Bloggin’ on the Edge

Posted by Scott Spielman at 11:49 PM | Comments | Permanent Link

Vote for the Democrats or the Republicans? That’s what I’m asking myself heading into the primary election on Tuesday.

Should I vote Republican in order to weigh in on who will represent the GOP in November, or vote Democrat and have a hand in voting for that party’s representative for state senate in my district?

Those are the two main things to think about, at least in the City of Wayne, where I live. You can’t vote for a person of one party in one race and a person of another party in a different race, since split tickets won’t be counted.

The governor race, to me, is easy. Anybody would be an improvement, and the Republicans probably have that locked up.

I think that will push me to the Democrat side of the ballot, in order to weigh in on the Senate Race in the 8th District. Despite the anti-Democrat feeling I sense throughout the state, I don’t know if a Republican can steal this seat in November, which means the right Democrat needs to be on the ballot to oppose him. For me, that’s Mike Kell. He seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and nowadays, that’s a refreshing change.

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Posted by Scott Spielman at 1:51 PM | Comments | Permanent Link

It probably came as no surprise to anyone watching the regular goings-on in Van Buren Township that Carl McClanahan was voted in as permanent public safety director Tuesday night.

The fact that it wasn’t a unanimous vote probably didn’t surprise anyone, either. It was 4-2 rather than 4-3 because Trustee Phil Hart was away on business.

It’s no surprise because Township Supervisor Paul White tried to do it before, including during the same week that former Public Safety director Gerry Champagne was fired (only to learn that—gasp—there was an actual procedure to follow). This one was written on the wall long ago.

I didn’t attend the meeting, but following up afterward I found the same kinds of reactions I saw while watching the controversy Champagne’s firing caused. The same people were frustrated about a process; White claimed a victory that was, in my opinion, not there.

He said it validated the initial appointment of McClanahan to the interim public safety director.

That’s not the way I see it. If it validated the appointment, it would have been a unanimous decision. Champagne wouldn’t have had an additional $450,000 to add to his nest egg after his lawsuit and the four still-pending lawsuits would have already been dismissed without merit.

But White has shown in the past that he doesn’t care about that stuff. He’ll do what he wants, justify it some way and not bother himself with building a true consensus among his board because he still has the three votes necessary to back him up.

I am not typically a conspiracy theorist, but I think this whole mess was flawed from the start.

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Posted by Scott Spielman at 3:37 PM | Comments (1) | Permanent Link

I was reminded of one of my pet peeves about the August primary this week: voters cannot split their tickets.

That means if you vote for a republican in one race, you can’t vote for a democrat in another or it will void out your ballot.

That’s one thing that needs to be addressed down the line—after some of the major problems facing our state are solved, of course. I’ve always advocated people over parties when it comes to voting—to me, straight party voting is almost as irresponsible as not voting at all.

On that note, this has been a difficult election cycle for me for a variety of reasons—the most recent of which materialized when I realized I would soon be moving on from this position. I’ve always looked at political endorsements as part of my job, and part of the role of a newspaper in general, but those who earn the endorsements—and, more to the point, those who don’t—tend to look at it differently. There are still would-be politicians out there as well as those who were elected into office, that still hold a grudge simply because I believed someone else would do a better job and put that thought into print.

So how, then, to address this issue this year without making it harder for my eventual successor?

The obvious answer is to trust those involved to realized that different people have different ideas and what I write one month doesn’t necessarily reflect what someone else will write a few months down the road. But I still get accused of following the philosophy of some of my predecessors—in a non-flattering way, I assure you—so I know that that kind of touchy-feely sentiment isn’t all that common.

I think the best way to address it is to explain the thought process. It’s pretty simple. We pick who we think should win, not who we think will win. We’ve picked republicans for democratic communities, and vice versa. We’ve picked newcomers over seasoned incumbents because we haven’t been happy with the job those who have held any particular office has done. And yes, we still expect them to answer a phone call or shake an offered hand. (If not, they tend to look sillier than we do, anyway).

I’m not suggesting everyone take what we say and vote that way. Many candidates are promoting the endorsements they receive. Take a look at all of them. Decide whether they represent the ability of the candidate to do the job. Then vote your conscience. Things’ll work out and nobody will get their feelings hurt in the meantime.

