DEQ Withdraws Approval Of Kennecott Mine

The Department of Environmental Quality announced Thursday that it has withdrawn its proposed decision to approve a permit for the Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company to construct a mine on the Yellow Dog Plains.

Officials say they discovered that two reports on the structural integrity of the mine were not properly made part of the public record or given a comprehensive review.

http://www.wluctv6.com/Global/story.asp?S=6163422&nav=menu134_10_14_9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Dog_Plains

http://www.savethewildup.org/

I hope this mine doesn't get approval. The area they are thinking of mining is about 3 miles from the camp I did a lot of growing up at. The place that I had my first beer, shot my first gun and spent quality time with two of my role models, my grandpa and my great grandpa. This mine has the potential to destroy a pristine wilderness and a pristine river. This delay is a step in the right direction. I hope the Michigan DEQ does the right thing and does not give this mine approval.

The Legend Still Lives On

And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
with the gales of November remembered.

When it was launched the SS Edmund Fitzgerald became the largest laker to sail on the Great Lakes, a title it held for more than a decade. On November 10, 1975 the Fitz sank during one of the worst storms ever known on Lake Superior. This year, for the first time, the memorial services will be held in River Rouge — the city where the vessel was built in 1957-58.

Several speakers will be on hand at Belanger Park including people who helped build the ship, as well as captains from other ships who helped out in rescue efforts after the Fitz went down. Relatves of some of the lost crew members will call and address the crowd through a speakerphone. Artifacts and photographs will be on display.

At 7:10 PM — the time the ship sank — a memorial wreath will be tossed into the Detroit River and a bell will be rung 29 times for the men that were lost with the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Roscoe Clark, who is working on a documentary about the ship and one of the organizers for the event, said he is pleased the memorial service has been moved from Detroit to River Rouge: “The best place in the country to hold this memorial service is where the ship was built.”

Roscoe Clark also set up a website containing video clips and photos of the ship at ssedmundfitzgerald.com where you will also find another account of that fateful night, and much more.

Visit YouTube for the song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” written and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot.

A 30th anniversary memorial tribute post was entered at Night Bird’s Fountain last year.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call “Gitche Gumee.”
“Superior,” they said, “never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early.”

Cross-posted from NBF

Health Care Ad: Granholm vs. DeVos

Ad contrasts Granholm health care plan
with DeVos’ lack of a plan

DeVos has no plan for making health care more accessible or affordable to Michigan citizens. DeVos’ only plan for health care is to “get a job.” Governor Jennifer M. Granholm proposed the revolutionary Michigan First Health Care Plan that will, for the first time, provide access to affordable health care for all citizens in Michigan. Negotiations with the federal government are on track to implement the program in April, 2007.

“The 900,000 Michigan citizens who live in households with a job and without health care find Dick DeVos’ approach towards health care unacceptable,” said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer. “Having a plan to provide health care to Michigan’s people like Governor Granholm’s MI First Health Care Plan is a large step towards growing and keeping businesses here. Economists agree that health care is a key component to creating jobs, not the other way around.”

Watch the ad here.

Cross-posted from NBF

Amos Williams For MI Attorney General

“I’m a Democrat. I’m a Liberal”

“And I'm one of those damn trial lawyers everyone hates - until you need one.”

Amos Williams is a lawyer and decorated Vietnam Veteran that proudly served in the Detroit Police Department for several decades. He is running for Attorney General because he wants to be in the forefront of advocating for people determined to take back their government, and ensure that it remains a government in which the interest of the people is paramount.

Michigan can not afford to keep the current Republican Attorney General in office! Mike Cox has not protected consumers or voters. Instead, he joined the 2004 Republican efforts to intimidate minority voters, refused to believe that retailers were price gouging gas after Hurricane Katrina, and failed to collect more than 99% of unpaid child support.

Articles and more

Cross-posted from NBF

MI Voter Protection Program

Michigan Democrats Announce 2006 Voter Protection Program

Program is in response to the Republican Party’s plan to suppress the minority vote

The Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) announced their 2006 Voter Protection Program, a program that will deploy over one thousand trained lawyers and volunteers at polling locations statewide to defend the rights of Michigan voters on Election Day. The MDP has set up a toll-free telephone help line (888) DEM-VOTE (888-336-8683) that voters can call on Election Day if they have any questions about their voting rights or if they want to find their polling location.

The MDP’s program is in response to the Michigan Republican Party’s (MRP) attempts in previous elections to suppress the minority vote by sending paid poll challengers to urban areas to harass African American and other minority voters. In 2004, the Detroit Free Press reported that Detroit voters said that Republican poll watchers were illegally asking them for photo identification and had physically assaulted voters and poll workers. The Associated Press reported that Detroit election officials complained that Republican challengers were telling voters in line whether or not they could vote. [...]

