell BCQ petition which would legalize all types of research including repeal of Michigan's anti-human experimentation laws passed in the 1970s.
Regardless, as time passed Kevorkian slowly made his way to the petition signature gatherer, whom I suspect was not a per-signature paid gatherer (or he was getting per signature for the stem cells as a bonus and working for Kevorkian personally) because he hung with Kevorkian and did not make quick time with gathering (I may have seen him approach 4 people in 15 minutes and get two signatures as Kevorkian slowly moved a half block down the tail end of the parade, until I picked up my own pace and headed back to my car).
Transparency is an issue near and dear to my heart, given the work I've done with FOIA. And there is a movement afoot throughout the country to have public bodies do more online (without even getting to the FOIA level) in terms of posting budgets, and notably posting the item-level transaction registers of each governmental body - that is, "check registers."
So I'm glad to report that my local school, Clawson Public Schools, has adopted a policy of posting the check register online, according to a May 11 Hometownlife article (in google cache only, so the clip is important).
The Clawson school board is making make all expenditures and receipts available for public viewing via the district's Web site.
"We have chosen to do this to insure that everything we do is transparent," said board president Mike Bosnic. "Recent upgrades to our technology have expanded our capabilities and make it possible to provide this added information to our Web site."
At a time when saving every penny has become important to everyone, members of the Clawson school board want Clawson citizens to know exactly how their tax dollars are being spent, Bosnic said. "We're here because taxpayers make it possible," he said. "So we should make it as easy as possible for them to access this information."
Now it takes some fancy unmarked navigation to find the register since the front page of the site doesn't mention it, so here it is:
Youthful upstart candidate John Witt issued a press release last week that went unnoticed by the mainstream press, and he copied us on the release as many candidates do. Since OP's audience is a much more tightly focused group of political insiders, we took notice, and rather than just publish it verbatim without comment as we often do, we were inspired to ask some questions.
The press release accuses his Republican primary opponent, Mike Bosnic, of dirty campaigning - but mostly focuses on the actions of unnamed other important people allegedly acting on behalf of Bosnic who allegedly "threatened" Witt with long-term political consequences. Some of the release also addresses substantive issues with Bosnic's website and literature.
OaklandPolitics then sent Witt a set of questions about the release, and gave Bosnic a chance to respond to the charges. Click more - below - for details on this exchange, and editorial conclusion at the bottom. The upshot of my conclusion is that Witt is young and needs to learn to take some of the minor things of politics and is overreacting to so-called threats (unless kneecaps or professional non-political careers are being threatened, it is just part of playing politics in the big leagues), but that if he focuses on some of Bosnic's positions on issues that he might gain more traction. Still, "hope", vigor, and vision will trump pointless experience if that's all that is messaged. We also note the similarities in dynamic with the presidential race, and say something about O'Bama v. McCain.
(WARNING: Below is "inside baseball" so to speak, and may be interesting only to a couple dozen people really interested in this race, or others who just study politics in such detail.)
Tomorrow is the filing deadline - a great shakeout of contenders and information about races.
The race to replace liberal Democrat Aldo Vagnozzi (D-Farmington Hills) just found yet another contender. On the D-side, former Mayor Vicki Barnett is uncontested, and is the favorite to win it all. But lobbyist and political consultant Paul Welday is the odds on Republican challenger, who joined after then-favorite & retiring police chief Bill Dwyer left the race to take the police chief job in Warren. Newcomer Richard Lerner entered the race against Welday, and just days ago relatively unknown Michael A. Peters joined to make the Republican a three-way. The 39th, 44th, and 45th are also competitive primaries for state house seats.
If you have news on any races, either post it or send me a note and I'll do whatever is appropriate with it.
Mike Bosnic, member of the Clawson School Board (just re-elected this past Tuesday), and former Republican challenger for state representative in 2006 to Marty Knollenberg, has launched his first salvo against Tim Burns, a Democrat who took the seat by surprise last year when Republican Chuck Palmer retired and left the seat open.