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Posted by Scott Spielman at 2:32 PM | Comments | Permanent Link

The Michigan Legislature approved the School Aid Fund today—a day after the Michigan Senate adjourned at 2:30 p.m. with the issue unresolved.

The vote was approved 37-1 in the Senate, and 98-6 in the House. School Districts will receive a portion of the $165 in per-pupil funding that was taken from them in the middle of the 2009-2010 school year. How much? $11.

Eleven bucks out of $165. That’s an odd number in a few ways.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm had this to say: “Today’s passage of the school aid budget with a small increase in funding is another important step in ensuring that we have a strong public education system that prepares every child for success in college and the workplace. The completion of the budget together with the passage of retirement reform legislation, which will save millions of dollars next year, provide schools with the financial certainty they need. I thank lawmakers for their action and am hopeful that with this important step behind us, we can move quickly to finalize the rest of the fiscal year 2011 budget.”

This, too, is odd in a few ways. Since when is restoring $11 of a $165 per pupil cut a small increase in funding? Isn’t that like leaving the pennies on the table as a tip, while taking the bills?

I also like the bit about the retirement reform saving millions and providing schools with the financial certainty they need. Maybe in a way it does provide certainty—a certainty that help won’t come from Lansing.

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Posted by Scott Spielman at 1:02 PM | Comments | Permanent Link

Click image to enlarge

Margaret Dunning (second from right) celebrated her 100th birthday with friends from all over Michigan this weekend at the Plymouth Historical Museum

“I’ve been very fortunate to lead a long, healthy life,” said Margaret Dunning on Saturday.

Dunning, who turned 100 years old that day, greeted friends from across the country at the Plymouth Historical Museum, the facility that she helped make one of the jewels of western Wayne County—if not the State of Michigan.

Henry and I took a trip down to the museum on Saturday, which served as the official kick-off of Margaret Dunning Week in Plymouth (Mayor Dan Dwyer provided her with a key to the city).
Dunning has led a remarkable, long life filled with the kind of philanthropy to which most of us can only aspire.

She served on the founding board for the Community Federal Credit Union and was president of the board for 19 years. That institution, founded with $1 million at one office, now has six locations. Her contributions helped bring the library to town.
Her donations to the historical museum not only helped build the structure, but expand it to its current state. She’s donated more than $1 million to the facility since her initial contribution provided for its construction in 1971.

“She’s an amazing lady,” said Jean Martin, wife of former Mayor Eldon ‘Bud’ Martin. “She’s an inspiration to all of us.”

Henry and I went down on Saturday. I figured the chances he’d have to meet someone that was 100 years old—and could talk so eloquently about her life—were few and far between.

“What was it like when you were a kid?” Henry wanted to know.

“Oh, there were quite a few things to do,” she said with a wink and a twinkle in her eye. “More than you’d think.”

He might not think of those things as fun, but such was the life of a young girl who spent the early part of her life on a potato farm, in the day of the horse and buggy.

Dunning and her mother moved to Plymouth around 1923. She worked at the Phoenix Mill—a Ford facility that employed only women—and later at the First National Bank of Plymouth, where she was the victim of a bank robbery. She took her entrepreneurial spirit into the clothing industry, when she purchased Goldstein’s Apparel on Main Street in 1947 and renamed the store Dunning’s. In 1950, she moved Dunning’s Department Store to Forest Avenue. She sold Dunning’s in 1968 to Minerva Chaiken, who operated it as Minerva-Dunning’s until she closed it during the late 1990s.

At 100, Dunning is nearly as spry as she ever was. She drove her classic, 1976 Cadillac convertible to her birthday celebration on Saturday to greet hundreds of well-wishers.

“I tried to get her to sit down, but she said she didn’t have to sit down,” said Sanford Burr, president emeritus of the Plymouth Historical Society. “I couldn’t argue with her.”

I guess you could, but it would be rather pointless. Anyone who’s accomplished as much as she has in her life—with more, no doubt, to come—has certainly got it all figured out.

Margaret Dunning Week will conclude on Sunday, during the Good Morning USA Parade, which kicks off at 7:30 a.m. Dunning is the Grand Marshall, said event organizer Fred Hill. She’ll be driving her own car, too. Hill said he hopes she drives the ‘Caddy’.

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