Letters 2/8/07

Feb. 7, 2007

Hidden cost of no taxes
I wonder how many members of the Mackinac Center staff hunt, fish or get out and enjoy the great outdoors of the Great Lakes State? Their “anti-tax” message leaves hunters like you and I holding the bag while their wealthy supporters laugh all the way to the bank. (re: “From Worst to First - The Best Business Tax Is None,“ Express 2/1.)
You see, our deer tags will likely increase to $30 to offset the huge loss in revenues due to the elimination of Single Business Tax. Furthermore, conservation officers (who are already stretched to the limit) face the prospect of covering even larger areas, or elimination altogether.
Do you hunt public land? These guys are all about “privatizing.” Can you afford the fees of private hunt clubs? If they get their way, many public lands would be sold off!
The Mackinac Center seems to forget that these public lands support the number two industry in our state, tourism!
Those of us who enjoy fishing and are disgusted by the presence of invasive species fouling our watershed, did you know the Mackinac Center is OPPOSED to the great State of Michigan’s attempt to control this growing problem through ballast discharge regulations in shipping? In a recent Lansing State Journal op-ed, Russ Harding,”Senior Environmental Advisor” of the Mackinac Center, condemns Michigan’s “regulations”and suggests we hold off and “study the issue further.” Hmmm, thats what Mackinac Center said about global warming too!
Who are the big donors behind all the whitewash of the Mackinac Center? Now THAT would be a good article for your fine publication. Or at least a good letter to the editor!

Lyle Birchman • Portland, MI

Dutch treat
A Dutch industrialist operates a factory that has such potential negative environmental consequences that the government says, “enough is enough.”
This government acts in its citizens‘ best interest and buys out the rich industrialist with cash just to make him go away. With pockets bulging with money he seeks a new location for his greed machine. Of course the land of opportunity looks good, America is always open to new business regardless of history. But where in America can someone who has been kicked out of their own country for operating a pollution nightmare go?
Well, if your operation requires lax governmental oversight with few regulations. You need a state where the DEQ is underfunded and overworked, and there is an existing lobby group that spends lavishly to buy legislators (Farm Bureau). And especially if you need a zillion gallons of fresh water to flush the manure out of your factory farm barns. Well, Michigan, The Great Lakes State, is the place to set up shop.
We are indeed the home to a growing base of factory farms that have been regulated out of most other states. If this shocks you, please do some research at the Michigan Sierra Club website www.michigan.sierraclub.org. Then make some calls to state senators and representatives Allen, McManus, Walker, and Palsrock, and let them know we don’t want industrial farms making a mockery of our fine state. We want to encourage farming for sure, but these operations are industrial applications taking advantage of loopholes in agricultural regulations. We can say no to factory farms in Michigan, but your voice must be heard.

Tom Karas • Interlochen

Investigate Court
Anne Stanton’s article on the Michigan Supreme Court brought this crisis into focus in a way that no one else has done. Thanks to Ms. Stanton and to the Northern Express for explaining the situation in concrete terms the public can understand.
This is unprecedented - Justice Elizabeth Weaver blowing the whistle on Supreme Court abuse, political arm twisting, and bias.
Justice Weaver is not a fringe player in Michigan government. She’s been a mainstream Republican judicial insider for decades. If she says the ethics of the Supreme Court has to be investigated, we must find out the truth.
We should demand our politicians look into this and conduct an open and independent investigation.
These questions should be answered: Why is the Supreme Court imposing a “gag order” on Justice Weaver and all others, to prevent her from writing about the back room dealings of the Supreme Court? Did Governor Engler instruct the Supreme Court Justices to act as his political agents? Is the Michigan Supreme Court biased and abusive rather than fair and impartial?
Stanton’s article described a few of the personal tragedies caused by Supreme Court activism during the past 10 years. But it seems like more is going on than a simple case of “conservative shift.” If what Justice Weaver says is true, then there is an attack on our State law of historic proportion.
Please write to Governor Granholm, Jason Allen, Howard Walker, and the Judicial Tenure Commission, 3034 W. Grand Blvd, Ste. 8-450, Detroit, Ml 48202, and demand an independent investigation.

Grant W. Parsons • TC

Support Judge Weaver
Folks in the little finger area of Michigan know Justice Betty Weaver better than most others in the state. They know that she professes no airs and affects no false appearance. Her shooting is straight and precisely on target. Her personal motto is: Do right and fear not.
That her opposition is trying to promote incompetency and instability as characterizing Betty Weaver is a sad, sad commentary on their own lack of character. She has earned more elective judicial offices than the total of all her fellow Republicans on the court.
Her authority on the Supreme Bench generates not from any political appointment, but is genuinely from the entire electorate of Michigan. Originally it came just from the voters of Leelanau County for its probate judge and then from the much larger appellate district of the western and northern lower peninsula and the entire U.P. The present majority of four really know not who they are dealing with because her qualifications are too enormous for their comprehension. But, those who know her well support her completely.

Henry Taylor • Rochester

Meijer & Acme
The Acme Township Board deserves the region’s support for standing strong on the proposal by Meijer to build a big-box super store on M-72. The board has been attempting to follow the township master plan and has endured immense pressure from the Meijer Company including personal lawsuits.
If the store is built as planned it will create a new sprawl zone east on M-72 that could greatly impact small, locally-owned businesses in the region including: hardware stores, pharmacies and grocery stores.
In addition, Meijer has been unwilling to negotiate any form of compromise despite
repeated attempts by the board and a local citizens’ group.
Meijer has never fully addressed the environmental or traffic problems the new store would create including the impacts on Acme and Yuba Creeks which flow to Grand Traverse Bay or increased congestion at the M-72 - US 31 intersection.
Acme Township residents should vote NO on the February 27 recall election.

Greg Reisig • Elk Rapids

Stopping the war
I support Senator Levin and other senate and congressional representatives’ multi-faceted efforts to derail the Bush/Cheney escalation of the war on Iraq and to demand congressional approval before mounting any attack against Iran or Syria.
Although the executive branch dismisses overwhelming public disapproval of the war and ignores military advisors’ skepticism over a surge in forces, its anticipated discounting of the upcoming bi-partisan vote of no-confidence for the latest war plans should be the last strike.
At that point, I urge our representatives to cut all funding for the war, except those necessary to accomplish a six-month withdrawal of U.S. forces and to cover the VA Health Care system for all military veterans. We cannot recoup the $344 billion spent on this disaster since 2001, but we surely can put the anticipated Iraq war price tag of $8.4 billion a month for this year to much better use. How much would impeachment cost?

Marian Kromkowski • Sutton Bay

The half-mast flags
Do you notice all the flags that are at half mast? Do you remember that they signify a soldier from Michigan has died? Does it remind you that over 3,000 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq? Do you ever think about the more that 34,000 Iraqis that died in 2006 alone? (New York Times, 1/17/07) Do you think of the billions of dollars being spent in Iraq (projected to be 1.2 trillion, New York Times, 1/16/07) that could be used within the United States on issues of health care, education, poverty, infrastructure, etc.?
Please help stop this senseless “war” by contacting President Bush, and your senators and congressmen. Tell them NOT to send more troops, to end this invasion and bring our service people home.
Tell them we want our flags to fly at full mast again.

Barbara Wotila • Charlevoix