This is what it’s like in St Clair Shores.

On display at the Town Library for the next 40 years.

One must only look at the US version of “democracy” to understand the goal: an apathetic citizenry deluded and distracted to the point of inaction, therefore making true democratic legislative functionality unnecessary.

If we openly stated that we are attempting to spread corporate oligarchy in the guise of democracy throughout the middle east, that would be the truth…and certainly TELLING THE TRUTH is out of the question.

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I heard recently that a regional council put out promotional materials to lure people to Southeast Michigan laden with photos of our exquisite shopping malls. This was apparently done in all sincerity with the best intentions. Had I designed these materials I would’ve paired these pictures with photos of vomit piles and smashed shopping carts that fill the alleyways and parking lots of such facilities. I’d save the photos of the mall patrons vacant, sunken eyes for the brochure cover. Then I would’ve set an enormous, carnival stuffed animal – maybe a panda – on the client’s desk and lit it on fire.

In Benton Harbor, financial manager Joseph Harris’s order means city officials can only call meetings to order, adjourn them and approve minutes of meetings. All other decision–making powers rest with Harris. As Michigan AFL-CIO President Mark Gaffney says:

With the stripping of all power of duly elected officials in Benton Harbor and the attack on Detroit school teachers, we can now see the true nature of the Emergency Manager system.

This is a real life instance of taking away our fundamental rights… These new powers are taking away the will and voice of the people by stripping away the rights of public officials elected by Michiganders.

Gaffney said that emergency managers can exploiting the current crisis situation, creating a ”true case of political over-reach, and will simply add to the hardships of an already suffering populace in Michigan.”

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The nation’s greedy corporations and insatiable wealthy are fattening themselves on workers. There’s no trickle down. It’s the opposite; the rich have been sucking the economic lifeblood from the middle class for decades.

When reckless Wall Street banksters get taxpayer-funded bailouts, billionaires get tax breaks and gigantic corporations like GE and Bank of America pay absolutely no federal income taxes, they’re getting for free the very public services that enable them to make massive profits in this country—the courts, the roads, the trade regulators, the patent enforcement.

The middle class doesn’t get those big time special deals and loopholes. Workers pay their taxes. As a result, it’s workers footing the bill for the government services that enrich the rich. Greedy corporations, their CEOs and the right-wing politicians they buy with tens of millions in campaign cash are freeloaders.

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Woodard added the decision is an attack on low-income families, because most of the child care providers are among the working poor. “If they don’t have help getting what they’re due, they’ll be worse off than before.”

A lot of people are going to be devastated, and it’s not fair for the kids. Most people aren’t doing child care for the money. They’re doing it because they love kids.

Snyder’s budget proposal taxes pensions of retirees on fixed incomes, slashes the state’s education system and raises taxes on the working poor by eliminating the Earned Income Tax Credit.

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The wind is buffeting the turnips quite violently this morning. Their parents won’t be happy.
I spent most of last week drawing faces on them with PERMANENT MARKER and now with the thaw I fear they may be turning sour.

Nothing worse than a sour turnip with a Romanian Smile painted on the wrong side.

The Governor doesn’t like them either, which means they’ll most likely lose support in the next budget. Some people have the audacity to call this spring. Liars.