Terry Kuseske, 1949 - 2010 RIP

by: memiller

Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 20:30:34 PM EDT

Terry Kuseske died this afternoon at Rose Arbor Hospice.

I don't know that I have written about Terry here before. He was a remarkable man, who had a long history of service to his various communities, as a Dowagiac social studies teacher, and a Cass County Commissioner, before being elected last year to the Kalamazoo City Commission. He had come out as a gay man while a teacher, but (as he described it) only after building relationships with students, parents, and colleagues, so it became a positive experience for all involved.

Justice Caucus at the Convention

by: memiller

Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 01:13:58 AM EDT

I enjoyed the convention thoroughly, but only took pictures for part of the time. Here are a few from the Justice Caucus program, which was a great success. I may post a few more, and write about some highlights, but that must wait until tomorrow at least.

BREAKING: Justice Weaver Resigns, Granholm to Appoint Replacement

by: memiller

Thu Aug 26, 2010 at 09:50:19 AM EDT

Governor's spokeswoman Liz Boyd says Weaver is to formally tender her resignation this morning and appear with Gov. Jennifer Granholm at a news event at noon

Boyd says the governor will appoint a replacement, and that action doesn't require the approval of the state Legislature..

Justice Weaver: (excerpts)

I am aware that the pundits believe I would win without party nomination. But that is not the point. I now believe that I can be of most use as a citizen.

The present system is deeply flawed. We need to promptly reform the process by which we select justices.

The open discord is the result of the formation of power blocs by justices, to promote agendas. Any time power blocs form, and the court locks up, independence and the people of Michigan suffer.

Of the seven Justices, four are from southeast Michigan, and two from Lansing.

The Michigan Supreme Court should not be a secret club.

When I say reform, I do not mean the elimination of the election of Justices.

In the last election, $7.5 million was spent to elect one spot on the Court.
This type of unseemly, exorbitant, and unhinged spending ... must be reformed.

The top two (of my) proposals: election of Justices by district, and elimination of the role of political parties from the process of Justice selection.

I remain committed, as a citizen, now, to act to reform ... to bring needed transparency and accountability.

Gov. Granholm (excerpts):

Justice Davis has served the public, and upheld our Constitution with honor. ... Justice Davis is the most experienced judge I have appointed - 26 years of experience. ... He has been universally praised by those who have appeared before him. ... "In the midst of conflict, Judge Davis has been the grown-up in the room."

Justice Davis (excerpts):

Justice Weaver's guiding principle has been "Do right, and fear not." I intend to follow the trail she has blazed. ... For my part, I believe in open, impartial, and prompt resolution of judicial disputes. ... In the north, where I reside, ... all of us have great diversity of life experiences. But we should all have respect for each other. ... I will do my best to advance these goals. ... The new realities require that we change our way of doing things.

This means that the MDP will be nominating two candidates for Supreme Court at its convention this weekend, a question that had been up for speculation previously.

Convention Questions

by: memiller

Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 14:11:42 PM EDT

The Supreme Challenge of 2010

by: memiller

Tue Aug 17, 2010 at 12:51:27 PM EDT

I contend that over all of those, the two Michigan Supreme Court seats up this fall are the two races that will have the most influence, for good or ill, on all of our lives for years to come.

More Justice Caucus Endorsements

by: memiller

Mon Aug 16, 2010 at 00:01:21 AM EDT

Judge Denise Langford Morris

Judge Deborah Thomas

Judge Shelia Johnson

It is a long-standing practice of the Caucus to endorse more candidates than are to be elected, if all of the endorsees meet the criteria of the Caucus, primarily that endorsees have demonstrated a sustained commitment to the progressive values of the Caucus.

The Justice Caucus also passed a resolution urging the MDP to nominate for both of the openings on the Court to be elected this November.

The Justice Caucus also announces the endorsement of the following:

David Leyton for Attorney General

Elizabeth Bauer for State Board of Ed  

Sam Singh for MSU Board of Trustees

Ed Bruley for Wayne State Board Governor

Kathleen Law for Senate 7th District

Garry Post for House District 47

With these endorsements, all of the candidates having requested endorsement at this time have been considered.

Primary night live-blog: Kalamazoo & environs

by: memiller

Mon Aug 02, 2010 at 20:41:42 PM EDT

UPDATE 1: Jones appears to have an insurmountable advantage over Mark Totten in the 20th. Sean McCann has won the nomination in the 60th over Chris Praedel and Dustin Harback. We won't have numbers for Grant Taylor's write-in for a long while, but based on checker/challenger precincts, Grant has fallen short.

UPDATE 2 (10 pm): Congratulations to new County Commissioner Mike Seals, a community activist and great guy who is unopposed in the fall. Congratulations to Bob Jones, who will go up against Tonya Schuitmaker in the fall for the 20th Senate.

