Very good, very well done. Boehner deserves praise for this.

Wake up Boehner, Cantor, McConnell! We don’t want this!

See more at www.investors.com   See this Amp at

Where is the GOP on this in Michigan? I know Konetchy is running against her, I don’t know [...]]]>

The Rogers City High School gymnasium filled up with people one more time last night, in what we were told is the last public hearing for the [...]]]>

The Rogers City High School gymnasium filled up with people one more time last night, in what we were told is the last public hearing for the air quality permit for the proposed power plant.

It has been five years since Wolverine Power announced their plans to build a coal-fired power plant in the world’s largest limestone quarry near Rogers City, Michigan. The hearing was specifically set to help the public understand the emissions limits and best available technology for greenhouse gases, as well as to show the proposed plant will not violate new ambient air regulations.

From the Presque Isle County Advance:

When the state denied Wolverine’s application May 21, 2010, it did so based on a perceived lack of need as determined by an opinion of the Michigan Public Service Commission. Wolverine appealed that denial and a Missaukee County judge agreed that there was no legal basis for the denial, sending it back to the DEQ in January.
DEQ spokesman Brad Wurfel said that without the provision of “need” considered, the applicant would have met all state and federal requirements last year. Modifications in the permit have to made because of new federal regulations enacted in 2010, which Wolverine’s engineers, working with DEQ staff, have strived to meet.
“The department will carefully evaluate comments received, determine whether there should be any changes made to the permit conditions, and develop the “Response to Comments” document. If the permit is approved, the Response to Comments document will be issued simultaneous to the permit,” Wurfel said.

Steve Schulwitz writes in the Alpena News:

The permit to install appears to be the last hurdle for Wolverine to clear in order to build the facility. Hellwig said he hopes to have the matter decided one way or another soon.
“We anticipate closure soon,” Hellwig said. “Following the hearing we consider the testimony and public comment, and then as a decision maker, I will render a decision. Depending on the level of comments, the details of the comments, and the time to do a response document, that will determine how much longer it will take. I don’t anticipate it taking a very long time, but we do have to go through the comments and make sure we rewind to those.”

In short, last year, after waiting 2 1/2 years for an air permit we were promised would take no more than 6 months, the permit was denied based on Governor Jennifer Granholm’s unconstitutional and rescinded executive order that all coal permits be issued on a needs basis. Her administration saw no need for the plant, despite clear, concise documentation to the contrary, and denied the permit. Wolverine Power appealed the denial in court and won, making it abundantly clear that the denial was purely political. This hearing brings us back to October 2008, except for the fact that the federal EPA has tightened emissions limits on two gases that are special to coal burning, NO2 and SO2.
Without going in to too much technical language, the plant passes those standards.

So here we are again. Every standard set by the State of Michigan is met by Wolverine. Every regulation not in place last time has been met now in 2011. Whenever a safety minimum has been suggested, Wolverine has doubled and sometimes tripled their own standards to remove any doubt that they are committed to building a state-of-the-art clean coal-fired power plant in one of the most economically depressed counties in the State of Michigan, and that’s saying something. It is now left, once again, to the State of Michigan DEQ to give the permit an up or down.

After being flogged by conservatives across the board on the banning of the incandescent light bulb, Congressman Fred Upton changes the subject.

He posted an article on Right Michigan, saying, in part, [...]]]>

After being flogged by conservatives across the board on the banning of the incandescent light bulb, Congressman Fred Upton changes the subject.

He posted an article on Right Michigan, saying, in part,

The American people are fed up and demand that we tackle government spending and the federal budget deficit immediately. The days of the administration printing more money as a solution to meet budget shortfalls are now over.

The American people, including many Michiganders are clearly fed up with the overreach of government as well. Banning the incandescent light bulb was just the sort of thing that flipped the switch in most people’s minds.

In his article, he admits that work on budgetary concerns are not the sole job of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he suggests a repeal of unspent stimulus dollars nationwide.

Good thing the $19 Million in stimulus that Whirlpool got has been spent.

The rest of his article is really masculine, using the words cut, cut, cut and chainsaw, which is really good. Where was all this “manning up” when the green lobby told him that the world would end if we don’t ban the incandescent light bulb, and force our society to have no choices in how they light their home?

Now, I agree with Congressman Upton that “sunshine is the best disinfectant.”

