It’s much worse than you think

I was recently contacted by journalist Lee Fang and asked to review his new book The Machine: A Field Guide to the Resurgent Right. I received the book yesterday and hope to have a full review out in the next couple of weeks.

As a lead-up to the April 24th release of his book, Fang has published a stunning piece at The Nation titled “The Right Leans In”. I call it stunning because it shows just how much power the corporate-funded right has amassed in shaping public policy in America, operating primarily at the state level. If you thought our biggest problem was the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), you are quite wrong. ALEC is simply one piece of an intricate network formed to push the conservative agenda and turn it into laws and public policy across the country. Fang’s piece is essential reading for every progressive in the country.

Click through for much more.

Art is more powerful than violence in the long term

Earlier this month, Van Jones’ group Rebuild America announced a new project that has artists creating amazing art to fight back against gun violence and those that would stand in the way of progress on controlling the proliferation of guns, especially assault-style weapons, in America. The project, called GunShowGallery.com is worth checking out.

Images and links after the jump.

Citizen journalism DOES make a difference

Hi, folks. Welcome back to our second quarter fundraiser. It’s not something on I love doing but I have to if we’re going to continue to expand Eclectablog and bring on more writers and artists who I can pay at least something for their efforts. I did a quick calculation this morning while I was laying in bed and discovered something rather amazing. Eclectablog gets between 150,000 and 250,000 pageviews a month and around 100,000 unique visitors. I just ten percent of those visitors gave $20/year ($5/quarter), I could quit my full-time job and pay all the contributors a decent wage on top of it.

Sadly, we’re far from that. So, I’ll keep making my pitch. If you value the work we do here — whether it’s the citizen journalism that we do, LOLGOP’s brilliant essays, or Anne’s incredible photography — please consider making a contribution to help us achieve our goal.

Details and a couple of bonus videos await you after the jump.

Attention, mid-Michigan Democrats! Just a quick note to let you know that I’ll be speaking to the Eaton County Democratic Party at their general membership meeting this Thursday at the Log Jam Restaurant, 110 West Jefferson Street in Grand Ledge. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. I’ll be showing a slideshow of some of Anne’s amazing photographs, talking about the […]

Beer and bloggers — it doesn’t get any better than that

As we did last year, Mark Maynard of the inimitable MarkMaynard.com and I have organized another Beer With Bloggers event. Click that link to RSVP.

This is an event for bloggers and blog readers. In other words, you don’t have to be a blogger to attend. We hope you’ll join us.

The event will take place at the Corner Brewery (720 Norris St, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013.

The current list of bloggers who will be in attendance is after the jump.

Here we are, hat in hand…

Hello, Eclectablog fans. It is that time of year again where we come to you, our loyal readers, and ask you to support what we do here at Eclectablog. In the past quarter, we were proud to be selected as “Best state-based progressive political blog” by the Washington Post. The reason is clear: at Eclectablog, you can get the important news and analysis you need to stay informed about what’s happening in Michigan and across the country.

Your donations help to pay for our server costs and make possible the trips we take to cover events across the state and across the country.

Please contribute whatever you can to help us continue to bring you the top-notch reporting and writing that you’ve come to expect. You can use the handy Paypal link below and you can change the amount to whatever level you’d like to contribute. If you’d rather send a check, use the contact button at the top left of every page and I’ll send you my address.

Details are after the jump.

Sometimes not “everything” should be on the table

In a recent interview prior to assuming his new position as the Emergency Manager of Detroit, Kevyn Orr said that “everything is on the table” with regard to solving Detroit’s financial problem. Not only that, he specifically said that “everything is on the table” with regard to the future of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department. This could include, according to Orr, sale or privatization of the department.

This would be a HUGE mistake. Click through for why sale or privatization of the department should be taken OFF the table before any further discussions take place.

Maybe someone read them the U.S. Constitution?

North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican, has ended any chance that a recent resolution that would pave the way to establishing an official state religion will see the light of day. Tillis said yesterday that he will not allow a vote on the resolution known as the “Defense of Religion Act”.

The bill was a response to an ACLU lawsuit regarding the reading of Christian prayers at official government functions.

Click through for details.

Somehow after Right to Work, they found yet another way to weaken unions: pitting them against each other

Back in the 1930s, our country was wrestling with the idea of labor unions and what rights they should be given. One way corporations, primarily the large automakers, used to keep unions week was implement “proportional representation”. In other words, workers would vote on which union would represent them and then they would be represented by that specific union. In other words, several unions could be bargaining on behalf of different employees at the same shop.

Through proportional representation, the automobile manufacturers were able to keep union members squabbling amongst themselves and forced the unions to fight for a smaller number of workers rather than cooperating for the good of all workers. It’s easy to see why “collective bargaining pluralism” was so attractive to the car makers. Fortunately, with the passage of the Wagner Act in 1935, it was sent to the rubbish bin in favor of exclusivity.

Until now. Click through for more.

Hey! There are crazier Republicans than Michigan Republicans!

This is absolutely incredible. Republicans in North Carolina have introduced legislation that will allow them to set up their own state religion and ignore all federal laws.

If you think I’m joking, read on.

Michigan citizens: 1, Attorney General Bill Schuette: 0

Back in January, I wrote about a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, the MEA, the AFL-CIO and others that challenged Michigan’s Right to Work law since it was passed in violation of the Michigan Open Meetings Act. Because Republicans locked citizens (and Democratic lawmakers) out of the building during the vote, the plaintiffs say the law should be invalidated.

This could be a HUGE deal because Republicans passed the legislation by a margin that was larger than than the margin they hold in the House after last November’s election. They would be forced to bring more of their GOP caucus over to vote yes on this legislation which may be difficult do, politically speaking.

Yesterday, Ingham County Circuit Judge William Collette overruled a request by Attorney General Bill Schuette to throw the case out of court.

Details after the jump.