Primary GOTV news from Kalamazoo

by: memiller

Sat Jul 31, 2010 at 14:33:07 PM EDT

At the 69th Annual Westwood Ice Cream Social last night, Tonya Schuitmaker (R), Bob Jones (D), and Mark Totten (D) were there from the 20th Senate race, Sean McCann (D) from the 60th House, and write-in candidate Grant Taylor (D) and Margaret O'Brien (R) from the 61st. This event always brings out the local politicos.

I've avoided writing very much about campaign controversies here, because I've been involved in some of them. Suffice it to say that I will be glad when this primary is over, and we can concentrate on the other side.

Over the fold, some notes about local Kalamazoo races.

Oil Spill into Kalamazoo River Tributary - 840,000 gallons.

by: memiller

Tue Jul 27, 2010 at 15:39:19 PM EDT

More than 800,000 gallons of oil have been released into a creek in Marshall that feeds the Kalamazoo River.  Houston-based Enbridge Energy Partners said Monday that oil flowed into the Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River after a leak developed in its pipeline.   Enbridge said the 30-inch pipeline transfers about 8 million gallons of crude oil a day from Griffith, Ind., to Sarnia, Ontario. The leak originated from the Enbridge site, 16000 Division Drive, near the border of Marshall and Fredonia townships in central Calhoun County, according to a report Battle Creek Enquirer's website.   The pipeline crosses the Talmadge Creek about one-and-a-half miles southeast of the Kalamazoo River.

I am currently on vacation in Ontario, but heard of this by email from Kalamazoo Township Supervisor Terri  mellinger, who along with local emergency officials is closely monitoring the situation. The Kalamazoo River passes through our township.

Statement from Sen. Carl Levin:

I am deeply concerned about the effects of the oil spill near Marshall, including the environmental impact and the disruption to residents and businesses. It is also deeply worrisome that the oil from the spill has made its way into the Kalamazoo River.

My office has been in close contact with relevant federal agencies to make sure that those carrying out the cleanup have all the resources they need to complete the cleanup job as quickly as possible.

For now, the focus is on limiting the damage and cleaning up the oil. It is also vitally important that the company responsible for the spill bear the costs of cleanup and that it compensate anyone who has suffered damages related to the spill. I will continue to do all I can to ensure that both the cleanup and the compensation of victims are quick and effective.

Justice Caucus Announces Endorsements

by: memiller

Mon Jul 19, 2010 at 10:59:03 AM EDT

The Justice Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party announces the following endorsements:

Jim Ananich     49th House District

Robert Dean     29th Senate District

Brandon Dillon     75th House District

Fred Durhal     6th House District

Frank Houston     26th House District  

Pam Jackson     15th Senate District    

Deb Kennedy     23rd House District

Ellen Cogen Lipton     27th House District

Lonnie Scott     54th House District

Ned Staebler     53rd House District  

Gretchen Whitmer     23rd Senate District

Justice Caucus Endorses...

by: memiller

Wed Jun 23, 2010 at 17:31:50 PM EDT

The Justice Caucus has added several candidates to its list of endorsements for 2010 elections. Candidates for Governor, State Senate and State House were endorsed, joining Jocelyn Benson previously endorsed for Secretary of State.

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero was endorsed for Governor. A strong candidate with a history of fighting for Michigan workers, Bernero has already begun the fight for Michigan with his advocacy for the auto industry and working people. He previously served as county commissioner, State Rep. and State Senator.

Representative Mary Valentine was endorsed for State Senate District 34. An alumni of Camp Millie, Mary attended the very first Camp Millie. She used the skills she learned there to turn her House District blue. A powerful advocate for education, she has also worked on behalf of Michigan families and workers and to hold drug companies accountable.

Representative Rebekah Warren was endorsed for State Senate District 18. Rebekah has reached across the aisle to negotiate the bipartisan passage of landmark water protection legislation, worked with key stakeholders to retain and attract industry to Michigan. Prior to her election to the State House, Rebekah was chief of staff to Democratic State Representatives Mary Schroer (D-Ann Arbor) and Hubert Price (D-Pontiac) from 1993 to 1999, and then Executive Director of MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan, the state's oldest and largest grassroots pro-choice organization.

Representative Dian Slavens was endorsed for a second term in House District 21. In 2008, she worked tirelessly to turn her House District blue. In the House, she has been a strong advocate for healthcare, against elder abuse and for advanced battery production bringing new industry and jobs to Michigan. Dian is demanding the legislature be held accountable -- docking their pay if they fail to deliver a timely budget or miss sessions (not to mention a 10% pay cut).

Each of these Democrats deserve our support because they have shown time and again their support for progressive values.

Andy Dillon's "Hire Michigan First" ad made in ... Chicago.

by: memiller

Wed Jun 16, 2010 at 12:42:54 PM EDT

When asked why the campaign didn't hire a Michigan firm, T.J. Bucholz, a spokesman for the Dillon campaign, said: "There are only a handful of companies that do this kind of work. I'm not aware of one in Michigan with that kind of caliber."

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article...

Nothing against Chicago or anything, I love Chicago.  