From RedState:

THIS IS THE MAN WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA TO BAN THE LIGHTBULB!!

Here is the rest of his sorry voting record:

BAILOUTS

* Voted YES for TARP
* Voted YES on the auto bailout
* Voted YES on Cash for Clunkers

SPENDING

* Voted NO on 7 of the last 9 RSC Budgets
* Voted YES on the Farm Bill
* Voted YES on the 2005 Highway Bill
* Voted NO to cap farm subsidies
* Voted YES four times to extend unemployment benefits
* Voted NO to end milk subsidies
* Voted NO to cut sugar subsidies
* Voted NO to cut NEA spending
* Voted NO to cut AMTRAK spending
* Voted YES to increase funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
* Got a 53% on the Club’s 2009 RePORK Card
* Got a 42% on the Club’s 2007 RePORK Card

TAXES

* Voted YES on Patriot Tax – a surtax on high income earners

REGULATIONS

* Voted YES for Sarbanes-Oxley
* Voted YES to increase the minimum wage
* Voted YES on energy bill with new CAFÉ standards and tax hikes
* Voted NO to waive Davis-Bacon
* Voted YES to criminalize “price-gouging”

POLITICAL FREE SPEECH

* Voted YES to force 527s to disclose their donors
* Voted YES on McCain-Feingold
* Voted YES on the 527 Reform Act

ENTITLEMENTS

* Voted YES for SCHIP

GOVERNMENT REFORM

* Voted NO to privatize postal service for 20 communities
* Voted 7 of 9 times to increase congressional pay

SCHOOL CHOICE

* Voted YES on No Child Left Behind

I call on Fred Upton to introduce legislation to repeal his ban on the incandescent light bulb. Then we can talk budgets and committees.

Congressman Fred Upton is the grandson of the co-founder of Whirlpool.

I find that interesting.

Thomas Edison has been credited with bringing light to [...]]]>

Congressman Fred Upton is the grandson of the co-founder of Whirlpool.

I find that interesting.

Thomas Edison has been credited with bringing light to a world of darkness, but he also has been credited with coming up with the FIRST MODEL OF A COMPLETE CENTRAL POWER STATION.

Power generation to the masses gave rise to many more inventions, like the electric clothes washer.

So, basically if not for Edison, Whirlpool may never have been founded, because at the time, Edison was competing with other scientists in both America and Europe. If Edison had not exhibited electric generation to the masses in New York and Massachusetts, the Uptons of Michigan may not have started a multi-billion dollar industry, benefiting nearly every household in the modern world and families who worked for and are still working for Whirlpool.

Fred Upton went to college, received a Bachelor’s degree, and immediately began work as a staffer for David Stockman, an economist who would eventually become part of the Reagan Administration.

Would he have been able to do that if there was no Thomas Edison?

Upton wants to become the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, yet he introduced a bill to ban the incandescent light bulb by 2012. That bill became law, and it needs to be repealed.

It seems to me that Upton should have been shouting against banning the work of the man who buttered his bread.

Yesterday’s Politico article:

“Our work on light bulbs wasn’t an arbitrary mandate,” he said. “We didn’t just pick a standard out of the air, or look for a catchy sounding [...]]]>

Yesterday’s Politico article:

“Our work on light bulbs wasn’t an arbitrary mandate,” he said. “We didn’t just pick a standard out of the air, or look for a catchy sounding standard like 25 by 2025 not based in science or feasibility. Instead, we worked with both industry and environmental groups to come up with a standard that made sense and was doable.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45059.html#ixzz15AsSPtxL

Congressman Fred Upton’s work with environmental groups is what needs to be highlighted in this article.

Global Warming theory is thoroughly debunked. It is not only not caused by human industry, it is not happening. Moreover, the Congressman is seeking the top spot on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the chair of such a committee must realize this.

Further, the fluorescent bulbs that are held in favor by extremist environmentalists contain mercury, one of the elements the green movement decries when killing coal plants. Their hypocrisy is stunning.

Thomas Edison’s work was the result of his life-long interest in science. Fred Upton’s consultation with the scientific agenda of the green movement, which is not science, but an ideology, must be pointed out.

The idea that he defended the ban by saying it wasn’t done by picking a percentage and time out of the air is not the point, the fact that it was done based on faulty information, and the lack of leadership on energy issues is.

