Unless otherwise announced,the Shiawassee County Democratic Party meets the fourth Tuesday of every month in the Corunna City Hall meeting room at 6:30 p.m. Regular business meetings start at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend.
This is a press release from the Michigan House Democrats.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday,May 18,2011 Contact:Rep. Lisa Howze Phone:(517) 373-0106 Contact:Rep. Jeff Irwin Phone:(517) 373-2577
Irwin,Howze Create ‘Michigan Report Card’to Evaluate State Government
Legislators introduce website,call for public to decide how to measure success
LANSING – In an effort to increase transparency and accountability,two Democratic State Representatives have created the “Michigan Report Card”– a more comprehensive,objective version of the Governor’s dashboard that enables residents to decide how to evaluate their state government.
“We agree with the Governor that state government must be outcome-based and that taxpayers should get their money’s worth,”said State Representative Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor),who is leading the effort along with State Representative Lisa Howze (D-Detroit). “But allowing the administration to evaluate itself on less than two dozen metrics is like letting students decide which test scores should count. We need a much more comprehensive,in-depth source of data. In particular,we have heard the concerns about education funding at town halls and the desire for true benchmarks – measurements that the Governor’s dashboard does not include. The Michigan Report Card provides the tools residents need to demand real information about the issues that matter to them and the ability to hold the administration accountable.”
The Michigan Report Card,available at www.MiReportCard.com,includes data evaluating the state in priority areas such as the economy,employment,taxes,education,public safety and the environment. It is based on similar successful projects in Oregon and other states.
Residents are encouraged to visit the site to recommend which measurements to add to create a fuller picture of how state government is performing.
“Unfortunately,we have seen a pattern of top-down governing,where the administration is making the decisions and choosing which information to make accessible,”Howze said. “We need more transparency and information-sharing so that all residents,elected officials,state agencies and organizations can work together to make progress on important issues. By making dozens of measurements in many areas available in one place,we can accelerate that progress.”
Irwin and Howze have introduced legislation to create the Michigan Progress Board,which would be chaired by the Governor or his designee and include nine appointed members representing the state’s ethnic,cultural,social,geographic and economic diversity.
The board would develop an initial strategy for the state to address residents’needs and issues critical to Michigan’s future. The board would conduct public hearings and take testimony and written comments on the plan. It would present a final strategy to the Legislature,recommending policy changes and long-term strategies for the state that include measurable indicators of success.
Irwin and Howze are calling for quick bipartisan passage of the legislation so the board can be created and get to work. In the meantime,they are planning town hall meetings around the state to gather input on what issues matter most to residents and how they want to measure success.
“The Michigan Report Card website provides a framework and some metrics as a starting point,but this is a project that belongs to the people,”said State Representative Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing). “We encourage everyone to go to MiReportCard.com and provide their input about what matters to them. Our citizens deserve a participatory democracy,not one that dictates what they should like or dislike. This project represents that kind of participatory model and gives the power back to the people,where it belongs. Through the Michigan Progress Board,Michigan residents will map out a 20-year plan to rebuild our state in a way that allows each citizen,no matter how rich or poor,to have a voice in the direction we take and how our goals are achieved.”
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Jessica Tramontana Press Secretary House Democrats Work 517.373.8924 Cell 517.974.6302 www.housedems.com www.twitter.com/MIHouseDems www.facebook.com/MIHouseDems
Lansing – Following today’s revenue estimating conference that showed the state would have an additional $500 million available for the next fiscal year,Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) and Senator Glenn S. Anderson (D-Westland) renewed their call to use that additional revenue to prevent the excessive cuts to K-12 education included as part of the Fiscal Year 2012 budget.
“The money is there and we’re calling on Governor Snyder to commit to investing it in our children’s education,” said Whitmer. “There is simply no excuse for allowing these draconian cuts to our schools to go through while those dollars are sitting on the table.”
Whitmer added that there has been overwhelming public support for her proposal to constitutionally protect the state’s school aid fund,something Anderson cited as necessary to prevent the legislature from attempting another raid on dollars voters expect to only go towards K-12 education.
“Rushing through a budget plan that made devastating cuts to our education system while giving away billions to big business was tremendously shortsighted,especially when even the Governor acknowledged it might not create a single job for Michigan workers,” added Anderson. “We can fix that mistake,put this money back into our schools,and create an education system that encourages employers to locate and invest in Michigan.”
The Democrats also announced the release of a new video that documents the significant impact budget cuts have already had on our public schools in recent years,as well as how future cuts would jeopardize their ability to offer even the most fundamental academic programs.
The video is available online at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr9WrWt6Q0k.
You can view the video on the Shiawassee Dems site here.