Michigan Summit

by: memiller

Sat Jun 12, 2010 at 09:52:13 AM EDT

I'm here at the fourth annual Michigan Summit in East Lansing. Activists and progressive types from all over Michigan are here to share ideas and perspectives. I'll be live-blogging through the day.

20th Senate Forum at WMU

by: memiller

Wed Jun 02, 2010 at 22:03:56 PM EDT

I'm finally getting around to posting about the 20th Senate Forum held at WMU's Fetzer Center last Thursday night. It was a very good event, with the questions from the audience well-chosen to bring out the similarities and differences between the candidates.

Obviously, all the candidates agree that jobs are the most important issue for us. I'm going to try to add some details about the differences in their answers as I get time to transcribe my recording. For now, listen to the video of the answer to the first question below the fold.

Memorial Day in Kalamazoo

by: memiller

Tue Jun 01, 2010 at 12:33:22 PM EDT

It was a great day and a great parade - and we just missed the rain!

State Senate candidate forum at Fetzer

by: memiller

Thu May 20, 2010 at 14:13:54 PM EDT

KALAMAZOO--Candidates for the 20th state Senate district seat will answer questions at a public forum Thursday, May 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Fetzer Center at Western Michigan University.

The district includes all of Kalamazoo County, plus Paw Paw and Antwerp townships in Van Buren County. Incumbent Sen. Tom George is term-limited and seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

Democratic candidates in the 20th are state Rep. Robert Jones of Kalamazoo, and Mark Totten of Oshtemo Township, an assistant professor of law at Michigan State University. The Republicans are state Rep. Larry DeShazor of Portage, state Rep. Tonya Schuitmaker of Lawton, and former state Rep. Lorence Wenke of Comstock Township.

Gordon Evans, Morning Edition anchor for public radio WMUK will moderate the forum.

An identical forum held May 18 featured six Democratic and Republican candidates for the 60th and 61st state House seats. WMU's Office of Legislative Affairs sponsored both forums.

What I Do Here

by: memiller

Thu May 20, 2010 at 13:24:13 PM EDT

A comment at a recent event made me realize that my role here might be subject to misunderstanding, and I thought I had better clarify.

Obama to Speak at University Arena - KCHS Commencement

by: memiller

Fri May 14, 2010 at 13:11:45 PM EDT

The commencement on June 7 has been moved to University Arena on WMU's campus. This will allow about 1,000 more guests, but not enough to open the event to the general public.

I've been asked by a few people how to get tickets, just because I'm an active Democrat. Believe me, the local party has no inside track on this sort of thing. Anyhow, we need to remember that this is about the Kalamazoo Central seniors, firstly, and then the broader KCHS community, and not everybody else!

The event will be simulcast at Chenery Auditorium, and the KCHS and Loy Norrix Auditoriums as well.

Filing News around SW Michigan

by: memiller

Wed May 12, 2010 at 12:09:37 PM EDT

* In the 80th, Tom Erdmann will face the winner of a six-way Republican primary scramble.

* In the 87th, Greg Grieves will face the winner of a three person Republican primary.

* In the 88th, Randy Thompson will face Republican incumbent Bob Genetski.

County Commission races are a pretty good indicator of a strength of a county party - both the partisan balance on the commission, but also in how many candidates file. How do SW Michigan Democrats stack up?

-- As mentioned, in Kalamazoo, Democrats have candidates for 15 of 17 seats, or 88%.

-- Allegan, two out of 11, 18%.

-- Cass, six of 15, 40%.

-- St. Joseph, zero of seven, 0%.

-- Van Buren, three of seven, 43%.

We have a ways to go.

Other Kalamazoo Filing News

by: memiller

Wed May 12, 2010 at 11:26:47 AM EDT

* Dustin Harback has joined Chris Praedel and Sean McCann in the Democratic primary for the 60th. The winner will take on Republican Jeff Fernandez.

* In the 61st, Democrat Thomas Batten will face Republican Margaret O'Brien, who currently serves on the Portage City Council.

* In the 63rd, Democrat Dave Morgan will challenge incumbent Republican Jase Bolger. I don't think I had written about this before.

* Our Candidate Recruitment Committee was able to find Democratic candidates for 15 out of 17 County Commission seats. Two Republican incumbents, John Zull (CCD 8), and Jeff Heppler (CCD 14), will go unchallenged.

* On the other side, incumbent Democrats Jack Urban (CCD 1), Carolyn Alford (CCD 2), John Taylor (CCD 4), Brian Johnson (CCD 5) will be unopposed. Two more incumbent Democrats will be unopposed by Republicans. Incumbent Robert Barnard (CCD 3) faces Eric Sweet, and incumbent Frank Thompson (CCD 6) faces Mike Seals. Sweet and Seals are both Democrats, so the Republicans failed to recruit challengers for six districts in all.

* Township office terms are for four years, and it is not unusual for a few to come open mid-term due to changing life circumstances. Notably, Deborah Robinson, a Democrat, is the only person to have filed for an open position as Richland Township Trustee. If elected, I believe she will be the first Democrat to serve in that Township for some time.