Bosnic is now running against Burns. Below is his press release, attacking Burns' refusal to vote by hiding in a bathroom and some of alleged perks he claims Burns' has taken. Challenging Bosnic in the Republican primary is young upstart John Witt.
A reader of ours - Troy resident Douglas W. Hepner, asked me to post this letter to the editor of several local newspapers.
I'll answer some of the questions he poses afterward based on my view.
Letter to the Editor
Troy School District's Return Policy - Stealth Policy
If you have a student at Troy School High School, you can see their graded classroom test, right? Guess again!
It is the policy of some teachers and departments (including the Social Studies department) to not allow the tests to leave the classroom. These teachers review the test in class and then collect them before the end of class. If a parent wants to see one of these tests they must come to see it at the convenience of the teacher or make arrangements for the Principal. (Even school counselors are not trusted to take the test out of the classroom in these classes.)
This test return policy is not published and is not common across all classes; each teacher or department can set their own test return policy. There is no published material to tell you which policy a teacher follows, you must ask each teacher.
The stated reason for not returning the tests is to avoid cheating. Unfortunately, teachers will not even discuss other means to prevent cheating, like creating new tests or closer monitoring of class to catch cheating.
Tests should be returned to the students as a study aid and as a tool to communicate student progress. Parents and teachers are in a partnership in the education of students.
Some teachers that do not allow tests to leave the class also do not post grades on EDLINE. In this situation parents, learn of problems too late to correct them.
After failing to get answers from the High School teachers, Assistant Principal, Principal, the Deputy Superintendent, Superintendent and the past President of the School Board my questions are:
1) When was this policy adopted?
2) How and by whom was this policy reviewed?
3) Where is this policy posted and why are parents not told about this policy?
4) Why can't tests be returned
Sincerely,
Douglas W. Hepner
20 years ago I recall saving all my papers and tests from school. I know many students who used them to study, although I typically filed them away. I maintained this practice through college - a sound practice that has come in handy at various times for various reasons (mostly not related to academics directly). While I've culled most of those records and only retain a few important ones, the ability to document one's thought process is important. Particularly for parents, as Hepner rightly points out.
So cheating is a concern? Withholding all tests both strikes me as punishing the vast majority of innocent, and as fitting a trend of teachers getting lazy. Tests should be redesigned from year to year and class to class anyway. In the modern era of word-processors, changing a test should be far easier than, say, in the 80s, when I recall my teachers using carbon paper and mimeographs (modern students have no idea what those technologies even are!) to create master tests. Each year these masters would be modified by either selecting questions from larger pools of questions provided by the teaching guide accompanying a curriculum, or, imagine this - the teacher's own brain, expertise, and creativity.
I suspect that teachers do less of this today. That tests are more pre-fabricated, and (some - certainly not all) teachers simply less motivated to make such tests.
I suspect institutional laziness contributes to this problem. Why not monitor classes closely. I remember teachers with hawk eyes pacing the desks when an important test was being given (not even standardized tests - just routine weekly classroom benchmarks).
I'm really interested in hearing the Troy School administrators answers to these questions. Hmmm. If I don't hear them, maybe a FOIA request will land by "stealth" somewhere in their office a few weeks or months down the road (not like I have a ton of time right now - but if reminded, say, after an election, I might).
First, I've never been to a tanning booth, although I've fried my skin a few times naturally. I don't it particularly necessary or attractive to have that "perfect tan", although I don't begrudge those who seek their desire or means in doing so.
But this strikes me as plain hilarious - and a waste of legislative time in a state with too many regulations. And even the somewhat conservative Oakland Press editorial board has taken to praising these legislators. And I know each of them individually and find them to be mostly likable characters.
Get this: Chuck Moss and David Law have joined with a Macomb Democrat to increase tanning salon regulations. Here's an Oakland Press clip:
That's the reason we support House Bill 4146, introduced by state Rep. Frank Accavitti, Jr., an Eastpointe Democrat. Co-sponsors include Oakland County representatives Chuck Moss, R-Birmingham, and David Law, R-Commerce Township.
The bill addresses the risks of indoor tanning facilities.