The following is a press release from the Michigan Democratic Party
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6,2011 Contact:John Tramontana 517-371-5410
Meanwhile at the Michigan Supreme Court…
Court Continues GOP Partisan Agenda,Issues Decision Helping Big Oil
LANSING – The Republican Michigan Supreme Court is marching right along with the GOP-controlled Michigan Legislature by protecting Big Oil. While the Legislature is giving Big Oil massive tax windfalls at the expense of children,seniors,and working families,the Michigan Supreme Court is issuing decisions helping Big Oil and other polluters.
Last week,GOP Justices on the Court overturned an earlier pro-environmental decision that allowed citizens the right to sue to protect the environment from polluters such as Big Oil (Anglers of Au Sable v. Department of Environmental Quality,SC Docket No. 138863).
“It’s obvious that the GOP has a plan to protect and support Big Oil in every branch of government,” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said. “We’ve seen Governor Snyder and the GOP-controlled State Legislature call for massive tax breaks for Big Oil at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens,and now we see extreme Supreme Court Justices overturning decisions to help Big Oil. It’s time we start putting the people of this state ahead of Big Oil.”
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Paid for by the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 606 Townsend St.,Lansing,48933. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee
The following is a press release submitted by the Michigan Democratic Party
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5,2011 Contact:John Tramontana 517-371-5410
MDP Celebrates Strong Recovery of GM,Chrysler
President Obama’s Loan Package Saves 1.5 Million American Jobs
LANSING – The recovery of the American auto industry is in high gear,American automakers are hiring again,and Michiganders have the President and Michigan Democrats to thank for it. Today,General Motors announced a quarterly net income of $3.2 billion – tripling its amount from last year. Earlier this week,Chrysler posted a 22.5% increase of sales in April and first quarter net income of $116 million,their first quarterly profit since emerging from structured bankruptcy reorganization. This great news is in stark contrast to the situation faced by thousands of autoworkers across,their families and the communities they support just two years ago.
Every business in Wixom,Flint,Lansing and Warren,to name a few,is dependent on an economy fueled by the presence of General Motors,Chrysler,auto suppliers and the jobs they bring. Hundreds of communities just like them across the country faced the possibility that this economic engine would stall out,and Republicans fought against a plan to prevent their demise. But President Barack Obama saw the way forward,and made the tough decision to offer loan packages to General Motors and Chrysler,saving more than 1.5 million jobs across the country and creating more than 12,000 manufacturing and auto dealer jobs over the last year here in Michigan.
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said “President Obama carefully weighed the options and risks of providing loan packages to General Motors and Chrysler. But in the face of calls from Republicans and pundits to sit back and let the American auto companies go bankrupt,President Obama stepped in to ensure that Chrysler and General Motors not only survived,but that they were streamlined for profits. And,today the President’s decision is paying off.”
In November of last year,General Motors’ initial public offering became the biggest in history,raising more than $20 billion. And the government has already recovered more than $23 billion of its investment in General Motors. And recently,General Motors employees were rewarded for their hard work with profit-sharing checks that averaged $4,300. Another 3,000 workers at GM Components holdings received about $3,200.
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Paid for by the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 606 Townsend St.,Lansing,48933. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee
This article is submitted by a member of the public and is posted here as a courtesy to our readers. This article is not an official communication or document of the Shiawassee County Democratic Party.
Hello friends,
We are here today to talk to you about the policies of our new Michigan CEO,Rick Snyder,and our new Board of Directors,formerly known as the Legislature.
The recent election has placed Michigan’s future completely in the hands of the Dream Team of Michigan’s Mackinaw Center,widely recognized as one of the more extreme right wing “think tanks”in the country.
These folks have been trying to sell the idea that we should “run the government like a business”for many years. We are going to test that approach to government for at least the next two years. We are going to see the effects of government firmly in the hands of freewheeling,free market capitalism.
Capitalism is a very good way to organize some human activities. Running an airline,building automobiles,appliances,furniture or widgets of any kind. Transporting goods across country. Many other activities do well with the economies of scale and efficiencies of capitalism.
Is capitalism a good way to run a government? Our police and fire departments? Our education system? Maintain our roads,bridges,parks and public infrastructure?
Make Your Voice Heard –Take Action at the State Capitol
WHAT:Rally to protest attacks on middle class families
WHO:Students,seniors and workers from across Michigan
WHEN:Wednesday,April 13 Protest,Legislative Action from 1-6pm. Speaking programs at 2 and 5:30pm
WHERE:State Capitol Building 100 Capitol Ave,Lansing,MI
WHY:Politicians are unfairly exploiting Michigan’s economic crisis to attack students,seniors and working families. Join us on April 13th to fight back and let the politicians know that,We Are The People,and it’s time to start protecting the middle class – not the CEOs.
