Michigan is definitely in a best of/worst of loop lately, isn’t it? Let’s start with two important time-sensitive events: the March 3rd deadline for public comments against Nestle’s theft of groundwater near Muskegon, and the March 3rd Coffee Hour by Tim Walberg of MI-07 in Hillsdale.
Public Comment Window on Nestle’s Water Theft Closes TOMORROW (Friday, March 3rd)
From Sum of Us — follow the link to the comment-signing page.
Time's running out to stop Nestlé from paying just $200 for a permit to more than double the amount of groundwater it can take from the Muskegon River watershed near Evart to bottle and sell at a massive profit….
The DEQ has said it wants to hear from Michigan residents -- and it's inviting public comment on Nestlé's plan until March 3rd. Let's send a flood of comments its way, so that it can't ignore us.
It's always better to personalize your response, but here are some points you might want to make:
- This is a corporate water grab by Nestlé
- It would risk the Muskegon River watershed and undermine the public water system we all rely on
- We want to see the DEQ hold public hearings statewide so that Michigan residents can have their say on this proposal
I know that the current MI DEQ is run by foxes, but public outcry does make a difference. Let’s make it difficult for them to proceed with this blatant attack on us here in the henhouse.
Tim Walberg to Host Public Coffee Hour TOMORROW in Hillsdale, 9:00-10:00 AM
From his website (spacing adjusted):
Hillsdale Coffee Hour
Hillsdale City Hall Council Chambers – 3rd Floor 97 N. Broad St Hillsdale MI 49242
Friday, March 3, 2017
9:00 am – 10:00 am
I don’t know of any organized protest, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Any MI-07 constituents are especially urged to attend. (FYI: Here is Eclectablog’s post on the shadow Town Hall held in Jackson last Saturday; the 400+ attendees did not include the cowardly Walberg.)
Please join me after the jump for some more good and bad news.
In the good news category, we can place the success of last week, the defeat of HB 4001 (gutting of the MI Income Tax) on a vote of 55-52. Eclectablog has a good write-up about it, describing the disarray of the MI House Republicans, here. If you’re a constituent of the eleven Republican House members who voted it down, please send them your appreciation; they need to be congratulated and thanks for doing the right thing for Michigan. These are the Republicans with a conscience (at least on this issue):
- Julie Calley of Portland
- Larry Inman of Williamsburg
- Chris Affendoulis of Grand Rapids Township
- Daniela Garcia of Holland
- Mike McCready of Birmingham
- Dave Pagel of Berrien Springs
- Brett Roberts of Eaton Township
- Dave Maturen of Vicksburg
- Jim Lilly of Park Township
- Jason Sheppard of Temperance
- Kathy Crawford of Novi
- Scott VanSingel of Grand
The other major good news of the week is the release of Yousef Ajin from ICE detention and the granting by the judge of a hardship waiver to prevent his deportation. [MLive story here] It took enormous community outcry to bring about this result, kicked off in part by this solid piece of reportage in the Community High School (Ann Arbor) student newspaper. For every family collapsing in relief, how many more are sundered irrevocably?
For this positive development is offset by the continuing bad news of accelerating, seemingly random, capricious, and alarming detentions of people in Michigan suspected of being undocumented. The likelihood of all detainees being treated respectfully and with due process seems small. You can improve those odds by getting in touch with the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, reading the resources and suggestions they have online, and making sure you are connected to local immigrant rights and advocacy organizations in your own community.
I’d like to close my portion of this week’s Open Thread by quoting a Facebook post made yesterday by Yousef Rabhi, the brand-new MI Representative for the 53rd District, in the wake of 45’s speech on Tuesday evening:
I have to say that was the most terrifying speech that I have ever heard. I've never been more scared about the future of our nation. The president was actually able to articulate his neo-fascist agenda in coherent and targeted words. Disguising hate with code words and pitting America against its best interests. It was not unifying, it was not presidential, it was scary. We now know that this is definitely not a joke or a charade, this is real folks.
It is real. Attend to what they do, not what they say — though what anyone in 45’s administration says gives us no real reason for encouragement. Time to keep the pressure on, to repudiate authoritarianism, to oppose normalization, to resist, persist, and build.
Please help us build this weekly Michigan thread so that it includes any information relevant to turning MI Blue again that you would like me to highlight. MI contributors are always welcome! You can reach me through kosmail at peregrine kate. Or say hi through email here: peregrinekate@gmail.com And please follow me on Twitter @peregrinekate
Please feel free to drop in on ANY State Open Thread!
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Kansas: Monday Evenings
Michigan: Thursday Evenings
Missouri: Wednesday Evenings
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