LAST WEEK AT THE CAPITOL

                                             

In every revolution there are reformers trying to fix things and reactionaries fighting for privilege. The trick is to know which is which.

 

Wednesday, March 16, 2011: lots of citizens exercising their right—indeed, their civic duty—to petition their government, to make their voices heard, to advocate for stuff they Support and protest stuff they Oppose.

 

THE ROTUNDA.  Lots of shouting, chanting  pounding. It was tough to walk through, but there was never any feeling of personal menace or danger. Except from the portrait of Governor Engler, which looked out at the crowd like he wanted to bust the whole lot of them.

 

 

 

INSIDE: I spoke to a couple of angry union teachers. They talked at length and we were unable to reach accord. One looked me in the eye.

“Be put on notice: we intend to make sure you’re voted out of the House in the next election.”

“The next election huh?” I looked him in the eye. “And what do you teach?”

“Government. “ He glared at me. “And we’re going to make sure you’re voted out of the House next election.”

“Okay,” I said.

So having heard the words of the two angry union teachers including the one who teaches Government, everybody please take note. I have an important official announcement to make:   I will not seek the nomination, nor be a candidate for reelection to the Michigan House in the next election (unless they abolish term limits.)

 

We had a couple of tour groups that day, 4^th Graders making their school trip to the Capitol. They were unable to go through the building because of the protesters, so we opened up the House Appropriations Room for them to sit and talk. There were two results. 1) The kids had an exciting Capitol visit day they can talk and brag about for the rest of their lives. 2) In return for our hospitality, my office received a nice plate of cookies.

 

OUTSIDE. Sunny and festive. A perfect day for a demonstration. The protesters were not shy about presenting their views. Few were as admirably forthright as this woman in making her case.

 

 

                THE NEW CIVILITY.  Yes, that O is a target. Someone tell the New York Times.

 

 

                MORE NEW CIVILITY. Shouldn’t it be “SnyderKAMPF?” NOTE: if you’re going to make Nazi posters, find someone who can speak German.  Just say “NEIN!”

 

As the day wore on the union folks headed off, and the crowd seemed to undergo a change.

 

 

               

                “How long?” Good question. It turns out this very scary-looking guy is none other than Scott Hagerstrom, State Director of the free-market advocate organization Americans for Prosperity-Michigan, at the Demo to document the excesses of the Left. The sign is not his--a better one might be "how long do you think I'll stay productive" given Michigan's oppressive tax and regulatory regime. Still a good question.

 

Finally it was time to clear the Capitol for the night. There were protesters that came ready to pull a Wisconsin and illegally occupy the building. They declined to follow the requests of the State Police, and were arrested, one with a weapon he refused to drop. As a van with arrestees tried to leave, and a mob surrounded the van, an interesting thing happened. The Lansing Police were nowhere to be found.

 

                Conflicting stories have emerged. Lansing Mayor Virge Bernero, who earlier had exhorted the crowd and pledged his support of the demonstrators, stated in the Lansing State Journal “In times of budgetary restraint, it is my job to make the difficult decisions on how to deploy the city's police resources." It’s good to see that Mayor Bernero understands budget cutting—even while mobs obstruct cops across the street. Only one State Trooper was injured keeping order, which isn’t too bad, I guess. The disturbing alternative would be that city law enforcement in Michigan’s capital is being applied on a partisan and politically selective way, on order of the unsuccessful Gubernatorial candidate.

 

DAYS END. A splendid time was had by all

 

 

Fighting for The People is tough work…better to let somebody else pick up your trash.

 

FINAL NOTE: The Michigan Education Association is calling for statewide illegal teacher strikes. From the MEA website:

 

“Your MEA Board of Directors is calling on local associations across the state to conduct local votes to provide MEA the authority to initiate crisis activities--up to and including a job action--in response to the ongoing legislative crisis in Lansing.”

 

                 Let’s be clear about what this means: The MEA President is asking for authority to call illegal teacher strikes across the state, to shut down K-12 public education in Michigan.  In a letter to union locals, she also requests backing for even “larger scale, public activities,” whatever they might be. Maybe this:

 

 

Check out the pre-printed sign held by the other young person to the left. Pre-printed signs are always a tip off that someone spent money and actively organized the whole demo. The important question is always “who,” but in this case, it’s not hard to tell. See the “Proud MEA member” sign held by the gentleman standing far-left? That’s your tax money at work, cycled through union dues and service payments, used to fight for more tax money. Is the young woman also your tax dollars at work?

 

Everyone’s been asking “why didn’t previous Governors and Legislatures come to grips with Michigan’s problems before things got so bad?” The answer is simple: because it’s hard. Look around and you’ll see why. This battle has just begun.

 

Like I said, in every revolution there are reformers trying to fix things and reactionaries fighting for privilege. The trick is to know which is which.

 

 

(Pictures courtesy of Nancy Breithart except first photo which is mine.)

 

 

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