Christine Barry » Shiawassee County

Report shows Shiawassee unemployment rate down

christine — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:26:21 +0000

The Michigan League for Human Services has issued a report (pdf) that shows some good news for Shiawassee. The unemployment rate for the county is down from 15.1% in 2010 Q4 to 11.9% in 2011 Q1. That’s an improvement of 3.2%. The number of unemployed persons in the county decreased by 24.3%. These numbers put us ahead of many other counties in Michigan:

All counties saw a decrease in their unemployment rate between the fourth quarter of 2009 and that of 2010. Although the statewide decrease was less than 1 point, there was a decrease of at least 2 points in 53 counties and two counties had a decrease of more than 4 points. Although there was a decrease in total jobs during that period, manufacturing jobs increased by nearly 10,000 jobs

Although our job numbers are looking better, our public assistance cases have increased. 1.9% of our families are receiving public assistance. The number of families receiving cash assistance increased by 23.9%, making us one of the top 10 counties in Michigan in terms of an increase. The number of families recieving food assistance increased by 18.9%.

Click here to download the report

Stop Library … Censorship?

christine — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:11:23 +0000

There’s a thread over on the Shiawassee Forums that you should check out:

“Censorship of Public Access Computers at your library.”

Click on ‘More’ to get the link.

Randy Colbry Should Not Resign

christine — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:17:15 +0000

If you’re a regular reader of cbdc, I’m sure you are somewhat familiar with my opinion on Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry. And if you’re familiar at all with Shiawassee County, then by now you must have heard about the time when Colbry left work in the middle of the day, T-boned a car, fled the scene, was chased by an Argus Press route driver, ran his truck into a ditch, drove his truck out of the ditch, and then continued to flee until a cop caught him. You may have also read Dick Campbell’s commentary calling for Randy Colbry to resign as prosecutor. (I don’t have a link now but will scan the article & post as a pdf) And if you’re following all of this, you should also know that emerged from rehab and entered a guilty plea:

“I am convinced all I have learned through the process of accepting responsibility and changing the way I deal with the stress of my job, and life in general, has made me a better man; and thus, a better prosecutor,” he said in the statement.

I’m not going to kick someone when he’s down, so aside from having a few chuckles at Colbry’s expense, I really didn’t say much over the past month. But now that he’s sober & back on his feet, here we go.

Frankly, the above statement makes me sick. He’s going to turn his incident into a campaign statement? Really? “Let me lead by example?” Really? The political undertones are bad enough, but add to that the fact that a prosecutor would know better than anyone else, how to go about getting leniency from the police and the courts. Admittedly, Colbry didn’t have much of a defense to this incident, but by saying “Yes I have a problem” he put himself in the best possible light. Maybe he’s sincere, but I think it was political and legal strategy, more than a genuine sentiment.

Ok, enough with my personal feelings. Now, why shouldn’t Colbry resign? Because if he stays in office, then a Democrat will be elected prosecutor next year. That’s the only reason. (Yes I’m a liberal hack, you should’ve known this by now) Now let me tell you why the Republicans lose the prosecutor’s office, if Colbry stays in.

First of all, if Colbry runs again, he loses. This is assuming that the Democrats put up a live candidate against him, who is willing to campaign and is legally qualified to do the job. I would hope that it’s Ann Gamboe Hall again, but I haven’t talked to her and I don’t know what her intentions might be. If it’s Ann, a Democratic victory is no problem. Colbry barely beat her last time, and he did so by campaigning on experience. Ann will have four more years of experience next time around, and experience trick wouldn’t have even worked last time if Ann had gone after Colbry on all the cases he’s dropped or botched. But that’s a different post. Also by 2010, the story surrounding the accident will have expanded to include all of those times when Colbry disappeared in the middle of the day, or he ducked into the liquor store across from the post office on the way home. No, the next year will not be kind to Randy Colbry. By the time the election gets here, we’ll have websites and t-shirts and bumper stickers. “Randy Colbry’s Greatest Hits” will be a best-seller. He will be turned into a caricature. (See Obstructo Man for an example.) And we’ll piggy back on that with a fan club for the Argus Press route drivers.

