In This Issue

• Bulletin Board
• Chair's Corner: Bush Magic: Slide of Hand
• Michigan Legislature Report Card

Bulletin Board

Berkley Democratic Club Meetings
January 24, 2002 (4th Thursday)
Discussion topic - 2002 Reapportionment: How does it affect Berkley residences and who will be their representatives in state and and national bodies?

February 28, 2002 (4th Thursday)
Annual meeting and election of officers

March 21, 2002 (3rd Thursday)
Topic to be determined

April 25, 2002 (4th Thursday)
Topic to be determined

May 16, 2002 (3rd Thursday)
Topic to be determined

All club meetings will be held at Anderson Middle School in the Media Center beginning at 8:00pm.

- Ralph Conklin

Back to the Contents

Chair's Corner

Bush Magic: Slide of Hand

Magic shows are most enjoyable. Slight of hand artists can bring a gleam of wonder to our eyes. "How was that done," we muse. Recently TV aired a broadcast that explained how several tricks were done. Distracting the observer was a common strategy. The admiring audience, distracted by the action of one hand, fails to see what is actually happening in the other one.

The magician in Washington has enthralled our nation. His ratings are sky high. Who in the audience would challenge his stage management? I say, it would be unpatriotic to do so! Let the show go on! But surely someone will expose what is going on in the other hand. No! No one? Only a few competing magicians seem willing to reveal what's going on, and this is what they say:

The Plan is to keep the people focused on the Taliban... the search for Bin Ladin... the flag... and sing "God Bless America" with an enthusiasm that suggests that He should consider blessing no one else. Meanwhile behind the smoke the real magic occurs:

1. By executive order take away substantial civil liberties from all Americans.
2. Preside over an incredible Tax Giveaway.
3. End the 1972 Treaty with Russia on ABM.
4. Allow Bush backers to raid the Treasury.
5. Give control of national energy policy to campaign contributors.
6. Carl Rove, senior advisor to Bush, was smart enough to sell $250,000.00 of Enron stock 5 months ago when it was $90.00 per share - today its $0.09. It's just magic! The single largest contributor to the Bush campaign was Mr. Lay, President of Enron.
7. Two days after Christmas the White House announced its rejection of regulations that would prohibit companies that "repeatedly violated environmentally and workplace standards" from getting government contracts.

The distraction of the undeclared war and Christmas will work for a while. The fundamental danger of terrorism is that it will succeed in changing who we are. Military courts, citizen arrests, ethnic profiling and abandoning constitutional protections simply make us like everyone else. There are no magic tricks to restore lost freedoms and no magic tricks to restore the surplus. As time passes the Bush recession will be revealed for what it is and the surplus will give way to deficits just like when Dad was in charge. Then the cry will be: "Stupid! It's the economy."

Tom Daschel and the Democrats have it right: it is not unpatriotic, it is our civic duty to speak out.

- Phil O'Dwyer, Chair

Back to the Contents

Michigan Legislature Report Card

The Michigan legislature returns to the Capitol after an extensive winter hiatus to complete the second half of the present session. Although party bickering in the House had diminished under the new Speaker of the House, Rich Johnson, the Republican caucus is still in control. This control is also found in the State Senate, where the Republican occupy twenty-six of the thirty-eight seats.

Some legislation of Democrats is being reported out of committees and if it has merit, the credit is often given to some Republican legislator. The following is a summary of the legislation that has been approved by both bodies and sent to the Governor for his signature. Governor Engler has spent a great of his time outside of the state as Chair of the Republic Governor's Conference. This has allowed Lieutenant Governor Dick Posthumus to receive a great deal of publicity in signing of the most important bills.

Bills Passed in the First Half of the Session

• Reapportionment of Congressional and State legislative district for the next decade which insure Republic dominance. (The Congressional plan is being challenged in courts.)
• A ban on straight ticket voting. (An act to decrease Democratic vote margins in the lesser state wide races.)
• Passage of the fiscal 2002 budget, which was reduced by executive order. The Rainy Day fund was used to cover a $ 850 million deficit. (The 2002 budget must be approved October 1, 2002.)
• Proposed a constitutional amendment to require a vote by the legislature to approve a pay increase for state officials. (This amendment will be on the August primary ballot, which will isolate any legislator seeking re-election from the controversy created by the acceptance of the recent increase.)
• Curb ballast water discharges issued by ships while in the Great Lakes.
• Expanded DNA databases as a crime prevention measure.
• Added new rules to combat sewage overflows that cause damage to homes.
• Added new measures to combat domestic violence and enforce personal protection orders.
• Approved new rules to improve pain management and hospital care.
• A land use package preserving open spaces and make it easier to redevelop inner city properties.

What is Still on the Table

1. Find funds and prose a balanced budget for 2002 that provides for all current needs. (A shortfall of about $1 billion is expected.)
2. Complete a terrorism package to improve public safety and strengthen the state's response to emergencies.
3. Formulate new rules concerning telemarketers place restrictions on their phone calls.
4. Receive and implement recommendations from a Senate Task Force to further the protection of the Great Likes and regulation of water withdrawal.
5. The approval of a transit authority for metropolitan Detroit by combining SMART and the Detroit system.
6. Complete the investigation of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport by making indictments or issuing statements which clear the accused parties.

What would be your grade for the current legislature's performance?

- Ralph Conklin

Back to the Contents

We welcome your Comments and Feedback