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Thousands in line by 8 a.m. in January for tickets to see Obama in Ann Arbor

By on January 26, 2012 in Ann Arbor, Barack Obama, President Obama

Barackstar Obama

It’s January in Michigan which means brrrrrr! That didn’t stop thousands of people from being in line by 8 a.m. this morning, hoping to score one of the 3,000 tickets that were being given out starting at 9 a.m. What rock concert was it? Not a rock concert but truly a rock star: tomorrow morning President Obama will speak at the University of Michigan.

You can see some photos of folks in line at AnnArbor.com.

My friend Bob M. emailed me a few times about it:

8:06 a.m. – Any chance you can influence the Obama folks to change the venue.…

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The Rachel Maddow Show coverage protest march on Gov. Rick Snyder’s home

By on January 17, 2012 in Ann Arbor, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Rick Snyder

Great coverage by The Rachel Maddow Show last night of the march and rally in front of the gated community where Michigan Governor Rick Snyder lives. Rev. David Bullock was spot-on perfect with his message and it’s one that will resonate with a wide variety of people.

My favorite part of Rev. Bullock’s comments came at the end.

There is no connection between dismantling democracy and fixing a deficit. Democracy allows for accountability and transparency. If you take democracy off the table, you have tyranny. There is no accountability. We must also add that emergency management does not work. The Detroit Public Schools is under emergency management: still has a deficit.…

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MLK Day march on Gov Rick Snyder’s Ann Arbor home – TODAY!!!

By on January 16, 2012 in Ann Arbor, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Rick Snyder

Just a reminder that this afternoon, starting at 4:00 p.m., there will be a protest march on the Ann Arbor-area home of Governor Rick Snyder. Word has it that, in addition to scheduled speakers, the Reverends Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson are also in town for the event. Here are the details from my original post that also had an interview with Pastor David Bullock.

Monday’s “Occupy for Democracy” march on Governor Snyder’s home begins at 4 p.m. People are being asked to park at Washtenaw Community College at 4800 East Huron Drive. You can then walk the short distance to the rally point or take a shuttle.…


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MLK Day march on Gov Rick Snyder’s Ann Arbor home – Monday, January 16, 2012 (interview with Pastor David Bullock)

By on January 11, 2012 in Ann Arbor, Emergency Manager Law, Emergency Managers, Rick Snyder

Last night I spoke on the phone with Pastor David Bullock, the president of the Michigan Chapter of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the Highland Park NAACP. He and his group are organizing a Martin Luther King Day march on the Ann Arbor home of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. Details on the “Occupy for Democracy Rally” to protest Michigan’s anti-democratic Emergency Manager law are below.

Pastor Bullock, who was recently interviewed on The Ed Schultz Show (video HERE), is a young, energetic and, passionate advocate for the cause of southeastern Michigan African Americans and other people of color. While others who speak about Public Act 4 and its impact on Detroit can come across as a bit shrill, Pastor Bullock is calm, direct and on-point.…


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Washtenaw County Commission: Penny-wise & pound-foolish on “animal control”

By on November 30, 2011 in Ann Arbor

I have a new piece up at A2Politico that discusses a recent decision by the Washtenaw County Commission to unilaterally cut the payment for its contract with the Huron Valley Humane Society (HVHS) in half. At first, this might seem unimportant given the fiscal crises faced by most municipalities these days. But when you dig deeper, you realize what a complete squandering of resources this decision represents

The short version of this tale is basically this: the County has a contract with the HVHS to supply almost all of their state-mandated animal control and care services. For $500,000 annually, the HVHS does everything including hundreds of animal cruelty investigations and prosecutions each year.…


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Update on Ann Arbor teens’ anti-bullying petition

By on November 22, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Michigan Republicans

Last week, I wrote about Carson Borbely & Katy Butler, two inspiring Ann Arbor teens who have done something tangible and important to combat bullying in Michigan. Fighting back against a Senate-passed “License to Bully” bill that claims to be “anti-bullying”, the created a petition at Change.org. When I wrote my piece last Thursday, the petition had a bit over 53,000 signatures. Today, only five days later, it has over 55,000.

Katy and Carson are also beginning to get noticed. Shortly after my piece (along with some targeting tweeting and emails), AnnArbor.com did a piece about them. So did the Macomb Patch.…


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Two Ann Arbor teens help to create legislative change on Michigan’s “License to Bully” bill – UPDATED x2

By on November 17, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Michigan Republicans

Last week, I wrote a piece for A2Politico about the so-called “anti”-bullying bill passed by the Michigan Senate a couple of weeks ago that is not only not anti-bullying but, in fact, is generally known as “The License to Bully Bill”. In my article, I mentioned two Ann Arbor teenagers who stepped up to respond in a powerful way.

Two Ann Arbor-area students, Katy Butler and Carson Borbely, created a petition on the online petition website Change.org. Their petition is currently the most popular on the site and has picked up well over 500 signatures just in the hour or so that it has taken me to write this piece.…

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Social forum on Working People’s Power + Occupation Teach-In coming to Ann Arbor

By on November 14, 2011 in Ann Arbor

Two events this week for folks interested in the We Are the 99%/Occupy movement.

The Washtenaw Community Action Team (WCAT) (part of the We Are the People Michigan coalition), Occupy Ann Arbor and Occupy UM will jointly hold a pair of events this week that address the Occupy movements and how local labor, students and community members can get involved to rebuild political power for working people.

EVENT #1

What: Social Forum on Working People’s Power

Where:Kalamazoo Room of Michigan League

When: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 – 7:00-9:00pm

The forum is the culmination of a two-month, two part film series The Power of Working People held at 4 locations in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor.

…


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Protesters meet Eric Cantor in Ann Arbor on Halloween, hold a “Funeral for the Middle Class”

By on October 31, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Michigan

On Halloween 2011, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor arrived on the campus of the University of Michigan to deliver a speech that was snowed out in February. When he arrived, roughly 200 protesters were there to greet him.

A large banner reading “Cantor works for the 1%, Who will work for the 99%?” was surrounded by gravestones representing the death of the Middle Class and many of social achievements that Republicans are now trying to do away with.

Protesters chanted and held their signs for the many media folks there along with campus drivers and pedestrians.

Before the speech, “Eric Cantor” delivered at eulogy for the Middle Class.…


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More details on the “Death of the Middle Class” Eric Cantor protest in Ann Arbor

By on October 30, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Michigan

As I reported last week, Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is giving a speech on Monday to the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

>> NOTE: the event itself is at the Michigan League Building, not the Ford School. <<
>> Also, please note the new start time of NOON. <<

In honor of his Halloween visit, a protest is being held to welcome Mr. Cantor to Michigan. The event is being billed as a “Death of the Middle Class” protest. “Eric Cantor” will preside over a “Funeral for the Middle Class” during the protest. There will be a funeral procession and “Cantor” will deliver a eulogy, after which, it is reported, he will feed the Middle Class’s mortal remains to Zombie Bankers.…


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