Second, if he doesn’t run, it doesn’t matter. Republicans are saddled with an incumbent prosecutor who likes to see his face in the paper, and every time that happens, the voters will sarcastically ask themselves, “is he drunk again?” So if anyone from his staff steps up to run in his place, he or she is stuck with the voters’ perception that they knew they were working with a drunk, and they didn’t do anything about it. I’m sorry to put it that way, but that’s the reality of it. What kind of judgment does Sara Edwards have, if she was willing to keep quiet about Colbry? Really, don’t tell me that staff didn’t know he had a problem. I even knew he had a problem, and I’m not in the inner circle. It’s easy to spot an alcoholic; especially one who disappears regularly and is frequently seen buying liquor at the packy across from the courthouse. No one will believe that his staff didn’t tacitly approve of his behavior.

However, if Colbry were to resign now, then we’d have a new incumbent prosecutor by 2010. That person will have had about a year to establish herself and distance herself from Colbry, so she won’t be tainted by Colbry’s actions. If this person is a woman, that immediately takes away any advantage that Ann G-H would have had, strictly based on gender. (Again, I don’t know what Ann’s intentions are, I’m just speculating) Then the election will become about which person is better capable to protect Shiawassee County.

I’m not sure how that would go if the candidate is Sara Edwards. If Deanna Finnegan is the candidate, that would be a tough fight for the Democrat. Shiawassee County is not afraid of a woman prosecutor, the way that it was afraid of a woman sheriff. (“afraid” is a strong word, but you know what I mean) So that’s not a problem. Deanna has demonstrated a commitment to domestic issues and the protection of women and children, so she can hold her own against a Democratic candidate who runs on a platform of compassionate justice. If Deanna can bring her previous endorsements and support to the table, she’s golden. It’s a tough fight for a Democrat.

Now, as far as the best interests of the county. It’s in the best interests of the county to have a Democratic prosecutor with a new staff. Period. The prosecutor doesn’t just go after drunk drivers (*ahem*) and other law-breakers. The prosecutor is also the counsel to the Board of Commissioners. In this, Colbry has been a disaster. This man is so arrogant and indifferent toward the public, he’s set a strong example on how to get away with things like withholding information from the Commissioners, and violating the Open Meetings Act. I would find it hard to believe that anyone from his staff would be any better. There’s a reason that these people have survived working for him.

And frankly, the man’s been either missing in action or intoxicated for a long time. So things aren’t going to get worse now that he’s sober. Would a sober guy prosecute Bernie Butcher because he couldn’t make a case against Gary Holzhausen? Duh.

There’s some chatter about this over on the forums –
Shiawassee County Prosecutor Randy Colbry pleads guilty…
Doctors With Felony Charges vs. Prosecuting Attorney
Randy Colbry
Mr. Colbry’s arraignment
prosecutor plans to plead guilty
BREAKING NEWS FROM ARGUS PRESS WEBSITE

Also, this story broke in the forums before anywhere else. Prosecuting Attorney hit with DUI and leaving the scene. I heard about it on Facebook about an hour before that. Social media moves fast.

Thanks For All The Fish

christine — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:29:27 +0000

Well it’s the last day of 2008, and time for the obligatory end of year post. This year I’d like to share my best & worst of Shiawassee in 2008.

The Best:

New Technology: The Internet. Ok I know it’s not new, but the Internet as a force in Shiawassee politics really took off this year. Sheriff Wilson’s focus on “anonymous bloggers” raised the profile of the forum and the people posting on the Argus. It’s great that people are finally starting to get comfortable with online interaction. The only problem? At least 2 libel suits have been filed, due to a few angry people who thought the internet was a safe place to get their vengeance on.

