tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post1937168297287820903..comments2024-03-26T03:46:04.937-07:00Comments on Books in Northport: Isn’t It Ironic? But You’re Still Free to VoteP. J. Grathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-21867372645980344402011-04-21T06:02:29.216-07:002011-04-21T06:02:29.216-07:00My limited legal understanding, Sarah, is that a l...My limited legal understanding, Sarah, is that a lawyer cannot directly challenge the law but could argue a case from that position, which would throw it eventually into the state Supreme Court. An alternative is to have the legislature repeal the law, but since they're the ones who passed it, not much chance there. If I'm wrong on this, please, someone, set me straight.P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-57347421702897087982011-04-21T05:41:18.664-07:002011-04-21T05:41:18.664-07:00I agree with you, Pamela; to me, this whole thing ...I agree with you, Pamela; to me, this whole thing has from the start been a constitutional issue, and I can't understand why lawyers haven't been all over the governor on this one. Sarah (not the dog)Sarah (not the dog)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-64230045487094705992011-04-20T06:27:57.454-07:002011-04-20T06:27:57.454-07:00I'm glad you bring that up, dmarks. I've b...I'm glad you bring that up, dmarks. I've been very frustrated by news coverage, not only nationally but within the state of Michigan. Reporters have leaned on the union stuff, leaned on cuts to education, but I haven't seen radio, television or newspapers (with a few stand-out exceptions) informing the public about the basic constitutional issues.P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-74766857318239032802011-04-20T04:37:47.789-07:002011-04-20T04:37:47.789-07:00Much of the opposition seems to come from hardline...Much of the opposition seems to come from hardline union backers, because this law would make it so unrealistic union contract demands could be ignored, say, in order to keep schools open, roads, plowed, etc. So I have tended to see it in these terms before. But now I see the broader issues involving local democracy.dmarkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07269773990064736457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-56322003411214529452011-04-19T10:58:37.135-07:002011-04-19T10:58:37.135-07:00Hi, dmarks. I don't know who this Anonymous wa...Hi, dmarks. I don't know who this Anonymous was or whether or not he or she will return to find your question. I hope so. For now, I can tell you that my big general concern is that voting could become an empty gesture. Remember high school? Voting for class officers? It was a popularity contest that had nothing to do with the way the school was organized and run, and that made sense then, because as high school students we were hardly equipped to organize and run a school. We're not in high school any more. Did you know that township government is the oldest organized (European-style) form of government in the U.S.? If townships are no longer self-governing, what happens to self-government in general?P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-78486133667566952132011-04-19T10:18:05.995-07:002011-04-19T10:18:05.995-07:00Anon, what are you specifically afraid of happenin...Anon, what are you specifically afraid of happening?dmarkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07269773990064736457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-43081184155238622182011-04-19T05:17:30.479-07:002011-04-19T05:17:30.479-07:00You're asking me a question I can't answer...You're asking me a question I can't answer. Reference numbers for both laws (I believe the new one is PA 4 and 7 of this year) and complete text to compare would be helpful. Do you have?P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-74454145368010010512011-04-19T03:07:10.720-07:002011-04-19T03:07:10.720-07:00How much worse is the new law compared to the exis...How much worse is the new law compared to the existing emergency-manager one we had way back from Blanchard?dmarkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07269773990064736457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-130682817651610902011-04-16T18:18:20.139-07:002011-04-16T18:18:20.139-07:00It might be comforting for folks in states other t...It might be comforting for folks in states other than Michigan and Wisconsin to see our situations as anomalies. If only that were the case! And what’s happening all over this country is happening in Canada, too.P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-58703737638333598472011-04-16T17:58:22.841-07:002011-04-16T17:58:22.841-07:00Presumably, the Mich guv
doesn't know where No...Presumably, the Mich guv<br />doesn't know where Northport is, so you may be safe. Now, if your town<br />was across the lake, the Wi<br />guv would likely just sell<br />you to the Koch brothers...BB-Idahohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01168862935045755393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-25221623537870745852011-04-16T12:11:06.535-07:002011-04-16T12:11:06.535-07:00Thank you for the supporting comment. I think you&...Thank you for the supporting comment. I think you're right: we need to make a big noise. Spread the word!P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-43506998074106144862011-04-16T11:30:45.310-07:002011-04-16T11:30:45.310-07:00Thanks, Pamela. This is a really important moment....Thanks, Pamela. This is a really important moment. We watch the erosion of protections that are cornerstone to 20th century American values and social wellbeing. Protections, safeguards, laws that regular people fought *tooth* and nail for. These practices and the values undergirdign them are in fact being washed away by new laws. <br />We regular people probably should be starting to make a long, big noise fuss in as many ways as possible. Once existing laws are ignored, and old, foundational laws are changed, it's like lashing the "pendulum" of political movement to the right side of the frame. Each law, each overturn, is another rope freezing movement in society. We need the movement in order to have democracy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com