Letters 9/14/06

Sept. 13, 2006

Zoo a big loss
We just got back to our hometown (Ann Arbor) after a brief visit to the Manistee Forest, Traverse City and a few places in between. Our sole purpose in visiting your fair city was my desire to again visit the Clinch Park Zoo. I was saddened to learn that it will be closing within days and that many of the animals have already left.
Shame on you, Traverse City!!
Shame that you could not reach an agreement on keeping the zoo afloat -- possibly even at the planned new Nature Education Center.
To me, the embodiment of a nature center is the flora and fauna that make it up. Truly seeing wildlife in the wild is most thrilling. However, many animals can be so elusive in the wild that for many people, young and old, only a captive viewing is within their reach. The fact that the Clinch Park animals have already been placed in different environments needn’t deter any plans for including wildlife as part of the new Nature Education Center. Life in the wild is hard. It seems to me there will always be animals who can’t quite make it out there for one reason or another. Just ask the wildlife rehabilitators throughout Michigan.
I truly hope that your city can find the resources to have a wildlife park such as the Clinch Park Zoo that I’ve always enjoyed on our visits to Traverse City. I very much like the fact that the animals are all part of our State.
Put it to a vote.

Ann Fulmer • Ann Arbor

Object lesson
In response to Dave Halperin’s letter “I Object,” which finds fault with the Open Space being used for the following:
Christian music and dance festivals:
Okay, that makes sense, not everybody is a Christian; perhaps gatherings with religious preference should be held somewhere besides public property.
-- The Cherry Festival:
I can only assume that Dave is not from
Traverse City.
-- Film festivals (specifically “Dr Strangelove” and “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”):
Well... it’s a film festival and his Dr. Strangelove is a contemporary work of art produced by Stanley Kubrick, and “Pee-Wee” is fun, if... you have a sense of humor.
-- Ocean liners:
Boats offend you? Fine. But whether they park at the open space or not they’re still on the water and consuming oil. Why not mention the fact that the roads are packed all summer long with SUVs, etc. I wonder how many miles Dave Halperin drives every day?
-- Bare footed kite flyers:
Okay, now the points made earlier in your letter are losing their validation. If not for flying kites, what is a park for? Are you serious?
-- Skateboarders:
A controversial subject for many years, I personally enjoy watching skate boarders maneuver and challenge themselves against varying environments.
-- Hot dog vendors:
If you don’t like hot dogs, don’t buy them. If you do like hot dogs...make sure you get some onions and mustard.
-- Folk guitar players:
Stop and listen, you never know who might be playing. It might be the next Leo Kottke you’re hearing.
My advice to Dave Halperin:
It’s called culture! You’re not teaching your kids to be diligent; you’re teaching them to be judgmental.
If you can’t relax, have fun, and relate with what Traverse City is about...Move.

Nick Raffaele • TC

(In Dave‘s defense, some readers may have missed the fact that his letter was in fact a subtle satire poking fun at people who “object.“ -- ed.)

Devious DeVos
Do we really want a man as governor who runs a negative campaign with distortions and lies? Dick Devos claims that Jennifer Granholm did not meet with Honda on her trip to Japan. She DID meet with Honda in 2005 and sent her economic team to meet with the company in 2006. They reported that even the Indiana Governor did not meet in person with Honda executives when he traveled to Japan in 2006, largely because the company does not look favorably on meetings with governors in the latter stages of their decision-making process.
Under Granholm’s leadership, Nissan, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler have all invested in Michigan and created jobs here. Thanks to the Governor’s ongoing efforts to bring jobs to Michigan, we have 215 research and development centers and more auto-related R&D activity than the remaining 49 states, Canada and Mexico combined.
Devos is purposely misleading people in his bid to buy your votes. Quoting the Lansing State Journal, “Dick DeVos and his campaign for governor have tried to pull a fast one on mid-Michigan viewers with a new ad that makes reference to the Lansing State journal. This ad, designed to erode Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s image, does quite the opposite. It illustrates DeVos’ unwillingness to play straight with voters.” This is not a man I want representing me or my state!

Lou Ann McKimmy • Rapid City



The fight over Michigan computers
Our politics-directed-only State Senator Jason Allen has failed to
do his homework again. Instead of investigating for facts, he
killed Governor Granholm’s proposal that the State of Michigan use
its buying power to secure a competitive price on computers.

The governor was responding to a recent survey which found that
85% of new jobs require computer skills, yet approximately 30% of
Michigan families lack these skills.

Whether Jason Allen knew her reason for the proposal is not the
issue. He squashed the proposal because Michigan computer
manufacturers were not asked to submit bids on the computers.
Senator Allen apparently never checked to discover that Michigan
has no large manufacturers of computers.

He should have known better. Governor Granholm always buys
Michigan first.

Patricia W. Fox • Bellaire



Who are you calling a misantrope?

In response to his letter/rant, “I Object“, I have a question for
David Halperin; do you enjoy anything? You spent your Warholian
15-nanoseconds in the Express (and I hope that‘s all they give
you) bashing nearly everything that most Americans (and northern
Michiganders) enjoy; film, boating, locally grown produce, kite
flying (are you kidding me??), hot dogs and folk guitar, all in
the space of half a column. Impressive. My suggestion would be
to take a deep breath and thank your lucky stars, sir, that you
are an American, and that only in America can a misanthrope
malcontent such as yourself actually find a venue by which to spew
your unhappiness so publicly. That‘s what still makes this
country great, despite the war, gas prices, and the bozos that are
currently in charge. I don‘t agree with you, but I‘m still glad
you have the right to be so publicly unhappy. I just feel sorry
for your kids.
Peter Kehoe • Petoskey



Outing political mischief
The Michigan Civil Rights Initiative battle has caused a number of
public officials to reveal their true colors. Here are a few
examples.

Two members of the Board of Canvassers violated a court order by
refusing to certify the MCRI. Meanwhile Governor Jennifer
Granholm, who is sworn to uphold the laws of this state, refused
to take disciplinary action against her two appointees.

Political appointee mischief didn’t end there. Mark Bernstein,
chair of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, issued a report
claiming fraud. This wasn’t a surprise because prior to a single
signature being collected, Bernstein issued a press release
stating “The [MCRI] is a shameful attempt to confuse and
manipulate unsuspecting voters…” Two weeks after issuing his
report, Bernstein held a fundraiser at his home to benefit
opponents of the MCRI.

Not long after that, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick filed a
“personal” lawsuit against the initiative using city attorney
Sharon McPhail. Not to be outdone, U.S. Rep. John Conyers took a
page from Richard Nixon’s playbook and called for the IRS to
investigate MCRI-backer Ward Connerly. Most recently, a District
Court judge abused his position by campaigning against the
initiative while ruling the MCRI did not violate the law and must
appear on the ballot.

Perhaps these antics reveal why MCRI opponents fear being judged
by the content of their character.
Steve Sutton • Farmington HIlls


Outing political mischief
I really didn‘t care for your cover on this issue. There is such a
thing as freedom of the press, but I think this was tasteless. For
those of you who don‘t like it here, you are free to go to Iraq or
any other country of your choosing. However, I wonder what would
happen to you, if you were to put out a cover like that denouncing
the head of or policies of that country! You and I both know you
probably wouldn‘t live to put out another issue!


Sharon Potere • via email