Elected Official: Lauri Braid. Oh, this one hurts me, considering that she’s up against Democrats like Jack Johnson and Joe DeCaire. But I always held Lauri personally responsible for the state of elections in our county, and if you’re going to hold someone responsible for the bad stuff, then you’ve got to give them credit for the good. In the January primary, Shiawassee County was the worst in the state, in terms of reported election problems. (See here and here. Most of these problems were unintentional) By the November general election, we were among the best. More than anything else, the integrity, accessibility, and fairness of our elections form the bedrock of our democracy. Throughout the year, Lauri & co. worked hard to make sure that everything was as it should be. So to Lauri and all of the Shiawassee area clerks and election staff — nice job, and thank you.

Election Result: Deana Finnegan defeats Jon Wilson. My personal opinion of Jon Wilson aside, this is one of Shiawassee’s proudest moments. A woman defeats a male incumbent for the office of Sheriff. I was proud.

New Hangout: The Korner. Kitty-corner from Chase Bank in Vernon, this little joint is the latest new hangout for good old-fashioned fun. RoboJoe presents open mike and a family friendly atmosphere, and they even had Christmas caroling the weekend before Christmas. Head on down there, or check out this thread for more info.

New Idea: I’m taking this one for myself. The Shiawassee Skill Share, which I am determined to make a go of in 2009. If I can make it work with IT, then surely others can make it work in their respective professions. We could really have something special here.

Proudest Moment For Me: Just a personal note … my proudest moment this year — Troop Care 2008. About $1450 in product and cash, and a good chunk of that came from Shiawassee. In the end, we sent 42 boxes to 8 Michigan units deployed in Iraq. And it was all made possible by the good people in the forums and on the blogs. Thanks!

Best Example of Class: Dr. Wegman’s handling of his negative press, and the way that he took care of his staff while working out his problems. A class act.

The Worst:

Technology: Inside or outside of Shiawassee, this has to be Windows Vista. I’m recommending to all my clients that they skip it entirely and migrate straight from XP to Windows 7.

Vista Blue Screen of Death

But I don’t want to rip off my readers by taking the easy way out. So, the “real” worst technology would have to be the Owosso water infrastructure. 90 miles of pipe, 80-100 years old, 50-100 patches per year. With the cost of replacing the mains at $350,000 per year, and the economy in the tank, that technology is going to stay there a while.

Most Shameful Moment: Rachel Scott. Greg Shire. Lebowski Center. The only thing more shameful than the lack of justice in this county is the lack of outrage by the citizens.

BoC Decision: Commissioners fine churches for feeding the hungry. Could be a food ministry, it could be serving food at a funeral. It doesn’t matter, our commissioners wanted to charge the churches the same as they’d charge a school or large restaurant. Why? Because they want the health department to have the money. And because they can.

Election Result: John Pajtas defeats Jack Johnson. Sadly, some of us saw this one coming. Jack Johnson was targeted by the local GOP because he was a PITA to TPTB. (That’s “pain in the ass” to “the powers that be”) But although targeted by the GOP and warned by the Dems, Jack didn’t campaign, and he made the mistake of alienating some of his allies. Come election time, even his supporters weren’t campaigning for him the way that he needed. Despite being the best candidate in this race and arguably the best commissioner in terms of his intentions, he became the only incumbent commissioner to be voted out of office.

Dumbest Mistake by Politician: Sheriff Wilson withholds information from the Argus Press. Oh this was stupid. The press doesn’t like it when office-holders withhold information, and this caused the Sheriff international grief. More importantly, local residents don’t like it when their Sheriff withholds information from them. It was this decision that cost Sheriff Wilson the election.

Bonus Round:

Biggest Delta: The difference between the real and perceived role of bloggers in the Jon Wilson election. This was truly something to behold. The day after the primary, I received three calls congratulating me on the defeat of Jon Wilson. (Que?) The week before the election, I noticed a car in a parking lot in Flint, that had a bumper sticker on it. The driver was putting his groceries in the car, so I went over to talk to him. He had no idea who I was. There was an entire grassroots movement out there that had nothing to do with bloggers.