There are many reason’s I’m glad to see you go, Jennifer, but number one is the crap you pulled with the Rogers City Coal Plant

.

In response to the loss of freedom they fought to defend, the Baraga American Legion mounted [...]]]>

In response to the loss of freedom they fought to defend, the Baraga American Legion mounted an effort to defy the new smoking ban law.

Openly choosing not to comply with the ban that exempted Casinos, the Foucault-Funke Post 444 in Baraga County finally had to relent when a judge forced them to.

Judge Goodman’s decision was centered around the idea that the law is justifiable since government has the task of protecting the public from health hazards.

Legion officials contend the smoking ban is unconstitutional, but Judge Charles GOODMAN ruled that there’s a “sufficient likelihood” that Western Upper Peninsula Health Department and the Department of Community Health will succeed in the lawsuit and ordered the post to quit allowing smoking immediately.

“Whether one agrees with the provisions of the Smoke Free Air Act or not, it cannot be seriously argued that the Act was not passed and signed into law in order to promote the public health,” Goodman wrote. “Evidence certainly exists which supports a finding that cigarette smoking and/or the inhalation of secondhand smoke is deterious to one’s health, and clearly, the Legislature has the authority to pass laws which limit people’s exposure to health hazards.”

Goodman wrote that many laws are unpopular with some. The motorcycle helmet law is one. However, no court should be authorizing a blatant violation of the law until a court declares the law unconstitutional, regardless of the “economic” damages the Legion Post officials are concerned of.

“Oftentimes, constitutional acts have an economic impact. Because a law may impact a person or entity negatively does not necessarily mean that the law is unconstitutional,” Goodman wrote.

Goodman’s decision is based on a false premise. It is not constitutional for government to dictate what private business chooses to allow in it’s establishment. For Goodman to be correct, the government, not the private property owner would have to own the establishment.

A restaurant or bar or club is not open to the public, memberships and requirements are needed to belong to the American Legion or the VFW. A restaurant owner has the right to refuse service to any one for any reason. A restaurant or bar is not a public place, it is a private business.

Not only is the judge wrong-headed about the law, so is GARY MCDOWELL, who is currently trying to become the Congressional Representative for Michigan district 1, which includes Baraga County.

Upon voting for and applauding the ban, McDowell said, “Thirty-six states already have passed this legislation, it only makes sense that Michigan takes this step to protect the health of our residents.”

The law exempts certain cigar bars and tobacco specialty retail stores because those businesses feature smoking as the primary source of their commerce. The plan also exempts the gaming floors in the Detroit casinos.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to many Indian tribe casinos and it’s small business bar owners are hurting, since the ban does not apply to the casinos.

C.J. Williams has reported,

The Detroit casinos were purportedly exempted because lawmakers believed those non-tribal businesses would be competively disadvantaged by tribe-owned casinos, which are not subject to the smoking ban. The closest to Detroit, however, is about 130 miles away in Standish. On the other hand, Post 444, located on the L’Anse Federal Indian Reservation, is about a mile away from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s Ojibwa Casino and its Press Box Sports Bar & Grill. Another bar and grill, also exempt from the smoking ban, is about one-tenth of a mile away.

The State of Michigan gets a hefty kick-back from the Detroit casinos in the form of a gaming tax, which in 2009 was a little over $320 million. Had the legislators allowed those casinos to become competively disadvantaged, they’d have been cutting off their collective nose to spite their collective face.

With eleven tribally licensed casinos in the Upper Peninsula’s fifteen counties and because of their location, virtually every veteran organization establishment in the U.P. has been placed at an economic disadvantage. In fact, Bill Hafeman, American Legion State Commander, notes that many legion posts throughout Michigan have reported decreased usage of their bars and restaurants, though he didn’t specifically say it was caused by the smoking ban.

I recommend the entire post by C.J. since it is quite thorough.

Dr. Daniel Benishek responded to McDowell’s Ban on Smoking back in May, saying,

Don’t these guys have anything better to do? Aren’t there bigger problems in the state than this? Shouldn’t a business owner, on his own private property be able to make his own rules? I don’t like people smoking when I’m eating dinner, but it should be up to the restaurant owner and what he decides to do. If I didn’t like it, I would go somewhere else to eat. We can still do that. So, I think people should have a choice on how they run their business. They can’t be regulating every single aspect of our lives, yet that’s what they seem to be wanting to do.