Shiawassee Weekly – August 6, 2006

It’s all politics as we head into the August 8 primary …

Steffes V Walden is really heating up. Shiawassee District 3 voters will decide on Tuesday which one of them will face Democrat Jack Johnson in November. Steffes has rallied support among the people who are sick of Walden’s do-nothing attitude and willingness to go along with executive handouts. Walden, a pastor, has support from his parishioners and status-quo aficianados like Avery Weaver, who need Walden to maintain their de-facto influence over the Board.

Take a look at State Road for an example of how heated this race is … one Steffes sign (between M21-Copas) has attracted six Walden signs. This is how his church has run this campaign; find a Steffes sign, blitz that neighborhood. (Rumor has it that he had to buy more signs) Steffes is holding her own though … nearly every house on State has a sign in the yard.

Jack Johnson’s got his signs going too …

My neighbors just a few miles down have a sign war in their front yard …

It’s Orin vs DeCaire for Caledonia supervisor. This to me looks like a waste of a perfectly good Orin sign. (maybe he’s compensating for something … )

Our neighbors to the East … …have a little sign feud going of their own, only it’s a little more destructive out there. Patsy Lou Williamson is one of 6 Democrats hoping to win a spot on the November ballot for the State Senate, 27th district. The seat itself is hotly contested and being closely watched, and Williamson has spent buckets of her own money promoting her candidacy. She doesn’t speak much though, and it’s tough to figure out where she stands on issues.

It’s also tough to figure out who would’ve done this to her sign. This sign is in front of her dealership, which is at M21 & Linden, where there is traffic at all hours. The dealership is very well lit, and this sign is about 20ft in front of a row of new cars. I cannot imagine how anyone could damage that sign without being seen.

Write-In Candidates For Caledonia Marcy Brady has announced her candidacy for the position of Caledonia Twp Clerk. If Marcy is successful she will be on the November general ballot, either unopposed or facing another write-in candidate. Same for Rick Holzhauer and Bill Pearsall, who filed as a write-ins for the position of Caledonia Trustee. Currently there are no Democrats seeking either seat.

Photo by Nara Vieira da Silva Osga

Shamed Into Voting? Political consultant Mark Grebner has been conducting an experiment regarding voter turnout. Grebner has been distributing voter history to citizens in a particular neighborhood, and then comparing the subsequent voter turnout to that of prior years. Grebner wants to know if ‘embarrassment’ will motivate a voter to go to the polls. “I’m trying to find out how to motivate them to get out of their LazyBoy recliners — and waste half-an¬hour to vote,” Grebner said. This hasn’t been well received by everyone … "I think it’s completely invasive. If someone chooses not to vote in my neighborhood, I don’t need to know that, personally."

My friend Matt at Michigan Liberal weighs in on this:

“How many people in this nation of ours have died, been attacked, or have gone to jail just to attain or maintain the right to vote? Maybe you don’t care, Ms. Nicholson, but less than 100 years ago, you and all other American women were considered too "feeble-minded" to even be ALLOWED to cast a ballot. Today, in certain countries around the globe, this is still the case. But instead of expressing remorse over your callous indifference to the struggles of your foremothers, you have the nerve to whine about how exposing you is somehow "invasive." Oh pleeez. If I had my way, I’d put your name and face on a billboard, milk cartons, on TV, and on the side of the Goodyear Blimp.

BTW, under the law, who votes and who doesn’t is entirely a matter of public record. It’s been this way for a very long time – and is one of the main safeguards against people committing voter fraud on a massive scale. Mark is simply making this information more accessible.

Mark is absolutely right – and I hope someday soon (assuming the conclusions thus far are correct) we see this program applied to the entire state.”

This is one of those rare occasions in which I disagree with Matt. First of all, voting history should not be public record. There is no compelling argument that making it public record is necessary for the public good. Secondly, the fact that something is a matter of public record isn’t a good enough reason to distribute that information. We shouldn’t be maintaining and using data on people .. not for marketing, not for politics, not for anything. What happened to privacy? And in regards to voting, doesn’t our right to vote come with the right to not vote, if we so choose?

(There is a good discussion in the comments of that diary)

Jon Fuja, Chair of County Board of Commissioners, has given up on the local economy

"Fuja, who serves as the Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners chairman and as the incumbent District 4 representative, says the economy is his biggest concern for the county. “Michigan has been in a recession for several years now,” he said. “And I feel that mid-Michigan is actually in a depression. In reality, there is very little we can do about that situation locally, however we continue to fund the economic partnership in hopes that it will bring jobs and prosperity in the long run.”

compare that to Shannon Steffes:

“Shiawassee needs an activist commissioner who will work around the clock to bring new business to our county. I will fight for our jobs, stand up for the people, oppose excessive regulation, and restore accountability to the county government” –Shannon Steffes

I would also encourage Mr. Fuja to read my Never Does Not Exist series, if he needs some ideas on what to do locally. (aside from spending our money on special interest quasi-political groups like SEDP)

Donna Anderson Launches Website

Donna Anderson, candidate for Michigan State Senate, District 22, has launched her campaign website. You can access her site at http://andersonformisenate.org. I am pleased to be hosting this site for her.

I would like to thank the Argus Press for printing my recent letter to the editor regarding Margaret McAvoy’s reclassification.

That’s all for this week … remember to vote on Tuesday, August 8.

Shiawassee needs you!

PS … what does a $300K non-bid contract awarded to the relative of a county commissioner get you?

Construction on the facade of the District Courthouse in Corunna

The illusion of safety.