To err is human, to forgive is divine, to trust a lying, cheating politician is idiotic

Yesterday, it occurred to me that the very first time I made it to the “Recommended List” at Daily Kos it was with an essay I wrote about Mark Sanford and his hideous betrayal of his wife, family and constituents. I went back and read it and it reminded me that his was not just a brief dalliance. His wife knew about it and he continued the intercontinental affair after she told him in no uncertain terms to cut that shit out.

I’m reprising the post here today but it’s crucial that we remember just what this asshole did to his wife Jenny and their kids. Recall that his “Appalachian Intercontinental Booty Call” happened on Father’s Day weekend.

Sanford says he’s a solid Christian and is calling on voters to show Christian forgiveness. Fine. We forgive your sorry ass. I’ll try to disregard it when I buy a used car or some life insurance from you or whatever your new career is now that you have proven that you’re not fit to be a leader or a lawmaker. It’s one thing to forgive. It’s another thing to trust and trust is one thing Mark Sanford has decidedly NOT earned.

It’s all there after the jump.

I’m verklempt

Last Saturday, the band Garbage had a concert in Detroit. Two of the concert goers were Scott Sauter and Domenick Viviano. The two had flown to California in the past to a benefit show for a friend of the band named Wally who was very sick, something that clearly impressed lead singer Shirley Mason. How impressed?

Click through to find out. (Do it. You won’t be sorry.)

What’s next? Secession?

Since the Newtown Massacre, there have been thousands of additional gun-related deaths in this country. It stimulated a national debate with a heighted push for sensible gun regulation. In response to this debate, Michigan Republicans have introduced legislation that would make it a felony to enforce any federal laws that attempt to regulate gun ownership.

Details after the jump.

The following op-ed was written by Chris Hansen, a teacher in Lansing. He is writing about an educational experiment in Michigan called the Education Achievement Authority (EAA.) The EAA started in the Detroit Public Schools as a way to focus attention on the poorest performing schools by grouping them into a district of their own. The Chancellor of the EAA is John Covington. He was a controversial choice since the school district he left in Kansas City lost its accreditation after he left. I have written about the EAA extensively (click HERE for past posts.)

On March 21st, the House narrowly passed legislation that will expand the EAA statewide and will include up to 50 school districts. The vote was 57-53.

Chris Hansen earned a B.A. in Education from Michigan State University and M.A. in School Administration from Central Michigan University. Please welcome him to Eclectablog. Click through for his essay.

Beer and bloggers — it’s a match made in heaven

Exactly 10 months and few days after our last Beer with Bloggers event, Mark Maynard of the transcendent MarkMaynard.com and I have set the date and reserved the room for Beer With Bloggers 2013 (well, at least Spring 2013.)

Last year we had about 75 people (you can read about it HERE) and this year we’re pretty sure we’re going to get 76 or maybe even 77. One of those witty, attractive and highly intelligent people could be YOU.

Click through for details.

“Citizens United v. FEC is one of the most destructive Supreme Court decisions in the history of this country”

In August of last year Dean of the House Congressman John Dingell introduced the Restoring Confidence in our Democracy Act. This legislation sought to undo the democracy-crushing impact of the now-infamous Citizens United Supreme Court decision that has allowed huge sums of money to be spent by wealthy individuals and corporations to pervert our elections and subvert our democracy.

Congressman Dingell will be reintroducing this bill during the current legislative session and tomorrow at 6 p.m. in Ann Arbor he will hold a public forum and panel discussion to discuss it.

Click through for details.

Reports of Governor being given swirlies in Capitol restrooms unconfirmed

In a completely unexpected move, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, the self-titled “Tough Nerd”, abruptly resigned from office today citing bullying by Democrats and Republicans alike for his decision.

“I thought being the top government official in the state would end the relentless bullying and harassment that I’ve endured since middle school,” Governor Snyder said in a statement. “Unfortunately, if anything, the bullying has intensified.”

More on this shocking development after the jump.

Sometimes you just have to ask “How much money and greed is enough?”

Meijer, Inc. is one of the largest privately-owned companies in the country. When he died, Frederick Meijer, the son of the founder of the company, was worth $5 billion. The stores pioneered the concept of “one-stop shopping”, a shopping center where you could buy everything from car batteries to fresh broccoli.

This past year, Meijer, Inc. has been challenging its tax assessments around the state, saving itself millions and millions of dollars, money that is coming, in large part, directly from the coffers of the municipalities and schools where their stores are located. The Lansing area seems particularly hard hit.

Click through for details.

We may be at a tipping point

It’s Easter Sunday and that can mean only one thing: it’s time for the annual repost of our Peeps^® post. Enjoy.

Spring came early to southern Michigan this year so on Good Friday, my wife Anne and I put our kayaks in the Huron River and set out to document the effects of global climate change on the wildlife of our area. What we found was both stunning and shocking.

Click through for the stunning evidence.

Roy Roberts may be a convincing liar but he is still a liar

Michigan’s experiment with Emergency Managers has begun to catch national attention, thanks largely to the efforts of Rachel Maddow and her staff. One of the things that has become quite clear from the things I have written about here and the terrific reporting by The Rachel Maddow Show is that, despite the fact that our state is relying on budget-cutting Emergency Managers to solve problems that are complex and multi-faceted, they have yet to show that they actually WORK. Simply stated, outside of one tiny village, there has yet to be a city or school district that has emerged out from under and Emergency Financial Manager or an Emergency Manager and remained financially stable.

The Detroit Public Schools has been under the control of an Emergency Manager or Emergency Financial Manager for many years. The first Emergency Financial Manager, Robert Bobb, actually left the school district in a bigger financial hole than when he arrived. He was replaced by Governor Snyder by an auto industry marketing and sales guy, Roy Roberts.

Roberts is very proud of his work and went on national television to tell the world that the Detroit Public Schools are back and, not only are they back, they are kicking some serious academic ass, surpassing the state average MEAP scores in a majority of categories.

As it turns out, it was a complete lie. Click through for details.

At what point does climate change denial become a mental illness?

The Great Lakes are now at historically low levels. So low, in fact, that Governor Snyder was forced to prevail upon the legislature to pass emergency funding to dredge 58 harbors and bays so that ships and recreational vessels can continue to use them.

Yet, somehow, the corporate-funded climate change deniers still have a voice in what is no longer a debate about the reality of global climate change.

Much more after the jump.