Accavitti researched provisions in other states after a woman from Eastpointe complained about her granddaughter suffering a severe sunburn when going to a tanning salon prior to her prom.
"Her sunburn was so bad she wasn't even able to attend her prom," the lawmaker said.
The proposal would require parental consent for anyone younger than 18, larger warning signs in tanning facilities listing potential health consequences, a signed informed consent from for all customers and licensing by the state.
Larger warning signs? What size is good enough? I guess size really does matter.
If there are federally mandated signs, what the heck does Michigan need larger ones for? And why require a non-standardized sign (raising the price to salons). And an "informed consent form" for all customers? That's an administrative nightmare waiting to happen, and a route to ridiculous litigation years down the road. How long do salons need to retain these informed consent forms? I'd say if they don't retain them literally forever they risk a lawsuit 10 -- 20 -- or 30 years down the road in the legal environment such a law creates for tanning salons.
The only part of this law that isn't totally outrageous is the idea of requiring minors - those under 18 - to have parental consent. I could buy into that if the law was limited to that.
But the real kicker is that last line - "licensing by the state." Sounds like a method of garnering hidden fees - essentially a tax.
Government is evolving into a nanny-state. Lot's of things are risky or "bad for us". We do them anyway. It's our choice - and our consequences. And sometimes even our choices aren't connected to the consequences (that's called good luck and bad luck) and that's simply the way life is.
If our economy were really rolling and legislators had nothing else to dream up, maybe I could see this legislation as explainable. But we're in an economic crisis -- and this is what they're talking about? I'm sure they're all motivated by thinking they're helping people, but come on. Even Democrats are honorably motivated in that sense - but the idea that everything should be regulated, even when federal regulations already seem to be moving in that direction, baffles me.
No surprise here, but Joe Knollenberg has filed his signatures. His press release:
For Immediate Release
April 25, 2008
More than 2,000 petition signatures put Knollenberg on the ballot
Pontiac, MI - Congressman Joe Knollenberg filed for re-election today with more than 2,000 petition signatures from supporters in every corner of the 9th congressional district.
Knollenberg, who represents 22 communities across Oakland County, says he is eager to return to Congress to continue fighting to build a stronger, brighter future for families throughout his district.
"Families in Oakland County are worried about this economy, the job market, and the price of health care," Knollenberg said. "I'm confronting these challenges head on and getting results. I'm confident that by working together, we can build a new Michigan economy with a promise of better lives for our families."
Prior to serving in Congress, Knollenberg built a career as a businessman and community leader in Oakland County. He and his wife of more than 40 years, Sandie, have raised two sons, Marty and Steve.
- Troy Council 2007
- Rochester Hill Council 2007
- Rep. Joe Knollenberg 2008
- Rep. Thad McCotter 2008
- County Prosecutor 2008
- County Clerk 2008
- 38th State House - DeRoche (TL)
- 39th State House - Law
- 43rd State House - Amos (TL)
- 38th State House - Stakoe (TL)
- 45th State House - Garfield (TL)
- 19th County Comm. - Burns
While the Witt literature below surprises us with two endorsements, the Bosnic literature focuses on his message in bulleted points. 
While Mike Bosnic still has racked up the vast majority of endorsements, and all the top officials, upstart John Witt just sent out a piece of literature claiming two significant endorsements. In Clawson, Kurt Hack, who lost to Mayor Penny Luebs by a couple dozen votes last November when the seat opened up by vacating Mayor Lisa Dwyer (Luebs of course is endorsing Bosnic, and has been a long-time Bosnic ally since at least 2006), is endorsing Witt. It's not surprising in the context just laid out, and Hack demonstrated a base of almost half of Clawson's voters, although it was a non-partisan election and the mix isn't clear. 
Surprisingly, Martin Howrylak, a challenger for the Commission seat in 2006, and Troy resident and council member, is also throwing his weight behind Witt. This is particularly odd given Howrylak's connections with Commissioner Gosselin, a strong supporter of Bosnic, and his previous "joint literature" with Bosnic in 2006. 
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