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Welcome to our latest edition of the Michigan Policast. Walt and I recorded this last Sunday, and Amy took the day off for some well-deserved downtime.
Today we talk about the latest polls. Mark Schauer up against Rick Snyder, Totten within striking distance of Schuette, and Peters has a good lead against Land. What will the independents / undecided do? How did the unknown Totten get so close to the guy who has run for every office there ever was? Is the ‘Land for Senate' campaign an insult to all Senate campaigns?
And why do right-wingers hate teachers? For the same reason they hate all good things. We talk about that too.
What else?
We also hand out some props to the good people in public service. Chris Thomas and Gretchen Whitmer get some love here.
Lots of links today.
- Editorial: Lawmakers clueless on Michigan's road to ruin
- Schauer edges ahead of Snyder, 45% to 43%, in new governor race poll
- Schuette has $1.9M to Totten’s $150K
- Tim Skubick: Is Attorney General Bill Schuette vulnerable in this election?
- Database: How much do Michigan teachers get paid?
- Mackinac Center Unveils New Website to Help MEA Members Opt Out During ‘August Window’
- The Truth About the Mackinac Center (pdf)
- State's minimum wage rising, but debate goes on over labor outlook
- Labor Day in Michigan Report: Pay Falls for Low-Wage Men yet Women Still Far Behind
- Michigan Minimum Wage Initiative (2014)
- State Official Has Reputation for Doing it the Right Way
- Sen. Gretchen Whitmer launches non-profit to focus on women's health, education
Hope you enjoy the show. Remember to chime in, leave us a comment, say hi to us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. We love to hear from you.
The rose petals you tossed at Chris Thomas were unfortunate. If you knew of his conduct in depth, you might understand that he is a survivor who has preserved himself (with help from Civil Service) at the expense of much-needed reform in Michigan election administration and integrity. Chris has spent quite a lot of time lately in Washington, and got himself appointed to the Advisory body of the Election Assistance Commission. This is the four member group created by HAVA in 2003 to supposedly oversee the machines we trust to vote on. Sadly, the EAC has failed to address the serious insecurity of election technology, and has had to be dragged by activist scientists into facing cybertheft reality. Thomas has not once raised his voice on this issue. He has also arrogated to himself the authority to “interpret” Michigan election law, often to the point of ridiculousness. In a letter to a challenger organization, Thomas stated that a provision of law enabling challengers to “see the votes counted and record them, ” was now “obsolete.” Transparency and documentation obsolete? No judge has said so, and that challenger law is still the law.