In 2004, Republicans revealed part of their Election Day strategy when then GOP State Representative John Pappageorge said that the GOP would fare poorly in this year's elections if it failed to "suppress the Detroit vote." The MDP also received reports that Michigan Attorney Mike Cox was part of Republican efforts in 2004 to intimidate minority voters by giving hands-on training to Republican challengers.

Source

Cross-posted from NBF

Granholm vs. DeVos

Debate # 3 - Fact Checks:

Business Equipment Tax: The truth about the business equipment tax is that it should be reduced, but local governments cannot afford to have it eliminated. Dick DeVos refuses to say how he would pay for his business tax cut schemes.

Education: DeVos has a long history of fighting for vouchers that would take money out of public education.

CAN Trash: Governor Granholm supports legislation to discourage importation of Canadian trash, but it has been held up by DeVos' Republican colleagues in the Michigan Legislature.

Single Business Tax: Michigan currently has the 13th lowest business taxes in the country, and Governor Granholm has signed 72 business tax cuts since taking office. A recent study by the non-partisan Upjohn Institute found that changing the SBT would have very little impact, if any, on Michigan’s economic growth. Governor Granholm doesn’t want to give handouts to big corporations at the expense of everyday people, and unlike DeVos, she still the only candidate who has proposed a fair plan to replace the SBT. DeVos tells us to wait until after he’s elected to tell us his plan.

Health Care: Contrary to what Dick DeVos claims, the Governor has restored and extended health care coverage and prescription drug discounts to nearly 300,000 Michigan citizens.

Jobs Plan: The Governor's MI Opportunity Partnership connects those seeking work with jobs that are available right now and helps others get the skills they need to land good paying jobs. Since its launch, the Partnership has already helped 117,000 people get jobs.

Unfair Trade: President Bush's refusal to enforce trade agreements with China and others is ravaging Michigan’s manufacturing economy. President Bush has not found time to meet with the CEO’s of the Big Three automakers to discuss trade and rising health care costs, despite repeated requests.

Dick DeVos' support for President Bush and unfair free trade agreements is what got Michigan into this mess in the first place. *

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Everyday until Election Day, the MDP will list another reason why voters should not vote for Dick DeVos.

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Watch Ad: See Dick run

Watch Ad: Bush’s clone

10/17/06: Watch the new ad:

* The Michigan Democratic Party unveiled a new television ad to highlight this point, titled “Office”. The ad, which begins airing today, shows how Dick DeVos has supported NAFTA, invested $200 million dollars in China and reveals that DeVos incorporated Amway in Bermuda. Read more

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Women praise Granholm on CHOICE

Jennifer Granholm for Governor

cross-posted from NBF

GOP for Granholm?

MARQUETTE — Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm is getting support for her re-election campaign from some unlikely people — Republicans.

Gil Ziegler, chairman of “Republicans for Granholm,” is in the Upper Peninsula gathering support from Republicans who feel their party is moving too far to the right. “It wasn’t an easy decision but sometimes you have to check your partisanship at the door and become a citizen,” Ziegler said of his decision to go against his party and support the governor over Republican challenger Dick DeVos.

Continued at link


cross-posted from NBF for DeLLBerto

Gov. Granholm at MI Dem Convention

Watch the new animation, See Dick Run, that was featured at the MDP's State Convention on Saturday.

_ _ _

From Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s speech at the Michigan Democratic Convention, Detroit:

When you lay off over a thousand Michigan citizens, and then invest $200 million to hire people in China, those are fighting words in Michigan. We call it outsourcing. He can call it "restructuring." He can call it "personnel reallocation." Just don't call him "governor."

You can buy a lot of blue smoke with a billion dollars but eventually that smoke's going to clear and the truth will be there for all of Michigan to see.

No matter how much negative advertising my opponent buys, he can't change one fundamental truth. I am fighting for the things the every day people of Michigan want and need; my opponent has spent his time and a considerable part of his fortune fighting for things that hurt our citizens.

The choice could not be clearer. Does Michigan need a Governor who would dismantle public education through private school vouchers?

Does Michigan need a Governor who's one of George Bush's top backers?

Do we want a Governor who would criminalize the personal medical decisions of a woman and her doctor even in the case of rape or incest?

Does Michigan want a Governor who has sat on the boards of organizations that advocate for slashing Medicaid, privatizing Social Security, drilling in the Great Lakes and making Michigan a right to work state?

My opponent was the CEO of Amway. Amway used to stand for American Way. Is it the American way to ship American jobs overseas?

No!

Text and video of Gov. Granholm’s MDP speech here.

(The Amway company, cofounded by his father, Rich DeVos, has changed its name to Alticor Inc.)

Originally posted by Barbi at NBF

Happy Birthday, Son!

With lots of {{{hugs}}} and many good wishes;
And may your fishing creel be filled with fishes!
Luv ya!
- Ma