Saddest Business Decision: The Argus Press cancels the e-Edition. Looks like I won’t be totally paperless next year.

Shameless Holiday Marketing: Meijer rolls out Valentine displays. Good grief, do they know that Valentines isn’t until next year?

And on that note, I am excited to jump in to 2009. 2008 was a great year for me. I had the honor of being selected to blog the Democratic National Convention, I was promoted at work, and I started grad school. 2009 will be even better. A New Year, a new project, and maybe I’ll pick up some new friends along the way. My New Years resolutions are to A) help 10 people get trained and find new jobs in the computer field, and B) start a paper newsletter promoting all of the local area blogs and forums. It’s going to be a great year.

So long 2008, and thanks for all the fish.

Shiawassee County Skill Share

christine — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:34:33 +0000

I am thinking about throwing together a skill share for PC repair and desktop support. The idea is to help out the people who need to develop a new job skill. There’s a post up on the Shiawassee Forums, where I go into detail about the idea. Here’s the meat of the post:

The classes would be free to the students, but they would have to meet certain criteria:

Be a Shiawassee resident

Be unemployed or underemployed

Be ineligible for any other kind of free education or skills training, and be unable to afford conventional training. In other words, I don’t want someone who can afford to take a proper class to take a seat from someone who cannot.

Have no advanced knowledge of the subject matter. (I don’t want to waste my time entertaining someone who knows everything and just wants a refresher)

Be able to take good notes, because we won’t have text books

Be willing & able to take the A+ certification test within a few weeks of the class, so that they will have improved their chances at getting a job in the IT field.

Here’s what I would need:

A location with tables and a white board or a smart board

Donated computers and computer parts (they don’t have to be new, but modern would be nice)

People who would be interested in helping me teach, either with presentations or assisting with the hands on labs

Here’s what I would like some rich person to do:

Buy 1 textbook for each student

Sponsor each student’s A+ test

In short, the goal of the skill share would be to prep students for the A+ Certification tests. I would want them to take the tests after they finished the class, so that they would improve their chances of getting a job in the IT field. I’m a big believer in self-actualization and education for education’s sake, but my purpose for doing this would be to help people get jobs. Period.

I have two big concerns with starting a program like this. First, am I duplicating other efforts? I am not an expert on job training programs, so I don’t know what’s out there. If there is no need for something like this, then I don’t want to do it. I’m really only interested in helping people who can’t get help elsewhere.

Second, will people really take the class and follow through with the A+ tests? I can’t make them do it, and I certainly can’t afford to pay for their tests personally. Since I wouldn’t be getting any sort of compensation for organizing and teaching the class, my only reward (which is reward enough) would be that the effort would improve someone’s life. If that’s not going to happen, I just don’t want to do the work. I’ve got plenty to keep me busy already. Not to mention that I’d feel like an absolute failure if I went through all of that work and nobody got anything out of it.

Fear of failure won’t keep me from launching the project though. (I’ve failed so often that I no longer fear it!) I think it’s a good idea and if done right, it could help some people get a second chance on life. The economy is in rough shape, and here in Shiawassee we’ve been suffering longer than most. We’re in for some rough weather ahead and I think it’s time we face the fact that we’ve only got each other to help us get through it. If this works out, I’d like to see other skill share programs kick in … maybe classes to teach people how to repair small engines or appliances, or how to sew, or how to grow their own food. Classes that will help people find jobs or be more self-sufficient.

The concept is very much in its infancy, and might go over as well as all my other great Shiawassee ideas. (Remember the idea for Shiawassee bucks?!?!) *groan*

I would love to hear your thoughts on this, even if you don’t like the idea. Feel free to leave me a note in the comments, email me, or stop by the Shiawassee Forums.