I don't like saying bad things about Republicans, or anyone, for that matter. But Oakland County Commissioner Kim Capello from Novi, who became infamous on the national blog circuit last month for pleading guilty to having sex in public outside a bar in Novi, apparently has a number of tax liens. Mr. Capello just can't avoid the bad news this year, it seems.
His explanation this time is as a lawyer he has a hard time collecting debts from clients and is late paying just like they are. I sympathize with him given our tax burden and the economy. But its time to ask when his closet will be empty.
Rarely will I offer opinion at this level. And while I'll refrain from calling for his resignation - his consituents deserve to be represented without interruption - its time Capello announce his intention not to run next year. And anyone who raises both of these issues is not being "dirty" in their campaigning. True and relevant contrast is both reasonable and necessary. It's not personal and I don't even have a potential client in that area right now - I've also never met Capello. He's a public figure and official and offered himself to service at a higher standard.
Embedded is a video of 41st District state representative Marty Knollenberg (R-Troy, Clawson) being interviewed by Emmy-award winning Charlie Langton. Not many interviews are this fun (it's 30 minutes though) - Charlie and Marty have a great personal rapport but still go back and forth on some tough questions. In my mind, Charlie is one of the premiere local debate hosts and interviewers and would make a great "Charlie Rose" type of interviewer if ever given that opportunity. He controls the set but gives his guests vast flexibility to properly use the medium, and he has a superb sense of humor. Again, as a matter of disclosure, I work for Marty - but I still believe this was a great interview.
See OutsideLansing.com for a review of the recent Eastern Michigan University controversy. The link to Oakland County appears to be the teacher, Julea Ward, is a teacher at Southfield Public Schools, in addition to training for counselor at EMU. She was released from EMU's counselor training program for following an EMU instructor's directions in finding another counselor for a patient after stating she had a religious belief against counseling homosexuals.
Whether she's right or wrong in her beliefs, she followed the initial directives of her training in responding to the ethical situation, she was honest, and who would want her services counseling if they knew she didn't believe in morality of the behavior. The facts in this case are astonishing - see OL for more.
I have a simpler challenge for Bruce Fealk - one which could satisfy local charity with more dignity than anything proposed so far, and perhaps satisfy at least some of Fealk's lust for a battle.
A simple game of chess. In person - cerebello a cerebello - with television cameras rolling and YouTube waiting to add some tension and pressure.
I'll pledge $100 cash to the charity of Fealk's choice if I lose and will seek additional pledges and expect the same to a charity of my choice (Alzheimer's care charity).
PS - I've amended this offer to include anyone in the Oakland Democratic Party, since Bruce doesn't play and has a bigger ego than even Gary Peters.
Republican County Commissioner Jim Runestad has proposing that Oakland County use an immigration screening system in its employment screening.
That doesn't sound too offensive, given that the current state of American law is to prohibit employment of illegal aliens, although it represents a split between Runestad and bi-partisan mix of Republicans and Democrats, and L. Brooks Patterson, who opposes the program. I'm not sure who's right, but I know that both are motivated by honest policy considerations. Patterson's concerns are whether it works though, not whether verification itself is a good idea.
So when the Detroit News chimes in that Runestad's proposal is "mean-spirited", I'm left at a loss. And I'm left to question the editors - what evidence do you have that Mr. Runestad's motives are not honest or reasonable? Did you interview him?
Newspapers whine all the time about the over-partisan nature of politics, Lansing, and Washington. Maybe the newspapers have just a little bit to do with it too? We can agree and disagree on policy without questioning someone's "spirit" - and while I think there is a time and place for questioning ethics (like when stories of bona-fide fraud of government money occurs, or other similar stupidity), we must be careful not to make policy disagreement personal or criminal.
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